If your chair is sinking and not working as it should, your first instinct may be to buy a new office chair. But did you know that you can replace the base and the cylinder to restore your office chair to prime condition? The question then is, are all office chair bases and cylinders universal? Let’s break it down.

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Replacing Office Chair Base

1. What is the base of an office chair?

The base is the foundation of an office chair, which is often made of steel, aluminum, or wood. An office chair base often consists of five legs to provide better overall stability, along with wheels at the bottom of each leg to help the user move around in the chair. Some office chairs can have up to seven legs.

Sitting on top of the base is the office chair gas cylinder, which bridges the base with the seat. While the base provides support and stability, the gas cylinder provides the user to raise or lower the chair’s height. This is what differentiates office chairs from regular chairs, as the former is more adjustable than the latter.

2. Can you replace the base of an office chair?

You can remove the base of an office chair and replace them with a new one.

Fortunately, office chair bases and replacement parts can be found in office supply stores and online. Replacing an old office chair base with a new one can save you a lot of money because they cost much less than the cost of buying a new office chair.

To remove an office chair base, hold the base firmly and then pull while turning it counter-clockwise simultaneously. The base and gas cylinder should pull out as one piece, with the gas cylinder hidden inside.

You may also use a rubber mallet or hammer with a wooden block to strike the bottom edge of the old cylinder until the base is separated from the cylinder. Make sure to hold the chair base with your other hand so the whole chair doesn’t move.

If you are keen on buying a new replacement office chair base, then consider this near-universal office chair base from Office Oasis. They are well-known for making top-of-the-line office replacement parts with easy-to-follow instructions. With its universal standard size, it should fit most office chairs in the market.

3. Are all office chair bases universal?

Most office chair bases are universal and should fit most office chairs. As long as the office chair base has a 2” (50mm) gas lift center hole, it should be able to house a standard office chair gas cylinder.

However, office chair bases come in different diameters. They range from 23 inches all the way to 28 inches. The larger the diameter, the more stability it provides for the user.

Moreover, the base is the foundation of every swivel chair. It’s often overlooked as most people focus on the appearance of the upper part of the chair. We recommend looking for an office chair base made of high-grade nylon, which is superior to aluminum because it has more ability to flex so it doesn’t crack or break.

Replacing Office Chair Cylinder

1. What is an office chair cylinder?

An office chair gas cylinder is the mechanism that moves the chair seat up or down. It consists of three parts: the gas cylinder column, the bearing kit, and the actual gas cylinder.

The goal of an office chair cylinder is to allow the user to adjust the height of the seat. Some people are taller than others so they need to raise the seat to accommodate their long legs. Remember, to achieve good and healthy ergonomic sitting posture, your legs should not be dangling off the floor.

2. Can you replace the cylinder of an office chair?

A telltale sign of a faulty or broken gas cylinder is the inability of the office chair to raise or lower the seat. Because of this, many come to use and ask: can you replace the cylinder of an office chair?

You can remove the gas cylinder of an office chair and replace them with a new one.

Fortunately, office chair cylinders and other replacement parts can be found in office supply stores and online. Instead of buying a new office chair, replacing your old office chair gas cylinder with a new one can save you a lot of money and restore its ability to raise the chair seat higher effectively.

Thinking about buying a replacement office chair gas cylinder? Then the best option is to buy a complete replacement kit. The kit is complete with a helpful instruction that will guide you through the entire process, start to finish. No more struggling and spending hours trying to replace the old and broken gas cylinder.

3. Are all office chair cylinders universal?

Most office chair cylinders are typically universal, which have about 2” of diameter and 10” of height. The only difference between all standard cylinders is how high they can raise the seat. As long as the office chair gas cylinder is 2” in diameter, it should fit most office chair bases.

On average, an office chair gas cylinder can add about 5” to the seat. However, gas cylinders can range from 4″-10″ depending on the office chair type. If you are unsure about the dimensions, bring your old office chair to a local office furniture store. They should be able to help you find the right product.

Related: Are Office Chair Casters and Wheels Universal?

Bottom Line

Now you know whether office chair bases and cylinders are universal or not. In most cases, office chair bases have 5 legs with about 2” of diameter, which is the diameter of the standard office chair gas cylinder. The gas cylinder should have about 10” of height. Now you can shop for replacement parts with confidence.