Adrien karbowsky, poltrona, parigi 1912-13 ca

An armrest is a part of a

chair A chair is a type of seat, typically designed for one person and consisting of one or more legs, a flat or slightly angled seat and a back-rest. They may be made of wood, metal, or synthetic materials, and may be padded or upholstered in vario ...

, where a person can rest their

arm In human anatomy, the arm refers to the upper limb in common usage, although academically the term specifically means the upper arm between the glenohumeral joint (shoulder joint) and the elbow joint. The distal part of the upper limb between the ...

s on. Armrests are built into a large variety of chairs such as automotive chairs, armchairs,

sofa A couch, also known as a sofa, settee, or chesterfield, is a cushioned item of furniture for seating multiple people (although it is not uncommon for a single person to use a couch alone). It is commonly found in the form of a bench with uph ...

s, and more. Adjustable armrests are commonly found in ergonomic

office chair An office chair, or desk chair, is a type of chair that is designed for use at a desk in an office. It is usually a swivel chair, with a set of wheels for mobility and adjustable height. Modern office chairs typically use a single, distinctive l ...

s. Armrests should support the forearm, which reduces neck and head pain.

Office chairs

Armrests in

s are meant to be adjustable to account for the user's height. This is due to the long hours spent sitting in an office, increasing risks of an

ergonomic hazard Ergonomic hazards are physical conditions that may pose a risk of injury to the musculoskeletal system. Ergonomic hazards include awkward postures, static postures, high forces, repetitive motion, or short intervals between activities. The risk o ...

. Since the introduction of the

computer A computer is a machine that can be programmed to Execution (computing), carry out sequences of arithmetic or logical operations (computation) automatically. Modern digital electronic computers can perform generic sets of operations known as C ...

into the workspace, armrests have been more important. Like office chairs,

gaming chair A gaming chair is a type of chair designed for the comfort of gamers. They differ from most office chairs in having high backrest designed to support the upper back and shoulders. They are also more customizable: the armrests, back, lumbar suppor ...

s feature an armrest to support the user's arm during gaming sessions.

Armchair

An armchair is a chair with prominent armrests.

Restraints

Restraint chair A restraint chair is a type of physical restraint that is used to force an individual to remain seated in one place to prevent injury and harm to themselves or others. They are commonly used in prisons for violent inmates and hospitals for out of ...

s are chairs with

restraints Physical restraint refers to means of purposely limiting or obstructing the freedom of a person's bodily movement. Basic methods Usually, binding objects such as handcuffs, legcuffs, ropes, chains, straps or straitjackets are used for this ...

, which allow an individual to be restrained, thereby preventing them from leaving the chair. Such chairs often feature an armrest, which is used to restrain the arms. An

electric chair An electric chair is a device used to execute an individual by electrocution. When used, the condemned person is strapped to a specially built wooden chair and electrocuted through electrodes fastened on the head and leg. This execution method, ...

is a form of restraint chair used in

capital punishment Capital punishment, also known as the death penalty, is the state-sanctioned practice of deliberately killing a person as a punishment for an actual or supposed crime, usually following an authorized, rule-governed process to conclude that t ...

In automobiles

In an automotive context, an armrest is a feature found in many modern vehicles on which occupants can

rest Rest or REST may refer to: Relief from activity * Sleep ** Bed rest * Kneeling * Lying (position) * Sitting * Squatting position Structural support * Structural support ** Rest (cue sports) ** Armrest ** Headrest ** Footrest Arts and entert ...

their

s. Armrests are also found on

s in general. The term armrest started out as an open compound, but over time became a closed compound word, making the spelling "arm rest" incorrect. Armrests are more prolific in larger, more expensive models of cars.

Front

In the front of the car, a central armrest, which commonly folds away based on user preference, will also often include a storage compartment and sometimes even cup holders. Some also provide the location for controls for non-essential functions of the vehicle, such as climate control or window motors. Sometimes one or two armrests may also be attached to each individual seat, a feature commonly found in

minivan Minivan (sometimes called simply as van) is a North American car classification for vehicles designed to transport passengers in the rear seating row(s), with reconfigurable seats in two or three rows. The equivalent classification in Europe i ...

s (MPVs) and some

SUV A sport utility vehicle (SUV) is a car classification that combines elements of road-going passenger cars with features from off-road vehicles, such as raised ground clearance and four-wheel drive. There is no commonly agreed-upon definitio ...

s. Frequently there is a further armrest built into the door of the car, often forming part of the door pulling

handle A handle is a part of, or attachment to, an object that allows it to be grasped and manipulated by hand. The design of each type of handle involves substantial ergonomic issues, even where these are dealt with intuitively or by following tra ...

Rear

A rear armrest will typically fold away between the back seats, to allow for the central (third) seating place to be used. In some designs where occupant safety is emphasized, including some

Volvo The Volvo Group ( sv, Volvokoncernen; legally Aktiebolaget Volvo, shortened to AB Volvo, stylized as VOLVO) is a Swedish multinational manufacturing corporation headquartered in Gothenburg. While its core activity is the production, distributio ...

models, the armrest doubles as a

child seat A child safety seat, sometimes called an infant safety seat, child restraint system, child seat, baby seat, car seat, or a booster seat, is a seat designed specifically to protect children from injury or death during vehicle collisions. Most c ...

, complete with specially adjustable

seatbelt A seat belt (also known as a safety belt, or spelled seatbelt) is a vehicle safety device designed to secure the driver or a passenger of a vehicle against harmful movement that may result during a collision or a sudden stop. A seat belt red ...

. As with the front, it is not unusual to have armrests built into rear doors, or the side of the car if there is no rear door.

References

{{Car-interior Automotive accessories Automotive body parts Chairs Ergonomics