OT- Good comfortable work chairs

Sorry for the OT, but I figured we're all stuck at a desk 8, 9, 10 hours
a day...

I'm about 240lbs, I've been thru a couple of 'cheap' office depot type
chairs in the last few years... they tend to be lacking in many respects.

I've heard a lot of good things Herman Miller Aeron chairs, but the
sticker shock has kept me from trying a $1000 chair.

Anybody know of a good chair that doesn't cost what a nice vacation costs?

Is the Aeron worth the money, in comfort, circulation and quality?

Thanks
wc
-hurtin' at work

 

WC,

We have nothing "but" Aeron. Must have at least 50 of em, and they are very
nice to work in. I bought one for my home office on Ebay for $200.00, brand
new.

The retail price can go from $650.00 to $800.00. They may be $1000.00 in
some places. but I've never seen on advertized that high.

Regards

Mark

 

I've a bad back ... (tall + too much cad & windsurfing !)
I've been using a aeron for the last 5 years - great chair,
recently back got worse (due to forgetting glasses and straining at
the screen - NOT recomended),

the aeron was OK, it releaved the pain, BUT the the chair that fixed
the back and makes 10hour CAD sessions 100% ok again is
kneeler chair - they are made by many people and 'make' the back work
itself, with legs not too bent at the hip.

HERE is a picture [# 110111174572 ]on UK ebay>>>>
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Kneeling-Post...111174572QQcategoryZ61677QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

 

It sound to me like you have poor ergonomic policies. If you want to be
able to work at your desk for 10 hours a day, you will need to get up from
your desk periodically.

Also, you should look at the way that your chair is set up. I have seen
people go from having sore legs at the end of the day to having pain free
legs in 24 hours. The change was due to lowering the chair less than 2
inches. You can get a good ergonomic chair for less than $200 from any of
the big office supply stores. The trick is properly adjusting the chair so
that you are seated in a proper position. Circulation problems are usually
due to an improper sitting posture or else personal health problems.

I don't mean to be rude, but unless you are over 7 ft tall, you may consider
losing some weight. A smaller person, closer to the 50th percentile for
height and weight is able to "fit" a chair better. Look up your height and
weight on an ergonomic website and see where you fit. Typically
manufacturers of chairs do not design for everybody, but try to fit in the
majority. So, even if you buy an expensive chair, you may still have the
same complaints.

 

Thanks for the tip, I've see these and wondered about them, I certainly
like the price better.

wc

 

I've been messing with the ergo around here, keyboard/mouse height,
monitor height, posture, etc, with some success. You're right about the
weight thing, according to the charts I'm ~50lbs overweight. =8oO

Thanks for the input
wc

 

I have had 2 of the Aeron chairs the first one was the -B for normal size
butts but i always felt cramped in that chair I got the -C for the wide load
butt and love it I would never plant my butt in another chair. BTW I am the
same about 240lbs

Sit on my arse
DS

 

George Costanza syndrome?

 

Check out the SteelCase "Leap" chair. I had an Aeron for years (at
IDEO) and one at home and then Steelcase responded with the Leap (a
IDEO product). the Leap is superior to the Aeron.... but I think it is
even more expensive. You might want to shop around.
http://www.steelcase.com/na/products.aspx?f=11852

It's funny with the Aeron - "Poster Child of the dot-bomb", because
about 5 years ago you could get them for less than $200 bucks because
of the "Dot.com crash" that happened in Silcon Valley. I'll bet the
bay-area is still the best place to by them.

Mark

 

BTW, the really had to first get an Aeron and then a Leap because back
in 2001, I was developing Carpal-tunnel on my right wrist - these
chairs literally saved my arm from surgery because of the four-way
adjustment on the arm rests.

Mark

 

Mark,

Expensive is an understatement. Base price $1,200 and then come the
options.

 

Blind adherance to the "average" or "upscale" solutions will not
necessarily get the right choice for an individual designer at a CAD
workstation. Be willing to experiment a bit.

In addition to everything else, if you look at what other options
exist, you might get some understanding of the benefits of getting a
table at standing height. Traditional drafting table height or
slightly higher allows you to vary your working position over the day
to relieve some of the issues of remaining in a static position for
hours at a time.

I have done this with adjustable height drafting chairs for 4 decades
and have not developed joint, hand, arm, shoulder, back or other
pains. I can stand with various leg and foot positions, sit with one
leg on the floor and one on the chair footrest or be all on the chair.
Makes for good changes in positions.

Physiologically, some medical studies recently published have claimed
the body should "sit", not at 90 degrees femur to spine, but 135
degrees. This was published in the popular press summary in the last
30-60 days.

There are companies that make workstations with variable height
surfaces and chairs to match. Yup, they are not inexpensive, but
getting productive without repetitive stress injury or positional
injury over years and decades is something that is worth paying for.

If you did NOT want to pay the "new price" you can get 3 foot x 6 foot
drafting tables used for a minimal cost. They sometimes have
adjustable feet to let you raise their height. Some of the older
fancy mechanical tables could be instantly adjusted, though they are
hard to find now, as no one has made those in 30-40 years (I bought
one at action decades back for $75 and still have it).

Bo

 

Suspa, Inc. make the gas cylinder assemblies which can be used for
high quality drafting chairs or a chair you might want to retrofit to
drafting table height. Last time I asked Hermann Miller, they didn't
have a drafting height chair.

www.suspa-inc.com

If you want to look at a modular table with lots of options which
actually makes good sense for an engineer-designer with all the crap
we keep around, take a look at the lab workstations sold by Production
Basics.

For adjustable height check their models under: ELECTRIC STATION,
DUAL LEG
"Use this workstation to improve ergonomics. Effortless height 30-45"
adjustment with a push button travels the full range within 11
seconds. Store up to four height settings with a 400 lb weight
capacity."

Standard Laminate

www.pbasics.com

Bo

 

You could have a look at the Life Chair by Formway
http://www.formway.co.nz/us/index.html
I bought one a few years ago and it costs alot less than some of the other
figures I've heard thrown around here.
From memory mine cost $800 NZD which would work out to about $600 USD, if
the licenced amnufacturers over there were not price gouging.
Better still I believe it was designed using Solidworks.

--
Neville Williams
Z-Axis Design - NZ
"remove the KNOT to reply"