In some cases a footrest is absolutely essential. In other cases it is more for the individual who likes the finer (and more) comfortable things in life.

But let’s first look at who will benefit most from a footrest.

The answer is short people.

Most chairs are designed to fit 95% of the population. If you fall outside the 95% range you have the option to buy a chair for tiny people, but you can make other plans, like buying a footrest to make your sitting experience more comfortable.

Shorter people’s feet do not always touch the floor when they sit and as a result they tend to sit forward in the chair. The back is away from the backrest and the person does not get proper back support as intended by the manufacturer. By lifting the feet, the shorter person’s back can get in touch with the backrest and the lumbar support can do its job.

Another reason why a shorter person may want to consider a footrest is that pressure builds up at the bottom of the thighs when the feet do not touch the floor. By using a footrest the thighs carry less weight as the feet will carry some of the weight.

It is also not easy to set up your office ergonomically correct if you are on the short side. You may get your eye height right in relation to your computer screen, but your legs may then hang in the air and vice versa. A footrest will help a lot in such a case.

But we are not all short. What will the rest of us get out of it? Great question. Thanks for asking.

Let’s start with massage footrests. Now that is an idea I can get use to. While you work your feet receive a massage. This leads to increase blood circulation, which in turn can help to prevent blood clots and similar problems like varicose veins.

Rocking footrests also fall in the comfort category (in my humble opinion). While you sit your feet rock backwards and forwards as in a rocking chair. This increases blood circulation and give you leg muscles a little bit of exercise. Not a lot, just enough to get the blood flowing.

When you buy a footrest look for the following:

• Your feet should rest on a flat surface, no hard edges.

• Ability to adjust the angle of the footrest

• Ability to adjust the height of the footrest

• Stability. The footrest must not move all over the place.

Hopefully you have a good chair that keep your …hmm… buttocks happy. Perhaps your feet need a bit of a break as well.

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