When it comes to the topic of ergonomic  office chairs, there are a lot of details that need to be discussed and analyzed.

There are different opinions about the necessity for the headrest, some people say that headrest is necessary, some people say that headrest is not necessary. Today we will talk  on this topic.

Some people argue that some big-name ergonomic brands do not have headrest, does it mean that headrest is not necessary?

In fact, it is not correct, the reason why some big name international brand ergonomic chair do not have a headrest is due to the characteristics of that time, now, it can be said that there are limitations if it is referring to modern life and modern working style ,you can say it is a little behind the times.

Take  the Hemmer Miller chair as an example

First ,the object of work is different at that time, the sedentary time in the past is not so long, the effective time for designers to solve how to maintain the correct sitting posture is only a few hours.

When it comes to modern design in Europe and the United States, people work on the phone and deal with the contents in the computers on the Internet for only eight hours, and trade unions also try their best to protect the rights and interests of employees.

Second, Ergonomics  design and equal humanities is different at that time , the development of ergonomics were originated during the world war and flourished in the industrial age, the two most important goals were efficiency and safety, then cutting-edge knowledge and the ability of large-scale industrial manufacturing, so that these excellent designers and operators become world-class brands.

Ergonomic design at that time  had certain limitations. Large-scale production and mainstream male office population made the average candidates for ergonomic chairs , which were more concentrated in some groups. Asian women with in 1600MM height use chairs from Europe and the United States brand, many of which were not suitable. Headrest is basically not called headrest.. HM had very good office humanities at that time. Advocate the equality of all people in the company, so the chairs they design should also reflect the equality of the company from top to bottom, and there should be no objects with higher symbolic status.

In fact, this situation has already been challenged in  Asia in modern time. In Taiwan, a fabric company has made matching headrest for a hot-selling chair of the HM family, because too many Asian users complain about why HM does not have headrest, not because of status logo, but because of functional requirements.

In the information age of hand-held electronic devices, people are no longer sedentary for the office, our entertainment, social learning, shopping, all on small mobile devices, we rely more than ever on static limbs and active brains, and the support of the head and neck is no longer just a need for information. if we further improve the physical problems caused by sitting for a long time, it is not just a matter for health and exercise experts. It's the job of our chair designers.

Time has changed. It is not  electronic devices that will beat the mobile phone in the future. It must be the neck cone.

In recent years, young people have more and more cervical vertebra problems, and most office workers, drivers and students are in the sub-health state of cervical vertebra, neck stiffness and pain, seriously affecting the quality of life. So for patients with frequent neck pain, how to relieve this pain?

I will not describe in detail the logic of the harm of the neck cone and the problems that arise. Basically, everyone in modern society feels the same way.

Now it is the time of mobile Internet.
According to the progress of the times, ergonomic office chairs should be innovated to adapt to the development of the times.

Nowadays, the society has evolved from the Internet to the mobile Internet, and mobile phones have become a necessity for human society, work and entertainment.
According to statistics, each time spent with a mobile phone is more than 5 hours a day on average. Can you play with your cell phone without bowing your head?

This is determined by physiology and human body structure. The screen is so small that you don't look down on it, including IPOD and computers.

Check your phone when you eat; check your phone when you stand in line.
Check your phone while waiting for the bus; check your phone when you are on a date.
Check your phone before you go to bed, and check your phone after you wake up.
The longest distance in the world is.
I'm sitting across from you, and you're playing with your cell phone

On the question of whether or not to need headrest, Chinese and foreign consumers have some different views. Chinese people generally need headrest, and some foreign consumers feel that they do not necessarily need headrest for the following reasons.

1. Different ways of working.
China has 996 work style, strong life pressure and work performance, most white-collar workers take charge of the office, want to make a bed in the company, eat and drink are integrated, save time, improve work efficiency.
So there is a saying in Internet companies: who can let employees take charge of the company is the future Internet overlord.
So you can imagine why the office environment of Internet companies has been improving in recent years. In addition to improving their brand image and receiving customers, it is important for employees to have a sense of belonging and pride to work hard for the company.
So the three giants of Chinese Internet companies plus Huawei, including some of the world's top 500 foreign companies, are upgrading.
BAT and Huawei used to use foreign brands such as HM, but now they all use domestic first-tier brands, which can be known when they work in their system, and are basically equipped with headrests according to the needs of the times. Most Chinese people need this function, which is voted democratically and represents the will of the majority of people.

2. Mobile phone dependence is different
In America and West countries’s concept.  as we all know, overtime is basically impossible,  They know how to live better, there will be other leisure and recreational activities after work. That is, their life is more regular, time management is better, the basic time in the computer is working time, other time will not be exposed to too many electronic products, including mobile phones.
In addition, the popularity of the mobile Internet is not as popular as in China. To put it simply, mobile payments are ubiquitous only in China, not to mention  their population density. So they are much less dependent on mobile phones than in China.

3. Different working thinking.

Foreign countries think that work is work, so they do not need headrest, and the chair is combined with office style and corporate culture.
 When Tired they can have a rest and adjust in the company, the company is  equipped with a number of leisure and entertainment equipment for them to relax and then look for inspiration.
This determines that they can play and work at the same time, giving full play to everyone's potential and effects. The chair is a real tool for him. Most employees in Chinese companies basically spend more time in the same chair than with your closest wife.
At the same time, because of the laziness of human nature, there are very few people who tell him to correct his sitting posture and exercise regularly. How can you form good work and life habits?
Just then there is an assistant called an ergonomic chair, which helps you adjust your sitting posture and relieve work strain, a perfect match.

Finally, let's sum up:


The headrest is necessary! 

You can choose to use it or not but it is better to have one.

Although several of Herman Miller's ergonomic chair  do not have headrest, it does not mean that headrest is not necessary. In addition to Herman Miller, the vast majority of ergonomic chairs under other brands have headrest, and for Herman Miller's aeron ergonomic chair, third-party manufacturers have also made adaptive headrests, and many people have bought them, so Herman Miller's ergonomic office chair do not have headrest, it does not mean that headrest is not necessary.
For most people, headrest is still necessary, whether it is work or entertainment, often they will inevitably want to lean on the chair to paralyze for a while, when the role of headrest is reflected, when the neck rests on the headrest, the cervical vertebrae and shoulders will be relaxed to a certain extent. And for some people who already like to work on headrest, headrest is essential, but if you work at your desk for a long time, it won't play a big role.


So you don't have to use the headrest, but it's best to have it. But if the chair is not selected well, the headrest may also be upgraded in reverse. For example, the headrest can not support the neck at all, but support to the head, so that the neck is suspended. In fact, it is also very uncomfortable, such as some gaming chair.
So although the headrest is useful, it is only useful if the ergonomic seating is well designed, otherwise it may lead to reverse upgrade.