24 replies to this topic

[SonofSocrates]

Hello to all you read this, I am hoping to get some input from forum members on their experience with the best sitting options for those of us whose work and play requires sitting for extended periods of time.

What I am looking for is references to specific chairs or other seating equipment that you have found conducive to sitting for hours on end.

Beyond that other technologies such as adjustable keyboards and monitors that you have found helpful.


Thank you in advance,

SOS

[the big b]

I am interested in questions like this myself, recently I've been made aware of ergonomics in relation to computer use. I may very well have narrowed the pain in my arms down to the way I use the computer and the chair I sit in. I found that locking in the back of my chair and preventing reclining that I no longer experience my legs falling asleep even after extended sitting. And with removing the arm rests I reduced the pain in my forearms that was likely due to tension caused from planting my arm on the rest and moving my wrist excessively to manipulate the mouse. I also pumped my chair up more to make the angle my arms are at in relation to the keyboard and mouse more ergonomic. Still though, I am searching for the same things SonofSocrates, I hope you find what you seek.

[SonofSocrates]

So what the options, here is what I am aware of thus far:

Typical chair: varies much in the materials used and adjustments available, but in form they are all the same.

Kneeling chair: I have yet to use this type.

Exercise Ball: I have used this in the past, not perfect, but from my experience better then a typical chair.

Swopper Chair: http://www.relaxtheb...6370282-6389769 I also tried this one out, but I found that it did not lean forward like shown in the picture that was condusive to getting work done.



Here is one good link I found: http://www.ccohs.ca/...lternative.html

Would love to be made aware of others that be know of.

[tunt01]

http://www.hermanmiller.com/aeron/

expensive, but worth it.

buy them used on craigslist.

[4eva]

Zackback chair.

http://www.yogaback....k/zackback.html

[SonofSocrates]

prophets,

I take it this is the chair that you currently use, correct?

Also, do you sit for long periods of time? Have you ever tried any of the other options I listed or beyond?

Edited by SonofSocrates, 31 March 2009 - 01:21 AM.

[SonofSocrates]

Zackback chair.

http://www.yogaback....k/zackback.html

Same for you 4eva, is this the current chair you use? Do you sit all day long in it? How does it rank up, tell me your experience.

[lunarsolarpower]

You might be interested in this recent four-hour work week blog post.

[tunt01]

prophets,

I take it this is the chair that you currently use, correct?

Also, do you sit for long periods of time? Have you ever tried any of the other options I listed or beyond?

yes, i have an aeron at work. it's quite nice. ive not tried the other chairs you mentioned. i think if they worked more offices would use them, and they simply don't as far as I'm aware.

in the end i think the best prescription for anyone is a good chair like an Aeron and to do a workout routine that supports/strengthens your core/mid section.

[SonofSocrates]

You might be interested in this recent four-hour work week blog post.

Thanks Lunar, I'm a fan of Tim, so it looks like he is going with the Aeron as well.

Any other Aeron lovers out there? Anyone got some bad results with the Aeron?

[tunt01]

find a retail outlet for the Aeron, go sit in it yourself.

then buy one used.

[katzenjammer]

Since the "best position" to be in is continual movement, I think a lot of those ergonomic chairs, while okay, they are expensive and don't really solve the problem.

Here's what I do: I have two stand up desks (you definitly think better standing up/moving, and it's a good "rest" from sitting): one set up with an iMac at eye level; the other for editing.

Then I have a laptop which I can use sitting down at my desk or in any number of chairs with assorted lap desks around the apartment. The idea is to keep switching positions.

Third, on my various desks I have numerous inclined surfaces for books and papers so that I don't have to bend my neck/look down too much. I even have a contraption called the Levo that allows me to read hands free at most heights, even lying down. I will be getting one of those ergo arms for my imac.

I do also have one of those back saver dentist chairs - but, to be honest, it's a bit of a pain in the ass. It was uber expensive; it takes up tons of room; and it's really not all that great. I'm going to get rid of it.

People think I'm totally insane when they come over for a drink.

[lunarsolarpower]

I do also have one of those back saver dentist chairs

Are you talking about a chair for the dentist:


or a full blown dental chair:


or something else?

BTW, I highly recommend reading through the comments on the Tim Ferriss blog entry for even more perspectives on what people have done that works well for them. The Aeron isn't the only answer by far.

[tunt01]

heh, the dentist chair was pretty funny. i've actually thought about getting one like that, because you lay down and let gravity hold your spine nicely in place. it would be healthy, imo.

at the end of the day, the best chair is the one that helps you maintain posture and a strong core/mid-section. shoulders back, chest out, etc. whatever chair does that is best.

[katzenjammer]

heh, the dentist chair was pretty funny. i've actually thought about getting one like that, because you lay down and let gravity hold your spine nicely in place. it would be healthy, imo.

at the end of the day, the best chair is the one that helps you maintain posture and a strong core/mid-section. shoulders back, chest out, etc. whatever chair does that is best.

Re: dentist chair pic - well, lol, yeah, kinda. That's the idea anyway.

The foremost expert on spine health in the world is Stuart McGill - he argues, as I did above, that you don't want to "hold your spine" in place for long periods of time. That's the issue: you really want to be changing positions a lot.

Also, surprisingly, lying down for long periods of time is not spine healthy either. Again, according to McGill.

The best "chair" is probably one with no support at all: simply a stool.

Also, I forgot to mention that I try to sit on the floor a lot also; once you get used to it it's wonderful - for your flexibility (particularly in your hips) as well.

I'll check out Ferris' blog thingie.

cheers alL!

[katzenjammer]

I've got enough gadgets, but this looks pretty cool too (found on that blog - comments section): http://www.laptop-laidback.com/

[katzenjammer]

You might be interested in this recent four-hour work week blog post.

Thanks Lunar, I'm a fan of Tim, so it looks like he is going with the Aeron as well.

Any other Aeron lovers out there? Anyone got some bad results with the Aeron?

The problem with Aeron chairs is that the webbing starts to sag - I've heard this from quite a few people. Some of the comments on the ferris blog thingie weren't so sanguine about the chair either.

[tunt01]

The problem with Aeron chairs is that the webbing starts to sag - I've heard this from quite a few people. Some of the comments on the ferris blog thingie weren't so sanguine about the chair either.

i'm on the light side, and i've never had this issue. maybe the person(s) with this issue are overweight. ive no idea tbh.

[Andrei M]

Since the "best position" to be in is continual movement, I think a lot of those ergonomic chairs, while okay, they are expensive and don't really solve the problem.

Here's what I do: I have two stand up desks (you definitly think better standing up/moving, and it's a good "rest" from sitting): one set up with an iMac at eye level; the other for editing.

Ah, thanks for reminding me about this. I read about a Minnesota school that bought convertible sitting-standing desks for their kids earlier in the year (See NYT), but for some reason I hadn't thought to try it out for myself.

I'm in law school and do a ton of reading everyday, but so far my only solution to avoid discomfort has been to get up and do something else every forty minutes or so. Now I'll try and jury-rig a chest height surface and see how standing goes!


andrei

[Gerald W. Gaston]

I've got enough gadgets, but this looks pretty cool too (found on that blog - comments section): http://www.laptop-laidback.com/

I made something similar when I needed to lay back against an ice pack.

But take it for someone who most of the time is working all day long with only about 8 hrs of free time (4 of which are usually for sleep).. switching things up from sitting to standing and as already mentioned, keeping your core in shape, are primary. Good chairs are indeed important though. I have 3 different ones here in the lab and 3 or 4 more down in the storage building (you accumulate a lot of stuff over the decades).

I'm standing now using a wireless keyboard w/ trackball rigged up with a harness and velcro pads so that I can type when my arms hanging down in front. I also have frogpads and various keyboards, no datahand proII or Malton type high end stuff, but a retiring co-worker has promised me his Kinesis FreeStyle and a Kinesis Savant Elite foot switch (which itself can cause strain but its all about mixing it up).

Back on the chairs, a big requirement for me is positionable and removable armrests. When CTS flairs up in one arm I drop the arm rest and use a finger mouse with that hand and a frogpad with the other.

[lunarsolarpower]

Back on the chairs, a big requirement for me is positionable and removable armrests. When CTS flairs up in one arm I drop the arm rest and use a finger mouse with that hand and a frogpad with the other.

Those frogpads are cool. I hadn't heard of them before but they look really useful. I wonder if they've ever made one that goes on the inside of a pants pocket. I'm actually kind of surprised you don't use something like this. Eye tracking seems like the next best thing to thought control. I've always been amazed by the number of people who've predicted voice commands to become the interface of the future. The beauty of typing and using a mouse is that you DON'T have to talk leaving you free to work quietly or talk to someone else.

I think the Wii and the iPhone have shown that we're not done coming up with new ways to interact with machines but the ubiquity of the mouse and keyboard show that it's a pretty good solution as well.

[Gerald W. Gaston]

Those frogpads are cool. I hadn't heard of them before but they look really useful. I wonder if they've ever made one that goes on the inside of a pants pocket. I'm actually kind of surprised you don't use something like this. Eye tracking seems like the next best thing to thought control. I've always been amazed by the number of people who've predicted voice commands to become the interface of the future. The beauty of typing and using a mouse is that you DON'T have to talk leaving you free to work quietly or talk to someone else.

I think the Wii and the iPhone have shown that we're not done coming up with new ways to interact with machines but the ubiquity of the mouse and keyboard show that it's a pretty good solution as well.

I believe the wearable is the smallest frogpad model, and yeah some combo of the faceAPI and Sixense TrueMotion controllers would be great... probably will see a combo similar to that in games pretty soon. As for eye movement, a man down the street here uses some type of VisionKey setup as he has ALS. There are cheaper and simpler solutions now though. I have tried speech recognition software, but often the systems I'm interfacing with are not local and requires me to bounce off a few things, such as RDP to one system and then use a IP KVM from there.

[openeyes]

This may not work for people doing CR, but for everyone else:

"Physiologists analyzing obesity, heart disease, and diabetes found that the act of sitting shuts down the circulation of a fat-absorbing enzyme called lipase. They found that standing up engages muscles and promotes the distribution of lipase, which prompts the body to process fat and cholesterol, independent of the amount of time spent exercising. They also found that standing up uses blood glucose and may discourage the development of diabetes."

http://www.scienceda...your_health.htm

[katzenjammer]

This may not work for people doing CR, but for everyone else:

"Physiologists analyzing obesity, heart disease, and diabetes found that the act of sitting shuts down the circulation of a fat-absorbing enzyme called lipase. They found that standing up engages muscles and promotes the distribution of lipase, which prompts the body to process fat and cholesterol, independent of the amount of time spent exercising. They also found that standing up uses blood glucose and may discourage the development of diabetes."

http://www.scienceda...your_health.htm

wow, really neat stuff. Thanks!

[alextaylor]

hi,

 

you can check this out: http://www.biomorphdesk.com/

 

wide range of ergonomic products is avaliable to choose from. Good luck!!