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Office chairs - ergonomic or flat?
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Frank
Happy Gardening
 Administrator
Joined: 25 Jan 2005
Location: Malmö, Sweden
Posts: 9554
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| Posted: Tue Oct 02, 2007 12:21 pm Post subject: Office chairs - ergonomic or flat? |
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I've got to get a new office chair very soon and after doing a bit of research I've discovered, contrary to popular opinion, that a flat-seated chair may be better than the ergonomic chair. This is because the ergonomic chair is curved at the edges and puts an unnatural pressure on your hips. I would tend to believe this as it is natural that our bodies over centuries would have adapted to flat surfaces for sitting.
Does anyone have an opinion/experience on this subject?
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toni
Mistress of Garden Junque
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Joined: 07 Jan 2006
Location: North Texas (Map)
Posts: 5687
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| Posted: Tue Oct 02, 2007 1:59 pm Post subject: |
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For about 6 years I used an old flat seat office chair with arms and wheels as my chair of choice to sit in while at my sewing machine. I usually spent 6-8 hours a day/5 days a week sewing quilt tops for my use or as samples for a local quilt shop. Then when I stopped sewing I used it at my computer for another 2 years until it literally fell apart. It was a very comfortable chair and sometimes I miss it very much.
The chair I have now was given to me and I have yet to get it adjusted so it feels right. It is not an ergonomic chair but is thickly padded and curved a bit.
The seat is too short, doesn't give my legs enough support and it is tilted down at the front so I feel like I am sliding off. The back is tall which means that even adjusted at it's highest, there aren't more than two inches of space between the top of the seat and the bottom of the back so I can never really sit at a comfortable angle. The more I sit at the computer lately, the more I ache later in the day.
Guess I need to put finding a new chair higher on my list of priorities.
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Frank
Happy Gardening
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Joined: 25 Jan 2005
Location: Malmö, Sweden
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| Posted: Tue Oct 02, 2007 3:23 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks for your sharing your experience Toni. While working on projects I spend a LOT of time sitting down and even just this past few months I have noticed an effect on my body especially my hips. Not that they are in pain but they don't feel as strong they used to be. I'm putting this down to lack of a proper chair.
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Droopy
Slug Slaughterer
Joined: 11 Aug 2007
Location: Western Norway (Map)
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| Posted: Tue Oct 02, 2007 3:56 pm Post subject: |
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I recommend this:
http://www.varierfurniture.com/product.asp?p=Gravity&la=EN&na=IR
Sorry if you find it improper, but I managed to get one of these the last time I was pregnant. It did wonders for my hips, I tell you. You can change your position from kneeling to sitting, and it is easy to move in.
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eileen
Moderator & Resident Taxonomist
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Joined: 07 Feb 2005
Location: Scotland (Map)
Posts: 11710
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| Posted: Tue Oct 02, 2007 6:37 pm Post subject: |
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Your chair looks really interesting Droopy - I wonder if it's design would be any good for me with my two replacement knees?
I have a conventional flat seated chair which I use for the computer and I find it works well for me. I have tried the ergonomic ones on ocassions but after a short time my hips begin to ache and I find them quite hard to get out of. It's the same with car seats - bucket seats I find soooo uncomforatable especially on a long journey. I like a chair where my knees are on a level with my hips - lower and I have a real problem standing up again. That's why I like our Kangoo so much. I find my hips, and thighs are much more comfrtable on flat seated chairs and if they have high straight backs so much the better.
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Netty
Chaotic Gardener
Joined: 04 Nov 2006
Location: Southern Ontario zone 5a
Posts: 4942
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| Posted: Tue Oct 02, 2007 8:42 pm Post subject: |
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My computer chair is flat Frank and I can sit in it for hours 
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CritterPainter
Knows Their Stuff
Joined: 27 Aug 2006
Location: Washington State
Posts: 1388
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| Posted: Tue Oct 02, 2007 9:01 pm Post subject: |
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My chair has a bit of a curved seat, but the back broke off some time ago. I never sit here for long, but find that if I sit with my back as straight as possible, it's actually more comfortable than with the chairback on. I have a lower-spine deformity that makes me hyperaware of anything amiss with my posture and this seems to suit just fine. The contoured ones made my back send warning just trying them out!
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edsal68
Just Arrived
Joined: 11 Oct 2007
Location: United States
Posts: 2
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| Posted: Thu Oct 11, 2007 7:06 pm Post subject: |
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I would tend agree, flat chairs work the best for me.
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nan1234
On The Way Up
Joined: 23 Jul 2007
Location: Chicago Area
Posts: 160
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| Posted: Thu Oct 11, 2007 9:45 pm Post subject: |
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We've tried more than 10 different type office chairs in the past 16 years.
None of them were satisfied except one, which is made in Germany. Eventaully, I replaced all office chairs with this brand. We've used them for over ten years. Sometimes I sit before a computer for over 12 hours a day, and only this chair gives me comfortness all the day without pains in hips, back or neck. I wish I remember the name of the brand but I cannot find it on the chair. It was over 10 years now and I don't know if it is still on the market. The shape is some where between the two:
http://www.officechairstation.com/task-chair-high-density.htm
http://www.officechairstation.com/contouring-ergonomic-midback-chair.htm
The back is mid back but the seat is more flat than the second one.
The price is not that high (around $300 I guess).
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nan1234
On The Way Up
Joined: 23 Jul 2007
Location: Chicago Area
Posts: 160
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| Posted: Thu Oct 11, 2007 10:07 pm Post subject: |
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This article may help you to decide which one to go:
http://www.soundfeelings.com/free/hip_pain.htm
Not all flat chairs are good. I have one flat chair, it causes hip pains too (after two or three hours). The problem is the filling is not firm enough. The one I use now has a little curve on seat, almost flat and the filling is thick but firm.
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Frank
Happy Gardening
Administrator
Joined: 25 Jan 2005
Location: Malmö, Sweden
Posts: 9554
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| Posted: Thu Oct 11, 2007 11:25 pm Post subject: |
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Lots of great input, thanks guys. Nan I had stumbled upon that last site you referred to as well, it got me thinking about the whole thing. As regards a firm seat I had been using a cushioned seat but recently switched to a hard flat surface and you know what, it's miles more comfortable.
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Barb1024
Just Arrived
Joined: 27 Oct 2007
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 1
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| Posted: Sat Oct 27, 2007 2:06 pm Post subject: I thought I was the only one! |
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I'm glad I ran across this site. I've been fighting the "chairs that are made for young people" issue for years! As some of you pointed out, the padding on the outside of the chair definitely puts pressure on the hips. I notice that the chairs with an opening in the back between the back and the seat make my sciatica flare up too. I had a double fusion back surgery with hardware a couple of years ago, and I don't want to mess that up with a chair that makes me miserable. I know what I need, but it's impossible to find the right one! It has to have a flat seat, be solid from the back to seat, have adjustable arms, and not make me so uncomfortable I have to get up all the time. I have this issue at home and at work both! 
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Evil Roy
On The Way Up
Joined: 04 Nov 2006
Location: Deepinahearta, Texas
Posts: 127
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| Posted: Sat Oct 27, 2007 2:44 pm Post subject: |
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The office replaced all of our chairs a few years ago. The lady making the decision brought in two chairs for us to try. One was a flat bottomed chair that almost no one liked. She found it extremely comfortable, but it was torture to the rest of us. The other chair was liked by the rest, but one of the women started having back problems shortly after she started using hers. Basically, the chair has to fit your body. Here's waht we have at the office. http://www.hermanmiller.com/CDA/SSA/Product/0,,a10-c440-p8,00.html
At home, I have an old chair that I supplement with a tractor seat cushion covered by a towel (the cushion is vinyl). It sounds strange, but it's very comfortable. This is the type of cushion I use. http://secure.ssbtractor.com/cgi-bin/quikstore.cgi
If you like your chair, but the padding and cover are bad, it might be worth trying the tractor cushion.
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monica
Just Arrived
Joined: 01 Nov 2007
Posts: 17
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| Posted: Thu Nov 01, 2007 2:33 pm Post subject: |
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The surface should be flat and firm. What I would look for in an ergonomic chair is the right curvature for the back and the right placement of the hands while working on a computer. My back and my wrist and finger joints give me far more pain than my hips. I use a flat chair and my hips never hurt in spite of sitting for hours at a stretch.
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mikel151
Just Arrived
Joined: 18 Nov 2007
Posts: 1
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| Posted: Sun Nov 18, 2007 6:19 pm Post subject: Ergonomic office chairs and computer chairs |
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Hey guys saw the post, it really depends on what you will be using the office chair for. If you use the chair at a nine to five job I would highly recommend an ergonomic chair, just because after sitting in a chair so long a flat chair may harm your back, however with an ergonomic chair it is made specifically to increase proper posture and improve back discomfort.
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