In the past few years, the demand for Ergonomic chair models has been increasing in Vietnam and the world. With a design that brings a lot of health benefits (helps to limit spinal problems) for the occupants, the only drawback of the Ergonomic chair comes from the price. Compared to conventional office chairs (or gaming chairs), the selling price of Ergonomic chairs is significantly higher. For example, the price of some chair models of big brands in Vietnam like Herman Miller can be up to nearly 70 million dong, even hundreds of millions dong with some of the most advanced models. Even Ergonomic chairs manufactured by cheap brands in China (and Vietnam) cost about 7-8 million VND.
So tWhy are ergonomic chairs so expensive? To answer this question, we need to take a closer look at the costs of making an ergonomic chair.
Research and Development Expenses:
Basically, designing a good quality ergonomic office chair is not simple and takes a lot of time and money. For example, Steelcase Leap took nearly 5 years of research, and about $ 35 million was spent to develop and bring to market Ergonomic chair models. Steelcase Leap itself also had to carry out 11 academic studies related to the development of a chair with a design and shape suitable for sitting posture.
Similarly, other Ergonomic chair manufacturers such as Herman Miller or Embody also spend a lot of resources in the R&D (Research & Development) phase. The company also spent millions of dollars and took many years to come up with the most optimal ergonomic chair design. During the R&D phase, manufacturers often focus on sitting posture, including the position of the spine and pelvis.
Of course, the higher the research and development costs, the more expensive the selling price of Ergonomic chairs. Meanwhile, normal office or gaming chairs don’t require that much research, leading to them being cheaper than ergonomic chairs.
Cost of rigorous testing methods
Coming up with an optimal chair design is important, but testing the actual operability of the Ergonomic chair is equally important. Most ergonomic chair manufacturers put their chair designs ‘fire tested’ through extremely rigorous testing methods to check functionality, durability and structural quality.
For instance, there are several types of materials used in Ergonomic Chairs such as Leather, Fabric, Mesh, Vinyl, etc. Manufacturers have spent a lot of time testing these materials and doing a lot. survey to gather opinions from residents and health professionals to choose materials for ergonomic chairs.
As a result, the Ergonomic chair models are all “expensive but cut into pieces”, with excellent durability and can be used for many years. the most suitable function to use for the chair will increase the final cost.
Cost of consultation from Healthcare Professionals:
While designing ergonomic chairs, manufacturers seek help from professionals such as orthopedists. They develop ergonomic chairs by learning about proper sitting posture, muscle contractions when sitting, lumbar support, and pressure distribution. Ultimately, they incorporated this knowledge into the design of the chair, allowing these office chairs to have the right ergonomics.
More durable, more features, more cost
Compared with other chairs, Ergonomic chairs are particularly strong in customizability, allowing users to easily adjust many parts. For example, you can adjust the headrest, lumbar support, armrests, height, tilt, rotation angle, etc. to suit your body shape.
However, these additional adjustments require additional components on the seat, which increases the total cost of production. For comparison, users can hardly customize too many ordinary office chairs. This is one of the reasons why ergonomic chairs are so expensive.
Meanwhile, durability is also a factor that makes Ergonomic chairs more expensive than regular chairs. Specifically, cheap office chairs tend to wear out quickly, with the cushions coming off after a few months, while the body frames are often wobbly. A good Ergonomic chair will cost more because it is made to be extremely durable and can be used for a long time. BILLION
For that reason, manufacturers often use high-quality materials to produce chairs. For example, some chairs use leather, which is more expensive than yarn and other inexpensive fabrics. Similarly, to increase the durability of the chair, manufacturers use the best hinges, metal and screws on the market. As a result, high-end Ergonomic chairs will have a lifespan of 8-15 years, which is well worth the initial investment in a solid ergonomic chair.
.