The morning in a cold office

Short answer: An office with ventilation is often set to twenty degrees, and without movement it feels colder than it is. An extra layer on your forearms and feet covers most of it, so you can focus on your work.

The ventilation hits your forearms

Cold air from a vent drops over the desks and reaches bare forearms long before the rest of you. You notice it while typing, with your arms resting still. A long sleeve like the long sleeve styles solves it without making you warm elsewhere, and it fits easily under a blouse or cardigan.

Sitting still cools you down

Without movement your body produces far less heat, and twenty degrees feels like eighteen. That is why you can feel cold in an office that is warm enough on paper. A soft layer such as bamboo sweatpants for women helps when you work from home and makes long mornings at the desk more comfortable.

Feet get cold first

Under a desk there is often a draught along the floor, and your feet stay still for hours. The cold creeps up your legs before you notice. A thin layer such as a bamboo slip and a pair of good socks make all the difference, because they hold warmth where the body loses it first.

Get up now and then

The simplest way to get warm again is to move. Fetch a glass of water, take the stairs to a meeting or stretch your legs for a few minutes. Even a little movement starts your body's heat production. Combined with the right clothes, a cold morning becomes an ordinary working day.

Dress in layers from the start

Offices change temperature through the day. Mornings are often the coldest, and afternoons can get warmer. That is why layers beat one thick garment. A thin long sleeve layer underneath and something light on top let you adjust without changing clothes halfway through the day.

Keep a spare layer at work

Many people keep a jumper on the back of their chair or in a drawer. It is a good habit. You always have something to put on if the ventilation is turned up or a meeting room is chilly. Choose something that does not crease and is easy to put on and take off, so you actually use it.

Close to the body keeps warmth best

A layer that sits close to the skin holds warmth better than one that hangs loose. Air that gets under loose clothing cools you down. Choose an inner layer with a fit that follows the body without squeezing. That applies to both top and legs, and you notice it most when sitting for long stretches.

Talk to colleagues about the temperature

Office temperature is a shared matter. If several people are cold, it is worth raising. Often a desk can be moved away from a vent or the airflow adjusted a little. Until then, the right clothes are the quickest fix, because they are in your hands and you do not have to wait for anyone.

Frequently asked questions

Why are offices so cold

The ventilation is set for an average, not for the individual, and sitting still makes the temperature feel lower than it is.

What helps most

A long sleeve and good socks, because forearms and feet are usually the first places to get cold at a desk.

Can you ask for the heating to be turned up

Yes, but most systems are controlled centrally, so the right clothes are often the quickest solution day to day.