A Hands-On Inspection Guide for Pre-Owned Office Chairs
An office chair is the one piece of used office furniture you use most, so it deserves close inspection. Photos from online listings can mask many problems. Testing a used chair in person at a used furniture store is one of the best ways to spot problems and decide whether its condition, adjustments, and fit are right for you.
Start With a Used Furniture Store That Encourages you to Test its Inventory
Buying secondhand office furniture doesn’t have to be a gamble. A used furniture store can enable you to get a name-brand chair for a fraction of the new list price. But you must try the pieces before buying, which no online marketplace or listing photo can show you.
Santa Fe Office Interiors in Overland Park sells both new and carefully selected pre-owned furniture in its 9,000-square-foot showroom, and we invite shoppers to sit, test, touch, and compare pieces before they buy. Wherever you shop, it’s a good idea to work through each item in the checklist below, in person so there are no surprises.
Test the Gas Cylinder and Height Adjustment
The gas cylinder controls seat height and carries your weight every time you sit, so it is the first part to check. Sit down, pull the lever, and raise the seat to its highest position. Lower it, then release the lever partway down. The seat should stop and stay when you let go.
Stay seated for a minute or two. A seat that slowly sinks under your weight has a failing cylinder. Also check that the seat lowers far enough for your feet to rest flat on the floor.
Check Lumbar Support, Tilt, and Recline
Lean back and find the lumbar support. An adjustable lumbar pad should slide or inflate smoothly and hold its setting, and a fixed lumbar curve should meet the small of your back. Then test the tilt. The tension knob should change how hard the chair pushes back, and any lock position should hold when you lean into it. A chair that slips forces you to brace with your legs all day.
Make Sure Casters Work and Match Your Floor
Push the chair across the floor and spin it in a full circle. Casters should turn freely without grinding, and none of the wheels should be cracked or flat. A wheel that wobbles on its stem needs replacing before you buy.
Caster type matters as much as caster condition. Casters should have hard wheels for carpet and softer wheels for hardwood and tile. If you plan to use the chair on carpet, an ES Robbins chair mat gives the wheels a smooth surface and protects the flooring underneath. Ask the seller which mat fits your floor.
Inspect the Base, Frame, Armrests, and Upholstery at a Used Furniture Store
Now check the chair structure. Look at a five-star base for hairline cracks, especially near the center hub where the cylinder sits. Ensure the seat and back do not move independently of the frame. A chair moves as one piece.
Check each armrest for loose bolts and pads that have split. Adjustable arms should move up and down and lock without slipping. Press your palm into the seat foam and let go. Healthy foam springs back. On mesh backs, run your hand across the surface and look for sags, frays, or tears.
Normal Wear Versus Real Problems
Secondhand office furniture may show its age, but cosmetic wear is no reason to walk away. Light scuffs on the base, a slightly faded arm pad, small surface scratches, and mild fabric fading do not change how a quality chair works.
Functional problems are a cause for concern. Flattened seat foam, torn mesh, bolts that will not tighten, and cracked plastic housings mean the chair will not be a good candidate for everyday use.
Walk Away From a Chair With These Red Flags
Santa Fe inspects every piece we sell, and our chairs will function well, even if they have a little cosmetic wear. If you’re shopping used office chairs elsewhere, here are some problems to avoid:
- A cracked or unstable base
- A gas lift that sinks or does not function properly
- A tilt or recline mechanism that will not hold its position
- Significant wobble in the seat, back, or frame
- Badly damaged mesh or upholstery
Brand Names and What They Signal in a Used Furniture Store
Brand gives you a rough price ladder for used office furniture. RFM, a line Santa Fe Office Interiors carries, is comparable to Herman Miller and makes customizable ergonomic seating. Lorell, another brand, aims for quality design at an affordable price.
Shoppers comparing pre-owned office furniture based on brand should expect exact prices to shift with model, age, and condition. Honestly, a brand name tells you less than the screening process a used furniture store uses to vet the products it accepts and sells. Santa Fe Office Interiors follows a careful multi-step checklist to re-sell used office furniture, so you can rest assured you’re getting the highest quality preowned office chairs if you shop with us.
Call Ahead Before You Visit
Our inventory rotates frequently, so call to see if your favorite brand or chair style is in stock before you come in. Santa Fe Office Interiors is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 8106 Santa Fe Drive, Overland Park, KS 66204. Call (913) 901-8800 to ask about a particular chair, along with any other pre-owned office furniture on the floor, before you make the trip.