Learning how to fix an office chair that leans forward is extremely important. Aside from making your work time uncomfortable, having this problem may ruin your overall productivity. Thankfully, we are here to guide you through the entire process of checking and fixing your office chair.
A chair that wobbles can cause discomfort and is unsafe to use. In addition to these, any forward lean could mess with your posture, leading to back problems along the way.
Luckily, the causes of these problems are similar, so knowing how to fix one will help you fix the other. Continue reading to learn about the three reasons for the forward leaning of your office chair and how to improve them.
Finding Out The Cause
To find out the cause of your chair’s forward tilt, check your tilt knob. Most office chairs come with knobs that control leaning. If your tilt knob is fixed correctly, move on to the casters.
Turn your chair to its side to check your casters. The casters are the small wheels at the bottom of your chair. They tend to break when weight is distributed unevenly throughout the chair or get damaged over time.
If it’s not the casters, then check your seat plate. The seat plate consists of a steel frame underneath the cushions. A loose screw in the seat plate could cause a forward tilt to occur.
How To Fix An Office Chair With A Forward Lean
After you have determined the cause of your chair’s uncomfortable lean, follow the steps that address each problem.
Step #1. Broken caster
For broken casters, the solution is usually to replace them with a new one. Inspect your casters one by one to see how many need to be fixed.
Once you know which ones to look at, remove the casters using a screwdriver. Inspect the casters to see if they can still be saved. Try cleaning them out with any lubricant or WD-40 to remove any grime or dirt that could be causing problems.
If the casters are beyond repair, then you have to replace them. Get yourself new casters, and install them into the chair by lightly tapping them with a hammer or mallet. Tighten any screw or bolts that come with the caster.
Afterward, use your chair and double-check if the forward lean has disappeared.
Step #2. Tilt knob
Fixing problems with the tilt knob is perhaps the easiest to do. All you need is to tighten the knob by rotating it counter-clockwise. Sit on the chair and move to tighten the knob.
Keep turning until the chair feels comfortable and the tilt is gone. Tightening the tilt knob could be problematic if it has not been tightened in a long time or if it has been worn out due to frequent use. If that is the case, try out the next step before deciding to purchase a new office chair.
Step #3. Seat plate
The seat plate is often painted black and has a thin steel frame positioned under the cushions. Determine if there are any loose screws. If there are, tighten them with a screwdriver.
If screws are missing, replace them and see if that will fix the problem.
What If None Of The Steps Worked?
If none of the steps worked, do not lose hope yet. As a last resort, try to find every screw present in the chair and tighten them. If this still does not change any tilt or lean, then it might be time to lay your old office chair to rest and get a new one.
Properly Maintaining Office Chairs
As the old saying goes, “an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure.” The same goes for preventing your office chair from deteriorating too fast.
To properly maintain your office chair, keep it clean from dust and debris by vacuuming every few weeks. Check for instructions or tags on your chair to see if you can wash it with water, solvent, or neither.
Keep your casters clean and lubricated to ensure that they roll smoothly and to avoid the buildup of debris, stopping them from turning and causing forward leans.
Tighten every screw and fastener often to keep your chair safe and comfortable to use. Avoid spilling food or drinks on your chair, especially if it’s made of leather.
If, by chance, you have spilled food or drinks onto your chair, tidy it up immediately by spot cleaning. Using a damp washcloth and a tiny drop of dish soap, blot the stain out until it comes clean. Remember not to scrub the chair, as It could cause damage.
If your office chair is made of leather, consider applying leather conditioner on it, such as mink oil, to keep it from drying up and cracking.
Conclusion
An office chair should be comfortable and safe enough to do valuable work in. Knowing how to fix an office chair that leans forward helps keep you from developing bad posture, prevents back pain, and enables you to avoid any form of discomfort that may come with the tilt.