After waking up with terrible back pain yet again, thanks to a day spent working from the couch, I was more than inspired to research ergonomic task chairs. With a variety of price points, I discovered task chairs available for nearly any budget. It's often said it's fine to pinch when it comes to everything but your task chair if you plan to work from a desk more than a few minutes daily, not only for productivity, but also your longterm health... Just remember, choosing a task chair is not a one-size fits all process. Be sure to try-on any chair in person at a showroom or store. Make sure it's the right height, and be sure to consider the three rules of ergonomics before you commit to a possible long term relationship between your backside and a chair: fit for the user, fit for the task, and flexibility of movement while seated. MORE TASK CHAIRS ON APARTMENT THERAPY:(Images: all image credit as linked)Victor'S OfficeAka OfficeCategory OfficeOffice HacksTiny OfficeOffice DreamsOffice LoungeOffice DecorOffice FurnitureForwardReally great list of 12 Stylish and Comfortable Office Chairs - most are very affordable as well!
Discovering The Most Comfortable Office Chairs: Buyer’s Guide and ReviewsHome > Home > Sit down and relax in our favorite office chairs Anyone who works a typical 9-to-5 job knows that sitting is the bane of their existence. Our backs and overall body structure aren’t made to withstand hours sitting at a desk, but work often demands just that. Opting for the proper office chair, one designed to cradle you as you work and provide you with the ample comfort, is a practical and well-advised solution. More: Don’t just sit there, check out the best standing desks you can buy The best chairs go beyond what you’d expect. Many offer resounding ergonomic benefits, breathable mesh backing, and excellent lumbar support, while simultaneously granting you a swath of customization options spanning everything from colors to contours. None of them are going to be a cure-all for your workday woes — at least, not in the way a standing desk might be — but customized suspension and the appropriate aesthetics go far in the long haul.
The Best: Herman Miller Embody So, what is it about the Embody we hold so revered? It’s a fair question, sure, especially considering the Embody’s lofty price tag and accompanying shipping costs. Well, for starters, the chair offers a dynamic matrix of “pixels” that allow the seat and back to automatically conform to your body’s every movement, while the chair’s central spine and flexible ribs work to maintain proper posture regardless if you lean forward or recline. Said movement capabilities help promote better blood and oxygen flow, and if that wasn’t enough, the advanced tilt mechanism helps combat unwanted hip, neck, and lumbar strain. The chair even sizes to fit your body perfectly, comes in a swath of colors, and features a skin-like covering for increased airflow. Buy one now from: DXRacer Formula Series DOH/FH08/NW ItalModern Bungie High Back Office Chair Office Star Air GridFeatured Categories Stacking Chairs High-Back Chairs Folding Chairs Guest & Reception Chairs Mid-Back Chairs Children's Chairs Task Chairs Licensed Chairs Ergonomic Office Chair Drafting Chair & Office Stools Big & Tall Chairs Table & Chair Carts Office Chair Accessories
Stacking Chairs See all High-Back Chairs See all Folding Chairs See all More Categories in Office Chairs Stacking Chairs High-Back Chairs Folding Chairs Guest & Reception Chairs Mid-Back Chairs Children's Chairs Task Chairs Licensed Chairs Ergonomic Office Chair Drafting Chair & Office Stools Big & Tall Chairs Table & Chair Carts Office Chair AccessoriesYour online account has been created. Black Leather Executive Chair Modern Faux Leather Executive Office Chair in Black Randal Black Office Chair Oxford Rubberwood Adjustable Height Office Chair in White Faux Leather Managers Chair in Black Work Smart Eco Leather Executive Office Chair in Black Black Leather Executive Chair Space Breathable Mesh Executive High Back Chair with Gunmetal Finish Black Leather Executive Chair with Wood Tones Deluxe Mesh Back Drafting Chair in Black Brown Leather Executive Chair Wellness by Design Eco Friendly Bonded Leather Mid-Back Office Chair in Smooth Black/Silver
Delano Big and Tall ComfortCore Traditions Bonded Leather Executive Office Chair in Chestnut Brown/Walnut Oxford Rubberwood Office Chair with Arms in White Pneumatic Drafting Chair with Black Vinyl Stool and Back, Heavy Duty Chrome Base with Dual Wheel Carpet Casters Rebecca Linen Fabric Modern Office Chair in Weathered Oak Mesh Task Chair in Black Traditional Guest Chair in Brown Black Rigdom Desk Chair Tafford Big and Tall ComfortCore Traditions AIR Technology Bonded Leather Executive Office Chair in Vino/Walnut Fairmont Big and Tall ComfortCore Traditions Bonded Leather Executive Office Chair in Biscuit Brown/Walnut Dorado Vinyl Office Chair in White Brown Deluxe Wood Bankers ChairLooking to take a comfortable seat at your workstation? Computer chairs come in a huge assortment so that you can find just the right one to suit your needs. View all Office SeatingIn A Developer's Second Most Important Asset, I described how buying a quality chair may be one of the smartest investments you can make as a software developer.
I still believe this to be true, and I urge any programmers reading this to seriously consider the value of what you're sitting in while you're on the job. In our profession, seating matters: Choice of seating is as fundamental and constant as it gets in a programming career otherwise marked by relentless change. They are long term investments. Why not take the same care and consideration in selecting a chair as you would with the other strategic directions that you'll carry with you for the rest of your career? Skimping yourself on a chair just doesn't make sense. Although I've been quite happy with my Herman Miller Aeron chair over the last 10 years, I've always been a little disenchanted with the way it became associated with dot-com excess: In the '90s, the Aeron became an emblem of the dot-com boom; it symbolized mobility, speed, efficiency, and 24/seven work weeks. The Aeron was a must-have for hot startups precisely because it looked the least like office furniture: It was more like a piece of machinery or unadorned engineering.
The black Pellide webbing was durable, and hid whatever Jolt or Red Bull stains you might get on it. Held taut by an aluminum frame, the mesh allowed air to circulate and kept your body cool. What's more, the chair came in three sizes, like a personalized tool. Assorted knobs and levers allowed you to adjust the seat height, tilt tension, tilt range, forward tilt, arm height, arm width, arm angle, lumbar depth, and lumbar height. The Aeron was high-tech but sexy – which was how the dot-commers saw themselves. But baby-faced CEOs weren't drawn to the Aeron only for the way it looked. The Aeron was a visual expression of the anti-corporate zeitgeist, a non-hierarchical philosophy about the workplace. An office full of Aerons implicitly rejected the Fortune 500, coat-and-tie, brick-and-mortar model in which the boss sinks back in an overpriced, oversized, leather dinosaur while his secretary perches on an Office Max toadstool taking notes. I recently had the opportunity to sit in a newer Herman Miller Mirra chair on a trip, and I was surprised how much more comfortable it felt than my classic Aeron.
The Mirra chair was an excellent recliner, too. I've been disappointed by how poorly the Aeron reclines. I actually broke my Aeron's recline pin once and had to replace it myself. So I've retrained myself not to recline, which is awkward, as I'm a natural recliner. All this made me wonder if I should retire my Aeron and upgrade to something better. I liked the Mirra, but the comments to my original chair post have a lot of other good seating suggestions, too. Here are pictures and links to the chairs that were most frequently mentioned as contenders, in addition to the Mirra and Aeron pictured above: There were also some lesser known recommendations, such as the Haworth Zody chair, Nightingale CXO chair, BodyBilt ergo chairs, Hag kneeling chair, NeutralPosture ergo, the Chadwick Chair from the original designer of the Aeron, and something called the swopper. Chair fit is, of course, a subjective thing. If you're investing $500+ in a chair, you'd understandably want to be sure it's "the one".
The thing to do is find a local store that sells all these chairs and try them all out. Well, good luck with that. Don't even bother with your local big-box office supply chain. Your best bet seems to be back stores, as they tend to stock many of the more exotic chairs. Apparently they have a clientele of people who are willing to spend for comfort. Reviews of individual chairs are relatively easy to find, but aren't particularly helpful in isolation. What we need is a multi-chair review roundup. The only notable roundup I know of is Slate's late 2005 Sit Happens: The Search for the Best Desk Chair. It's not as comprehensive as I would like, but it does have most of the main contenders. Notably, Slate's winner was the HumanScale Liberty. Some other helpful resources I've found, both in the comments to this post, and elsewhere: If this is all a bit too much furniture porn for your tastes, I understand. As for me, I'm headed off to my local friendly neighborhood back store to figure out which of these chairs will best replace my aging Aeron.