"I had three chairs in my house; one for solitude, two for friendship, three for society" - Henry David Thoreau
Mr. Thoreau, may I be so bold to add a fourth chair? Since making the leap from working at an office to working back at home, one thing has become painfully clear after hours of sitting at the computer desk: my Eames side shell chair, although a beautifully sculpted seat, is not working out as permanent task seating. It was fine and dandy when my daily toll behind the computer was just for an hour here and an hour there. But ergonomically speaking, Eames didn't design the fiberglass chair for long, continuous sitting behind a computer. And Thoreau would likely agree, a life without ergonomic comfort is as grievous as one without principle.
All the tell-tale signs of ergonomic strain are showing up the last few days. Tightened shoulders, stiff neck, and a sore saddle. Previously, I desk-jockied in a Relax the Back Lifeform Contour Task Chair, which I inherited from my father (it was actually a gift from me a few years back). It wasn't the most stylish of chairs, but it provided outstanding support, and was built Tonka tough. Prior to that, I weathered a tempestuous relationship with the ubiquitous and iconic Herman Miller Aeron; I could never get fully comfortable in the chair, nor did I find its mesh back or lumbar support adequate. Other coworkers/friends reported otherwise, going to show you that office seating is a highly personalized and subjective affair dependent upon factors such as height, weight, tasks and posture preference (there are four neutral positions; I personally prefer the "reclined" posture, although I admit to taking it further to a near bobsledding position).
So, all day yesterday, well into the evening, I researched through tens of websites all discussing the pros and cons of specific high-end task chairs: the Humanscale Freedom, the Knoll Life (my favourite aesthetically), the Herman Miller Mirra and the Steelcase Leap were all shortlist contenders. There were plenty of other mass market and niche/design task chairs, but I ended up relying mostly on informative ergonomic evaluations and personal user reviews. Our fellow AT:LA editor Grace swears by the Mirra and others have mentioned the benefits of an ergonomic saddle. I eventually went with the most cushioned and supportive of the bunch, knowing my favourite chairs have always been the full seated, non-mesh variety, the Steelcase Leap. Office Environments had it for a competitive price with free shipping and just about every feature and fabric option available for customization (gel arm rests are going to be a welcome relief). It was a sizable chunk of change, but like mattresses, I believe in purchasing the best within your budget for the two pieces of furniture that have the most direct impact on personal health.
In the meantime, I get up every hour and do some stretch exercises, clean the apartment, or just take a walk to prevent any circulatory or muscle strain. A pillow now plays the role of a makeshift cushion, but it's a band aid solution. I'll have a full report of the Leap once it arrives, but for now it would be great to hear you about personal recommendations/experiences with task seating, whether it be an Office Depot special or a Yrjo Kukkapuro Plaano Chair. What's your favourite task chair?
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I have a Mirra at home and love it for being environmentally-friendly and comfortable. It looks very "officey" though and if I was in the market for this kind of chair, I would go for a Herman Miller Aluminum Group chair in either ribbed leather or the mesh. Check it out. They are super comfortable!
In terms of comfortability I love, love, love the leap. Not a bad chair from an environmental standpoint either: http://steelcase.com/na/environmental_leap_products.aspx?f=11852&c=17471
I agree the Knoll Life chair is a favorite for its good looks. I, unfortunately, had to return mine after sitting in it for a day. The seat was just too bendable and didn't support my long legs. I think it's flex seat is supposed to be a positive feature, but I couldn't take it.
I am going to try out the Krug Dorso and see if that works out. It has a nice clean silhouette:
http://www.krug.ca/products/management/dorso/images/image16.jpg
Also, it's Greenguard certified, so that is a big plus for me. Greenguard has a list of certified products you can search:
http://www.greenguard.org/Default.aspx?tabid=12
I just use a creaky old solid-oak swivel chair, which is actually far more comfortable than one would assume.
The problem with office chairs is that they look like "office chairs." I think every one of those pictured above would look fine in an office cubicle, but would be butt-ugly in my home.
I had an Aeron at my last office and have a Mirra at my current one. While Aerons seem to be the standard thing in design offices (at least by my experience), I like the Mirra much more.
That being said, I have one for our home office that I bought for around $150 on clearance at Office Depot, and it's the most comfortable one I've ever sat in. It's some anonymous office furniture company, but I really love it. It won't be winning any aesthetic awards, but it keeps me happy for those long freelance hours.
What about the Haworth Zody?
The design is crisp and clean and they are incredibly comfortable!
http://www.haworth.com/Brix?pageID=169&product_sakey=98&category=111
I have the Aeron at home and it's just alright.
I used the leap in my IT office and it was great.
I really want the mirra though. It looks cute!
I'm sitting in a Leap right now. I hate it. I think steelcase changed it because the chair feels different from the one I tested out at the dealer. The seat pan on my chair is tilted back a couple of degrees, which puts a lot of pressure on my thighs. There lack of pelvic support causes my lower back to get stiff after 20 minutes or so.
And don't be fooled by Steelcase's marketing. The "upper back force" is their term for tilt tension and the "lower back force" is the horrible-to-adjust lumbar.
I've mentioned in the past that saddle chairs are probably the best thing out there, but they are quite elusive. Out of the many furniture dealers I've been to, I have yet to try one. I'm expecting a Haworth Zody to arrive shortly. Hopefully, it will be better than the Leap.
I have a Hag desk chair that I have been very happy with. I had been having some back problems from working too long and was prepared to invest a few hundred but not the cost of a new aeron or leap. I had been keeping my eye out for a good deal on the aeron or leap and ended up spotting a good deal on the hag used.
The only thing I miss about my last company is my leap! God I loved that chair.
I found a huge selection of Aeron, Leap, and Mirra chairs at www.OfficeDesigns.com. I finally decided on an Aeron. They shipped it for free and it arrived quickly and I haven't been happier. Working at my desk is so much more comfortable.
I totally agree that the more modern mesh style chairs are a fantastic solution to back pain, numbness, etc. Not to mention they have some really fantastic designs from manufacturers like Herman Miller and Knoll. For instance I just bought this Knoll Office Chair for my office with the hope of convincing people that I am upper-management material. After all if my office looks like upper-management who is to say that I shouldn't be upper management?
Ha! I just went on staff at a new job and one of my requirements was to replace the Aeron that was in my office with a Leap Chair. I have one at home and I request one anywhere I work. It's just amazing.
I work with office furniture for a living, and I can say after testing ALL of them that the Haworth Zody is the most ergonomically-friendly task chair on the market right now (and very environmentally-friendly, to boot!) It's the only chair endorsed by the American Physical Therapy Association, which is pretty cool.
It's all about finding a chair that's right for you, though - I'm an average-built woman, but a 300-lb guy would probably need a more substantial chair.
And the key to being comfortable in any chair is getting up and moving as often as you can - it'll save your back, your eyesight and your concentration!
These are all pretty high end chairs. I didn't really have the money to spend on Herman Miller or Knoll so I looked at cheaper OFM task chairs . They're still pretty high quality and a lot cheaper for anyone who doesn't want to spend an arm and a leg.
good article
http://www.wired.com/geekdad/2010/12/review-future-chair-offers-premium-experience-for-less-than-a-mortgage-payment/
the future chair is stylish ergonomic and a bargain too!
Chairs can indeed be subjective. I went off the beaten path of typical office chairs. I have degenerative disc disease in my lumbar and neck and I work often 16 hours a day at a computer so pain was my constant companion.
I have resolved my pain issues, in large part, by changing my offices (I have one at home) so I stand for an hour or two each day. I also bought a Varier Gravity Balans Chair these for my home office. Reclining is a neutral posture that relaxes the spine which is great for people like me.
The Varier Gravity chair is so wonderful, I often move it to my family room and watch TV in it, or use my laptop on a cart. In my office I use it as a kneeling chair, often popping out a foot for positioning variety.
This non-traditional chair has been amazing.