Would Captain Jim Kirk Like His New Chair? Introducing The HÅG H09
H09 Inspiration Chair
HÅG’s H09 series replaced its old Signet chair which many will be familiar with as it was the chair used on the bridge of the Star Trek Enterprise and I’m sure Captain Kirk and the crew would be happy with the new version.
The H09 represents HÅG’s flagship offering in executive office chairs.
Designed and made in Norway these chairs are built to a high standard with great detailing which will appeal to those who seek the best in style and comfort.
HÅG offers 3 models in Europe, however it chose to drop the most traditional model the Classic in the North American market, preferring to stick with the 2 most popular models the Inspiration and the Excellence.
The Inspiration has a high mesh back, whereas the Excellence is an all leather version and both offer wide ranging adjustability and comfort.
You can read more about both models in this review.
Tags: HÅG Excellence, HÅG H09, HÅG Inspiration
I’ve used a HAG Credo for many years and to date, find it gives the best low back support of any chair I’ve used (in my opinion better then any steelcase, herman miller, RH, humanscale, grahl etc).
My holy grail is a chair offering the same low back comfort but better upper back support.
Is the HO9 range of chairs potentially suitable as long term daily use task chairs (for vdu, reading, writing, keyboard work) – reason I ask is that they are marketed as ‘meeting’ chairs and are classed as ‘executive’ – which makes me think they are not intended for task chairs. With respect, what I find most important in a chair is it’s comfort/support (funtionality) and not it’s appearance.
Also, is there a reason why they forward tilt only 7degrees when the Credo/HO4’s (for example) forward tilt 15 degrees and would this affect their ability to be considered task chairs?
What I meant to add above was that do the HO9s potentially offer better upper back support with them being ‘taller’ then other HAG models?
Thanks for your questions Chris. I appreciate how you can get the impression that the H09 may seem unsuitable as a task chair due to its promotion as a meeting chair, however I see it as an executive task which is also equally suitable as a meeting chair. Also the H09 meeting is a scaled down version with limited adjustments designed for a somewhat different use.
I agree comfort and support are paramount in an office chair and certainly the H09’s lower back support is excellent. In terms of upper back support, I wouldn’t describe it as outstanding, with that said it’s certainly not uncomfortable. However if upper back support is important to you then I think you would find a high back H05 to be a better choice.
Regarding the forward tilt, I’m not 100% sure why the forward tilt is limited to 7 degrees, my guess is that the chair is frequently sold with a leather seat and this tends to offer less resistance than fabric. Consequently users might find themselves slipping forwards if the forward tilt went to 15 degrees.
I agree with you about the HÅG Credo it was a great chair.
Thanks Duncan, your comments are appreciated. I believe HAG have the philosophy that if the low back is supported correctly then it should follow that the upper back is naturally supported. For this reason my next action is to try my HAG without the headrest as it’s the headrest (I feel) may be contributing to my upper back discomfort – other manufacturers don’t even offer headrests as options.
In your article you advise that some HO9s aren’t avaialble in North America – what chairs are used instead in N America?
Thanks
It may help to remove the headrest, although unless you recline a lot chances are you aren’t in contact with the headrest anyway. Most headrests only support your head and neck when you lean back in your chair.
I think it’s probably more likely to do with insufficient movement and exercise in your shoulders, neck and head. It’s very easy to become engrossed in something and find you’ve been sitting in a fixed position for some time particularly where the upper body is concerned. So I would watch this and make an effort to get up and move as well as doing some simple stretches and exercises every 30 minutes, or an hour at most.
The reason the H09 range is limited in North America is due to low sales demand for the less popular models. HÅG is far better known in Europe where it has greater market share, consequently it makes sense to offer what sells better. In reality it would be possible to get the other models, the drawback is a 14 to 16 weeks turnaround, it’s a long way from Norway to the States for large physical products like chairs.
Again, your comments are appreciated. I’m aware of the importance of keeping the t-spine mobile.
Thanks