How Often Should Office Chairs be Replaced

Wondering how long office chairs can last for? Are you trying to find out when you need to replace yours (and how)? Perhaps you're searching for ways to extend the lifespan of your office chair?

In this article, you will find all the answers that you're looking for and more.

How often should office chairs be replaced?

In general, you want to replace your office chair about 7-8 years from when you initially bought it (assuming that you purchased it in a brand-new condition). This depends on the condition of certain parts and the upholstery material.

However, a reliable and high-quality office chair can serve you for up to a decade. After that, you may start to notice signs that it's losing its value and gradually becoming unusable.

How to Tell if Your Office Chair Needs Replacing

The condition of your chair's wheels, levers, padding, and fabric will tell you whether or not it's time to find a new office chair.

To illustrate, here is why it's important to shop around for a replacement when any of these parts gets damaged:

• Wheels: Keep an eye out for loose or broken wheels. An unbalanced chair negatively impacts your posture, even if you don't immediately notice that.
• Levers: In the same vein, broken levers might lead to physical injuries, such as pain in your lower back. Your chair needs to have workable levers because they allow you to change the chair's height based on what's comfortable for you.
• Padding: If the padding begins to feel harsh and rigid (when it was previously soft), consider looking for a new chair.
• Fabric: Scratched and/or worn-down fabric is another sign that you should replace your office chair.

Be mindful, though, that the specific qualities of your chair will influence how long it may last. For instance, some materials, like leather, are much more durable and enduring than others.

How Often to Replace Leather Office Chairs

Leather has a lengthier lifespan than alternative office chair fabrics and materials, including vinyl, cotton, and linen.

To add to that, leather doesn't absorb spills and liquids, and you can maintain it with oils and creams to prolong the chair's lifespan and use it for a longer time before you have to get rid of it.

How to Get Rid of Old Office Chairs

There are three ways to discard an old or broken office chair: You may either sell, donate, or recycle it.

Here is a breakdown of what each of them entails:

Sell

Instead of throwing the chair away, you could sell it to someone who might fix it for their personal use or utilize it for another reason. Given that it's used and (potentially) worn down, you probably have to sell it for a much lower price than what you initially bought it for.

The following are some easy ways for you to quickly and seamlessly sell the chair:

• List it on an online platform, such as Craigslist and Facebook.
• Contact a local used furniture store and ask them if they're interested in buying your office chair (and for how much).
• Offer it to a pawn shop that accepts furniture.
• Ask family members, friends, and co-workers. They might know someone who's looking for an office chair.

Alternatively, you may also donate the chair to certain organizations.

Donate

To get rid of your office chair, you can donate it to a local charity or nonprofit like Goodwill. Community and faith-based organizations are options, as well.

On occasion, some of these groups will pickup the chair from your office or home. The same could be said about recycling companies.

Recycle in a Landfill

You can help reduce furniture waste, a growing issue in recent years, by recycling your old office chair in a landfill.

While your city government might be able to pick up the chair from your location and take it to a landfill, it may not get recycled. After all, less than 0.5% of furniture that's disposed of at landfills in the U.S is recycled.

Therefore, you should look for recycling centers and companies that are in your area. Contact them and ask them if your chair's materials are recyclable and whether you need to drop it off at their location or arrange for them to pick it up.

You have plenty of options for throwing out an old office chair. Yet, you still want to prioritize maintaining and caring for your chair so that you avoid having to regularly replace it.

How to Maintain Your Office Chair

Here are a few maintenance tips that will extend the life of your office chair:

• Vacuum it on an ongoing basis.
• Wipe the chair whenever you're done using it.
• Remove any dust or hair that accumulates in the wheels and casters.
• Clean the wheels by vacuuming them or utilizing a can of pressurized air.
• Frequently check the wheels for damages.

Remember, not only do broken or out-of-place wheels and levers make the chair unusable, but they also pose risks to your health. A similar thing could be said about the padding and fabric.

However, with routine cleaning and maintenance, your office chair can last for at least 7-8 years (and even longer when it's leather) before you have to sell, donate, or recycle it.