Whether it’s the most comfortable armchair or the most perfect accent chair, whether it’s the most durable dining chair or the most handy folding chair, choosing the right chair can be incredibly tricky, especially with so many options out there. When choosing a new chair, there are several important factors to consider. While design might be top of some people’s lists, functionality is often at the top of other’s. Choosing a new chair means making sure it’s fit for purpose, not just that it looks good. When it comes to choosing an armchair, it can certainly help to sit in it to test how comfortable it is. It’s that’s not an option, it can be helpful to look at the type of material it’s made from and stuffing it uses. Some sellers sometimes offer customer reviews when selling items such as chairs online. This can help potential buyers work out if the chair is comfortable, and whether it looks as good in person as it does on screen. Durability is another important factor.
Chairs can be a large purchase, and are meant to stand the test of time. Again, choosing high quality materials and good quality craftsmanship can help in the search for durability in chairs. Another factor to consider is size. When buying online, it’s a good idea to measure the space available and compare that to the seller’s description. It’s never good buying chairs that are too big or too small to fit their purpose. While a chair certainly has to be functional, it’s probably best if it’s not downright ugly. Compare different designs to find chairs that match the design flow of the room – or choose an accent chair that really makes a statement. Looking for design ideas? eBay is the place to be. Home to an incredible range of awesome brands, eBay features big names such as Century, Herman Miller and Intex. Whether it’s a matching set of chairs for the dining room, or it’s a chair for the bedroom or living room, the kitchen or the home office and study, there are thousands of options to choose from on eBay.
Herman Miller has settled its latest court dispute with Australian company Matt Blatt, over claims the replica furniture producer was passing off imitation Eames furniture designs as originals. American furniture brand Herman Miller announced it was taking legal action against Matt Blatt in September, claiming the company’s website was misleading consumers as to the authenticity of certain items by selling counterfeit furniture – specifically, copies of certain Charles and Ray Eames pieces – that were not clearly identified as replicas. Herman Miller, a company whose history dates back to 1905, has been producing Eames designs since the 1940s and owns the rights to produce and sell Eames originals. Herman Miller elected to take the dispute over the Eames trademark to the Federal Court of Australia, and the matter has now been settled. The terms of the settlement remain confidential, however the Matt Blatt website currently displays the following message: “Matt Blatt’s replica products are not manufactured or approved by, or affiliated with, the original designers, manufacturers or distributors including Herman Miller, Charles or Ray Eames, Knoll, Fritz Hansen, Flos, Studio Italia, Giogali, Artemide Spa, Tolix or Xavier Pauchard.”
The Eames imitation designs are identified as replicas across the website, though they still retain the ‘Eames’ in their product name. This latest legal battle is not the first time Herman Miller has gone public with the battle against replica furniture – Matt Blatt gave a public and legally binding undertaking to Herman Miller in 2006 to clearly identify the imitation Eames designs it sells as replicas. Jeremy Hocking, Vice President of Herman Miller Asia Pacific, said: “Some peddlers of copy products mislead the public into thinking they are buying the iconic Eames products designed for Herman Miller. It has once again taken legal action by us to ensure that a distributor does not misuse Herman Miller’s trademarks and design credentials to mislead the public.” Hocking continued: “Nevertheless we are satisfied with the radical changes to Matt Blatt’s website that were implemented immediately after our legal proceedings commenced. I’m pleased to say that Tebi Pty Limited (trading as Matt Blatt) have also given a further public and legally binding undertaking that gives further protection to Herman Miller’s rights.
So we’re happy and we think all manufacturers of original and authentic designs will also be happy that we’ve been able to win this small but significant battle for the ethics of authentic design.” Herman Miller is one of over 40 members of the Authentic Design Alliance, an organisation established in 2010 to support the integrity of original, authentic design and protect the intellectual property rights of designers and licensed manufacturers. For more recent ADR coverage regarding IP rights in Australia and internationally click here.When it comes to essential tools for computer workers, very few things outrank the importance of a good chair. We spend a lot of time talking about monitors and ergonomic keyboards, but when it comes to overall health and comfort, the right seating can make a tremendous difference. If you haven’t done your research you might think that a $50 faux-leather chair from Staples is what you are looking for, but if you are spending 40+ hours a week sitting in front of your computer then it is well worth it to invest in a high performance model.
Awhile back we had a chance to check out the Knoll Life Chair and now we are going to follow that up with this look at the Haworth Zody. The Zody is a performance task chair, along the lines of the Life or Herman Miller’s Aeron. It has some important differences from these other, better known, chairs, but it is designed to be competitive with the best from more recognizable companies. A casual glance at the Zody makes it clear that this is a serious task chair with a full assortment of adjustment settings. It can look quite cool if you go with a custom spec or it could easily fit in any office atmosphere, as is befitting our model’s aesthetics. As far as overall visual appeal goes the Zody can scale anywhere from quite impressive, with the mirror-polished parts and custom fabric to better-than-average, with plain black materials and gray hardware. As far as comfort goes, the Zody is highly customizable. This is thanks to adjusts in the arms (height, side-to-side angle, forward/backward and left/right positioning), seatpan (front and back), seat height, lumbar, and recline tension.
It is also possible to set the recline starting point at a more aggressive posture or a more relaxed one, as well as stopping any reclining (from either point). The lumbar support warrants extra attention as this is one of the chair’s key points and it is a standard feature. The lumbar support is a series of concentric plastic ribs that are just firm enough to help out your lower back. Its tension is adjustable (by moving them forward or backward) and their height is customizable. This feature works well, though it is different from the lumbar pads offered by most of the competition. It is a well thought out piece, but it does take some getting used to, especially if you are moving from a chair with little or no lumbar support features. Aa far as build quality goes, the Zody is very good. In this respect it is comparable to other chairs in its price range, which is to say that it’s not perfect–there is a wiggle here and there and a few parts of plastic that could be metal–but for the most part it is top notch.
The Zody is absolutely squeak-free from day one, which earns it high marks and it stood up to continuous 10+ hour days with no problems. The arm pads are too easy to adjust so they are always being accidentally moved out of position (side-to-side and their angle, not height) but they don’t wiggle, which is one of my bigger complaints with the Knoll Life Chair. The seatpan has some play on its adjustable rails, but that is the only noticeable problem in this respect. The fabrics are quite sturdy and nicely textured, so the biggest flaw here was the lack of the incredible colors that we have seen on some test models. One side point that is worth mentioning is that Haworth is all about sustainability. The Zody is Cradle to Cradle Gold certified and is made of up to 50% recycled materials. It is even put together with energy purchased with Green-e certified wind energy certificates. This might mean absolutely nothing to you at all, but it’s nice to know that someone is looking out for the environment.
It is definitely important for businesses who are buying dozens of these chairs and placing them in green offices. After a few weeks in the Zody it is clear that this is a well designed task chair. All the cool features combine to make for a product that is stable, comfortable, and offers very good support. The asymmetrical lumbar support takes some time to get used to but once it’s dialed in most people will really like it. The arms are highly adjustable, but are too easy to knock out of position so the Zody only breaks even here. The same happens with the casters which are nearly frictionless and cause the chair to roll around a lot if placed on a hard surface–a softer rubber would have probably prevented this. The seat pad is on the thick side, and while it does not breath as well as some of the competition, it is comfortable and will keep your fidgeting to a minimum.Overall, Haworth did a great job. I’ve weathered a number of 10+ hour days in the Zody and while I don’t always feel like my setup is perfectly tweaked, the chair has done its job nicely.