Working in Comfort 2

[IAMIS]

This may be a bit off topic but it is something we probably all deal with.
Does anyone have any recommendations for task chairs?
I have worked for the same company for over 20 years and I think most of our chairs started here before I did.
I'm sitting on the edge of my seat all day long and the backs of my legs get painful.
As an added factor I'm short so not all chairs are designed for someone under 5'5".

 

[ArtL]

Mr Iamas I went out a bought one, and when I quit that job, I took it with me.A few hundred buckos is a small price to pay, as opposed to medical bills for a neck (my case) or legs (your case)

 

[IAMIS]

I am thinking about that option. I just don't want to go and spend $1000 and find the chair is no more comfortable than a moderately priced one. Hoping someone out there found one that stays comfortable for those long hours in the zone and could tell me about it.

 

[MadMango]

No matter the cost of the chair, if it isn't ergonomically set-up properly, you will experience discomfort and pain over the long haul. Please see:
thread559-39398
thread559-67549
Might be old threads, but the info is still relevant.

"Art without engineering is dreaming; Engineering without art is calculating."

Have you read faq731-376 to make the best use of these Forums?

 

[telecomguy]

Just saw this on Lifehacker.com:

http://lifehacker.com/what-to-look-for-in-an-ergonomic-office-chair-509059932

http://xternal.me

 

[IAMIS]

Thanks MadMango, apparently the only pain at work isn't just the boss and the bugs. I've been wishing for a department masseuse for years now.
They say we should be buying mattresses more often but I think my chair padding died a long time ago.

 

[MikeHalloran]

I've got what is today often called a 'manager chair'.
It's got thick padding, a coarse cloth cover, a fairly tall back, and enough adjustments so you can sort of lay it out like a chaise with your feet on a drawer if you need to get some rest (at night of course).

If you're buying your own, try hard to get a distinctive, even hideous, color, to reduce the probability of it leaving without you.

Conceal a couple of your business cards in it, and write down instructions for easily finding them in case you need to instruct a cop how to do so.



Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA

 

[MadMango]

I've only had two new chairs provided by employers over the years, each time I've taken Scotch tape and placed it so it wasn't easily seen. I then write my name on the tape. It's fun to tell someone that they're sitting in your chair, and when they say, "What, is your name on it?" I can reply, "Yes, it's rights there. Steal another chair."

"Art without engineering is dreaming; Engineering without art is calculating."

Have you read faq731-376 to make the best use of these Forums?

 

[IAMIS]

Does anyone have one of those aeron chairs? Are they worth it?

 

[Theophilus]

I've got a Herman Miller Equa chair (with arms) and like it. Put rubber casters on it a couple of years ago so they don't scratch up the laminate floor I put in the office. Got it in a river-bottom reupholstery place next to a hub-cap shop (yeah, seemed legit). Love it--no problems with it.

Back when I worked in a cube farm a co-worker and I cabled our chairs to our area (cable, crimps, everything). Managers, who had apparently been the theft culprits from the prior weeks, were quick to note their consternation. "Why does having my chair cabled to the cubicle bother you unless you mean to steal the chair?" Crickets. Never had my chair stolen again after that. Obviously.



Jeff Mowry

http://www.industrialdesignhaus.com

A people governed by fear cannot value freedom.

 

[IAMIS]

It looks like the Herman Miller Equa chair has ample padding at the front of the chair where my chair seems to be lacking it. That may be a key feature for me to look for since that is the main zone that seems to be causing me pain. I haven't had much problem with chair theft yet but that may be for the same reason that Ford Fiestas are not at the top of the list of stolen cars.

 

[TheTick]

Don't be too obsessed with padding. Chair comfort has much more to do with shape and support than padding. A good design would feel comfortable even if it was carved in granite.

Don't overlook making changes to your posture and sitting habits. A little attention to such things goes a long way. I know shorter people tend to sit higher and leave less weight on their legs, which can lead to problems.

 

[IAMIS]

I have tried for a position that puts more of the weight on my legs than my a$$ but I don't know how the physics of that is supposed to work. In a sitting position the center of gravity kind of forces most of the weight to be right on my seat. It seems the only way to change that would be to have my seat tilted at about a 45° angle. Hey, maybe that could be the next big innovation in seating design! Only then we'd have to redesign the whole work space to fit the elevated perspective.

 

[ctopher]

Browsing online, I came across this chair this week.
Chair

Chris
SolidWorks 11
ctopher's home
SolidWorks Legion

 

[IAMIS]

I like the arm adjustability on that one. Unfortunately I live in a cube farm with a wrap around desk so I currently use a chair with one arm off so that my mouse arm rests on the table and my left on an arm rest.

 

[Theophilus]

One thing folks rarely consider is how eye strain can affect your posture. I got some computer glasses a few years ago and it's helped my posture considerably (I think this was a suggestion by TheTick on a similar topic a while back). I hadn't realized the degree to which I was bending my posture out of whack because of slight eye strain. Might be something to check in to.

Also, this Equa chair I've got really doesn't have a lot of padding, but rather good contours. Mine's old/primitive enough it doesn't have the gas piston, but spins around to change the height of the chair (fine with me). Height adjustments will tweak the emphasis of how much of your weight lands where.



Jeff Mowry

http://www.industrialdesignhaus.com

A people governed by fear cannot value freedom.

 

[TheTick]

Cool, Theo! This is the first time I've learned that anyone actually followed that advice.

When I worked in machine shops and engine rooms, I spent as much as I had to on the right boots. Now I spare no expense on getting the right glasses.

 

[IAMIS]

I have progressive lenses but they seem to only progressively make my eyesight worse. I'll have to try some separate dedicated glasses and see how they work out. Besides, the progressives are a pain if you want to lay down and watch TV.

 

[TheTick]

At work I use a single-vision lens. Lenses are calibrated in the "vintage PRIO" fashion: when eyes are at resting focus position, items at screen-distance away are in focus.

 

[TateJ]

I'm a fan of the drafting table and stool combo... I can work standing up or sitting on the stool... My rule is that my most ergonomically comfortable position, is my next position...

Jack L Tate - Xtreme Tower Products - SolidWorks 2013 - Windows 7 - Microsoft Wireless Mouse 5000 - SpaceNavigator - Slacker Radio - Swingline Stapler - [COLOR=red yellow]C[sub]8[/sub]H[sub]10[/sub]N[sub]4[/sub]O[sub]2[/sub][/color] - Rental Bowling Shoes - Titanuim Spork - And that's all I need!