What the hell is up with chairs?

Discussion in 'Discussions' started by Bohandas, Nov 11, 2012.

  1. Bohandas

    Bohandas Member

    While sitting at my computer tonight it occurred to me. Most chairs really suck.

    You can't lean backward on most of them, and there's no support if you lean forwards on any of them. They actually work better if you turn them sideways (if the chair has arms) or backwards. And why haven't other designs become more popular? [Personally I'd like a chair shaped like the letter "M" (you'd sit in the middle "V" shaped portion with your legs over the end) but a quick Google search didn't turn up any such thing as being something that exists]

    Anybody else have any thoughts? Agree? Disagree?

    EDIT:
    I just read what I posted and I feel that I should make it clear that I am not high, just sleep deprived.
     
  2. Loren

    Loren Member

    Unless you absolutely must recline or are setting the laptop on your lap, try a yoga ball. Your body will tend to make a better posture for itself when it has nothing on which to be lazy.

    Also.... I'm not sure about the 'M'. All I can picture is a wooden horse and the whole thing being uncomfortable.
     
    OmniaNigrum, Kazeto and Essence like this.
  3. OmniaNigrum

    OmniaNigrum Member

    I built my PC right off my bed, and use a table the same exact height as my bed to hold my monitor. I am typing this while lying down in comfort! Chairs suck. Agreed.
     
  4. Daynab

    Daynab Community Moderator Staff Member

    I dunno, ever since I bought a real computer chair it feels like heaven sitting here. Unfortunately I have long forgotten what the brand of it is :p
     
    OmniaNigrum likes this.
  5. Loren

    Loren Member

  6. OmniaNigrum

    OmniaNigrum Member

    Am I reading things wrong? It looks like one of those costs about a hair shy of 1k USD in the door.

    For that much I could hire a masseuse and deal with a shitty chair every month for less money. (Am I spelling that word for a person who gives massages correctly? It does not look right to me and I have been drinking a bit today. No, I do not mean a hooker. Thanks anyway. :))
     
  7. Loren

    Loren Member

    I think you're right, but the basic model (the one I'm sure I had) is only around $650. What you don't realize is just how comfortable that chair was. Why would I want to pay money monthly to fix a problem I wouldn't have if I had bought a better chair? Also think of the money value of comfort time.

    Edit: Also, 30 min with a masseuse ~$30 = a little shy of 2 years to pay off the chair in masseuse cost.
     
    OmniaNigrum likes this.
  8. Haldurson

    Haldurson Member

    The most comfortable chair in my house is the one I purchased to sit in front of my computer. I love it, and I have a bad back, so it's difficult for me to find something that is this comfortable. It has a high back, and gives me plenty of support.

    Note that working on your posture while you sit at your desk can be almost as helpful as getting a suitable chair. I realized, for example, during the blackout of the last storm, I would try to read my kindle by candlelight and because of angles, and so on, I was leaning over my kitchen table to do so. IT had nothing to do with the chair, which is fine for most purposes -- it was me and how I was sitting in it that was causing me problems. It's amazing how much of a difference in back strain you can make by simply sitting up straight.

    Certainly, massages are great, even if you don't have back pain. We all could use some time to relax. It's also a lot safer than either chiropractic or acupuncture (both of which are riskier than proponents of them are likely to admit).
     
    OmniaNigrum likes this.
  9. OmniaNigrum

    OmniaNigrum Member

    It may be a great chair, but I rather like my bed. I really do not understand why people build PCs on or next to a desk when beds are readily available and so comfortable that you can fall asleep while playing around online. But either way, do what feels best to you. If you prefer the traditional style with a nice chair, I hope you enjoy it.

    The biggest expense for me is replacing my pillows every few months. :D
     
  10. Haldurson

    Haldurson Member

    Note that I did not have to pay $650 for my great chair. I can't speak for Loren, but mine was about a third of that price (on sale). I did have to shop around to find one that was comfortable. But if I was going to spend $650 for a chair, that chair better be motorized, heated and air conditioned, and convert into a bed when I'm tired.
     
    OmniaNigrum likes this.
  11. If you're consciously aware of the comfort (or lack thereof) of your computing chair while you are sitting on it, you are doing chairs wrong. I paid something like $150 for my current desk chair and it's adjustable, ergonomic and durable enough that I can sit on it all day and never lose focus from what I'm actually doing it.
     
    OmniaNigrum likes this.
  12. Essence

    Essence Will Mod for Digglebucks

    I got my current computer chair for a buck. One dollar. At the Washington State Surplus Store. It's a tank -- made of metal, about 3'×3', and comfortable insofar as it does, in fact, have cushions on it. But then, I don't need any encouragement to stay on my computer any longer than necessary. And no matter what metric you use, I've got more of it per dollar than any of you. :p
     
    OmniaNigrum and Kazeto like this.
  13. Kazeto

    Kazeto Member

    And I'm just sitting on a sofa when using my computer. Because for the last three years I had to use a laptop regardless, so I ended up getting rid of the block that was my computer, and now it's easy to just pull the table it is on to where I'm sitting. And because I made sure to match the height of the table to my sitting height (and due to the fact that there's I'm sitting straight up on the sofa because it's too large to rest my back on it without making the whole thing awkward), I have no problems with my posture. Either way, chairs are stupid (for the most part).

    Though that sofa is used for everything there. Sleeping, "sleeping", sitting, laying stuff on when I'm cleaning my room, laying stuff on when I'm too lazy to put it where it was supposed to be, etc.; the only thing I'm explicitly not using it for (that a sofa could reasonably be used for, anyway) is for making sandwiches, and that's just because the table my laptop is on is better for that.
     
    TheJadedMieu and OmniaNigrum like this.
  14. Warlock

    Warlock Member

    I once owned an enormous wooden armchair that I set up with two pillows to make very comfortable when I was young, for use when derping around on my computer. Sadly, that had to be replaced turn of the decade with a very nice ergonomic chair because of my dad's idea that new = better.
     
    OmniaNigrum likes this.
  15. Bohandas

    Bohandas Member

    The chair should accomadate you; not you the chair.
     
    OmniaNigrum likes this.
  16. Haldurson

    Haldurson Member

    I don't totally disagree. That said, 'YOU' (meaning me and all of us) don't always make the best decisions for our own back comfort, when it comes to how we sit, stand, etc. It's not something we are always conscious of, and becoming conscious of it is necessary before you can make the right adjustments.

    A mirror can help. Sit in a chair the way you normally do, and look in a mirror. If you don't have a mirror, have someone look at how you sit. Many of us tend to favor one side or the other without being consciously aware of it. You twist your back to lean one way or the other. Or we lean forward too much (like I did when I was trying to read my kindle by candlelight). You can also do similar things when you stand as well. It's a habit that forms without us being aware of it. Being overweight (like I am) also puts extra strain on our back. It's not something that we feel immediately, but sitting or standing in the same stressful position for any length of time can put extra strain on our back as well.

    It's a very hard habit to break, mostly because, as I said, we are not generally consciously aware of it unless we decide to pay attention.

    So it's not enough that you pick a chair that fits your back. You also should adjust your back to reduce the strain.
     
    OmniaNigrum and Kazeto like this.
  17. Loerwyn

    Loerwyn Member

    I had a fairly basic office chair (the ones that are two padded 'rests' - one fer yer 'rse, t'other fer yer upper back) and I found it to do the job but so much use kinda made the cushions a bit uncomfortable. The back started to go, too, so that annoyed me.

    Since replaced it with a faux-leather office chair that sits a little lower but has more room for me to wiggle around in, it supports my whole back and so on. I like to slump in it a bit, though. I'll admit, though, that it's not really improved things for me. I still get burning pains in my shoulders depending on what I'm doing (only a few games really, really bring these on - Skyrim in particular) and my back can ache a bit, but I'm not exactly sure why.

    I think it's also got to be a case of it not being *just* your chair or your posture. Your desk, layout of your peripherals, your monitor placement and so on will all have some part to play in your comfort.
     
    OmniaNigrum and Kazeto like this.
  18. SkyMuffin

    SkyMuffin Member

    I think ergonomics in general is unfairly skewed towards more awkwardness for Westerners, white people in particular. Larger people = larger elements that must be scaled, accentuating negative effects. Especially when it comes to desks/computers/ etc., which have been moving towards miniaturization.

    A small, Asian person like my mom can probably use a laptop on a desk without having to put books underneath it. A taller person, however, would have to put something under and then risk having no support under their wrists as the laptop gets higher.

    Another example is how Asian people who have small hands like me can use both Western sized pens and the half sized pens you see in Japan and Korea, but a White person could never use one of those little pens.
     
    OmniaNigrum likes this.
  19. Kazeto

    Kazeto Member

    Yeah, that one is pretty common, I think. I'm not the largest person you could see, but I had to look for larger pens to use because the ones you can buy normally are so puny that using them strains fingers.

    Though in the case of laptops there is some leeway when it comes to placement - I have a cooling pad underneath mine and it makes it effectively be higher without making it awkward for the wrists because the pad is angled so my hands still lie on the table when I write. And it's not like it's impossible to get a higher/lower desk/table if need be, though that one depends on how much money does one actually have (with me being lucky because I had a matching table without having to buy anything).
     
    OmniaNigrum likes this.
  20. Essence

    Essence Will Mod for Digglebucks

    Or, to bring it around to the OP again, you know, adjust the height of your chair.


    Man...I'm pissed about those. I'm the classic Big White Guy, but my wallet has a loop to hold one of those half-sized pens in it and I used to have one and I used it constantly...but for some reason about a decade ago (yeah, it's an old wallet) they all just vanished from the Olympia area. I <3 half-sized pens.
     
    Kazeto and OmniaNigrum like this.