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How to find an executive chair
that won't leave you in a lurch
By Christine
Selvig • Bankrate.com
 Thinking
about trading in the old dining room chair for some executive seating?
There's a chair out there for you -- and the price needn't knock
you on your backside.
Of course, you can spend a lot
-- especially now that sitting has acquired scientific standing.
The relatively new field of ergonomics, which studies man's interaction
with his workplace, has resulted in greater understanding of how
a chair can help or hurt a worker's performance and health. New
chairs that put those ergonomic theories into practice can come
with a hefty price tag.
But it is possible to buy an executive chair
without either you or your wallet getting bent out of shape. In
fact, Marvin Dainoff, director of Miami (Ohio) University's Center
for Ergonomic Research, says you can get a decent chair from a national
office supply chain for around $99. Its only drawback is it's unlikely
to last as long as a pricier model.
Questions
to ask
As you begin your search for the perfect
chair, there are a few questions to ask:
- Is it easy to adjust?
- Does it fit the work you do?
- Does its adjustment range fit the way you
will be using it?
- Does it encourage the proper movement?
You'll want to make sure your chair supports
your back and encourages circulation in your legs. Lumbar support
and a forward-sloping seat pan are keys. Of all the features in
an executive chair, the relationship between the movement of the
seat pan and backrest are the most important, Dainoff says. Look
for lumbar support that isn't too pronounced and a seat pan that
tilts forward only slightly.
This slope, he added, does not work well with
the traditional leather upholstery of executive chairs. In fact,
the combination of slope and the leather are likely to send an unwary
executive sliding.
Read
the manual
With ergonomic chairs and their multitude of adjustments, one
of the biggest problems is that their owners don't read the directions.
They don't learn how to set the chair height, seat tilt and lumbar
support to their comfort levels, Dainoff says.
One irate 5-foot-3-inch executive was ready
to believe that he'd be more comfortable if he tossed his new ergonomic
chair out the window. He hadn't read the directions or adjusted
the chair to fit his body. "The chair was set up for someone much
taller. Of course it was uncomfortable!" Dainoff says.
More
exotic choices
Toward the upper end of the price range, far more exotic choices
are available.
Herman Miller 's $749 Aeron chair features tilt
tension adjustment, forward tilt, a two-stage pneumatic seat-height
adjustment and a graphite base. It's heavy on the science: The company's
Web site includes essays on "The
Kinematics of Sitting" and "The Anthropometrics of Fit."
The $1,209 Leap Chair, a new model from Steelecase,
is another ultra-sleek high-tech entry. It boasts a patented "Live
Back" design that mimics the movements in the user's spine.
If the chair of tomorrow doesn't suit you, would
you consider the chair of yesterday? For $3,500 (shipping and handling
included) you can have the Alpha, an egg-shaped chair from the '60s.
Forget the headset -- these chairs offer "surround sound" in the
sides of the chair.
No matter what chair you decide on, experts
suggest taking that baby on a road test before bringing it home.
The best way to decide if a particular chair is going to be right
for you is to try sitting in it for at least two hours.
Once the new chair is in place, Dainoff suggests
you don't get too attached to it. "People need to get up and move
fairly frequently," he says. "Force yourself to get up and move
about on a regular basis. Sitting in the same position for too long
a period -- no matter how comfortable it is -- is unhealthy."
-- Posted: Sept.
30, 1999
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