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Programming Software IT

Ask Slashdot: What's a Good Chair For a Software Developer? 255

AmiMoJo writes: It's time to buy a new chair so I'm turning to Slashdot for recommendations. The Herman Miller Aeron seems to be the go-to, much like the Model M for keyboards, but I've heard that there are some other good options on the market.

I need something that is comfortable and durable -- too many chairs get squeaky and loose because I can't sit still and keep shifting my weight around. Many are difficult to maintain as well, e.g. the screws attacking the back are often under plastic attached with very stiff clips so you can't easily give them a quick tighten. What does Slashdot recommend for my posterior?
It's been more than a decade since readers sought recommendations for a quality chair for desktop coding, or back-friendly chairs. In fact, it's been almost two decades since a user inquired about the perfect computer chair. Hopefully office chairs have improved in quality/design since then...
This discussion has been archived. No new comments can be posted.

Ask Slashdot: What's a Good Chair For a Software Developer?

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  • by slampman ( 301381 ) * on Thursday April 18, 2019 @05:31PM (#58456668)

    Aerons are the best. While I can't argue they're not overpriced, they can be had for far less these days than the $1,100+ I paid for each of mine. I saw some for like $400 the other day.

    • Re: (Score:3, Informative)

      by noelhenson ( 691861 )

      I purchased my Aeron in 1998 and use it nearly daily. It probably has over 40K hours of but-in-chair action. So I don't find them over-priced at all. If this one eventually gives out, I'll immediately get another.

      • by mrseth ( 69273 )

        You don't even need to get another! Parts are cheap and plentiful, so you can just repair it easily.

    • +1 to Aeron by Miller.
      I've had mine for about 8 years now and love it. It still feels and looks like new after having my butt in it for about 50-60 hours per week over 8 years or so.
      Once it goes, it's very likely I'll be getting exactly the same.
    • Walmart has them for around $560 [walmart.com]

      • by AmiMoJo ( 196126 )

        That seems like an absolute bargain, if only I lived in the US. They seem more expensive in Europe but I'll keep an eye out.

    • I have them at my desk at home and office. We picked up some at work from the huge dot-bomb auctions in 2001 and the acres of Aerons were the only items that were selling at near list price. My main complaint is that the sliding lumbar support piece tends to break every few years but they are easily replaceable. My home Aeron is about 20-years old which means at this point it has cost me less than $50/year (1999 pricing). As the saying goes, "The quality is remembered long after the price is forgotten."

    • Aerons can have a flaw - the front of the chair has a thick plastic bar that, if you don;t sit back on it, can dig into your thighs. Not a good chair for sitting forward and playing twitchy games for example.

      but they are well built and will stand some abuse. Otherwise Steelcase make some great chairs.

      • by pnutjam ( 523990 )
        Even sitting back, the edges always bite into my hip bones after awhile. However, I do have a wider build than most.
    • by mellon ( 7048 )

      I have an Aeron. I hate it. It's great for after a bike ride, but you can't sit in any position other than legs down, and the tilt isn't very reliable. I've been sitting in a Steelcase Gesture for the past couple of years, and I'm quite happy with it. It's not ideal for after a workout—for that I just stand. But the rest of the time it's quite a comfortable chair to sit in.

      This is not to say that you are wrong to like your Aeron, BTW. There are things to like about it, and I was pretty hap

      • by AmiMoJo ( 196126 )

        I've heard similar things from other people. The Aeron is great but only offers one sitting position, which isn't great if you move around a lot or if you need to shuffle when sitting for long periods. I have arthritis so sitting still for a long time isn't really an option, I have to shift my weight now and then.

        I wonder if the Mirra "task chairs" might be better for that.

        The Gesture is hard to get here but I found a place that looks okay. I'm not sure if something that supports what looks like bad posture

  • Cheaper version (Score:2, Interesting)

    by 605dave ( 722736 )

    I have the Aeron copy that Office Max sells and really like it. A friend had a real one and the Office Max version, and honestly they were hard to tell apart. Go sit in one, you might be surprised.

    • by AmiMoJo ( 196126 )

      One thing that I like about Aerons (and Mirra) is that they have been around for a long time now so we know that they are durable and won't be junk in 5 years. I've had a few cheaper chairs and they all rapidly developed issues.

      • I've tried to get a cheap one on craigslist for ages but haven't found any... a testament to their value
      • by 605dave ( 722736 )

        I am still sitting in that samehair 4 years later

      • My last chair before the one I use now (mentioned in another post) was a chair I got at an office liquidators warehouse, it was just a few hundred $ but was super well built, after years of nearly constant daily use it still looks like new (mesh back, cloth seat). The mechanics are still great on it (raise/lower/adjust).

        If you can find a place like that it's really nice as you have a much larger assortment of chairs than pretty much any store you can sit down and try out, so you can find something that fit

      • Plenty of things are durable and well made until some MBA comes along and slashes costs to boost short term profits, at which point they aren't.

        The beauty of this is you won't know until it's too late, plus he's got his bonus and moved on to do the same somewhere else.

    • by Anonymous Coward

      $1000 for a proprietary chair. I'm really looking for an open source one that I can configure completely to my liking. It's ok if it's slightly uncomfortable and is hard to use. As long as it has at least 200 user configurable parts (ideally all using slightly different screws, springs and components) I'll feel like I'm sitting in the Linux of chairs.

      Buying a closed-source chair is like using Windows.

  • +1 for Aeron, but also consider trying a standing desk with your new chair. It did wonders for my back and it is healthier for you. You can't quickly go from sitting all day to standing all day, but after a month or two, I was barely using my chair. Now there are days that I only sit during meetings & lunch.

    • Do you code standing? I love my standing desk, but I’m on the yoga ball sitting when I need to focus.

  • by FrankSchwab ( 675585 ) on Thursday April 18, 2019 @05:45PM (#58456740) Journal

    https://arstechnica.com/gadget... [arstechnica.com]

    TL;DR: Steelcase Gesture.

  • Any chair that makes you get up and walk every hour or two! Seriously. After 40+ years coding, I'm suffering from venous insufficiency in my legs. Risk factors include "sitting or standing for long periods of time without moving." It's the pits.You don't want this. So, get up and move. That said, I use an Aeron chair, too.
    • This is a good point. In my college and shortly after days I ignored this being a thing... it's starting to catch up more and more, and I've been in the workplace more like 20 years. Vein problems are painful and annoying. I try to get up and walk frequently.

    • I started going to see a personal trainer after 20 years of not getting enough exercise, and it's amazing what the lower half of my body can't do anymore. I fatigue super quick, and I have lost so much balance and agility. Even after two years of regular, fairly intense exercise my back and lower body are still noticeably weaker than my upper body. I assume I'll get back to normal one of these years, but damn was it a wake-up to what a sedentary lifestyle does to ones body.

      That said, most of my aches and pa

      • Re: (Score:2, Troll)

        by AmiMoJo ( 196126 )

        I really wish I could get in shape like that. Unfortunately health issues mean it's impossible... And I just have to accept that. It sucks, I know I'm going to be tired and in pain until the day I die, but at least there are things I can do to alleviate it. Like getting a good chair.

  • ... especially considering it was being tossed by my office :) Just needs fresh arm rests, and it'll be doing alright.
    • Only major complaint I have: the lumbar support frame likes to crack (mine is fine, for now, but most of them had broken by the time our chairs were being refreshed); it can be removed, but the chair is made less comfortable/ergonomic.

      Also, the arm rests like to move horizontally, often at irritating times.
  • by jtara ( 133429 ) on Thursday April 18, 2019 @05:47PM (#58456756)

    Herman Miller LEAP. Preferably, vintage - as they've made some changes.

    Some of the changes are for the good. If you buy a vintage one, you will almost certainly need to replace the arms. They were made with disintegrating foam. Don't buy "new old stock" arms from eBay, etc. - they will be just as disintegrated. You can purchase arms directly from Herman Miller.

    I have the Coach leather edition. The regular leather isn't very good. Mine is close to 20 years old, and still going strong. I replaced the arms, and as well got a good set of solid-floor rubber wheel casters. (To replace the cheesy plastic "all surface" casters.)

    I don't like the Aeron. But maybe some people don't mind waffle-butt.

    • by jtara ( 133429 )

      Oops! Of course I meant Steelcase, not their arch-enemy Herman Miller!

      Steelcase LEAP.

      • by epine ( 68316 ) on Thursday April 18, 2019 @06:56PM (#58457084)

        I had the Leap, configured with the extra-tall hydraulic option. Unfortunately, I'm weirdly long in the spine and I could never get the lumbar set up right. Eventually I gave it away to my brother who is 2.5" shorter at 6'2" (but with the same leg length) and I think he's still happily using that chair to this day.

        There's a funny story associated with this. At the time, he was working in an office where a lot of the other staff were vertically challenged and he had his own desk set up so high, no-one else could sit there (this was in the non-profit sector, so anything on your desk was shared property). While he was out of town, they decided to play a practical joke, and they put blocks under the legs of his desk so that he could experience what his desk felt like to everyone else. He shows up with his truck, walks inside, and sees his desk has been jacked way up. He goes, "hey everyone, guess what I've got!" He walks out to his truck, removes the Leap chair I had given him, wheels it inside, and activates the optional extended hydraulic to its stratospheric maximum, by which point he was exactly at typing height. "Sweet!" he says. "This is really, nice! Thanks, everyone!" and he continues to use the desk that way for the whole day. His heels were probably barely tickling the floor, but he does have pretty long legs. Not one chair in a hundred has a tall enough hydraulic for him to have done that, but he magically shows up on the day with a tricked-out Leap chair. (And I'm sure his desk remained jacked up, too, if not quite as high as the practical joke, so it only got worse for the vertically challenged for all their troubles.)

        What I've found for myself is that proper desk configuration matters more than my chair. The top of my screen is just under 25" above my keyboard tray. This is almost exactly eye level when I sit straight with my elbows at keyboard height. I have two vertical screens, both 20" high (one dead center, the other to the right) and one landscape screen to the left, mostly reserved for videos and other content that doesn't like tall screens.

        This configuration allows me to use MUCH larger fonts than most people use, so I'm not tempted to tilt or slouch or squint.

        I have a thick memory foam cushion on my seat pan, of a fairly cheap office chair where the hydraulic failed long ago (consequently my butt is fairly low down, somewhat below my knees). I mostly sit on the front 6" of the seat pan, erect and relaxed. I don't really miss lumbar support. I do tend to lean back when I'm not typing, but my fonts are so huge I can still read the screens easily from 36" away (eye to screen). I have fewer back problems now than ever before, which I attribute almost entirely to the large screens and the large fonts.

        Also: if you have 100 key keyboard, put the mouse on the left side, so you don't have to reach across the numeric keypad to use the mouse. I have an ancient Logitech G5 (second edition) which is basically an upgraded MX518, set to a very high sensitivity: 2" lateral on the mouse pad tracks across all 45" horizontal of my three displays.

        Keeping your mouse tight to home position also discourages slouching and tilting and other forms of bad posture.

        Bottom line: desk optimally set up to maintain good posture, mediocre chair in bad condition but with a great memory foam cushion, and I'm a happy camper.

        Don't automatically assume the chair is the problem.

      • by AmiMoJo ( 196126 )

        How is the ventilation at the back? In the summer it can get pretty warm.

    • For the past 12 years I have been using the Steelcase "Please" chair.
      https://www.steelcase.com/eu-e... [steelcase.com]

      The plastic hinges do not last longer than 10 years, but the lumbar support of this chair is stellar.
      It allows you to lean back and regardless of how you lean back/forward, it supports your whole spine in every position.
      Other chairs don't even come close to this.

      I'm about to buy a new one for the next 10 years.

  • As I recall the Lucasian Chair is well respected, but hard to get. Previous iteration was string based, but since 2015 its a more of comfortable soft condensed matter thing.
  • by djbckr ( 673156 ) on Thursday April 18, 2019 @06:08PM (#58456870)
    It's expensive, and it's not an "office" chair. My desk is low enough to make it comfortable to use this chair. My previous one lasted 20 years, and I expect the one I got last year should last until I die.
  • Do NOT get an Aeron (Score:2, Interesting)

    by wonkavader ( 605434 )

    They are awful. Really absurdly bad chairs.

    If you want a chair, get one with
    1. Tight adjustable back support,
    2. A short base so that your coccyx gets all the way back to the back of the seat without the inside of your legs hitting the front of the seat
    3. No spine/bar in the front of the front of the seat which will irritate the back of your legs
    4. No GOD DAMN ARMS.

    As you can see, the Aeron loses on ALL of these. You can argue that the mesh lets you breath/stay cool and that keeps you sitting longer. If t

    • by AmiMoJo ( 196126 )

      I prefer arm rests. Much better when you do a lot of mouse work I find.

      • Arm rests are a problem for people with long arms. When I sit, my elbows are 3 inches above my butt. My chair's arms are 8 inches above my butt. I usually end up resting my arms on my desk.
    • by OzPeter ( 195038 )

      ...
      2. A short base so that your coccyx gets all the way back to the back of the seat without the inside of your legs hitting the front of the seat, ...
      Get a smaller chair rather than a bigger one.

      I agree with you mostly. The parts I disagree with are you saying to go small - because the perfect size of a chair is going to depend on the size of the person. I'm 6'1" and with most office chairs I can't get them high enough to suit my leg length and they make me feel like I'm sitting on a kiddie chair (even now with my current chair I have a gel cushion to give me some extra height. The same thing goes for the short base. I have a long base and the inside of my legs is still past the edge of the

      • Good point.

        Let me rephrase/expand on that -- don't assume a bigger chair is more comfortable or a luxury chair in some way. Bigger seats are NOT a good thing if your posterior is not correspondingly long or wide. In particular, we have big problems (in the US at least) with chairs and sofas with very deep seats -- you cannot get back support on them and they're everywhere.

        • by AmiMoJo ( 196126 )

          This is something often missed with chair reviews. It has to be easy to get out of. If it's difficult you will tend to use the arm rests to help you, which quickly destroys them.

  • Maybe I'm just a klutz, but I occasionally swing my elbow back the hard edge of these chairs catches me with my arm bent at 120 degrees and just to the inside of the funny bone. I did it a few years ago, harder than normal I guess, and I'm now numb on the left side of my left hand.
  • ... man of the board.

  • I'm using the BackStrong Chair [indiegogo.com] - a project that took a long time to deliver, have been using it a month or so now.

    It's a little hard to get used to at first but I think it may really help in the way they claim, as you spend a lot of time sitting more upright with your back supported by the lower rotating element.

    For me it hinges pretty naturally, I've read complaints from backers that for some people the seat angle is not as good, and the armrests are just the right height for me, for others they were not a

  • No matter what chair you choose, don't sit in it all day. Get an adjustable height desk and go from sitting to standing, trying to at least even out the two positions, if not standing more than sitting. A motorized one will make the transition easier than a hand crank one, but as long as you stick to it either will be fine. If that's not an option (perhaps where you work won't allow you to replace your desk with your own), then take a five minute walking break every hour (there's an app for that ;).

    Make

    • The Apple Watch may seem like a gimmick but among the helpful health things it does, one aspect I really like is the reminder to stand for at least a minute every hour. I don't always do it but it's great to get a reminder as time passes to at least think about it, so that generally I get up more during the day for short breaks.

      Another thing I do is use a smaller cup for water, so I have to get up more often to fill it... that's a much cheaper way to get up a lot. :-)

      I do plan to get an adjustable stand so

      • by AmiMoJo ( 196126 )

        Thanks for some good advice Kendall. Shame you have a nasty troll stalking you with mod points, but know that we value your contributions.

    • Standing helps some, but walking helps a whole lot more. Get up and walk around every 30 minutes if you can.

  • I've suffered with carpal tunnel syndrome and back problems for more than 25 years now. I credit being able to continue to work without further degradation to two things:

    (1) A Kinesis Contour keyboard.

    (2) A BodyBilt chair with "linear tracking arms".

    BodyBilt chairs are not cheap! But they're worth every penny ten times over. Here is a video of the linear tracking arms in use:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?... [youtube.com]

    BodyBilt chairs can be ordered with a zillion different options and configurations, so if you go this route, be sure to check out all the different options they offer. But for me, the linear tracking arms have been invaluable.

    • I forgot to mention that BodyBilt chairs are very adjustable. A chair that you can adjust to your particular body is a huge benefit. A chair that forces your body to conform to it, is going to hurt you in the long run.
    • by AmiMoJo ( 196126 )

      That video is fascinating. Do you find it affects you accuracy with the mouse at all? I tend to use my fingers for precise positioning, and I tried using my arm briefly and it felt imprecise. I expect I'd get used to it fast.

      As for keyboards I found that RealForce really helped with my arthritis. Each key is weighted differently depending on where it is, so that the ones you use your stronger fingers on are just a tiny bit stiffer than the others. It encourages you to use all your fingers properly and helps

      • That video is fascinating. Do you find it affects you accuracy with the mouse at all?

        No. But I've been using these linear tracking arms for like 25 years now. Maybe it took a little while to get used to them, but if it did, I don't remember. My recollection is that it was just an instant win.

        I tend to use my fingers for precise positioning, and I tried using my arm briefly and it felt imprecise.

        I imagine that I use a combination of both. The important thing is to eliminate (or greatly reduce) any usage of one's wrists.

        I expect I'd get used to it fast.

        I did!

        As for keyboards I found that RealForce really helped with my arthritis.

        I'm glad that you found something that has worked for you. Personally, I recommend to everyone I know that they get a Kinesis Contour Keyboard (now called "Advantage" rathe

  • Stand. Your legs may hurt the first day until they adapt, but your back will be better.
    • by asylumx ( 881307 )
      I can second this from personal experience. The first week or so that I got my stand up desk, yes my legs & back were more sore than they had been. But, after about two weeks, my chronic back pain went away almost entirely. The stand up desk was the only lifestyle change in that period for me. Recently I switched to remote work (and moved 1k miles away from the office) and for the first week or so I was working sitting at my dining table. After only a week of that, my back pain started to return.
  • Comment removed based on user account deletion
  • I'd like to make a custom chair:

    The best car seats I've ever sat in have been Volvo seats. I'd like a Volvo driver's seat (with all the power buttons enabled) mounted via hydraulic piston to a rolling base made with pneumatic wheels.

    I'd like monitor arms for 2-4 32" displays and a wraparound keyboard/mouse tray/desk.

    Probably some kind of cabinet/shelf mounted behind the chair to hold the computer.

    The monitor arms and desk thing should be mounted in a way that's independently "orbital" and can be rotated wi

  • Adjustable back height, back recline angle, seat depth, seat angle, tilt tension, and (of course) seat height. Adjustable arms go low enough to get out of my way when desired.
  • by swell ( 195815 ) <jabberwock@poetic.com> on Thursday April 18, 2019 @07:35PM (#58457232)

    I've used a wheelchair for about 30 years now. I'm reasonably healthy; go for a run every morning at 4:30, etc. But I noticed that some people spend their whole waking life in a wheelchair and I've never heard a complaint.

    It started when I had a carpeted office and two desks about ten feet apart. I was constantly going back and forth and the tiny wheels of my office chair struggled to cross the carpet. The big wheels on my wheelchair do it easily and as a bonus I can do a wheelie along the way.

    My current chair allows many customizations. Optional armrests, foot supports, fall-backward-preventers, etc. I've added a few of my own which I can't disclose until patents are issued. I fiddle with various cushions and I often have to add air to the inflatable tires, but I'm happy as a pig in slop. I don't encourage using your wheelchair to beg for alms at the street corner, but I've noticed that it can be an asset.

    • I've used a wheelchair for about 30 years now. I'm reasonably healthy; go for a run every morning at 4:30, etc.

      A run?

      as a bonus I can do a wheelie along the way.

      So your wheelchair has front and back wheels?

  • I'm a Linux consultant since 1998. Working for many customers at so many different environments... I don't like the Aeron or other expensive - but cool-looking - chairs. I prefer chairs which I can lower so they look ridiculously low, but allow me to work without having to look down too much. A very important recommendation; I think that's one of the most important things to prevent issues. If you can use laptop stands or high monitors; all the better.

    I also prefer chairs which don't move as you put more

  • If you can build a multimillion dollar bitcoin trading platfrom from a skippy ball, thy must have special powers! https://research.tradeblock.co... [tradeblock.com]
  • screws attacking the back

    I prefer my furniture to be a bit more pacifist.

  • http://ergohuman.com/ [ergohuman.com] I have been using one since a neck injury made sitting for any length a pain in the neck I have it configured with a flip out foot rest and an optional side desk that holds either laptop or ipad or other for various reasons over 5 years now nd still as good as the day I received it Still chairs and desk setup is a personal choice so choose wisely for you here is a current best chair review for the too lazy to google http://www.gadgetreview.com/be... [gadgetreview.com]
    • by MrKaos ( 858439 )

      I use a a very similar chair called Ergomesh [huset.com.au] to the Komene pictured in the gadget review link you supplied. I use the same chair at my office.

      I use a neck rest due to spinal surgery I had in my neck and found that it helps me sit back in the chair so that my entire spinal posture is better. The neck rest turned out to be a lot more important than I thought it would be.

      • by vlad30 ( 44644 )
        The neck support was what I was looking for I also researched other industries that have people sitting for long times chairs are often rated for hours they can be sat in and security and monitoring jobs look for chairs that they can sit in for hours the ergohuman and a couple of others came out on top. Most however at the time were more like huge arm chairs on castors
        • by MrKaos ( 858439 )

          Most however at the time were more like huge arm chairs on castors

          Indeed, I want a chair that keeps me alert. I forgot to mention I use a foot rest as well.

          To set all this up properly my colleagues and I would take photographs of our seating positions to get the monitor height positioned so that the spine was in the proper position to minimize fatigue. I've spent 16 hours on a session (with rest) with no fatigue or pain using that set-up.

  • It's a big chair and not ergonomic per se, but it's ulitra-conforatable. Adjust your desk to fit and you can sit there for hours.

    https://www.potterybarn.com/pr... [potterybarn.com]

  • by RhettLivingston ( 544140 ) on Thursday April 18, 2019 @08:59PM (#58457548) Journal

    I had a severe attack of sciatica last year and had to invest in furniture before I was able to get over it. I put a lot of time, thought, and physical visits to stores into the decision.

    I very quickly realized that the decision needed to be made in conjunction with a desk decision. Chairs that I thought were great routinely were not comfortable with any desk in the store.

    Arms on the chairs were definitely a no-go. If you're sitting straight up with your coccyx all the way to the back of the chair and your arms hanging straight down to the elbow, the arms will prevent you from pulling the chair in far enough to reach the keyboard without stretching your arms forward.

    The height of the chair should be such that your legs are fully supported and your feet are flat on the floor. If you're like me, you'll find that that height does not agree with the desk. I am an average height man, but I guess the lower section of my leg must be long. Very few chairs adjusted to a height that allowed my lower leg to be straight up and down with my feet flat on the floor. Most were too low. When I found a chair that was high enough and had no arms, it didn't allow me to put my legs under the desk.

    So I needed a higher desk that still provided for having a keyboard and mouse at a position that allowed my arms to slope down slightly from my elbow to fingertips. That's a very tight spec to keep the tray above my lap with my feet flat on the floor but still low enough to allow proper keyboard posture.

    In the end, a relatively cheap $300 chair worked perfectly for my body. I couldn't do better for any amount of money. But I had to purchase a $500 desk that was much more difficult to find to make it work. I also mounted my monitors to the wall to get them at the perfect height while looking straight forward.

    Now that I have the correct combination for me, my sciatica is gone, and I feel more energetic and comfortable while working.

  • I'm a tall guy - been using the large version of the Aeron for 11 years now... it gets the job done. Most of my coworkers prefer it too..

  • by e3m4n ( 947977 ) on Thursday April 18, 2019 @10:36PM (#58457792)

    sitting too long is no joke, blood congeals in your calves and if your BP gets too high you'll throw a clot and stroke, or have a heart attack or PE. Nobody is immune. I work out at least 40min every day on an elliptical machine with a pretty heavy setting. About a year ago I was involved in a pretty intense project that caused a lot of excessive sitting. One day I was working, hadnt even had time to shower after a workout and 4:30 rolled around. It was a friday, groundhogs day. I called a friend I hadn't seen in a while to come over and hang out. I needed to shower so I asked my 15yr old daughter to watch my 8yr old son who had been home all day not feeling well. As I was about to get into the shower, throwing the old clothes in the hamper, I had missed the hamper with a sock. I bent over to pick it up and it hit me. Everything started to go black, I thought I had somehow instantly come down with the flu. My first thought was I needed a bronchial dilator. As I was walking toward the bedroom door ... well the next thing I am aware of is landing face first into a metal container. I had my daughter dig out an old nebulizer with some albuterol. After 2 vials, things were still bad, my breathing was rapid like hyperventilating. Long story short, I ended up in the ER, a CT scan within 10min of arrival, and I had a saddle-clot across both branches of my pulmonary artery. Within 1hr I was in a cath lab getting a procedure called EKOS.

    If you are going to be spending a lot of time behind a desk... get the biggest exercise ball you can find, inflate it as much as you can, and use that to sit on. You should also get those compression socks. You can find them either in the pharmacy section or the luggage section of stores since they are recommended for air travel among other things.

  • A while back I started having carpal tunnel pain in both my hands. Traction made the pain better, but my doctor sent me to a physiotherapist.

    What I was told was that pain in both hands usually stems not from the hands, but from the neck. The instructions were simple and clear: stop slouching!

    This required a total reorganization of my work environment. My monitor is now both higher and much closer to my face (to entice me to push my head back). I'm still looking for a solution for the keyboard (I need to fur

    • An alternative to a keyboard shelf that might work for you is to you a flexible arm on the monitor.

      What I found is much nicer than a piano stool is a cheap office chair with the back and armrests removed. Piano stool is small, but a full-size chair I can pull my legs up and sit cross-legged for a few minutes to prevent soreness.

  • Great cheap, comfortable chair. It uses body weight to control the lean, which works surprisingly well. Sturdy. It sits tall too. Lacks adjustments other than height. Mine came with no armrests, but I see that they are including some cheap armrests with it now.
  • Now you [AmiMoJo] went and done it. I wish I'd seen this story earlier, but here's something I've been diddling with over the last few weeks...

    The chair is built from triangular panels that lock together. Each module has some stretch at the edge so the equilateral triangles can be deformed and folded to make chairs with various shapes. For places that need to curve more, you can actually replace one large triangle with four smaller triangles.

    The idea is for a fully adjustable chair for many purposes, includ

  • https://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/00103102/

    I particulary like the high back and ability to have it with the armrests upside down so I can almost lie under my desk without armrests getting stuck.

  • FWIW, I'm pleased with my Maxnomic/NeedForSeat XL chair. As someone who is 6'5" / 195cm, typical office chairs rarely come close to acceptable lift and the Maxnomic XL chairs are just about exactly right for me at their *lowest* setting. While I personally do not need the extra weight load (or... er... "width") of their XL chairs, I'm loving the sense that I'm sitting in a chair that isn't a toy.
  • Steelcase Gesture [steelcase.com]

    The Gesture is expensive (it's Steelcase's flagship chair) but it's worth it. It's comfortable, especially if you can't stand mesh chairs. Enough padding to be comfortable for extended use, but not so much that it gets uncomfortable. No memory foam to turn into pressure points over time. Armrests that adjust to any position you want. An adjustment for the depth of the seat. Four recline settings from "bolt upright" to "how am I not falling over?"

    Plus, unlike the cheap chairs at Staples,

  • https://ironhorseseating.com/ [ironhorseseating.com] I used this for several years before switching to a walking desk. The seats are made from car seat quality foam. I had to replace the seat after 5 years of 12 hours days (approximately 12x6x52x5=18720 hours). I recommend the walking desk over any chair, but recognize that choice isn't available to everyone. My wife uses the chair now, its still in great condition.
  • The Herman Miller Aeron is an excellent chair. I had one at my previous job and loved it. For my home office, I did want to pay $1000+ for a chair so I sought out a less expensive alternative.

    I found the Serta iComfort i5000 office chair that was extremely comfortable and affordable. My criteria for evaluating my personal chair was,

    - it had to comfortable to sit in for hours
    - well padded seat that didn't compress 5 seconds after you sit down
    - good lumbar support
    - adjustable height
    - heavy duty const

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