Best Chair For Desktop Coding? 742
wifeoflurker writes "Can someone give me recommendations for a desk chair to give my husband as a Father's Day gift? He currently uses a cheap one he got from Office Max, but I want him to have a really comfortable one. He spends his life in this chair (coding and lurking on Slashdot). I don't have time to research good chairs on the internet today (I'm chasing my 10 month old around, and she seems to get into the most mischief when I'm staring at the computer screen), so I figured a few folks here might share their personal recommendations." Has there been any great progress in the state of the art (of sitting) since the last time readers sought recommendations for back-friendly chairs a few years back, or the perfect computer chair nearly a decade back? Is there even such a thing as a back-friendly chair, or should we all be in astronaut-style lounge workstations?
Herman Miller Aeron... (Score:5, Interesting)
But think about it -- you own a car that you like. You spend maybe what, an hour, or two a day in it? You spend maybe $400 for the car payment plus insurance and gas.
And you sit in a chair for 5-7 hours a day. You should make a good investment for the sake of your back, your butt, and your comfort. I have the Aeron and the only quip I have with it, is that it doesn't match the height of my desk (which is actually a writing desk, incorrect height for a mouse/keyboard).
I like the Aeron -- it has a lot of adjustments, it's built very solid, it has a good warranty and you can get them serviced a LOT of places (casters and such). It's NOT cheap, but refer to what I said earlier on why you SHOULD spend the money.
Ikea Markus Chair (Score:4, Interesting)
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/00103102 [ikea.com]
It was well worth the $200.
The high back lets you recline fully when enjoying a movie. It's very comfortable and has a bunch of options to set height, back stiffness / angle it reclines to.
Swiss Ball! (Score:5, Interesting)
N.
Excerice ball (Score:4, Interesting)
Re:Excerice ball (Score:4, Interesting)
Car seat (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Herman Miller Aeron... (Score:5, Interesting)
No one wants to invest in a good chair but you have to think about the fact that your chair is in use from the time you sit down at your computer to the time you get up. It's the most utilized piece of computer gear you have. A lot of people skimp on monitors too even though it's the second most utilized piece of hardware.
A solid chair and a solid monitor then keyboard/mouse goes very very far in keeping you productive.
Researcher sees future where people walk at work (Score:5, Interesting)
"Sitting at their desks is about the last thing workers would do in Dr. James Levine's office of the future.
Dr. James Levine keeps a 1 mph pace on his treadmill while checking his e-mail.at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.
Instead of being sedentary in front of their computers, they'd stand. But instead of standing still, they'd walk on a treadmill. And instead of meeting around a conference table, they'd talk business while walking laps on a track."
But just a standing desk with a tall stool to alternate with can work wonders for back pain and good posture.
The walking is probably better on the knees though.
desks are terrible! (Score:2, Interesting)
Humanscale Freedom chair (Score:4, Interesting)
http://www.treychair.com/ (Score:2, Interesting)
More than a chair, apparently...
Re:Herman Miller Aeron... (Score:4, Interesting)
Re:Herman Miller Aeron... (Score:3, Interesting)
Aeron and RLS (Restless Leg Syndrome) (Score:5, Interesting)
One day my wife was talking to the manager of a Relax The Back store and my RLS came up. Upon hearing that I used an Aeron chair he said "That could be the problem. The way the front area of the chair where the legs go over is designed can cause problems with circulation and such." (I heard this second hand from my wife). I switched to a more traditional office chair. Within a month my RLS symptoms were gone.
So no scientific proof and I haven't felt like switching back to see the Aeron was the problem. But I'm a lot happier now.
May I suggest opposite? (Score:3, Interesting)
May be you should buy him something that will lure him OUT of his chair?
Actually, your humor is misplaced (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:Swiss Ball! (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:Herman Miller Aeron... (Score:3, Interesting)
At work I have a steelcase leap which rocks but I only just started so I cant talk much about the chair (2 days sitting on it and counting).
Re:Swiss Ball! (Score:3, Interesting)
Maybe that is what went wrong? (Score:5, Interesting)
In fact, if you needed family time, you were considered a bit suspect, or a whiny little bitch.
But, in those days, we shipped indeed, and our stock price was ever-rising. Back then, you could even tell an under-achiever that they sucked without fear of a lawsuit.
But, Win95 shipped, Exchange shipped, Office shipped, and left a trail of dead or dying competitors in our wake.
Now?
Vista.
Enough said.
Family Friendly hasn't done crap for shareholders, IMHO.
Re:Herman Miller Aeron... (Score:5, Interesting)
I learned that trick from a buddy of mine who's mom would always get pissed off at the gifts family would buy her. She would want a stove, and they bought her a stove, but it wasn't the stove she wanted. Next year she wanted a dishwasher, so they gave her a picture of a dishwasher, and let her pick it out herself.
Re:Excerice ball (Score:3, Interesting)
There's actually a big clue to found in that observation: many people pick a chair based on it not aggrevating whatever their current symptoms are. But if it instead aggrevates others, that's not really an improvement.
Re:Everyone will say "Aeron" -- for good reason: (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Swiss Ball! (Score:4, Interesting)
I have used the original Variable Balans for 20 years at home, and recently I persuaded my employer to buy one for work too. I easily easily spend more than 12 hours daily in those two chairs.
I consider them extremely comfortable. However, my chairs are of the rocking chair type: http://www.varierfurniture.com/default.aspx?menu=693 [varierfurniture.com]
I have tried one of the models with a fixed bottom frame (or whatever you call that in English), and it was not nearly as comfortable. A few hours, and my shins hurt. I think the angles were a little different, but the main reason was probably that it couldn't rock so I had to sit in the exact same position all the time.
One word of warning:
It took me several years to get used to the chair.
Re:Herman Miller Aeron... (Score:3, Interesting)
Personally I think all of these are merely the best attempt at the wrong solution. The best thing for your back (and I know this because it's what I use), is a stand up desk [wikipedia.org]. You get used to it quite quickly and you feel all the better for it. Many or most are adjustable so you can lower them to chair height when you want to. But you very quickly find it odd and sluggish to sit down.
I'm serious - this is by far the best option imo.
Re:Swiss Ball! (Score:3, Interesting)
But then I cannot get up. The pain is intolerable. It can take several minutes of considerable pain and miniature manoeuvres before I am up - with pain.
The chair is not the problem, the problem is the back - it needs muscle movements (to circulate blood).
During those days I use a kneeling chair which in practice "forces" me to get up often. This is extremely good thing (for me).
I cannot use any chair which is "comfortable" to sit four hours. Obviously I use a comfortable chair, but the point is that the chairs I use are easy to get of. And I do walk around often as otherwise
armrests = bad? (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:Maybe that is what went wrong? (Score:2, Interesting)
I'm constantly searching for 20-somethings who are more concerned about how their eventual children will live in 2020, than how they themselves are living right now. These people are getting harder and harder to find, even though anyone who works for me gets any hardware, toy, gadget, etc, that they feel will help them do their job better, no questions asked, just like when I worked at Microsoft.
Its a different mindset these days, and while you think your folks are productive, I would comfortably assume that were you up against us on a project, my people would eat your lunch. We work until we ship. THEN we play. If you need to change diapers between builds, you probably don't want to work for me.
I have dived the wrecks of Belize, with the NEW wife (younger and cuter, since I am smarter and richer) and have a great time. Like you say, its a choice. You are happy with yours, I am ecstatic with mine. Good luck.