Subcultural engagement for the 21st Century...
Barbelith is a new kind of community (find out more)...
You can login or register.

Underground > Art, Fashion & Design >

What are you sitting on?

15:36 / 22.10.05

Cube's post here reminded me that I need a new desk chair and that since everyone here clearly spends a reasonable amount of time in front of a computer, I thought you'd be good people to ask.

A few years ago I bought the cheapest desk chair I could find. It was from Argos and I don't think they even make a chair that shitty anymore. The closest I can find is this only mine doesn't even have the gas lift thing - you raise and lower it by spinning it round like the seat in a photo booth. In fact I think the seat in a photo booth would be more comfy. Either way, I'm pretty sure that this one is crippling me, and its as ugly as hell to boot.

I recently saw this in John Lewis which appeals because, since my desk is in my sitting room, I don't really want anything that looks too officey. It's pretty nice to sit in too.

So, as a bit of an off-shoot of the domestic design thread, I'm interested to know about the ergonomics of your computer using arrangements. I'm also hoping for tips and recommendations for desk seating where design and styling are important considerations.

17:35 / 23.10.05

I'm currently sitting on one of these Ikea chairs, in dark blue.

Loomis and I have one each, and they're really comfortable - I don't know that they're really properly ergonomic but I can sit in them for a long time. Plus they look nice. Except that they get really dusty in the corners between the back and the sides, and housekeeping round here isn't really all it should be so they annoy me whenever I look at that bit!

At work I have a fairly standard office chair, with adjustable everything - the Uni does seem to make a real effort to allow you to get a good seating position - it's down to me to play with it until it's just right. Which, admittedly, I haven't really done. It's comfy enough, I'm fine.

I've never had an office chair, or indeed any chair really, where my feet touch the floor so every chair is associated with that wee bit of discomfort for me. I'm prone to sitting with one leg tucked the other, which must be playing havoc with my spine. Feel free to show me this thread in a few years when I'm walking funny.

18:31 / 23.10.05

I use something like this

Pretty comfortable and I can sit in it forever.

Mostly chose it as I've got a compressed fracture in my spine from a sports injury back at school. Don't want to aggravate the situation.

19:04 / 23.10.05

At home we have two of these, also from Ikea. You can adjust the height & also the angle of the seat. If I accidentally sit in Radix's chair, I jump right up & demand my chair. There's also a version with arms, but this is better for me because I like to sit cross-legged with a blanket --and sometimes a cat-- on my lap.

At work, I have the bad habit of hoisting myself on the chair's arms to get my legs underneath me ...I broke three chairs that way. Shhh, nobody knows it was me.

19:11 / 23.10.05

I picked up an Eames aluminum group chair w/ a fabric pad for about $250-300 from a local furniture shop. It's not the high-back executive one and it has armrests and a fixed base. By all means it's the nicest chair I own, it's very comfortable to work in and it's quite durable. If I ever had to sell it, an easy bit of restoration might help me fetch about double what I paid for it.

For what it's worth, a bit more loot can get you a chair that'll mean something more to you than a task chair you could buy from a large retailer. It's hard to find something that'll complement your posture and desk better than a Herman Miller or Vitra.

19:11 / 23.10.05

Ikea office chairs are good -we have this one at home (in red), it's very comfy indeed and I like the way it looks; not too officey, pleasingly minimal. As are most Ikea products, I suppose.

I don't know what kind of chairs we have at work, but thinking about them makes me realise that it's actually my posture that's the problem -the fact that it has armrests makes me slump a bit, and my problem is the opposite of Ariadne's in that there's not really enough space under my desk for my legs (fault being on the part of the desk rather than the legs). I sat a lot better when I had a box of weights under my desk, and now that they've been taken home I really want one of those footrests that give you something to put your feet on and stop you from crossing your legs.

More an object of desire than anything else, but may I draw everyone's attention to the Aeron Chair? (Made by Herman Miller, as mentioned by banshee)

I sat in one once, and it was more comfortable than some sofas I have sat on.

19:17 / 23.10.05

One of these from Ikea.

It may look simple and hard, but it's actually phenomenally comfortable for the little it cost. Springy, natural, and great for my back. Mine's in deep blood red colour.

Pic:

19:17 / 23.10.05

Vincennes has now totally busted the fact that a) we cohabit and b) we're on different connections right now. Gutted.

19:43 / 23.10.05

Generally don't use a computer for long periods at work, so have a crappy old NHS-standard thing in the corner of my office. At home, we wanted something un-officey that'd contrast nicely with the sparkly white iMac - so we've got a mahogany 'n' dark green leather pedestal desk and captain's chair. Bought them separately, both second-hand off eBay, but they actually match remarkably well. The chair's one of those big old swivelly things with loads of overstuffed green leather padding - and big enough that I can sit cross-legged (as I quite like to do, at teh computer).

01:53 / 24.10.05

How lovely to come back to a thread I'd all but forgotten I'd started to find so many on-the-nose thoughts and recommendations.

Ariadne, I've been impressed by those Ikea chairs in the past but forgotten all about them. I remember them as being remarkably comfortable for their size and simplicity - and something rather pleasingly Recaro about how they hug one's bottom. It's so helpful to hear from people who've lived with these things though.

So zenfroglet, I'm really interested to see that you're recommending one of those zig-zaggy kneeling things. I've known other people with dodgy backs sing their praises, but I assumed it would be quite tiring not to have any scope for slumping. If not, that could really tempt me.

I love the look of the Eames, banshee. I can't work out from the picture whether it has two sets of legs or not. Beautiful, but might be too big for the space. But it's the kind of thing that gets me thinking 'Hmmm. Maybe there's somewhere else in the flat we could use a chair like that...'

Vincennes, Paleface, those Jules chairs look even less comfortable than what I've got! Are you punishing yourselves for something?
I read about that Aeron chair somewhere. I liked the functionalist philosophy behind it. I saw a chair in a shop on TCR which took the same principle to its logically conclusion - basically, you take a normal chair, sit someone in it, then cut away all the bits that aren't supporting them, so you end up with a kind of padded skeleton. Nice idea, ugly as hell. I like the look of the Aeron though. My partner, on the other hand, would hate it.

I think I know the kind of chair you have, Ganesh - all wood and swollen green leather? Don't they recline to an improbably steep tilt? A real beard-stroker's chair, I always think. Although I understood that you needed one of those green bankers' lamps to really pull one off.

10:32 / 24.10.05

those Jules chairs look even less comfortable than what I've got! Are you punishing yourselves for something?

Yes, it's a shame Ikea aren't as into their manic animated gifs as Herman Miller are; the back of the chair is actually curved to fit a person's back quite well, and I like it because unlike my work chair it forces me to sit properly. If I tried to slump in that one I'd fall down in a heap on the floor fairly quickly. I had my doubts when Paleface pointed it out in the shop, but they were dispelled once I'd sat on it.

15:05 / 24.10.05

I think I know the kind of chair you have, Ganesh - all wood and swollen green leather? Don't they recline to an improbably steep tilt? A real beard-stroker's chair, I always think. Although I understood that you needed one of those green bankers' lamps to really pull one off.

Oh, I dunno. I've pulled one off in this chair with only the light from HotLeatherBeardyDudes.com to see by...

(Ho ho.)

But yeah, it's one of those semi-circular mahogany doodahs covered in padded leather. Hadn't fully investigated the range of tiltiness until you suggested it... but yes, it goes pretty steep.

15:38 / 24.10.05

Seriously, the Jules is gorgeous - it supports your back precisely where it needs to be, it's firm, and it encourages you to sit forward. It's not a chair for lounging in, but it is a lovely office chair. I'm not really an arms person, either - not keen on them on chairs at all. I'd rather just lean my elbow on a table. It's a lovely chair, anyhow, that can't be explained til you sit on it. Also, white doesn't do it many favours.

17:33 / 24.10.05

Interesting, Ganesh. So I was right about it being a chair for beard strokers.

Didn't mean to diss your Jules, Paleface. I don't want no trouble. It just looks uncomfortable, but I've learnt that that can be deceptive.

19:01 / 24.10.05

Interesting, Ganesh. So I was right about it being a chair for beard strokers.

Indubitably. And, now you've alerted me to the tilty potential, I must admit beardy stroking is even better at an angle.

19:09 / 24.10.05

In fact, here's the original eBay photo of our chair:

Red carpet, hideous wallpaper, tragic miniradiator and slightly dubious otherchair poking into shot not ours. Honest.

23:20 / 24.10.05

Crumbs. You know there is some debate about the merits of that Aeron chair.

The possible health risks sound extensive:
My back problems got so bad that it aggrivated my heartburn and eventually led to a small ulcer before i figured out that it wasn't my coffee intake but the damn chair. Ever since I ditched it, no more pain, no more heartburn, no more laying on the office floor in agony. - s0yb0mb

Even life threatening:
This is a piece of shit. I developed back problem with this chair, and I can't get off it. - Bill Yunker

Not that some people don't make compelling arguments in support, however:
My only complaint is how cold my butt gets in the winter. It is the best thing for my hemorroid, though - ac lover

I'm erring towards one of those kneeling chairs. They come in all kinds of amusing styles:

07:15 / 25.10.05

Yeah the kneeling chairs are quite nice and not that obtrusive. As for your earlier worry about slumping, I still tend to slump, but I slump forward onto my arms on the desk.
I'm not sure if that is bad for my back, but I've not had a problem in all the time I've had it (about 2 years). Only thing is that when I do slump forward I'm closer to the screen and probably not doing my eyes any good.

At one point I did start to develop pains in my wrists (probably the start of RSI), but I think that was just due to me being positioned higher than the work station. After realising the problem and a quick height adjustment I was ok again, pains went away.

So if you do go for one of these zig zaggy ones make sure you can alter the height of it. The one you've pictured doesn't seem to be able to do that?

08:07 / 25.10.05

I remember when those kneely chairs began to appear here and there when I was in high school. I thought they were going to take over the world as part of the ergonomic revolution but they seem to have disappeared. I haven't seen one for years.

08:10 / 25.10.05

Kneeling chairs hurt my knees. I really wanted to like them, they seem so good for you theoretically - but I found it really uncomfortable. Also, they pull your trousers out of shape - you stand up and the knees of your trousers/ jeans bag out horribly from being stretched over your knees.

Keith, like a scientist

21:05 / 25.10.05

More an object of desire than anything else, but may I draw everyone's attention to the Aeron Chair? (Made by Herman Miller, as mentioned by banshee)

I sat in one once, and it was more comfortable than some sofas I have sat on.

I've had the extreme good fortune of sitting in one every day at work for the past 6 years. It's quite an amazing chair, and if you are looking for a desk chair, there is basically no problem this chair can't solve....except low funds. I think they are something like $600 US? My boss is an asshole, but he at least has no qualms about buying expensive furniture for his graphic designers to use.

Now, if only I could find someway to have one of these at home...

13:16 / 26.10.05

Well... if we're looking to just espouse the comfort and attraction of the modern chair, it's hard to have a convo without talking about any of these chairs. Granted these are not all good task chairs, but yeah, they easily look good in the corner of any room if you can find and/or afford one.

Another pic of an Eames Aluminum Group (this time with a svelte leather pad). You can get them with rolling and swiveling bases too, it you're not into the fixed thing.

Of course there's Mies van der Rohe's classic, the Barcelona chair. Good for fitting in with your Manhattan crowds and Pat Batemans. You need them in pairs of course.

Harry Bertoia made some nice wire-form chairs back in the day, like the diamond chair.

My friends next hopeful acquisition will be Eero Saarinen's Womb chair. Eero also made some other nice pieces like the tulip chair and tables.

Lastly, and probably one of the nicer ones going, is Eames' Shell chairs. Get one with a rocker or eiffel base and be comfy and fancy...