This enables you to adjust the tension on the chair. This is the knob found underneath the chair, towards the front of the seat. When the seat is unlocked, you can tilt the chair while seated. You can change the tension to be loose (so that the chair tilts easily) or tight (so that you must use more strength to tilt the chair). Lighter/smaller people should have a loose tension and heavier people should have a tighter tension. While seated on the chair, turn the knob clockwise to loosen or anticlockwise to tighten

This allows you to adjust your seat up or down. The lever is situated underneath the seat on the right-hand side. To lower the seat, sit on the chair and pull the lever upwards towards the seat. To heighten the seat, lift your body off the chair and pull the lever upwards and adjust to desired height. For good posture, your feet should be placed flat on the ground with your thighs and calves at a 90 degree angle.

The swivel only mechanism is usually standard on basic typist chairs or any chair with a fixed backrest as part of the design. This mechanism allows the chair seat to be able to swivel from side to side but does not allow any backrest or seat tilt movement. Gas height adjustment is included and allows the chair to be adjusted in height

The swivel & tilt mechanism is usually standard on single shell chairs where the backrest of the chair and seat is made out of a single plywood shell or economy chairs. This mechanism allows for the chair seat and backrest to tilt backwards together, but is not able to lock in any of the tilted positions.

The chair is only lockable in an upright position by pushing the single gas lever, which is standard on all chairs for height adjustment, inwards to the seat and therefore preventing the chair from tilting backwards. To unlock this position the gas lever can be pulled away from the seat in order for the chair to be able to tilt backwards again

The raking backrest or permanent contact mechanism as it is known in some designs, is usually standard on operators/ task chairs or chairs with a split shell design where the seat and backrest are not connected to each other. This allows for more ergonomic movement of the backrest however the seat of the chair is still fixed and does not tilt together with the backrest.

To adjust the backrest, a separate lever to the gas height adjustment lever is normally used (in some designs the mechanism uses the same lever). Pulling the lever upwards allows for the backrest to be tilted freely to the desired position and then pushing down on the same lever allows for the backrest to be locked into position. This mechanism also allows for the backrest to be adjusted in height unless otherwise specified

The forward knee tilt mechanism is usually standard on single shell chairs where the seat and backrest of the chair is connected or split shell chairs where the backrest and seat is connected by design. This allows for the chair seat and backrest to tilt together but be able to lock in various tilted positions unlike the standard ‘swivel & tilt’ mechanism, which is only lockable in an upright position. To adjust the chair, a separate lever to the gas height lever is supplied which can be pulled upwards allowing the chair to tilt backwards to the desired position. Pushing the lever downwards locks the chair in that position.

 An added feature to this mechanism is the fact that unlocking the tilted position does not immediately ‘release’ the tilt position so as to not throw the person sitting on the chair forward. To release the tilt position, the person sitting in the chair is required to first lean backwards into the backrest ‘unlocking’ the position and only then will the backrest be able to move forward again into a new position

This mechanism is usually standard or an optional upgrade on any split shell chair where the backrest and seat are not connected by design.

As the preferred mechanism in ergonomic seating, this adjustment allows for the seat and backrest to be tilted individually and relative to each other. This means that for every 1 degree the seat tilts, the backrest tilts 2 degrees, making this mechanism highly beneficial to both personal comfort as well as overall well-being during extended hours of sitting.

The Synchro mechanism also allows the seat and backrest to lock in various tilted positions by pulling the synchro lever up to adjust the seat and back to the desired position and push it back down in order to lock the chair in that position.

An added feature to this mechanism is the fact that unlocking the tilted position does not immediately ‘release’ the tilt position as to not throw the person sitting on the chair forward. To release the tilt position, the person sitting in the chair is required to first lean backwards into the backrest ‘unlocking’ the position and only then will the backrest be able to move forward again into a new position.

Incorporated in some executive and heavy-duty chair ranges, a seat slider can be included in the synchro mechanism to allow the chair seat to move backwards and forwards. Accommodating both short and tall legged users, this feature contributes to both flexible individual seating as well as multiple user environments

Dynamic sitting occurs in an office chair that is fitted with a free float mechanism that allows the angle between the backrest and seat to change. By continuously changing this angle, you automatically stimulate, or activate various muscles in your lower back, core and legs. As a result, the blood flow through these muscles increases, bringing oxygen and other nutrients to the muscles and carrying away the waste products of muscle metabolism. By doing so, muscle fatigue and it’s associated pain is reduced, particularly in the lower back, core and legs.

Our Wellback Orthopedic Chair range with free float mechanism is recommended for anyone who has chronic lower back pain. An orthopedic chair must have a forward-tilting seat function that reduces the rotation of the pelvis when sitting down. This decreases the disc pressure in the lumbar region of the back while you are seated. Compared to an ergonomic chair, an orthopedic chair has additional features to ensure the chair can be adjusted to specifically address chronic lower back pain