Whether you are an executive or office worker or small
business owner you owe it to your health and your spine to invest in the best
ergonomic office chair for your body! If you work in front of a computer for
long periods of time you need to invest in a quality ergonomic or orthopedic
office chair. Sitting in one position for extended periods of time is actually
very hard on the body. A high end ergonomic office chair offers the best
solution for comfort and health for anyone who works on a computer.
Many spine injuries occur over time due to poor posture due
to poorly designed office furniture.
Because I spend so many hours each day in front of the
computer I decided it was worth my time to evaluate ergonomic office chairs. I
began my research online of course! And what I discovered I am about to reveal
to you.
But first I want you to know that it’s really hard to find a
quality office chair at an Office Depot or a Staples. You need to search your
city for Office Supply Companies. You’ll need to find the companies that supply
office systems to large business in your community. These are the people that
will have the high end quality chairs you need. Another way to find the chairs
is to simply go to the manufacturers sites and see who the dealers are in your
area.
Next you’ll need to do what I did. I gave the four chairs in
this brief review a "Hands on Test Drive". You need to ask to
evaluate the chair; see if you can take them home to see if they will truly
work for you! This means taking it home and using it for a couple of days.
Seems like a lot of work I know but it’s worth it. Because these chairs are in
the $800 to $2,000 range and are typically sold by commissioned sales people
this is actually much easier than you think. I had not problem getting 3 out of
the 4 companies I’m reviewing to allow me to do this!
Buying a High End Ergonomic Office Chair is like buying an
automobile in some respects. You really have to “test drive” them and see how
they feel to you.
Herman Miller Aeron Chair
The contoured back takes the pressure off you lower spine.
Armrests slope downward for a more natural fit. The front edge of the seat
takes the pressure off your thighs, but for me was a deal breaker as it just
felt uncomfortable. The Aeron chair has a mesh fabric that allows your body to
breathe so you don’t get hot spots like you will with foam chairs. This chair
is designed to move as your move your body. And at first it felt okay but over
time for me it just didn’t equate in comfort. As ergonomic office chairs go
this is a good one, but it is truly an acquired taste, you’ll have to “test
drive” it to see if it’s the right chair for you. I had this chair about a week
and out of the 4 chairs I’m reviewing here I’d say it was #3. It is very well
built and looks cool, but left me short on overall comfort. You can’t really
know this until you use it awhile.
Knoll Life Chair
The Knoll Life Chair is not as high tech looking as the
Herman Miller Aeron it actually feels pretty similar as it is designed to move
as you move. The advantage is it did not give me the weird pressure feeling on
the under side of my thighs. I actually really liked this chair. Unfortunately
for me I was not able to get a long term evaluation. So my review is based on a
short term trial in the showroom. One big downside to all the chairs I tried
except for the BodyBilt was the back is not high enough to have a headrest
feature which I find very helpful in my home office. This is a solid chair but
nothing really makes it stand above the others I tested. This is the #4 chair
of the 4 I tested. You could probably think of this as the Toyota Camry of High
End Office Chairs as it is priced lower, but still offers a lot of nice
features.
Humanscale Freedom Chair
While not the most expensive of the group this in my opinion
is probably the best chair for the average person to own. From the moment I sat
down this chair just felt fantastic! The Human Scale Freedom chair is good
looking and available in a variety of configurations and colors. I just loved
the way this chair felt. The only downside is I have a very long back and I
just didn’t quite fit the headrest correctly. If I was 2” shorter in the back I
would have bought this one for sure. Unfortunately these are a one size fits
all proposition. But if this chair fits your body I think you’ll love it!
Bodybilt Ergonomic Chairs
I tried the 3509 Big and Tall Ergonomic Chair. This is the
only ergonomic chair that is truly built for tall people, and while I’m not a
skyscraper I do have a very long back. I evaluated this chair for a full week.
It feels good but in a very heavy duty way. I liked the headrest and the large
back area, but it didn’t move and twist and bend like an extension of my body.
It was more like a chair for executives who lean back in the movies and tell
people what to do. It is comfortable, but in the way that a Cadillac Escalade
seat is comfortable. This was in fact the best choice for my body size wise,
but not for movement.
So which ergonomic office chair did I buy? That is a great
question! Do you think you know from the reviews above? Here is the answer!
None of the above. While they are great chairs in their own right and I really
liked the Human Scale Freedom Chair, I actually chose a chair that is not an
office chair, but is incredibly ergonomic. It’s called a “Perfect Chair” zero
gravity recliner. Yes it doesn’t move around, and wouldn’t work in a business
office environment. But it is extremely comfortable! I purchased a custom
furniture set up from Anthrocart and a 42” monitor extension arm. So I have a
very elaborate high tech and fully customizable office environment. I also
spent over $3,000 for these three items and I know that most people won’t or
can’t do this, but that’s okay I just wanted you to know my experience.
