9 Easy Ways To Make Office Chair Higher (Simple DIY)

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The primary reason for adjusting your chair’s height is to get a good posture. Raising your low chair allows blood to flow freely to your legs and ensures you don’t tire quickly.

This post elaborates nine best methods on how to make office chair higher.

You raise the height of an office chair by pulling the lift lever upwards. Besides, you can make your chair higher using wood props, cushions, longer gas lifts, papers, aluminum foil, threaded posts, and large wheels. Sometimes, your chair won’t go up due to a faulty cylinder or lift lever.

Table of Contents

How Do You Raise the Height of an Office Chair?

You can use several methods to make your office chair higher based on your level of expertise and the kind of office chair you have. Of course, the easiest way to make your office chair higher is by adjusting its height using the chair’s lever.

The height adjustment lever is a typical feature on most ergonomic office chairs. To use this lever, get off of your office chair. Afterward, pull the lever upwards until you attain the height that suits you.

How Can I Make My Chair Higher?

If you don’t want to raise your chair by using the lift lever, use one of these ways.

1. Threaded Post

If your office chair features a threaded post under the seat pad, you can use it to make it higher by adhering to these steps:

Overturn the chair to expose the base.

Use WD40 or an alternative to lubricate the post’s threads entering into your seat’s base.

Wipe away excess lubricant and any dirt particles with an old cloth.

Fixate the chair to ensure it does not adjust in any direction.

Rotate your chair to the right to raise it. Make sure that your base stays fixed, and only the threaded point adjusts position.

Reposition your chair upright.

Sit on the chair and check whether it is at a comfortable working height. If it isn’t, flip your chair and readjust accordingly.

2. Getting a Longer Gas Cylinder

Your gas lift’s length determines the height through which your chair can adjust. Typically, office chairs come with a gas cylinder sized five inches.

If a five-inch cylinder chair doesn’t provide you with your desired height when fully outstretched, replace your cylinder with a bigger alternative.

Additionally, pick a gas cylinder with a more extensive stroke than the standard dimensions. Some office chair cylinders extend up to 10 inches. And this is an excellent height to raise small chairs.

3. Wood Pieces

Another way to raise your chair higher is by inserting wood pieces between its base and the seat. Firstly, you need longer screws that still allow you to have a sturdy chair. Although raising the height with wood pieces is fairly simple, it requires a bit of DIY skills.

To add wood pieces to your chair:

Flip the chair upside down

Remove your chair’s tilt mechanism or bottom using a screwdriver.

Next, mark the holes’ position on your chair’s bottom per the chair’s underside.

Cut out a woodblock about two or three inches thick. The piece should be a bit broader than your chair’s underside. Alternatively, stack plywood pieces to attain your desired height.

Create holes in your wood pieces to correspond to those on your chair’s bottom. Leave a buffer of at least 13mm away from these holes to prevent quick damage, for instance, by cracking.

Put your wood pieces on the chair’s bottom. Align the holes in the wood, chair, wood, and base in synchrony.

Finally, screw the wood to the chair’s base. Ensure the screws selected can pass past the wood and drive into the chair’s base for a firm fit.

The added wood raises the chair to a distance similar to its thickness.

Notably, your chair’s height and angle controls are lower in height with the addition of a wooden piece. However, it isn’t too uncomfortable to cancel out the benefit of the increased height.

4. Getting More Massive Wheels

Though not as significant, changing your office chair’s casters may also raise the chair. Wheels are pretty easy to replace on your chair. Often, you only need to pull the old wheels out and insert new wheels in their place.

Standard casters are around two to 2.5 inches tall. So, consider replacing these with four-inch wheels for a reasonable height raise.

In addition, pick wheels that can stay for a considerable time. Casters compatible with any floor type and which have only a single wheel may be less challenging to clean.

An advantage of larger casters is the ease of their rolling action. Given their enlarged size, they distribute the weight exerted on them better.

5. Drafting Stool Kit

A drafting stroll kit provides your chair with an extensive height raise. Due to this, it allows you to use your chair with most applications, including a standing desk.

Most office chairs have a 16 to 21-inch seat height. On the other hand, a drafting tool can lift the chair by 30 inches.

Some drafting tools have more flexibility allowing you to increase your chair’s height through more than one height adjustment.

Notably, many drafting tools work with given chair brands. So, as you pick a tool, ensure that it is compatible with your office chair.

6. Seat Cushion or Pillow

Using an external cushion is amongst the simplest hacks to increase your chair’s height. If your chair has thin padding, adding a cushion also thickens the chair’s protective covering to make you feel more comfortable.

Again, your cushion’s density and thickness affect the height your chair rises through. For instance, if your 2.6-inch cushion increases your chair’s height by two inches upon sitting, a 3.5-inch cushion may raise it by three or so inches.

7. Adding a Platform

Getting a platform to place under your chair is an excellent way to raise its height without messing with the mechanism. For example, you may decide to place a flat wooden piece in your office and have your chair on top of it.

Also, ensure you lock your casters to deter them from rolling over the edge and injuring you in the process.

Alternatively, cut five wood pieces, remove your caster, place the wooden pieces in their place and screw them onto your chair’s base.

8. Aluminum Foil

Your seat may be low due to your gas cylinder sinking into the chair base. Aluminum foil is a worthwhile option for those with their cylinder protruding from the chair’s rear end.

Use a rubber mallet to knock off the base from your chair’s cylinder.

Get an aluminum foil and make it into a cylinder able to fit into the hole where the cylinder connects with the base.

Align the aluminium sheet in the hole to minimize its diameter.

It is all done, you can now place back your gas cylinder.

The foil acts as a stopper to prevent the cylinder from sliding downwards. This hack only helps to return your office chair’s height to its original position and not to raise it higher than the manufacturer’s intended height.

9. Using Papers

As far-fetched as it sounds, papers allow you to increase the height of your chair.

Remove your cylinder’s spring section so that only the column remains attached to the base.

Place paper towels into the column. Squeeze the papers to ensure your spring doesn’t settle when you put your chair back together.

Reattach the spring section. You should notice a height difference.

Why Won’t My Office Chair Go Up?

Your chair may fail to go up if you sit on it while raising it. A dislodged, loose, or broken lift lever may also prevent your chair from going up.

In most instances, however, the gas lift of your chair may be the issue. You can handle a faulty office chair cylinder using a hose clamp, PVC, or oiling it.

The lever may need you to slide it back in position if dislocated or replace it when damaged.

Frequently Asked Questions

How High Should Your Chair Be at Your Desk?

The armrest should be as high as the desk is to allow you to sit without straining your elbows or feet.

As you set your seat, ensure your thighs stay horizontal and perpendicular to the ground. Additionally, position your knees at 90 degrees to ensure blood adequately reaches your legs. Doing this helps minimize numbness, leg pains, and more.

How Can You Make Your Office Chair Shorter?

You can make your office chair shorter by using your chair’s lift lever. Push the lift lever down as you sit on your chair.

Furthermore, you can lower the height of your chair by replacing your cylinder with a shorter one. However, if you have a standard cylinder, the height adjustment may be minimal as you are likely to get up to a four-inch cylinder.

Getting smaller casters or using a slimmer seat pad can also lower your chair’s height.

Can You Fix an Office Chair That Won’t Stay Up?

You can fix an office chair that won’t stay up by using PVC, a hose clamp, or lubrication. In case your cylinder is no longer operational, you cannot fix it and should get a new one.

Conclusion

The type of office chair you have and how high you want to raise it determines what you should use to increase your chair’s height. If unsure, let a professional raise your chair’s height.

Author

Andrew Smith

Andrew Smith is the founder of CozySeating, is a father of 2, and an engineer from one of the leading furniture stores in the country. Due to his 10 years of experience, he has proved to be the best person to offer advice to clients regarding different seating furniture based on their needs and performance. Besides, he is a specialist in product reviews and always keeps up with the current trends in the market.

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How to Make Office Chair Higher [9 Easy Ways]