It's Christmaaaaassssss!!!!

Thursday is the big day!  

The team at Funky Monkey Ltd / The Office Chair Shop would like to wish all our customers a very merry Christmas and a healthy and happy new year.

To get us all in the mood, here is some Christmas music......

8 Top Tips for Choosing Office Furniture

8 Top Tips for Choosing Office Furniture

Many people work from an office, whether it be at home or in a corporate establishment. Such offices need to be furnished for it to work effectively and to optimize the comfort of the office bearers. Research has demonstrated that smartly designed office furniture, coupled with an effective personalized work-space usually reflects the overall productivity and effectiveness of such an office and its bearer.

It is therefore vital to make the right choice when it comes to the choice of office furniture. Below are top tips on choosing office furniture to achieve the best out of your office.

Don’t ‘stuff up’ The Office

Before you bring in furniture to set up in the office, ensure that you create space for them. The kind of furniture you choose should fit in the room in such a manner that leaves enough space for your clients to move around and facilitate activities such as opening the doors, cabinets and drawers. Such furniture such also be arranged to allow corridors for easy evacuation in case of accidents and other disaster.

Choose Furniture that Depicts The Specialty of The Office

Furniture is always engineered to depict what is going on in the office. Make sure you choose only the furniture that gives the office the right image. For instance, you cannot expect to use pieces of furniture designed for legal firm offices for a cafe.

Take Ergonomics Into Account

Since you will be spending most of the time on your office desk; comfort, safety and style must be guaranteed. The furniture as well as the workplace must be design in a manner that boosts productivity by minimizing operating fatigue as well as discomfort. Such must comply with safety and health requirements. Poor ergonomics can lead to strains, aches as well as work-related injuries.

Add Accessory Furniture

Beside the main office furniture such as the office chairs and desks, other accessory furniture pieces are important. These include book shelves, storage cabinets as well as computer stands. These extra pieces of furniture serve to optimize office efficiency and reliability.

Embrace Variety 

Choosing office furniture of a single design, colour and style usually create boredom because it expresses just a single line of moods. Choose office furniture of different designs colors and fashions so that you can create mixture of moods to take care of the differences on the personality of the clients you expect to serve.

Ensure Flexibility In The Office Furnishing

You cannot expect your employee’s needs to be consistent. Some of them may require a special kind of furniture in order to work optimally. Take for example those with some kind of physical handicap such as those who have to use wheel chairs; the office must be flexible to accommodate them.

Style and Impression Is Important

With technological advancement, there are hi-tech modern furniture that make the offices look stylish while at the same time are able to stand the test of time. It would be unrealistic to buy trendy furniture that would be off the market before you know it. Invest in pieces of furniture that will remain relevant even after some time. Furthermore, such furniture must give a good impression of the company so that it is respected and valued.

Divide Office Furniture Appropriately

An office may have different departments or rooms such as the main office, the reception as well as the departmental offices. Each of these rooms may require different kinds of furniture. This will also ensure that each of the employees in these rooms choose what is comfortable for them so that they can work optimally and be more productive. The above discussed tips on choosing office furniture if you have a new office that you want to equip if you cannot do it yourself, then enlist the help of a professional to help you come up with the most effective, ergonomic and highly productive office.

Loads of new offers have started this past week...

Here at the Office Chair Shop, we have been busy scurrying around liaising with our manufacturers to bring you a large selection of special offers for the Winter period. Check out our special offers category here!

Some of these amazing offers save you over £50 so don't miss out!!

Novembers chair of the month..

Our chair of the month for November is the popular "Condor" model.

The Condor boasts generous seating dimensions, deep cushioning and a traditional design.
The chair has a lock/tilt mechanism with weight tension adjustment and a cherry coloured wood base and is available in a variety of colours.

Features of this chair include;

• Traditional style upholstery with stitch detail
• Top grain Italian leather faced upholstery
• Generously sized seat and back with deep cushioning
• Hand tied coil sprung upholstery
• Sturdy fixed armrests
• Cherry coloured wooden 5 star base
• Lock/tilt function with weight tension control

As well as being our chair of the month, this chair is also on special offer!  Save £50 for a limited time!!

Click here to view this and other amazing special offers starting from as little as £34.98! 

At the going down of the sun......

November 11th 2014.

Ready built next day delivery....

This post is a reblog from earlier this year. It is just as relevant now as it was then and we thought it would be a good idea to re-post for our newer customers.......

As many of our regular customers know, a lot of our chairs have the ever popular ready built option when purchasing. This excellent service takes the hassle out of assembling your new chair and has it delivered straight to you ready to go!

We have offered this service for a very long time and due to its continued popularity have offered another service-

Ready built next day delivery!!

Our standard service so far has seen our ready built service taking up to 3-5 days to see your chair being delivered.  Now, due to increasing demand, we can offer this service for an extra charge to be completed with a next day delivery service (subject to the time of day the order is made – we strongly advise that you order in the morning).

Our 3-5 day ready built service remains at the £15.00 mark and the new next day service is being offered at £25.00. If this new service is required we encourage you to call or email us first to make sure that we can get the order processed in time to meet the cut-off deadline.

Say Hi to Jordan! One of our latest recruits....

This week I would like to introduce you to Jordan!

No,we don't mean the famous river in Israel nor do we mean the model who married Peter Andre!

We mean this one!...
                                         

Released earlier this month, the Jordan Office Chair is available with a choice of two colour arms (black or white) and has all the usual features expected from a modern office chair including lockable tilt, body weight tensioner and a sculptured seat.

Not having any customer feedback as yet we can't quote any customer testimonials on this model. We have tried out a sample that was loaned to us by the manufacturers however and can confidently report that this model is a sturdy, comfortable and stylish chair that is going to be a guaranteed success for us in the future!

Take a look at this great chair here

October product of the month - The Talladega Racing Style Chair

Brand new for October 2014 - our chair of the month for October is one of our latest recruits to our range!
The Talladega is a stylish model which features a 350mm silver base, retractable arms asd a 100mm gas lift mechanism.
The design of this chair is a must for all car / racing enthusiasts and is sure to bring a wow factor in to whichever environment it is placed.

This model is available in two color schemes, black or red and black and is for sale at a staggering price of £115.99 +VAT. This is an amazing price for a chair with such an appealing design!

See it here. 

Hendon Executive now on special offer.

Our special offer for October is a £20 saving on our popular Hendon Executive leather  Look Office Chair !!

The Hendon is a traditional leather look executive armchair with a stylish button tufted backrest and stylish chrome arms with matching base. It features a reclining function with tension control and a gas lift height adjustment. The arm height on this chair will allow it to fit under a desk or table of 66cm in height and the suggested maximum user weight is 110kg (just over 17 stone). 

Suitable for up to 8 hours use per day

*Traditional leather look design
*Button tufted backrest
*Stylish chrome arms
*Stylish chrome base
*Reclining function
*Tilt tension
*Gas lift height adjustment
*Easy assembly

   

Grab yourself a bargain while you can! 

October 2014 is here!

As the above title says, October is here! Halloween decorations and costumes are popping up in our supermarkets, the X Factor is in full swing (Chloe |Jasmine to win!!) and people are starting to brace themselves for the beginning of the madness that is Christmas and New Year.

I have always been a fan of this time of year, I love when the leaves start to turn that gorgeous golden brown colour and like the fact that, for the most part, the weather starts to cool but it's not yet  cold enough for gloves and scarves. The dark nights are also not with us just yet which is always a bonus!

Anyway, back to business!

Sales have been good for us this year so far. We have introduced several new lines to our range this past few months and we have had lots of good feedback from our customers. We have been able to begin and maintain several special offers in 2014 and are pleased to announce that many more will be appearing in the coming  months.

Please click here to view our special offers category, there is bound to be something there to take your fancy!

See you soon x

Chair of the month - September

As we hurtle headlong towards a new month we thought we should talk about our popular Chiropractic Chair - The Charisma.

Once every few weeks  we are going to highlight a popular selling model from our catalogue and feature it as our “chair of the month”. 

To kick off we chose the Charisma, this seemed fitting as it is, and always has been, one of our most successful lines which always receives positive feedback from our customers. We even have some of these in our own office!

Available in three colours as standard (black, blue and burgundy) it comes with a long list of features and benefits including;

• Adjustable back with contoured lumbar cushioning
• Gas lift height adjustable
• Synchronised mechanism
• 3 lever mechanism
• Seat slide to ensure support behind the knees
• Height adjustable, pivoting armrests
• Detachable Headrest
• Suitable for all day 24 hour use
• Five Year Guarantee

Take a look at this chair in more detail here! 

How to choose an office chair

What Do All These Things Mean?

There are a whole range of features and functions on chairs that can be confusing at best, at worst misleading.

I'll explain what they mean;

Lets start with upholstery. 
Generally chairs are either leather, fabric or mesh. Leather tends to be used for executive chairs and fabric for operator type office chairs.

Fabric is pretty straight forward. Some chairs have the option of a range of fabrics that are banded, some are only available as you see them.
There are simply hundreds of different fabrics, colours, styles etc. A couple of common fabric manufacturers are Camira Fabrics and Bradbury Fabrics 
Both of these supply a huge range of fabrics. Chairs that are available in these fabrics are generally upholstered after the customer places their order so takes a bit longer.

 Leather is a bit different. Most chairs, sofas, car interiors etc are actually made out of bonderd leather which is also known as eco leather or enviro leather. 

Bonded leather is a material that consists of recycled leather that’s combined with other materials to create a 'bonded' leather. Bonded leather or Enviro leather is used to upholster furniture, bind books, and create clothing and fashion accessories.
Bonded Leather? 

Mesh is relatively new and brings some additional benefits. 
Mesh allows the chair user to keep cool. When a thick padded leather or fabric chair can get a bit uncomfortable, a mesh chair allows the user to stay cool.
Mesh chairs don't have padding and rely on the mesh to support the users weight.
The mesh has some spring in it to accommodate this. 
An important part of a mesh chair to look at is the front edge of the seat. Due to a mesh chair having no padding on the seat, poor quality mesh chairs can have a hard edge which will dig in to the back of a users legs. A good quality mesh chair will have a good layer of padding under the mesh at the front.

So, you know if you want fabric, leather or mesh. What else?
What are all the levers and knobs?

Ok, so here's a bit of jargon busting information.

Single lever mechanism? This means a chair that has 1 lever which tilts the chair and operates the raise/lower mechanism.
Typically these are what's called a tilt/lock mechanism. This means the chair only locks in the upright position and not in semi tilted positions.
This can also be called Traditional tilt.

Twin lever mechanism? This generally means a mechanism that has 2 levers! One operates the tilt of the chair and generally allows the chair to be locked in a variety of positions. The other lever operates the raise and lower function.

Syncro lock or syncro lock any position? This is a different type of mechanism that means when the user tilts the chair, the back and the seat move together BUT at different rates. This simply means that the seat tilts less than the back. 
The benefit of this is that it allows the user to tilt back a little without their feet coming off the ground for example.
It might not sound a big deal but it's a more comfortable tilt that a traditional tilt.

Seat slide? That's easy. Not all office chairs fit all people. A seat slide allows the seat of the chair to slide forward or backwards. It effectively makes the seat longer or shorter.

Back height adjustment? Again, simple. It means the back of the chair can be adjusted up or down. If you combine a seat slide with back height adjustment you've got a chair that can be adjusted for most people.

Adjustable arms? No, this is some kind of medical procedure. It means the arms of the chair can be adjusted. There are lots of different types, the most common being height adjustable. They can also be width adjustable or adjustable forward or backwards.

Headrest? You would think this is simple but it's a question of interpretation. Basically, a chair with a removable headrest is described as such. A chair described as having a headrest could be detachable or it could be an integral headrest like a padded hump in the chair that is high enough to be a headrest.

Independent back tilt? This means the back can be adjusted independently. When you adjust the back the seat stays where it is.

Body weight tensioner? What? This is a screw type adjustment, usually under the front of the seat, that adjusts the tilt. By this i mean if you screw it in and it's more difficult to lean back, screw it out and it's easier.

Hopefully that should be enough to get you started.
Remember, take your time, don't rush in to a purchase. Shop around, check the company out, call them to see what they're service is like and when you're sure then go ahead.

We welcome people calling us, emailing, connecting on social media like twitter, facebook or Google+.

Feel free to call us anytime, we're happy to help.

Speak to you soon.

Mark

6 Tips To Reduce Back Pain At Work

Good posture is easy in theory but difficult to practice.

When you’re sitting at a desk, staring at a screen for hours it’s easy to let posture slip.

We tend to slump a little, slouch a lot, lean forward, hunch and generally move around.

The muscles responsible for keeping us upright are the abdominal muscles and the back muscles (intertransversarii muscle, multifidus spinae, trapezius muscle)

Leaning forward 30 degrees to get closer to your computer screen puts 3 to 4 times more strain on the back, causing premature wear and tear on the joint surfaces, ligaments of the spine, and the discs located between the vertebrae.

The back muscles are also negatively affected as the continuous added strain causes them to tighten, reducing optimal blood flow. Over time this posture leads to the development of tight, rigid muscles and joints, which in turn makes them prone to injury.

Here’s a quick 6 point guide to sitting comfortably and reducing back pain;

1. Elbow position

First, begin by sitting comfortably as close as possible to your desk so that your upper arms are vertical, parallel to your spine and rest your hands on your desktop / keyboard.

If your elbows are not at a 90-degree angle, adjust your office chair height either up or down.

2. Thigh position

You should be able to slide your fingers under your thigh at the front edge of the office chair. If it is too tight, you need to prop your feet up with an adjustable footrest or adjust the seat height but remember point 1!

3. Calf position

Sit back against the chair back and place your hand between the back of your calf and the front edge of your office chair. If you can’t, you will need to adjust the chair backrest, lumbar support or seat depth by using a seat slide if one is fitted, or get a new office chair!

4. Lower back

When you sit correctly with you back against the back rest, there should be cushioning that causes your lower back to arch slightly to encourage you not to slump forward or slouch down in the chair. This low back support in an office chair is essential to minimize the strain on your back.

5. Eye level

Your resting gaze should be aimed at the centre of your computer screen. If your computer screen is higher or lower than your gaze, you need to either raise or lower it to reduce neck strain.

6. Armrest

Adjust the armrest of the office chair so that it just slightly lifts your arms at the shoulders. Using an armrest on your office chair is a great way to take some of the strain off your neck and shoulders and should make you less likely to slouch forward in your office chair.

August update.

Well!  What a busy month we have had so far!

Our newly listed chairs have been a total success, the ValueOffice Chair  has gone from strength to strength sales wise and our brand new  “All Black” addition to the Georgia computer desk range has proved very popular with our returning customers!

Don’t forget, we still have some great special offers running,  our  Blur, Berkeley and Hero models are still available at  discount prices and the ever popular “Starkins” range in also on-going  (although the success of this collection has lead to it being partially out of stock!) The Cantilever version will be available week commencing 22^nd September and we recommend getting your pre orders in for these as they are sure to sell out again very soon!

Remember, we are only a phone call or email away if you need any advice or assistance!

Speak soon! 

Brand new for August 2014

We have another new addition to our ranks! Owing to the continued popularity of the Georgia Compact Glass Computer Desks we are pleased to announce that we are now able to supply a third model which is manufactured all in black. 

This attractive model is the same price as its two existing counterparts (clear glass and black/steel) and is ready for dispatch. 

Hurry! Don't miss out, these are sure to be very popular! 

Obviously having a bad day!

Posture Chair?

Posture chair? 

What's that all about? 

Sounds expensive. 

What's wrong with my old chair?

Do you sit at your desk or workstation for long periods?
Do you get back ache or tension in the lower back or shoulders?

There's a good chance it's to do with or at least not helped by poor posture.

There is a lot of conflicting advice regarding seating position but there are a few key points to be aware of.

In my experience, the most common issue is slouching or leaning forward.
As i'm writing this i'm doing exactly that!

A few obvious key features are adjustable height arms, lumber support for your lower back, seat back adjustment and seat height adjustment. 

On top of this, some areas to be aware of are seat shape so as not to put unnecessary pressure on the underside of thighs and behind the knee, ideally the chair should have a seat slide to allow adjustment of the seat depth.

Don't over reach, keep things close, consider a foot rest, it makes a surprising difference and consider a wrist pad to rest your wrists on.


There's a lot to consider.

We have a great chair that addresses all of these issues and provide amazing support and comfort. It's called the Chiro +. It's an awesome chair and is Chiropractor approved for peace of mind.

http://www.theofficechairshop.co.uk/chiro-plus-chiropractor-approved-orthopaedic-office-chair.html

I'm no expert but this is what I've learnt. If you want to discuss it in more detail please feel free to call us 0n 0800 1422626 for a friendly chat.

Mark

Storms hit the UK!

Here are some stunning shots from the storm that hit the UK overnight in the early hours of 18/7/14.

All of these shots are from within London. We tried taking some shots of our own but they were not a patch on the standards of pictures shown here!

We're sure you'll agree that these shots are breath taking!