Posted on 8th Jul 2011 @ 2:25 PM

Staples, a big box office supply chain, positions itself as a convenient, one-stop shop for all of your workplace needs. But if those needs include ergonomic chairs, how does Staples really measure up? We decided to find out.


We picked one American city in each time zone in the continental U.S. and chose a Staples store at random in that city. We called each store and asked about which ergonomic chairs it had in stock, what types of adjustments each chair had, and how they helped with back pain. Here are the results:

1. Location: Atlanta, GA.

At first, the associate said that he didn't have any ergonomic chairs in stock. But upon further review, he found three to five products that he said "could be considered" ergonomic chairs and specifically mentioned two brand names. He noted that they all were adjustable on three to five axes including lumbar support, but couldn't tell us how they helped with back pain.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5 staplers.

2. Location: Bloomington, MN.

The associate declared that he only had one chair in the store that could be classified as "ergonomic." That chair had controls for lumbar support, the headrest, and height, as well as other so-called "standard" adjustments. He had no information about how it could prevent back pain, and kept suggesting that we visit the retailer's web site for additional selections.

Rating: 2 out of 5 staplers.

3. Location: Denver, CO.

This associate definitely earned the "smoothest salesman" award. After saying that he had a couple of ergonomic chairs on site, he suggested coming in and trying them out because that was the best way to pick out a chair. While he noted a few of the products' features (including, as he put it, "lumber support"), he admitted that he didn't have a "resource" that offered detailed descriptions of the chairs. He called buying an ergonomic chair "an investment in your health," though he couldn't pinpoint exactly why such a product could help with back pain.

Rating: 3 out of 5 staplers.

4. Location: Portland, OR.

After a lengthy on-hold period, the associate from this Staples store came up with one ergonomic chair that her store sold. It was obvious that she was reading the product description on the box or display as she listed all of the adjustable features it possessed. Although she revealed the brand name of the ergonomic chair, she responded, "I have no idea" when asked about its benefits regarding back pain prevention.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5 staplers.

In conclusion, although the Staples associates were friendly and professional enough, they couldn't provide us much in-depth information about the advantages of ergonomic chairs beyond the basic product descriptions. So if you're unsure about which ergonomic chair is right for you, then you might be better off consulting a specialty retailer.

So much for "easy," right?