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Painless Chairs?

Posted by Cliff on from the for-those-with-delicate-backs dept.

Tarrek asks: "Eight or more hours of sitting and slouching with my feet propped up in an uncomfortable, half broken computer chair every single day for years has begun to take it's toll on my back, and I'm still quite young. I was wondering if the slashdot community might have any ideas with regards to a new chair, or just types and designs of chairs, that might be a little kinder to my back, as well as being comfortable enough to sit properly in for an extended period of time?" This is a revisit to a question from two years ago. That was then, what does the picture look like, now?

4 of 56 comments (clear)

  1. Get out of the chair! by Beltza · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Your body simply isnt made to spend eight hours in a chair! Even the best possible chair is only a fix.
    I also have an office job, but I try to change possition as much as possible. I do a lot of phoning while Im walking around (for long phone calls I go to the garden). For writing documents I take my laptop to any place I like; sometimes I even sit on the floor. Furthermore, even though I have a good quality chair, I change my chair every few hours with my colleague, who has a different model. The point is to move around.

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    Brain Tags |
  2. no writing on paper=no desk chair needed by blastedtokyo · · Score: 3, Insightful
    since almost all the work I do is on a keyboard with almost nothing done writing on a desk, I basically need to read (books/papers/screen) or type.

    The best thing so far has been a big easy chair. A few years ago I used a standard recliner, and now it's just a swivel rocker. As long as you can lower your monitor (via an arm or just by lowering the desk), it's really comfortable and gives good back support with a lumbar pillow. The keyboard goes on my lap, the mouse on the armrest (use one of the new optical mice). A wireless set is best but cords work too.

    As far as the cultural issues go, I find it's fine as long as your workplace looks reasonably progressive. The biggest problem is that other people are going to want to sit in your chair (or if they're waiting for you to come back to your desk you might find them in your chair and they won't want to get out of it).

  3. Change you desk too by Hellkitten · · Score: 2, Insightful

    We weren't meant to be sitting on our asses al the time. There are desks that can be elevated so that you can work standing up, which might help your back.

    Also you should move around when you can, instead of calling your collegue down the corridor walk over to his office with your question, might be good for the social work environment too

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  4. Get the right desk too. by Hast · · Score: 3, Insightful

    The chair isn't everything. I have never gotten pains from working at my desk at home, but I have sometimes experienced it at school.

    Just by comparing how friends who do get aches sit compared to me I'd say the most important part isn't the chair. Most people tend to have their keyboard so close to the edge of the desk that they can't rest anything on the desk surface. Personally I have a desk with a "corner" for the monitor, it supports even a 21" with lots of room to spare.

    This allows me to have a keyboard 10-20cm from the edge of the desk. Since it's a natural type keyboard this let's me rest my elbows on the desk.

    I've found that those times I get aches from school I it's because their setup doesn't allow me to rest my arms.