gadgets

Crowdsource My Desk Chair

By Lev Grossman on June 3, 2009

A short, purely self-interested post. I do my typing at home at a wobbly table my girlfriend rescued off the street. Whenever I get particularly interested in a point I'm making it waggles back and forth as if to say, no, no, you're wrong, you're an idiot, stop typing. The chair I sit in while I'm typing at the wobbly table is a folding wooden picnic chair, accessorized with a fabric pillow that's tied -- like with knots -- to the chair back.

This is stupid. I sometimes spend 8 hours a day in this chair. I've had back pain in the past. I will have more in the future. It's time I invested in a pain-free future. I need a serious chair.

What do you use? I'm willing to spend. Say, up to $850. I'm willing to go Aeron, though I sort of can't believe nobody's invented a better chair since 1994. I know I'm supposed to get the Steelcase Leap, but there's something about its cheap fabric back that makes me want to immolate it, if I wouldn't choke on the toxic fumes. I guess if I had my fantasy chair it would be some kind of wood/brass/leather steampunk affair from like the 1860's, with lots of knobs and joints and, I don't know, phlanges or something. But such a chair would probably give me killer back pain, plus gout and syphilis too. Can anybody help?

Comments (12)

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  1. You don't need a fancy chair. Adama and Tigh were perfectly fine standing in the CIC around the big battle board for hours on end. If those two old men can do it, so can you....

    Kemper

    Jun. 3, 2009 09:56:am

    at 09:56:am

  2. [...] This post was Twitted by leverus - Real-url.org [...]

    Twitted by leverus

    Jun. 3, 2009 10:09:am

    at 10:09:am

  3. Church

    Jun. 3, 2009 10:58:am

    at 10:58:am

  4. I <3 Church.
    I'd also like to point that you're willing to work on a wobbly table but will spend $850 on a chair. It might help if you got a new table too.

    Brew

    Jun. 3, 2009 11:33:am

    at 11:33:am

  5. This guy seems to have it down to a science, and in about your price range:
    http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/2009/01/27/office-chair-aeron-vs-mirra-vs-liberty/

    Church

    Jun. 3, 2009 14:37:pm

    at 14:37:pm

  6. Kneeling chair. I have a cheap $100 model ($10 at a garage sale), but they make some sexy ones if you want to throw money at it. Fixed my back, keeps my posture good, and boy, can you say geeky?

    dennitzio

    Jun. 3, 2009 15:32:pm

    at 15:32:pm

  7. We have one of these in our home office. It's great for back pain, and hey - you can pretend it's a sci-fi chair or something:
    http://www.ergodepot.com/HAG_Capisco_p/8106.htm

    minakyn

    Jun. 3, 2009 15:37:pm

    at 15:37:pm

  8. I just got one of these -- a Let's B chair, for about $400. I'm quite enjoying it:
    http://www.steelcase.com/uk/let_s_b_chair_products.aspx?f=14329

    Read more about it and other chairs here:
    http://www.slate.com/id/2131646/

    Good luck! The search for the perfect chair is a daunting one. All the best to your lumbar region...

    Michael Jasper

    Jun. 4, 2009 14:48:pm

    at 14:48:pm

  9. I like the Mirra better than the Aeron. And it's cheaper, too. But go somewhere and do a test sit first. Of course, I'm sitting in a trashpick from MIT now.

    ratushebarl

    Jun. 5, 2009 13:23:pm

    at 13:23:pm

  10. My office recently got a half a million of these new chairs.
    http://www.teknion.com/products/seating_contessa/default.asp?country=us

    They take a bit of getting used to but my back feels better..

    corsair321

    Jun. 8, 2009 15:59:pm

    at 15:59:pm

  11. I agree with minakyn above. The HAG Capisco chair changed my life. If you need an even flashier version. Check out this puppy:

    http://www.ergodepot.com/HAG_Retro_Capisco_p/8106retro.htm

    davidotho

    Jun. 11, 2009 19:34:pm

    at 19:34:pm

  12. Church

    Jun. 13, 2009 21:39:pm

    at 21:39:pm