So why should it be any different for office chairs?

Why try before you buy isn’t as simple as it seems
Lots of people will happily sit in an desk chair at an office equipment retailer for less than a minute and make a snap decision to buy.

It’s likely they’re looking for a new chair because their old one is worn out and uncomfortable. So it’s only natural that whatever you sit in will feel great by comparison.

There is no way such an arbitrary test can possibly indicate whether a chair is right for you or not. Even if you sat in it for half an hour you still wouldn’t know if it was suitable.

In reality you need to sit in an office chair for several days before you know whether it’s right for you or not. The reason it takes this length of time to be completely sure is because your body needs to be comfortable with the way the chair feels. And the only way to be certain is to use it for many hours at a time.

It’s unlikely you will get the chance to test a chair thoroughly without first buying it. So buying online makes as much sense as buying offline and it’s a lot simpler too.

Why buying offline is a lot of hassle
At first it seems that buying offline makes sense. However as we’ve already seen a few quick minutes sitting in the display chair is meaningless in terms of knowing whether it’s suitable for you. So you won’t know if it’s right until you tested it properly at work over several days.

Also you have to drive to go and buy the chair. Then you have the hassle of loading it into your vehicle and handling the delivery yourself.

And if the chair has to be returned then you have to box it back up, load it back in your car and use more gas to return it for a refund.

Buying online avoids a lot of these hassles

Why buying online makes sense
When you buy online it’s far more convenient. For a start you don’t need to be the delivery driver. Instead your chair gets delivered to your door by a service like FedEx or UPS. The only lifting you need to do is taking it out of the box and into your office.

Provided you approach your chair purchase online thoroughly it makes a great deal of sense to buy this way.

You will also have a far greater choice of chairs online than you will find at the typical office furniture store.

To begin with do some online research for suitable chairs to shortlist. Read reviews of chairs on sites such as this. Read customer feedback to see if there are any comments pointing out potential problems.

Once you’ve narrowed down to the chair you want the only other thing to check before ordering is what the return policy is.

Why a 30 day return period is vital
A good online store will allow you 30 days in which to return a chair if you find it’s not suitable.

It’s essential to have this sort of time to be really sure the chair is right for you. Depending on the type of chair you will likely want to fine tune the adjustments over the first few days. Then when you feel you have everything set properly it will give you the chance to try it under all sorts of conditions.

Does it still feel as comfortable when you’ve been sitting in it for 6 hours or more? Does it support you properly when carrying out different tasks such as typing, surfing the net, reading etc?

Also, think about the color of the fabric. Black or grey make a good choice as they will go with most color schemes. If you are looking to match the seat covering with your interior contact the supplier and ask them to send you samples of fabric. You don’t want to find the color clashes with your surroundings.

If you do decide to return it you’ll probably have to pay the return carriage typically about $75. Although this seems to make online purchase more costly should you need to return you chair. When you weigh up all the hassle of driving to a store and lugging the chair into your car twice. The true cost of an offline return is likely just as much if not more.

Some stores also charge a re-stocking fee so make sure you check thoroughly to avoid any nasty surprises.

Summary
Let’s quickly summarize the key points we’ve covered here:

• Sitting in a sample chair for 5 minutes is no way to know if it’s suitable
• Buying offline has hidden costs that aren’t immediately apparent
• The choice of chairs online is far more comprehensive
• Insist on a 30 day return period so you can test the chair properly

Here’s where you can find a quick summary of some of the best office chairs to place on your shortlist of potential chairs.

What is reception seating and why does it matter?
The seating you use in your reception area is very important, because it’s the first impression that new visitors get of your company. The last thing you want is to give an important visitor the wrong idea about your company and this is all too easy to do with inappropriate seats.

How you can send out the wrong message with your choice of seating
Giving out bad vibes with your seating is not hard to do at all, so it’s important you get things right. How can you give a bad impression?

The first way you can do so is by spending loads of money on really opulent seating. Remember, the visitor sitting in your seating may very well be a top client. If they feel you’ve overspent on your furniture, subconsciously they could be thinking you are making too much money out of them. You may find them turning the screws on you about your prices later on.

At the other end of the spectrum, really cheap crappy furniture can have a different effect. They could be sitting there thinking what a bunch of cheapskates, fancy expecting me to sit on this junky seating.

You could always buy some Chinese imported furniture that’s a copycat design costing loads less than the real thing. It looks really great and no one will know the difference. This isn’t a good idea. In all probability it will not look great at all after 6 month’s use.

Another mistake is to go for some really wacky design in bright colors that just looks out of place. This might be ok if you’re in cutting edge design or high-end marketing, but it’s a mistake for most businesses. Instead let client interaction be your guide

How you receive visitors will influence your choice of seating
Depending on how you use your reception area in receiving visitors will affect you seating selection. If you just use reception as a brief holding point before taking visitors to meet elsewhere then you may only need a couple of 4 legged chairs. If it’s likely visitors may have to wait to be seen for 15 minutes or so, then you will need to at least provide them with comfortable seating while they wait.

If you typically meet and interview them in the reception area itself, something less formal and more friendly may be called for. So, decide on how you normally handle your visitors, as it will help you to get your style of seating right.

What are the different types of reception seating and when would you use them?
Visitor seating comes in many different formats, so let’s take a look at the various types and when you would select them.

One of the commonest sorts of seating are simple 4-legged chairs with or without arms. These chairs are very practical and are best finished in a quality fabric or maybe black leather. It’s not a bad idea to buy a stacking version, as it is then quick and easy to clear them when cleaning. These sorts of chairs come in wood and metal frames and either is fine.

Another popular form is modular seating. This comes in various wedge type shapes and allows you to create curved and shaped seating layouts which can look quite effective. They are usually fairly light in weight and so can be moved quickly if necessary.

Sofas and easy seating are a very popular choice for reception areas. They are less formal and are great when you want to meet with your visitor in the reception itself. They let you interact in a friendly way with your clients and put them at ease. Individual club chairs are also very good for this sort of use and both these and sofas are very practical when upholstered in good quality leather.

Summary
Let’s just remind ourselves of the key points for getting reception area seating right.

Remember reception is the first point of call for a visitor so needs to send out the right message.
Avoid very expensive or very cheap or brash wacky designs they often give the wrong impression.
Consider how you interact with visitors so you select appropriate seats.
Once you know how you work with visitors use the information to pick the right form of seating.

Following these simple rules will ensure you don’t alienate important customers by sending out the wrong message.

You can find more about guest and visitor seating suitable for reception areas.

You almost sense he’d forgotten you were starting today. Hurriedly, he takes you into an office full of people and quickly introduces you to someone in the department you’re going to be working in and asks them to ‘take care’ of you while he sorts out some pressing issues.

And then you don’t see your new boss until it’s time to go home. In the meantime the poor unfortunate saddled with taking care of you ran out of ideas long ago and leaves you reading through company training manuals.

Sound familiar? I know it’s happened to me and I’m certain it’s the same for a lot of others too. You end up feeling unsure and wondering if you made the right decision after all.

It’s very similar to how many companies receive visitors and end up creating completely the wrong image.

How do you handle visitors arriving in your reception area?
This may seem like an obvious question and yet it’s worth spending a few minutes examining it carefully.

• What you do with them?
• Do you seat them in reception, if so how long for?
• Do you hold discussions with them here or elsewhere?
• How important is confidentiality, have you somewhere private you can use when necessary?
• Are you receiving important executives needing VIP treatment?
• Is your reception area mainly for receiving salesman and small deliveries?
• Is your reception area manned?
• Do you ask them to sign in?
• Will you meet with them here?

So, you need to start by asking yourself these questions because it will determine how your reception area should function. Also, bear in mind how you receive people presently may be sending out the wrong sort of message to valuable clients or potential clients.

Are you projecting the right image in your reception area?
Projecting a poor image to important visitors is not a good idea. It is all too easy to do and can end up costing you valuable business if you upset them? How can this happen?

When an important potential client arrives at your company for the first time they will likely have a mental picture of what they are expecting. Chances are it will be positive and it’s vital that you help to maintain and build on this so their experience is a good one.

And yet many companies make really silly mistakes and seriously damage their business prospects by getting things wrong. Here are some examples:

• Expecting someone to sit in uncomfortable seating for an extended period
• Putting an important visitor in a filthy or badly worn seat
• Leaving them hanging around for 20 minutes or more
• Not offering them any kind of refreshments
• Discussing sensitive or confidential information in the earshot of others
• Employees stopping off for a chat with the receptionist and telling risqué jokes
• The receptionist is on the phone making small talk with a friend and keeps the visitor waiting

Any or all of these can have an instant and lasting negative effect on your visitor’s perception of your business. It’s a bit like starting that new job and once this happens it can be very difficult to win back a client’s affection.

How to get things right when receiving visitors to your company
Let’s consider how you should be making your reception area a warm and welcoming place for your visitors.

Everyone in the company who may meet with visitors from the tea lady to the chief executive must be expected to know that a visitor to your company is a very important person. They need to be properly trained to be polite, welcoming and helpful to them.

On arrival where at all possible, visitors should be seen promptly, at least those with appointments. If there is likely to be a delay of more then 10 minutes this should be made clear to the visitor with an appropriate apology.

As soon as this time has passed and further delay may be likely the receptionist should contact the person the visitor is due to see to remind them their visitor is still waiting and update things as necessary.

It’s not a bad idea to let the visitor chat briefly with the contact on the phone if further delay is likely. Remember, your visitor may have other commitments and need to either re-arrange your appointment or ring ahead to delay their later meetings.

Putting it all together
Let’s quickly summarize the key points covered:

• Begin by looking at how you receive visitors and whether it is appropriate
• Be mindful of the image being sent out by your reception area, can you improve things
• Remember your visitor could be vitally important to your company so treat them properly

Once you have done this audit on your reception area it may be necessary to make some changes, and assure that visitors don’t end up feeling like the first day on the job.

In our next article we’ll take a look at the importance of picking the right kind of reception seating.

Two weeks later I went to visit the supplier’s factory to see the product being made and I was shocked. You see, I saw my chair being made and it wasn’t pretty. It largely consisted of a framework of cheap plywood which was held together with staples. Then soft spongy foam was stuck to the plywood and the whole mess was covered in fabric to hide its crude construction.

It was then I realized I needed to get serious and look a lot deeper into the whole issue of quality. There was no way I could supply junky chairs like this to my clients.

Why are cheap chairs so commonplace and why do people buy them?
No matter where you look these days low cost office chairs are never far away. Consequently it’s easy to think that this what an office chair should cost.

I also think it has a lot to do with what’s under the hood. By that I mean it’s easy to be fooled by the looks of the chair. All those fancy trims and bits of chrome are little more than a distraction.

And if you stripped them away underneath it all you would find a lot of really cheap components that are so easy to conceal. Things like the foam which feels great at first but soon goes as flat as pancake after a couple of months. Or the low quality fixings holding the chair back onto to its central support, which frequently pull out.

Much like that big brash office chair I bought when I saw what was really in it, I realized you get what you pay for.

How much should you budget for an office chair?
To find a chair which has the right functions and is properly built and designed to last for many years you really need to be making an investment of at least $300 or more. Yes, it’s a lot of money, but with this kind of budget will get you the 5 essential features an office chair needs. Cheaper chairs often have limited functionality and may only have 1 year or even no warranty.

Why do you need to spend this kind of money?
Something you will notice with chairs at this pricing level and above is that they have good warranty periods. Usually at least 5 years, sometimes twice as long. This is the manufacture’s vote of confidence in its product, after all its not going to offer such a guarantee if it doesn’t believe its chair will last for at least this period.

The foams in these chairs won’t flatten even with prolonged use because they been properly designed and made from quality materials which keep springing back into shape no matter how often and how long you sit on them.

Bits don’t work loose or drop off, because they are well engineered and tested to withstand the hammer of prolonged use. These things cost money and their advantages will quickly become apparent in use.

What other benefits will you get when you buy a quality office chair?
As a good deal of thought will have gone into the chair’s design you gain other subtle benefits. Things like the seat and pad being properly shaped to give good support. Consequently they offer great comfort as the bits that matter align with the parts of your body most needing support.

The additional adjustments you are able to make means it’s really easy to set up your seat so it’s precisely tailored to suit your own body. You won’t find yourself shuffling from cheek to cheek as you try to get comfortable.

Summary
So let’s end with a quick summary of the points we’ve covered.
All that glisters is not gold, that cheap chair may look great but what’s under the hood?
Beware of being brainwashed by bargain chair offerings
Set a realistic budget at least $300 or more
Quality chairs come with proper warranty and components
You get great comfort and support from top quality chairs

Yes, we all like a bargain. However you need to be realistic and realize that any cheap chair will quickly show its limitations as soon as you sit in it for any length of time. Here’s a summary of some excellent ergonomic office chairs designed to support you properly and give many years of great service.

Did you ever have one of those bouncy balls as a kid? I know I did and yet I never imagined exercise balls might be used one day by people as office chairs.

What is an exercise ball chair?

Evolution Ball Chair

Exercise balls have been around for many years now and they are popular with people who want to keep fit and toned.

They are very resilient and extremely easy to use, you just need to inflate them and then you’re all set.

Some people just use the ball on its own as a chair, however I don’t think that’s a good idea.

If you plan to use one, it’s best go for a proper exercise ball chair and these days they are very popular with office workers.

Why have they taken off and what persuades people to use them
I think the biggest reason they are so popular as office seats is mainly down to the fact that some people are heartily fed up with the discomfort of their office chair. This is almost always due to the fact that they have only ever used cheap crappy chairs and so assume that all chairs are uncomfortable. They read about how wonderful ball chairs are and all the healthy benefits and decide to take the plunge.

Is an exercise ball a healthy office seat alternative?
Many people switching to a ball chair do so because they believe it is a healthier way to sit. However, the benefits of sitting on one and the health advantages of using it as a means of exercise, tend to become blurred.
Sitting on an exercise ball alone is not advisable because it requires you full attention in keeping balanced. As soon as your concentration lapses you may very well find yourself on the deck. This is particularly true when first getting used to one.

If you really like the idea of an exercise ball chair, much better to choose one that includes a frame as it has a number of benefits.

Advantages of a ball chair

• They are very simple to use you only need inflate it to suit your body size
• Cost effective and generally much cheaper than a good office chair
• Very resilient and can take heavy users who may weigh 350lbs or more
• Safe as an office chair provided it is the sort made for use as a chair
• The ball can be removed and used as a means of exercise

Disadvantages of a ball chair

• Some users have stability problems with them especially at first
• Need to build up your core muscles for prolonged use
• It can be difficult to maintain good back posture on models without back supports
• Maneuverability can be more difficult than a conventional office chair
• Many ergonomists are deeply skeptical about their benefits

Is an exercise ball a good choice as an office chair?
As you have seen there are advantages and disadvantages in using an exercise ball as your office chair. A ball on its own is not a good idea, it just isn’t stable enough or practical in use. However, when you go for a proper ball chair with its own frame they can make good office seats. Best to go for one with castors, arms and a back because you’ll find it a lot of easier to use.

And bear in mind, it may well take some time for your core muscles to build up. So be patient and get used to it gradually by sitting in it for short periods to begin with. After all, you don’t want one of those boing, boing, bang moments from childhood, office floors and desk edges can be quite unforgiving.

Further reading
Many ergonomists don’t recommend using ball chairs, you can read about their reasons here. And if you want to know more about what’s available here’s where you can find some reviews of ball chairs.

In this article we’re going to look at 3 reasons why a leather office chair isn’t always the best option.

• 1. How slip sliding causes problems with leather chairs
• 2. Why a leather chair can create premature wear on clothes
• 3. Why a leather chair can be bad news in hot weather

But first here’s how I found out the hard way.
Some years ago my company won a prestigious office fit out for a major company and the chief executive wanted a leather chair. As we had just taken on a new range of quality office seating we decided to supply him with the best office chair in the range in black hide leather.

The chair looked beautiful, so we were confident he would be delighted with it. He had only had the chair 2 days when he rang to complain about it and how he just couldn’t sit still in it and insisted on it being replaced. I inherited the chair and soon found out it was like sitting on a greasy pole.

Why was there a slip-sliding problem with that top end chair?
The leather on the chair was a really good quality hide and was a smooth finish, without a deep grain in it. And this is how I soon discovered why the client had had such a problem with it. Because the finish was so lustrous it offered very little friction and as a result it was difficult to hold your sitting position in it.

However, the worst part was when working at a computer because it had a forward tilt mechanism designed to place the user’s body in a slightly forward posture. It literally had the effect of forcing you out of the seat and if it wasn’t for the desk edge I really think you could have ended up on the floor.

Leather offers little resistance and can make it awkward to hold a sitting position and this also leads to the next problem, shiny clothes.

How a leather chair can cause premature wear on clothes
Because many leathers have a smooth finish there is little resistance between the seat’s surface and your clothes.

Consequently you tend to move around more while working in the chair. Unfortunately this can have the effect of polishing your clothes causing them to wear a lot more quickly. If you like to wear expensive clothing to work be aware that it may not last as long with a leather chair. Summer can bring about an additional problem with leather office chairs.

Why leather can be bad news in hot weather
Although some leathers are designed to breathe in use, many aren’t. And so if you work in an office that isn’t air-conditioned it can add further to your discomfort because it will soon have you sweating on long hot summer days. So if you are prone to sweat easily bear in mind a leather office chair may not be a good idea.

Let’s summarize the 3 key points to bear in mind with leather office chairs.

• 1. Smooth leathers can be difficult to sit in making it hard work to sit comfortably
• 2. Leather often causes premature wear on clothes
• 3. Leather in hot weather can cause embarrassing perspiration problems

And what about that top of the range leather chair I inherited? I persevered with it for a couple of weeks before giving it up as a bad job and relegating it to retirement in the warehouse.

If you’re still hankering after a leather office chair because you love the idea of owning one, take a look at Humanscale’s Freedom chair in Vincenza leather hide with a breathable finish.

Aeron Mesh Chair - Herman Miller

Imagine it’s another red hot July day. You have been sitting at your desk for several hours.

When you go to get up, your body sticks to the office chair through your lightweight summer clothing.

You are sweating, even though the air conditioning is set to a temperature only experienced in the Arctic. How can this be?

The thick upholstery is the culprit. Combined with the foam padding, which acts as insulation, the material is trapping your body heat against your body.

So you sweat. Fortunately there is an answer to the problem.

How did mesh upholstery change the office chair market?
The idea of a mesh office chair really started back in the early 1990s with Herman Miller’s Aeron chair. It took a radically different approach to office chair design and key amongst its new ideas was open mesh upholstery called the pellicle.

The major benefit of this new form of upholstery was that it allowed air circulation around the user’s body and so kept them cool on hot summer days.

This quickly prompted competitors to come up with their own version of mesh upholstery and now wherever you look you see them. Many are designed to be Aeron lookalikes due to its popularity.

Why are mesh chairs so popular?
People like the idea of a chair which allows air to circulate and keep them cool. Also the stylish looks of mesh chairs enhance their appeal too.

It’s these feature that have made Miller’s Aeron one of the most desired office chairs of all time. The problem is that not everyone can afford its $600 price tag.

Consequently when competitors churn out cheaper me too versions it opens up the market for people to experience the benefits of keeping cool at work.

However you have to realize that the upholstery on a $100 mesh chair is a far cry from the quality of the Aeron’s pellicle. Good air circulation is one thing, however without proper support it’s not a good idea.

How do you select a good mesh office chair?
One of the mistakes people make is buying a mesh chair just for its looks. The problem is it’s very easy to make them look sexy and whilst it’s fair to say that any mesh will allow better air circulation that’s of little use if it’s uncomfortable and doesn’t give the right support to your body.

A number of manufacturers have invested a lot of time and money to come up with advanced mesh designs which give the correct support and still allow good air circulation.

Humanscale’s Liberty chair is a good example; it uses special triple membrane open mesh upholstery. Not only do you get the benefits of keeping cool on hot days you also gain proper support enabling you to work long hours in comfort. There are some people who may find mesh upholstery is not for them.

When is a mesh chair a bad choice?
People who like a chair with a lot of padding may find the change to mesh difficult. The reason is that it tends to be a much firmer surface to sit on. This is particularly true of the Aeron, its pellicle really is quite firm and takes some getting used to.

Lighter framed people are the most likely to feel discomfort. Because they have less flesh to cushion them, mesh can quickly become uncomfortable to sit in. So if you are light built and find sitting on hard surfaces uncomfortable you could have problems.

One alternative is to consider a seat like Herman Miller’s Embody. Although this isn’t a mesh chair it uses a breathable fabric and has a unique method of support. When you sit on it you feel as though you are floating. This removes the harsh pressure found with some meshes while allowing good personal comfort for those who sweat a lot.

Let’s quickly round up the points we’ve covered:

• Mesh chairs all began with the Aeron
• Although cheap mesh chairs abound they often have lousy body support
• Go beyond just looks; choose a mesh which will support you properly
• If you like well padded seats mesh may not be for you

Here’s where you can find more on mesh chairs like the Aeron and Humanscale Liberty chair, as well as alternative solutions like the Embody.

Avoid Halloween Horror Chairs

Just a few days from now it will be Halloween and families will be having parties with kids enjoying their tricks and treats. Fortunately it’s all just harmless fun and folks have a great time as the nightmares are only make believe.

If you are looking to replace your office chair you need to avoid making for real Halloween mistakes. Because if you get it wrong the ghouls will be with you every minute you sit in your new chair.

It’s actually very easy to be sucked in by what seems like a great office chair. When you are shopping in your local office supplies store chances are you may be tempted by the glitzy display of office seating. And when you sit in the sample chair it feels comfortable too. That’s not surprising, when you’ve been wandering around for a while it’s nice to take the weight off your feet, so it likely will feel welcoming.

It’s only when you’ve used a chair for an hour or two that its limitations become all too clear.

In this article we’re going to take a look at 3 key ways of avoiding buying the wrong office chair

• Buying a chair with no tension adjustment
• Buying a chair with fixed arms
• Buying a chair solely on price

So let’s look at the first problem.

Don’t buy a chair which lacks tension adjustment
When you spend all day working in a desk chair it’s only natural that you want to relax and recline every now and then. Many cheap chairs have no way of altering the pressure required as you lean back in them.

What you get is a preset tension based on the manufacturer’s best guess on what’s right. You might get lucky, however for many it soon becomes a nightmare.

Light framed people find themselves gripping the chair arms and straining to get the thing to go back. And as soon as you relax the damn thing flips you forward again.

Heavy built people have the opposite problem. The chair just lurches backward without warning threatening to pitch you on the floor.

So, make sure any chair you’re thinking of buying let’s you adjust the tilt tension. Some automatically adjust to suit your weight but you won’t find this feature on budget chairs.

Onto the next rule.

Don’t buy a chair with fixed arms
The right arms on an office chair are important. Humans all come in different sizes and it simply isn’t possible to cater for individual preferences with a fixed arm.

You need to make sure the arms on your chair are height adjustable. That way you can set them so your lower arms are comfortably supported with you shoulders resting naturally.

Some arms have additional features like being able to move them forwards, backwards or in and out. These arms are often called highly adjustable and the added features can be useful.

And the last rule.

Never buy an office chair just because it’s cheap
More often than not cheap office chairs turn out to be a very poor bargain in the long run. Occasionally there is an opportunity to get a genuine reduction on a quality chair, maybe a discontinued range or ex showroom item. And that’s fine.

However, what you must avoid is chairs priced around $100 or less. The reason is simple. Chairs like this are made to meet a price point. The only thing on the maker’s mind is how it can cut costs to meet the price. There are a lot of things in a task chair you can’t see and this is where corners get cut.

Low quality seat foam that goes flatter than a squashed ant after a couple months use.
Poor quality steel components that quickly wear and become sloppy or break altogether.
Cheap upholstery that just doesn’t last.

Buying on price alone truly is a false economy tempting as it may seem.

So to save yourself from horror chairs:

• Make sure the chair has tension adjustment to let you relax easily when you need to
• Fixed arms rarely give good support; make sure you can adjust the height of the arms
• Don’t buy solely on price; it’s a false economy which you will quickly regret.

Make these part of your selection criteria and your chair won’t haunt you the rest of the year.

Here’s a useful video and article on the key features that make up a proper ergonomic office chair to help point you in the right direction.

Eames Classic Leather Chair

80 years ago no man would have left the house without wearing a hat. These days it’s hard to imagine doing such a thing.

And yet, for those who choose to wear a classic hat today, it definitely makes a statement about the wearer.

The right hat can look very distinctive and really set the owner apart from the crowd. Classic office chairs are a bit like that.

What is a classic office chair?
It’s simply a chair which has sold well over a period of many years. Manufacturers decide to keep some models in production as they have already written off the cost of tooling and so can continue to make the product relatively cheaply.

Typically, classic office seats have very simple lines and as a result continue to look impressive regardless of current fashions and designs.

How does an office chair reach classic status?
Usually it’s because they have a certain timeless quality about them. They often feature in advertising or are used in reception areas where people like to use them to give an air of quality and good taste to surroundings.

Obviously from the manufacturer’s point of view there still needs to be demand for them and so this a key motivation for the main players in this area of the seating market.

Which companies continue to make classic chairs?
There are two companies most closely associated with classic office chairs, Herman Miller and Knoll. Although Herman Miller is probably best known for its Aeron chair, it actually continues to make a number of seats first launched in the 1950s and earlier.

Particularly popular are many of the chairs designed by Charles and Ray Eames who seemed to have a knack for designing seating with simple classic lines that just look good no matter what era they appear in.

Knoll’s classic designs go back even further to the 1930s. And the Barcelona chair designed by architect Mies van der Rohe still has a huge following. It can be found in many reception areas because it just looks so good in this environment with its chrome and black leather. Mind you it takes deep pockets to own one.

Why are classic chairs so expensive?
I suppose one of the reasons they cost so much is the companies producing them aren’t under any pressure to sell then cheaply. They are seen as a status symbol and so there is a certain snobbery or cachet about them.

Also, whilst the tooling costs have long been absorbed it probably does create a level of disruption on the production line where high volume models are being made. Of course if you are prepared to turn a blind eye you can save a lot of money.

Should you consider buying a lookalike version?
Inevitably, other manufacturers turn out fake versions at a fraction of the cost of the genuine article. Some of them are very good and you would be hard pressed to tell the difference unless you looked really closely at them. Others are extremely poor quality with inferior leather and poor standards of workmanship and are best avoided.

Summary
So, to summarize the points I’ve covered, here’s a quick resume of the key points

• Classic chairs have a certain timeless quality and can create a positive image
• It’s worth companies to continue offering them because they can get profitable sales
• They can make important areas in offices really stand out from the crowd
• The genuine article will set you back a considerable sum of money
• It’s possible to buy good quality alternatives if you are not too choosy

Classic office chairs will continue to be offered both now and in the future and yet others will become classics, if they haven’t done so already. Herman Miller’s Aeron chair will surely be added to their ranks and become the seating equivalent of a homburg hat.

Here’s where you can find more information on some great classic chairs which will probably still be being made 100 years from now.

One day I was chopping out a mortise joint in a piece of timber. It was only softwood and yet it was taking some getting through. As I hammered away Don the local builder turned up to do some work at the house. Seeing me struggling he asked to look at my chisel and exclaimed: “Good grief, your chisel is so blunt you could ride bareback to Birmingham on that blade!”

Don went to the back of his van and got out one of his chisels. He gave it a couple of licks on a sharpening stone and soon I was powering through the wood. You see I just didn’t have the right tool for the job. We’ll return to this later.

What is the difference between home office working and a regular office?
If you work from home full time then the difference between how you work here or a regular office will be broadly similar. Nonetheless there are some subtle distinctions.

One difference you’re likely to find is that in a home office everything is a lot closer to hand. Chances are that all the equipment you use like computer, copier, shredder, phone etc. are all in the same room.

In contrast in the typical company office they may be more spread out. When you have copying to do or documents to shred the equipment well be located centrally so it involves a walk to use them.

The other difference is the likely absence of colleagues to talk to and attend meetings with.

Why is home office working potentially less healthy?
So when you think about the contrast between the two ways of working, home office working can be a lot less healthy. Why is that?

Well, with everything so close to hand you can end up getting a lot less exercise as part of your work. No corridors to trek down or conference rooms to walk to when meeting with co-workers.

This reduced level of mobility makes it even more important to select a good office chair, one that comfortably supports you and moves as you move.

It can be a big mistake to just decide on the spur of the moment that you’ll nip to Staples and grab a close out bargain. That will all depend on how you work in your office at home.

How do you work in your home office?
You need to assess how you work in your home based office. Maybe you actually travel to work at your employers each day. And your home office is just somewhere you maybe spend an hour in the evening tying up loose ends or surfing the web.

In this instance the close out option is probably OK. Although if the chair you sit in at work all day is of poor quality then a better one at home will certainly help redress the absence of comfort you suffer each day.

Now, if you work full time from home either running your own business or working for an employer then you need to avoid cheap chairs altogether. The additional lack of mobility when home working we mentioned earlier most definitely needs to be compensated for with a proper ergonomic chair.

But I can’t afford to go spending $500 on an office chair
In reality you can’t afford not to. Just like my chisel, it’s all down to having the right tools for the job. Trouble is you can’t sharpen a bad chair. You have to replace it.
Let me ask you a question. What’s the value of your time $30 per hour, $50 per hour, $70 per hour? Let’s say it’s $50 per hour.

So, if you were able to work more productively and comfortably for just an extra hour a week, 12 minutes a day that chair would pay for itself in 10 weeks.

And given that the lifetime of a good chair is probably 10 years the initial outlay becomes completely insignificant. Your return would be 100 times your original investment. Let’s see how to pick the right chair.

How should you choose a home office chair?
When you pick a new office chair there are 5 critical functions you need to insist on:

1. Adjustable seat depth for optimal leg comfort
2. Adjustable back height to allow the lower back to be correctly supported
3. Adjustable Arm Height for ease of movement and minimizing the risk of RSI
4. Pneumatic height adjustment to suit your body height and weight
5. Adjustable tilt tension allowing each individual user to set the correct pressure

Although most chairs come with some of these functions, relatively few have all of them. Without these critical adjustments you won’t find it possible to remain comfortable in you chair for long.

Putting it all together

• Full time home office working involves less mobility and affects you productivity
• Realize serious home office workers need a serious chair for proper support
• Put aside a realistic budget, the added comfort and efficiency will pay you back in spades
• Insist on getting the 5 essential adjustments when replacing your chair

Here’s where you can find a video and article on the 5 vital features of an ergonomic office chair. And here’s a shortlist of qualifying ergonomic chairs that will support you comfortably and keep you productive.