Americans are bigger than ever before, and getting even bigger. The CDC predicts that 44 percent of Americans will be obese by 2030. And while we can debate the health implications of this statistic and ponder what we need to do to be as fit as possible, one thing is for sure: In order to accommodate the new, larger American, we’re going to need to rethink how we design just about everything, from seats on public transit to office furniture.
In fact, a few companies are already making office furniture with plus-size employees in mind. For instance, last week, discount home furnishings company BrylaneHome announced that it had expanded its line of plus-size office chairs and accessories.
1. Extra Wide Deluxe Padded Office Chair
All the chairs in the collection are built with reinforced spring-seat bottoms and heavy-duty casters, and designed to hold between 300 and 500 pounds. The extra-wide office chair, pictured above, has a padded head rest and good lumbar support, and it comes it either black or brown.
2. Extra Large Computer Desk
At $62.99, this desk is just as cheap as something you’d pick up at a DIY furniture place, but its slightly-larger size makes it a perfect fit for the slightly-larger dimensions of extra-wide office chairs.
3. Extra Wide Swivel Office Barstool
Heavy-duty rolling casters and an adjustable base make this office staple extra comfy. In fact, given how precarious most backless office chairs feel, we’d support a move toward making all stool-type chairs sturdier and more stable.
4. ergoCentric Bariatric Task Chair
Of course, BrylaneHome isn’t the only company that’s selling plus-size office furniture. Canadian furniture company e3 Office Furniture offers a variety of larger-sized office equipment, including this upholstered ergonomic chair that’s weight-tested up to 600 pounds.
5. Big Man’s Office Chair
The best name of the bunch goes to this chair from Walmart, which sounds like something that you’d buy from the same company that makes Hungry Man Dinners, but is actually just a sturdier version of the standard black executive chair. Weight-tested up to 350 pounds, this ergonomic chair is height adjustable and has a padded seat and headrest for maximum comfort. At a little under 24 inches wide, the seat isn’t the largest in our list, but this would be a good chair for someone whose larger size owes more to height and density than width. Hence, we suppose, the name.
