The Ergonomic Office Chair - How Do You Sit?

I have a cheapish swivel chair (working mainly from home), and I'd guess that feet up on the desk is not exactly a recommended position. In my defence I do get up and walk around fairly frequently. My point is that although some of those chairs are interesting, the simple act of taking a break to walk around the office is maybe more important than the style of chair.

My first job out of college, I had worked for a large furniture manufacturer, ^{( #7th largest at the time)} ...... we were put on overtime right from the start, where we were basically running (2) shift close to 24 hours a day, plus what ever they could get out of us on the week ends.

The chairs that we sat on, they pointed out was their premier lines. And they were, very ergonomic with a waterfall design incorporated on the seat. You could be parked on it for hours a time (at times a few of us worked through lunch so apart from an occasional bathronm break, these chair got some use.

I felt they were pretty pricey at the time, $600.00-800.00 each I believe.

Until this company tried to get in to the mass consumer market and they design a chair to be sold at Office Depot and the like. We were given some chairs for testing...... and after just a 1/2 hour we were numb though out our back sides.......

We wanted our old chairs back, and they side they could not, they were gone...... Our hours dropped, and chiropractor visits soon followed........ even though this did not phase them for their economical chair. It wasn't till about 3 week later when the chairs started to break down.

One chair you sat down and there was a rather loud Omnibus BOOOOIIIING from a spring from underneath...... we were told to ignore it.

Only until the welds started to break and people started falling on the floor did our old chairs finally showed up.

But I have to say, the company were pretty good to us...... prior to testing these chairs, with the long hours we were putting in, they did hire a professional Massage Therapist or Masseuse??????? to come around to your work station upon request to relieve some of the strain.....

For a couple of years I used a version of the exercise ball for a desk chair at home. The ball sat in a frame with wheels, and if I didn't sit exactly correctly, I'd roll away or fall off. The chair was, oddly enough, very comfortable for sitting. However, it wasn't the right height for my desk, so I created different ergonomic problems when I used it. I'd be willing to try this one again if I get a shorter desk, or a taller ball.

When the back of my office chair broke one of the welds in the frame with really poor penetration, I took it off for repair. I find now that without the back, my posture is better and I don't seem to get lower back pain anymore.

I, like others who've posted here, endeavor to get up and around at least several times an hour, so that may help too.

I've always went for a walk, check on projects did that for 20 years if for anything to control my stress,....... Never had a problem, until last spring. I the plant engineer expressed a concern with me, that someone reported that I was doing it excessively.

I reminded him, I realized's that, I was working on a multi-million expansion. I would be happy to drop to a 40 hour work week. But I chose to get the project right, and I need remove myself, if for anything to reorganize my thoughts.

He understood, he does the same. And my project I completed it last September, on time and on budget and a nice bonus and the end of the year.

I went to work at a factory that had every kind of ergonomic chair imaginable. They would all get uncomfortable after while and we would gravitate to the simpler single-piece chairs. For a while I was taking my own stool to work because it was the best tool for the job.

I had previously did volunteer work in the office of a non-profit and someone had donated a solid oak office chair. It was as ergomonic as these modern padded plastic chairs and it didn't break down. I could sit in it for hours.

Right now I'm using a simple chrome tube and bent plywood chair that fits me pretty well as I sit here at the computer. They had some at school in one of the study areas but flat padded chairs that were very uncomfortable in another. I switched one of the chairs. The funny part was nobody would sit in the wood and metal chair and always take a padded one so I always had a reserved seat.

Soft cushions do not relate to comfort...... It's good weight distribution and design as to not cut off any circulation or punch nerves.

The same thing applies to bicycle seats. They figured out how to build pretty good bicycle seats over a hundred years ago and they have been hard pressed to come up with anything that's better. And a lot of people swear by the hundred year old designs.