Essential Information about Office Chair Base that Shouldn’t be Missed

For a worker or a user of an ergonomic office chair to get the perfect comfort and productive he/she so dearly needs, the base must be perfect. Just as the backrest armrest and seat adjuster is important, so is the office chair base. Sometimes people do tend to overlook this aspect of an office chair and they have regretted it. Such people have learned the importance of the office chair base.

An office chair without a good base can lead to problems for the user. It can cause the user of such a chair to have accidents when trying to move with the chair. Also, if the base isn’t strong enough it is most likely going to break and then cause the user to fall.

In order to escape being a student of harsh experiences such as the ones given read this blog post to the end. Because it will cover key information about office chair base and their various types according to each of their physical features and functionality.

Materials that can be used for an Office Chair Base

This vital part of the office chairs come in several varieties. Over here, their varieties will be based on finishing or materials used. There are several office chair base finishing/materials used for making a strong and comfortable office chair. They include:

•    Plastic

•    Aluminum

•    Steel

•    Wood

Plastic 

These are bases made of polypropylene. They are not reliable bases because it can easily be damaged in such a way it can end up injuring the user. For instance, the casters a plastic chair are known to easily snap off. Sometimes even a part of the chair’s base could break off if there is a lot of stress caused by the user’s weight.

An office chair base with this material are found in an average office chair meant to for averaged sized people. Even for the average sized people, some the office chairs with polypropylene bases tend to easily wear and tear.

Although, there are some office e chairs with strong plastic bases. The strength comes from the strut that was put in the chair during the molding. Such chairs with plastic bases like this tend to be a lot pricey. After all, high-quality does not come cheap.

Aluminum

Office chair bases with this finishing are the most demanded in the market. And it is due to two features that ensure its quality, they include versatility and durability. These two are enough reasons to rate the finishing on a high.

In terms of versatility, more people with an acceptable weight range from small to mildly large people can use such a chair with this type of base finishing.

In terms of durability, this is another feature that rates the finishing to a high standard. Unlike the polypropylene base, the aluminum base can withstand large weights. And these large weights are the cause of wear and tear on the office chair base. Also, the base comes painted or anodized for lasting long.

In addition to the features, the aluminum base is light in weight, which will make the chair almost as portable as the polypropylene base. And the aluminum material shows that the office chair base’s fabrication process is quite easy, so production time is short.  

Steel

Office chairs with the steel base are built for people of larger sizes. The material used is chosen specifically to tackle the problem experienced by large sized people and that is by providing good support. The use of an office chair with a steel base is the plan only if the aluminum base isn’t strong enough.

Unlike the aluminum office chair base, the ones with steel base are much heavier. Luckily heaviness is a complement of strength. This means there is less likeliness of an accident happening due to the breaking of the casters or a part of the base.      

The process of production for this kind of base is not as easy as aluminum or plastic. If you are familiar with the process of melting and forming of steel products you will understand it is hard. Office chairs with steel bases tend to be pricey. Its price is based heavily on the quality of the chair which is high. 

Chairs like executive chairs are usually with a steel base. Sometimes they are painted or chromed for style and to prevent the appearance of marks.

Wood

Wood alone is not used to make chair base. It is more like wood casting fitted over a steel core. This chair base is like the perfect one if strength, durability, and style are the requirements. The steel core covers the strength and durability part by providing strong and dependable support for the user.

The wooden fit over the steel core covers the style of the chair. The wooden exterior of the chair’s base with other wooden designs on the office chair will give it a more interesting style and will add a little style to the office.

The wooden office chair base cannot withstand scratches from the office chair base. It is advisable to prevent it from being scratched.

Office chair base without wheels and their varieties

Surprisingly, in most workplaces, office chair base with wheels are preferably used. This due to their mobility with the help of the armrests (for stirring) and the casters. It allows the user to sync with his/her environment with no issues and it is even known for improving worker productivity.

The office chairs without wheels have benefits of their own. One of them is the removal of expenditure on office chair base casters. Also, office chairs with no wheels at the base save the users from the frustration of buying new casters.

If the user wheels are lost and there isn’t enough budgeted for casters, then he, she or the company can improvise by using the chairs without wheels. In some cases, full base replacement from a wheelbase to a non-wheel base will be needed. Sometimes the base may not even need to be replaced, because the base may not be structured in such a way it can still support the user comfortably.

Benefits of using office chairs with no wheels

Less damage on the floor

It may not be noticed, but office chair bases with wheels tend to cause the problem to the office floors, especially if it made of hardwood. The kind of problem it causes is scratching and denting of the floor’s surface.

If the chair is stationary then there will be no or little scratches on the hardwood floor. Given that the hardwood floor is quite hard and expensive to maintain, it is still better to use the chairs without wheels.

The reason is that the position of the scratches made can be controlled therefore making it easy to clean. It is different for the office chairs base with wheels. Since the chair is mobile, the users will move from one part of the office to another. It will then cause the appearance of scratches all over the hardwood floor in an uncontrolled manner.

It can improve productivity

This benefit actually depends on the preference of the user. People can still be very productive as they are using an office with wheels. As such set of people exist, so does the people that prefer restriction of movement around the office while working.  

The major reason such set of people exist is that they tend to get distracted and it allows them to mess around instead of focusing. There is no reason to blame them, the being able to roll easily with the office chair is quite fun and it tends to make people unserious. This will then lead to less productivity in the office.

The stationary nature of the wheel-less office chair base allows for easy focusing during daily tasks in the office. With just a simple, comfortable distance from the chair, the user is ready to have long and productive working experience.  

There are fewer accidents

Office chairs base with wheels is great for easy movement around the office. There is actually a risk with this freedom and that is the possibility of injuring the user. It could be by rolling over the toes or a broken caster could cause the user to fall.

All those are valid reasons for switching to using an office seat chair with a wheel-less base.

Varieties of office chair base styles without wheels

•   Bolted bases – office chairs with this type of base are fixed to the ground. It fully restricts the user’s ability to move the chair from its determined spot. Chairs like this can be found in some offices too. It can also be found in places like bars or bowling alley.

•   Chromed disc base – office chairs with this base are great for people who wish to restrict their movement to a manageable level.

•  Several legged bases – the structure of this base is similar to that of office chair base with wheels. The legs provide the support needed to conveniently evenly distribute the user’s full weight.

How to replace office chair base

There are several reasons why people replace office chair base. It could be so that the office chair can be maintained and prevented from further damage. Another reason could also be so that one can make a switch from an office chair base with wheels to one without wheels. In the end, the base of the office chair needs to be replaced.

In order to go about this process carefully, it is best to follow these steps accordingly. So here we go:

First step

If the replacement is done in the office it is advisable to place old newspapers or drop-cloth on the floor. So that the grease from the chairs base gas cylinder is lubricated and it will have to be taken apart so the base can be removed.

Second step

On the newspaper or drop-cloth, place the chair in an upside down position so that the chair’s base center will be visible and easily accessed for disassembly.

Third step    

Look for a holding clip at the center of the office chair’s base for removal. The best tool for this is the needle-nose plier or a flathead screwdriver. Once the tool is gotten, use it to bend the clip until it’s slightly open and then later slide it off the piston.

Fourth step

Remove the washer which can be found on top of the base the piston. There is no need for a tool, all that is required is the bare hand for a simple pull.

Fifth step

The base is now loose so the next thing steps to take is to turn the base counter-clockwise like it was being unscrewed. After that, pull the base out carefully, both the base and the gas cylinder (if present) remain attached.

Remember to watch out for grease spills from the base.

After following all the steps, replace the base with another and then continue to fix it. The process is still similar to the one below it’s just that it must be done in reverse this time.

Conclusion

The main goal of this post is to express the importance Office chair base because it is responsible for the support in which the whole office chair provides.  Also, it houses accessories meant for providing the user comfort. If the office base isn’t strong enough, it will only lead to more problems that could end up injuring the user.

The strength of the base depends solely on two things. The strength of the material used for manufacturing the base and the design of the base. For instance, the heavy-duty office chair base is needed for larger users so the best type of base material will be steel. As for the base design, it can be wheeled or not wheeled, it depends on the user’s choice. 

If the chair’s base is weak and defective the next thing to do is replace it. There are steps to follow in the post, they clear easy to follow. No special tools are required, they are actually easy to get in the home. It will help if there is a handy kit present.