Along with mattresses and the perfect house, the office chair is one of the most difficult things to buy. We want so much out of our work chairs: to be comfy, fit right, and save us from the ill effects of sitting in them all day. Unfortunately, the perfect chair may not exist. Slate takes a look at the long, hard quest for the perfect work chair, starting from 3000 B.C. Over the years, the office chair has evolved to become more supportive or ergonomic, but Heather Murphy writes: The word ergonomic has become utterly meaningless. Though there is more-and better-research than ever, there is still no standard way to define whether a chair is ergonomic or not. And there is no widely agreed-upon way to measure how successful a chair is. Ergonomists will be the first to tell you that this is the trouble with their trade. Theirs is a field based on concrete research, on close study of the body as a form. And yet it's a field steeped in subjectivity, plagued by onerous, impossible questions like "What is comfort?" or "What should an office chair accomplish?"
Inspiration to occasionally move around? Encouragement to sit immobile for days?)Besides the vagueness of what an ergonomic chair really is, there's no one-size-fits-all chair for everyone. And even for each person, probably no one perfect chair for all day. The chair experts Murphy consulted said they use different chairs for different occasions—ones for perching, lounging, or sitting supported.In the end, if you feel frustrated searching for the perfect office chair, you're not alone. Perhaps having more than one type of chair would work better for you than trying to find that ultimate seat. And maybe the best we can hope for is a chair that lets us sit for several hours without making us "feel like death" when we get up from it.See the fascinating history of office chairs in pictures via the link below. A while ago, many of you showed off your office chair, but tell us, what are you sitting (or kneeling or perching or treadputer-ing) on now? The Quest for the Perfect Office Chair |
Read more on PRF The price reflects selected options CA, East Palo Alto Most of our products are designed and packaged so that you can take them home yourself. If you prefer, we can arrange delivery (by an independent company) of your purchases directly to your home or business to the room of your choice. Same day, next day or same week deliveries are available. We can also arrange delivery at a later date if you would like. Go to Swivel chairsBy using this site you agree to the use of cookies.Most typical adjustable office chairs utilize a pneumatic cylinder to easily raise and lower the height of the seat for the user. The pneumatic cylinder functions by releasing air when the user pulls the appropriate lever while sitting on the chair, and springing back up when the user pulls the lever while standing. But when the seal on the cylinder fails or internal mechanism becomes damaged, the adjustment no longer works properly. Fixing this common problem requires only a hammer, little expertise, and a replacement cylinder.
By purchasing a new pneumatic chair cylinder on eBay, buyers can save both time and money compared to buying from the manufacturer. Whether complete or partial failure of the pneumatic cylinder occurs, cylinder replacement remains the easiest, most sensible solution. If the chair does not move from the lowest setting, users can assume complete cylinder failure has occurred. If the seat slowly sinks over the course of the day, then only partial cylinder failure has occurred. Repair of the leaky cylinder, however, is not usually practical. If the height adjustment of the chair works fine but the seat wobbles, this indicates a problem with the base or wheels. In this case, users should simply tighten all screws at the base and replace damaged parts. In cases involving cylinder failure, the manufacturer of the specific chair can provide a replacement cylinder, usually with installation instructions. If the chair has an active warranty, the manufacturer may replace the cylinder at no cost.
Since these cylinders have a standardized size across the industry, eBay vendors also offer many standard pneumatic cylinders that fit just about any pneumatic chair, often at prices lower than the manufacturer offers for chairs without a warranty. The following table lists the common symptoms, diagnoses, and solutions for pneumatic desk chair repair. Chair locks in position and does not rise Chair slowly sinks with use, but does rise Chair wobbles, but rises and adjusts properly Problem with wheels and/or chair base Tighten parts at base and check for damage, replace damaged parts As the table shows, basically two categories of issues exist: problems with the pneumatic cylinder and problems with the base. Adjustment troubles indicate a cylinder malfunction, while stability issues mean the problem resides at the base. Replacing a faulty desk chair cylinder requires only some basic tools and know-how. For this task, users need a hammer or heavy mallet and a new replacement cylinder.
Aside from that, this process requires no additional parts or tools. The pneumatic cylinder connects to the chair seat without any hardware. To remove it, first turn the chair upside down. Then firmly tap the area round where the cylinder connects to the bottom of the seat while holding on to the base. Users should take care to tap evenly on all side of the cylinder. Eventually, the connection loosens and the cylinder comes out. Just like the upper connection, this lower connection has no hardware involved. They cylinder simply wedges into the base assembly. To remove it, hold the base upside down. Firmly tap on the exposed portion of the cylinder until it disconnects from the base. It falls to the floor, so put down padding if necessary to prevent damage to the floor from the metal cylinder. Since no hardware exists, installing the new cylinder takes only a few simple steps. First, put the base on the floor right side up. Insert the bottom of the new cylinder into the hole where the old cylinder fit, pushing in firmly.