Nothing is worse than sitting on a low chair and struggling to get your elbows on the table to work. Ergonomically your feet should touch the ground while sitting, and you must keep your elbows at 90 degrees on the table.
Due to bad posture, you can suffer from several problems like backache, Musculoskeletal Disorders, and postural issues. Harvard Health says poor posture can cause incontinence, heartburn, and constipation.
So if you are stuck with an office or dining chair having inappropriate height, don’t fret.
Read further, as this article will educate you on some DIY and easy ways to increase the height of your office and dining chair. Furthermore, we have divided the skill to do these tips yourself into three levels, easy, medium, and hard, to help you choose the suitable way.
JUMP TO: Ways to Make Your Office Chair Taller | How to Increase Dining Chair Height | Final Thoughts |
- There are several ways to make your chairs taller.
- You can use chair risers and shims under your furniture.
- Using a seat cushion is also a great idea to increase the height
- Always check the weight limit of the product being used to prevent accidents.
- Similarly, do not try to increase the height of your chair by more than 6 inches.
- You can also replace the casters and chair legs with a bigger size to get more height.
Ways to Make Your Office Chair Taller
There are several ways to increase the height of your chair. All you need are some DIY skills to do it at home, or you can also take help from a professional to make things work.
Due to budget restraints, getting a new chair or table is not always feasible. Still, after reading this article, I am sure you will be able to figure out a cost-effective and foolproof way to make your chairs taller.
Without further ado, let’s dig in
Replace the Casters
One of the simplest ways to increase the height of your office chair is to replace the casters. Typically, office chairs have casters with 2″ – 2.5″ diameter.
Replacing them with a bigger diameter, like 3″ -4″, will give you an extra height of 1-2 inches. Furthermore, casters with more diameter provide a smooth movement on any surface.
| DIY Skill | Cost | Increase in Height |
| Medium | 25$-30$ per caster | 2″- 4″ |
Here is an insightful video to help you replace the casters yourself.
Replace Casters With Wooden Blocks
Office chairs with casters have a standard height of 16″ -24″. As mentioned earlier, you can replace the casters with bigger ones to get an additional 2″ -3″ size. However, replacing your casters with wooden blocks is the way to go if you want even more height.
You can cut small, square wooden pieces of the desired size or get them done by an artisan. Additionally, the wooden blocks allow you to get as much height as you want. But be careful; your chair can get wobbly and end up hurting you due to higher blocks.
It is a cost-effective and efficient way to make your chairs taller, but you have to compromise on the maneuverability of the chair. The wooden blocks will make it a stagnant heavy chair that cannot let you quickly move around in your workspace.
| DIY Skill | Cost | Increase in Height |
| Medium | $435.00 per thousand board feet. | As much required |
A helpful video link
Add a Seat Cushion
If you are not good with DIYs, getting some chair cushions is the most basic solution for chair raisers. They provide extra cushion for sitting on uncomfortable chairs for a longer time. Moreover, they also provide extra height.
Typically chair cushions provide 2″ -2.5″ of height, depending on your weight. You can also opt for a firm cushion with more height to get a few more inches.
| DIY Skill | Cost | Increase in Height |
| Easy | 30$-80$ (price depends on the brand) | 1″- 2″ |
Picture Courtesy: nytimes.com
Replace the Chairs Gas Cylinder
Office chairs use gas cylinders, also known as pneumatic gas cylinders, attached at the bottom of the chair. This cylinder is responsible for regulating the chair’s height with the help of air pressure.
Usually, gas cylinders have 5 “-6” in height. You can find separate gas cylinders with much bigger sizes and replace them to get a few more inches. However, sometimes replacing gas cylinders does affect the working on the chair.
Ask a professional to do the job for you if you do not want to do it yourself. Due to its reliability, it is one of the most effective ways to get more height without compromising the chair’s design and functionality.
| DIY Skill | Cost | Increase in Height |
| Hard | 30$-50$ (price depends on the brand) | 4″- 5″ |
To make things easier for you, here is a video explaining how to replace the gas cylinder of your office chair.
Stuff Paper into the Cylinder
Office chairs have gas cylinders that help you raise the height of your seat by using a lever on the side. The cylinder moves the chair up by releasing the compressed air. On the contrary, it lowers the base by compressing the air inside the tube.
One way to keep your seat height at the maximum is by adding paper towels inside the cylinder. In this way, your chair won’t fill in compressed air resulting in a higher seat. Although it is a cost-effective way to make your chair taller, it is inefficient. Stuffing your chair with paper will only provide a maximum of 1″ -1.5″ height.
| DIY Skill | Cost | Increase in Height |
| Medium | 2$-3$ (price depends on the brand) | 1″- 1.5″ |
Here I am attaching a helpful video to follow for the procedure.
Place Shims for Chair
Shims are wedge-like materials, and they are placed under furniture to protect the floor from scratches. Furthermore, they help in balancing your furniture.
Shims are chair raisers that also aid in making your chairs taller but provide a slight height change. Moreover, they are placed under the furniture without a fixture. A little movement of the chair can displace the shims causing discomfort.
| DIY Skill | Cost | Increase in Height |
| Easy | 5$-8$ (per piece) | .5″- 1″ |
Picture Courtesy: amazon.com
Use Chair Height Extension Kit
One of the most efficient ways to increase the height of your chair while keeping its stability and functionality intact is to go for a height extension kit. It is a drafting stool kit with an extra-long gas cylinder, metal foot ring, sturdy casters, and a stable nylon base.
Ideally, office chairs have a height of 16″ -24″. The drafting toolkit can provide a whooping 5″ -8″ additional size making it a suitable option for standing desks.
Related Read: How to Clean Office Chair Wheels
Undoubtedly you can get a good amount of height for your low chair with a drafting kit. However, they are primarily compatible with specific designs. So, do your research and look for brand-specific equipment.
| DIY Skill | Cost | Increase in Height |
| Medium | 25$-30$ (price depends on the height) | As much require |
Here’s how you can do it yourself
Add Wooden Blocks Between the Base and Top Plate
There are several ways to make your chair taller without compromising its maneuverability and other features. A wooden block between the chair’s structure can make it more stable. Furthermore, you will also achieve the desired height of the chair.
Although it does require DIY skills, it is all worth it. You can drill bolts up from the top plate to the block and then make the block have bolts that go into the base of the chair.
You can use stacked plywood pieces or solid wood. It is an easy DIY that requires only a hand saw, drill, and glue.
| DIY Skill | Cost | Increase in Height |
| Hard | 360 $ (plywood per sheet) | As much require |
How to Increase Dining Chair Height?
Use Chair Risers
Adding a chair riser is the safest way to make your dining chairs taller. Furthermore, they help protect your floor from scratches from the furniture. You can find chair risers with different heights in the market.
Choose the right chair raisers for your dining chair and place them under all chairs. It is a safe and efficient way to make your chair taller. Furthermore, it will also prevent the damaging to chair legs.
| DIY Skill | Cost | Increase in Height |
| Easy | 10$-15$ (price depends on the brand) | 1″- 5″ |
Caution: Do not raise your chair’s height more than 6 inches, as it can make it shaky and unstable. If you require more than 6 inches in size.
Replace the Legs of the Chair
If your dining chairs have removable chair legs, you can replace screw-in legs chairs. Wide and tall dining room chair legs will provide more stability. On the contrary, a small and short chair leg will not provide adequate support making the chair wobbly.
You can find screw-in-legs chairs from the market, or you can take help from a professional to get a customized design just the way you want.
| DIY Skill | Cost | Increase in Height |
| Medium | 100$-3000$ (price depends on the brand) | 5″- 8″ |
Upholster the Seat
Due to constant usage, the seats begin to sag after a while. You can get your dining room chairs reupholstered to regain their lost height and shape.
Furthermore, reupholstered seats also look new and provide a refreshing look to your dining area.
If you are good at doing it yourself, go for it; otherwise, take help from a professional and get a new look for your dining room chairs.
Picture Courtesy: royalshadescurtains.com
Bottomline
If you are on a budget or don’t want to spend a fortune on getting a chair, you will find several ways to make chairs taller. You can try several DIYs, but be careful to examine the weight limit of the products before use.
Similarly, do not try to achieve a height of more than 6 inches, as it can make the chair wobbly.
