Which type of chair should you choose for your needs?

The type of chair required depends on the tasks performed while seated and how long it is used for. A chair for a computer workstation must be adjustable. A visitor chair should be stable and comfortable throughout a conversation. A waiting room chair must withstand use by many different people every day.

The Spanish National Institute for Safety and Health at Work (INSST) takes the same approach in its NTP 1129, which covers the selection of office chairs. Before purchasing, the different types of workstation must be identified. A meeting room chair, a receptionist's chair, a confidante chair and a chair for a screen-based workstation do not require the same specifications. It summarises this as follows: ‘there is no universal criterion for an “ergonomic chair”’.

Compliance with the relevant standard for a specific model is certified by its manufacturer through testing.

The Royal Decree 488/1997 sets out four requirements for the seat at a workstation with a display screen. It must be stable and allow freedom of movement in a comfortable posture. Its height must be adjustable, and the backrest, reclinable and height-adjustable. In addition, a footrest must be provided to anyone who requests one.

It applies to anyone who regularly uses display screen equipment for a significant part of their work. In its technical FAQs on display screens , the INSST warns that it is very difficult to define what constitutes a significant part based solely on hours: this is determined by the risk assessment.

Its technical guide on display screens provides further detail, as set out in NTP 1129:

Height of the seat

Adjustable to suit the required range of users.

Backrest

With a slight prominence in the lumbar area, adjustable in height and tilt.

Depth of the seat

Adjustable, allowing the backrest to be used without the edge pressing against the legs.

Controls

Easy to operate while seated and designed to prevent unintentional adjustments.

Five-point base

On the floor, with castors suitable for the type of flooring.

In practice, a visitor chair, waiting chair or fixed-height stool is not suitable as the main chair for a computer workstation because it cannot be adjusted. These can complement the workstation, but cannot replace a task chair.

A task chair and an ergonomic chair differ in their adjustability. The task chair meets the legal requirements for working with display screen equipment. The ergonomic chair adds further adjustments —synchronised mechanism, adjustable lumbar support, seat, depth, multidirectional armrests—allowing it to accommodate a wider range of body types and making it easier to vary posture throughout the working day.

The standard does not use those labels. The UNE-EN 1335-1:2021+A1:2023, the Spanish version of the European standard EN 1335-1:2020+A1:2022, specifies the dimensions of four types of office chair: AX, A, B and C. According to the analysis published by the Italian testing laboratory CATAS when the European standard was released, they are distinguished as follows:

Type C has the same adjustments as Type B and meets the standard’s minimum dimensional requirements.

As the market uses the terms ‘task’ and ‘ergonomic’ according to its own criteria, the most reliable approach is to check the specifications: mechanism, armrest type — from 1D to 4D — and whether the seat moves. In our catalogue, 20 of 22 products in the ergonomic category feature synchronised mechanism; among the task chairs, there are options ranging from fixed backrest to synchronised. We explain how each mechanism works in Chair mechanisms: synchronous, tilt and permanent contact.

One task chair sufficient for a computer workstation used by the same person at all times, provided that the user finds it comfortable. The chair must meet the minimum legal requirements: adjustable height, backrest reclining, height-adjustable and with a five-star base. It is also suitable for support workstations or occasional use.

Our range of refurbished task chairs includes 53 products, priced from €69 to €435 per unit excluding VAT. For operational workstations and call centres, we usually recommend Factory Rebuild, with a 1-year warranty: this is where the savings matter most and where dozens of identical chairs are needed. If you need to continue an existing product line, there are 58 new task chairs.

An ergonomic chair is advisable when a workstation is shared by several people, when users spend long hours in front of a screen or when the user falls outside average body-size ranges. The more adjustments a chair offers, the more users and tasks it can accommodate.

This is the conclusion of NTP 1129, subject to one condition: without guidance on what to adjust and how, a proper fit cannot be achieved. Each chair should therefore be supplied to the user with its instructions. Three criteria for comparing models:

Depth of the seat

It should leave approximately 5 cm —a fist's width— between the edge and the back of the knee, according to NTP 1130. With users of different heights, this can only be achieved if the seat or the backrest can be adjusted.

Width of the seat

The 95th percentile of the Spanish population has a seated hip width of 417 mm . This exceeds the 400 mm minimum recommended by the 2001 edition of the standard, so a wider seat is advisable (NTP 1129).

Adjustable armrests or removable

So they do not prevent the chair from being tucked under the desk.

Our range of ergonomic chairs refurbished brings together 22 products, from €129 to €435 per unit excluding VAT, from brands such as Steelcase, , Herman Miller, , Vitra, , Actiu or Sedus. We explain how to compare adjustments, mechanisms and armrests in detail in our Guide to Refurbished Ergonomic Office Chairs.

If the user works at a computer, an executive chair should offer the same features as any task chair: adjustable height and a backrest with adjustable recline and height. Beyond that, a high backrest is advisable, along with a mechanism that supports the reclining movement and materials that lend the office a distinguished look.

For tasks where a slightly forward-leaning posture is essential, NTP 1129 recommends high backrests that also support the shoulder blades. It also specifies that the seat and backrest should be made from breathable materials, an important consideration when choosing leather or faux leather for an office used throughout the working day.

A visitor chair is positioned in front of an office desk for visitors meeting with the person who uses it. It is chosen for its stability, comfort during conversations and consistency with the office décor. It does not require the adjustments of a task chair.

Three decisions define it:

The relevant standard is UNE-EN 16139 for non-domestic seating. In 2013, it replaced the former standard for visitor chairs, UNE-EN 13761:2003, and a new edition has been in force since January 2026. The 2013 edition already excluded office chairs, which are covered by their own series: UNE-EN 1335.

Our refurbished visitor chair category includes 54 products, including stools, with visitor chairs ranging from €49 to €249 per unit excluding VAT: from the stackable Urban Block 20 by Actiu, to the Valeri armchair by Sellex, as well as the Plural by Forma 5 and the Eastside by Steelcase, at €69. If you need dozens of units from a current range, our new furniture selection includes 44 visitor and waiting chairs.

Waiting-room seating should be designed for use by many different people every day: durable, stable, easy to clean and neatly arranged. Depending on the expected waiting time and the impression you want the reception area to convey, you can choose beam seating, individual armchairs or sofas.

Beam seating keeps the space organised and is designed for high footfall; armchairs and sofas provide greater comfort and a more welcoming appearance for longer waits. If the project includes a technical specification, it is useful to be familiar with three standards:

UNE-EN 16139:2026

Strength, durability and safety of non-domestic seating for adults. According to the technology institute AIDIMME, it covers seating for offices, meeting rooms, waiting areas and public spaces.

UNE-EN 12727:2017

Linked seating, but only when permanently fixed to the floor or wall. Beam seating that simply rests on the floor does not fall within this standard.

UNE-EN 1021-1 and 1021-2

Ignitability of upholstered seating when exposed to a cigarette and a flame equivalent to a match. This is tested separately: UNE-EN 12727 expressly excludes ignitability.

Our refurbished range includes beam seating Dynamobel from three- and four-seater units with table, at €420 and €460 excluding VAT; waiting chairs and armchairs from €119, such as the Tom Vac at Vitra (€199); as well as sofas and pairs of armchairs for more refined waiting areas. They are available under waiting chairs and in the visitor chairs category.

A stool or high chair is needed when the surface is higher than a standard desk: an office bar, a counter, a high table for quick meetings or a height-adjustable desk when standing. Always with a footrest, because when seated at that height, your feet do not reach the floor.

The INSST explains this through the workstation's three points of contact: seat, desk and floor. At least two must be adjustable, with the essential one being the seat (NTP 1130). If the desk is fixed and high, the seat is raised until the elbows are level with the work surface, while a footrest keeps both feet firmly supported.

With height-adjustable desks, NTP 1130 recommends considering a stool for tasks performed while standing. It is a complementary option: the same technical note concludes that, for now, the conventional office chair remains the best fit for office work.

In the refurbished furniture catalogue from Factoryoficina, per unit and excluding VAT, a stool costs from €35; a visitor chair, from €49 to €249; an task chair, office chair, from €69 to €435; an executive chair, from €89 to €699; and an ergonomic chair, from €129 to €435.

• Visitor chairs: from €49 to €249. The same category includes high stools, from €35.
• Office chairs: from €69 to €435.
• Executive chairs: from €89 to €699.
• Ergonomic chairs: from €129 to €435.
• Waiting area seating: chairs and armchairs from €119; three- and four-seater beam seating with table, €420 and €460.

Prices checked in September 2026. Sets are priced separately: one executive armchair with two matching chairs, €999. Compared with the manufacturer’s retail price, savings can reach up to 70%, and all refurbished furniture can rented if you prefer not to tie up capital.

And if your current chairs are good quality but worn, there is no need to replace them: we repair them — gas lifts, mechanisms, armrests and castors— or reupholster, them, even if it is just one chair. In Madrid and Toledo, we collect four or more chairs free of charge.

Office chairs should be selected by workstation, not by model. First, each space is classified according to how it is used and for how long; then, the appropriate chair type and adjustments are assigned to each one. In six steps:

Yes: at Factoryoficina, with 26 years’ experience in the sector, we remanufacture office furniture at a 2,500 m² facility in Illescas (Toledo) and deliver throughout Spain and Portugal. This showroom and stock capacity enables us to supply hundreds of workstations with the same model.

Ferrovial, Telefónica, Repsol, Iberdrola, Mercedes-Benz and DHL are among the companies that have placed their trust in us.