“Office chairs are like shoes, but not as much fun. We spend much of our time in them. They emphasize differences in status and taste. They affect the way our bodies feel. But unlike the shoes we wear to work, most of us don’t get to pick out our office chairs. Your work chair is just there, provided for you by your employer.”
In her today’s article Heather Murphy of Slate explores the history of an office chair – from the first documented evidence of body-conscious seating found in 3000 B.C. to the kneeling chair of 1979 and recent creations – a valuable and fun read for any chair design enthusiast.
How do you measure a good office chair?
The chair pictured is a Thomas E. Warren’s Centripetal Spring Armchair for American Arm Chair Company, USA, 1949 (courtesy Jonathan Olivares/A Taxonomy of Office Chairs/Phaidon).
Indeed! What are the parameters of a good ergonomic office chair? Regardless of the design, good office chairs need to have good back and neck support.
I think the best office chairs need to provide enough support and comfort for the user in order to promote work efficiency. One of the best ergonomic chairs that I found to be the most comfortable to stay in for long periods of time is the Herman Miller Aeron chair.