Replies

1. 
   pantalones868 | Jun 13, 2022 06:09pm | #1

   Back of the leg above the seat... you've got the chair upside down!
   OK I know what you mean...the angle of the back rest from the seat. Seats often are at an angle, say maybe 4 degrees from horizontal( level ).
   I wouldn't personally call the angle 102 degrees. I'd call it 12, mostly because I don't have tools that go 102 degrees . I can set my saw at 12 degrees but I'm limited to 90 or 45 degrees... anyway ,sure, many chairs have a 102 (12)degree backrest angle. That's comfortable, as is 100 (10 ) degrees. We're talking dining chair. It depends on the chair and its purpose. From there the angle can be all over the map. I'm a lifelong sloucher so you could increase that angle by quite a bit and I'd be fine!

2. 
   john_c2 | Jun 13, 2022 06:24pm | #2

   Huge question. Complicated question. There are no average angles. Different styles or periods have typical angles. Intended use matters a lot. Is it a dining chair? Desk chair? Reading, or typing? Reading while lounging? Napping? Watching TV?

   It's complicated.

   Seats are tilted backward. A few degrees for dining, several more for relaxing. The back above the seat is also tilted backward. Think 10-ish for upright sitting and 20-ish for relaxing.

3. 
   rob_ss | Jun 14, 2022 04:54am | #3

   Here's an idea.
   Why not take a digital angle gauge to a high-end furniture store.
   Try the chairs.
   Sit in them and find the most comfortable.
   Copy that angle.
   Alternatively, most of us have a fully adjustable seat which we can use to create a comfortable profile that suits us - it will go up and down, usually tilt the seat, always tilt the back and almost always has a lumbar support option - you guessed it - your car seat is a miracle of adjustable chair angleness.

4. 
   jake_w | Jun 14, 2022 06:59am | #4

   If you are looking for an average angle, you are approaching this the wrong way. Go with Rob_SS and find the best design for you. There are no average or standard angles for chairs, just ranges. You mentioned kitchen chairs and the range of seat angles is 2-8 degrees. If you go past 10, it will start to sit like a recliner. The typical angle from the seat to the back is 100-113. The larger angles also tend to sit more like a recliner and not a kitchen or desk chair. If the total angle of the back from vertical is over 30 it will feel like a recliner and will require a headrest. I think Michael Fortune's desk chair has a seat angle of 5 degrees and a back angle for 108-113.

5. 
   _mj_ | Jun 14, 2022 07:49am | #5

   https://www.finewoodworking.com/project-guides/chairs-benches-and-stools/on-making-chairs-comfortable

6. 
   Jkatzowitz | Jun 14, 2022 08:15am | #6

   I recently designed and built a contemporary rocking chair for my wife. When I tried to research the ergonomics I also ran into a dead end. I finally decided to build a full size working prototype out of MDF. I'd have her come to my shop, take a test drive, and then I'd modify it to fit. I probably went through 4 or 5 iterations along the way. Of course a rocking chair requires a few extra considerations, like the radius of the rocker, center of gravity, and the fact that it rocks!

   I eventually found a comfortable solution.

   
7. 
   pantalones868 | Jun 14, 2022 02:13pm | #7

   When at the dinner table your mom told you to sit up in your seat. I still think that a good angle for a backrest from the seat is 10 to 12 degrees, more or less, for a dining chair. Mine are 10 degrees. If you angle the seat then that's a calculation you need to compensate for but not much.