In our modern-day, everyone is quite familiar with ergonomic office chairs that can be adjusted in height by simply pulling on a lever. But some old non-pneumatic office chair models are not quite as easy to adjust and some chairs are not adjustable at all.
In this handy guide, we are going to teach you how to raise an office chair without a lever so you can get a comfortable sitting position no matter what chair you might have.
Table of Contents
How to Raise Office Chair Without a Lever
Office chair height is important for maintaining good body circulation so your legs won’t go numb after sitting for a while.
The methods for raising office chairs that don’t come with a lever differ depending on the type of chair you have. For non-pneumatic office chairs, you can adjust the chair height manually but for office chairs that do not offer any adjustable features at all, you might need to use chair accessories. Here is a quick look at the best ways to raise your office chair.
How To Raise a Non-Pneumatic Office Chair
A non-pneumatic chair has the same basic look and structure as modern office chairs but instead of a pneumatic cylinder, these have a more traditional type for adjustment method. Here are the steps for adjusting these types of chairs.
Step 1
First, you need to determine what height you would like your antique office chair to be. The ideal office chair height is equal to the distance between your middle knee joint and the floor. Measure the distance from the floor to your mid-knee joint and you will know exactly how high the budget office chair should be for your height.
While this chair height measurement is a good rule of thumb, it isn’t always the correct chair height for your desk. Your comfortable office chair should be high enough to allow you to sit comfortably in front of your desk without having your elbows touch the countertop or you could experience shoulder tension and neck pain when you work. If your elbows are positioned below the counter height, your chair should lift some more and you should use a footrest to place your feet so you can sit in a healthy posture position.
Step 2
Older office chairs need to be adjusted manually and usually, come with a small lock that keeps the chair from automatically or accidentally readjusting.
Grab your chair and flip it over so you can locate the lock and loosen it. The lock is usually a small screw at the base of the chair that you can loosen with a screwdriver.
Step 3
When the lock is loosened, you can flip the chair back. You can now turn the chair clockwise to lower the chair seat or counterclockwise direction or an anti-clockwise direction to raise the seat. You should keep your foot on the chair base to keep it from turning along with the chair or it won’t adjust.
In most chairs, one full chair rotation will lower or raise the chair by about 1/4th of an inch. Keep turning the chair until it reaches the appropriate height.
You can now sit down to test the height before repositioning the lock.
Step 4
Once your chair is at a good height, you can put the lock back in and tighten it up firmly. It is best to return the lock without flipping the chair over so you won’t accidentally adjust the height again.
How to Lift an Office Chair With a Damaged or Missing Lever
Pneumatic chairs that don’t lift on their own can’t be raised or lowered manually. If the chair lift lever is missing you will need to take the chair in for repairs.
If you are handy with fixing things yourself, you can make your own adjustment lever and attach it where the old pneumatic lever used to be. Here is a quick look at a couple of easy steps to adjust the seat height of a chair without a lever.
- Flip the chair without a lever over so you can see properly. At the top of the cylinder, there should be a small pin that protrudes from the rest of the cylinder. When you push down on this pin, the piston in the pneumatic lift is released and the chair model can be adjusted in height.
- Find a long object like a screwdriver, ruler, or spatula and secure the new item in place by using some duct tape so it won’t keep falling off. You can now use your makeshift chair lever to adjust your chair height.
Use a Seat Cushion
Solid office chairs that don’t have any lifting mechanisms at all can only be raised by positioning a seat cushion for office chair designs on top of the chair. Many different types of chair cushions are available that won’t just raise the height of your chair but can also make the chair much more comfortable to sit in. This is also a good option for adding additional height to a chair that you are not allowed to alter or a chair that you might be borrowing.
Shop for a memory foam chair pad, gel enhanced seat cushion, cooling seat cushion, inflatable seat cushion, orthopedic memory foam cushion, or booster seat that you can position on top of your old chair to achieve a perfect height. The best booster cushions for office chairs have a contoured design and a cutout back that allows you to sit without applying pressure on your tailbone.
The right chair cushion can help prevent pressure sores, reduce the risk of tailbone pain, correct your posture, and improve blood circulation.
Install Furniture Risers
Office chairs with fixed legs or chairs that do not offer any adjustable height features can also be height adjusted by installing furniture risers underneath the chair legs.
Furniture leg raisers or anti-slip elevation blocks are available in many different shapes and designs and are usually bolted onto the end of the chair legs. Some chair leg raisers have a fixed design but others can be adjusted in height so you can balance out a chair with uneven legs. These risers usually come in standard heights of 3-inch risers, 5-inch risers, and 8-inch risers, and selecting the right riser height can help you get a good comfort level.
Furniture risers are not just suitable for chair lifting. These risers can also be used for desk elevation for a desk that isn’t a proper height to support healthy body posture.
You can also make your own chair risers from wooden pieces. Get some offcuts from a local hardware store or buy decorative wooden chair legs that are a little bit taller. You can then replace the old chair legs with new ones or install these wooden blocks underneath the old chair legs.
Replace the Cylinder or Get a Height Extender
A modern office chair that is too low even when you set it at its highest can be modified by replacing the pneumatic cylinder with a height extender or a chair cylinder replacement kit.
The old gas lift cylinder will first need to be removed. Here is a quick look at how to remove an old chair cylinder;
- Turn the chair over and grab a pipe wrench. Secure the pipe wrench around the old gas cylinder mechanism.
- Next, you will need to dislodge the cylinder from the chair base. A rubber mallet is often needed to get the base to pop out from the cylinder.
- You can also use the rubber mallet to get the old cylinder out of the chair top by gently hitting against the pipe wrench until the cylinder slides free.
- The new chair cylinder or raiser needs to be placed into the chair base. Remember to fix the seal around the cylinder firmly.
- You can now fix the seat back onto the new cylinder. To fasten it, you might have to sit down on the chair for a few minutes.
Your chair should now be higher and should offer a wider adjustment range.
How to Lower an Office Chair Without a Lever
Some office chairs can be a little bit too tall for the user. If your chair is too tall and doesn’t allow you to place your feet flat on the ground then there are some alterations you can make to help you sit more comfortably even though it might not have an office chair adjustment lever. Here is a quick look at the best ways to lower your seat height so you can sit in a healthy posture position.
Manually Adjust the Chair Height
Chairs that don’t come with a height adjustment lever usually need to be adjusted manually. To decrease the height of a non-pneumatic desk chair, you can give the following steps a try.
Step 1
Turn the chair without lever upside down so you can see the lock at the base of the executive chair. This is usually a small screw that can be loosened up using a screwdriver.
Step 2
Once the lock has been loosened, you can flip the chair back and turn the chair seat above the threaded post anti-clockwise while keeping the chair base in place. This should lower the chair height gradually with every rotation. Keep rotating the chair until it is the ideal seat height or until it reached its minimum height limit. Your chair should reduce in height by about 1/4th of an inch with every 360-degree rotation.
Step 3
Once the chair reached its desired height or once the chair is set at its lowest height, you can flip it over again and tie up the screw on the lock. Now flip the chair back and take a seat. Hopefully, your chair will now be at a proper height. But if the chair is still too high for personal preference even at its lowest setting then it might be time for some other modifications.
Use a Footrest
The easiest way to overcome the issue of a gaming chair that is too tall is by using a little footrest. Set your chair in its lowest height position and measure the distance between your heel and the floor. You should now get a little footrest that is this height.
A footrest is also a good option for people who might have a tall desk. When you sit in front of your desk, your elbows should have a bend of slightly more than a 90-degree angle or your keyboard at elbow level with your monitor at eye level. To achieve this angle, you might need to raise your seat height which could leave your feet dangling off the floor. A footrest will help overcome this issue so you can type more comfortably without cutting off blood circulation to your legs.
Replace the Pneumatic Cylinder
Another good way to lower your seat height is by replacing the pneumatic gas cylinder with an office chair cylinder that is shorter. This can also be a good option for converting a non-adjustable chair. There are lots of businesses where you can find replacement parts for office chairs and these cylinders are also available online. The gas cylinder is also relatively easy to replace.
Replace the Chair Wheels
Office chair wheels come in a huge variety of designs and sizes. Chair wheels with a roller blade design are typically a lot higher compared to traditional caster wheels. If your ergonomic chair is just a little bit too tall then it can be a good idea to switch your chair wheels or remove the wheels entirely. While you are replacing your chair casters, you will also get the opportunity to buy some wheels that might allow you to glide smoother over the floor. For a smoother and noise-free chair, we recommend a couple of rubber caster wheels.
Final Thoughts
Now that you know how to raise an office chair without a lever you can finally get your adjusted to the correct height without breaking it. But if you are tired of the struggles of adjusting your chair or if you still can’t find a comfortable sitting position then it might be time to check out some of the other guides we have on ChairsWiki. With our handy guides, you can find the best office chair for back pain and advice on many other types of chairs that can make you feel more comfortable.
