Web Tech

May 4th, 2009 in Furniture    No Comments

The dotcom boom brought us the mesh office chair like Herman Miller’s Aeron chair. The dotcom bubble may have long since burst but the adjustable rolling chair remains a cubicle staple. This article focuses on the latest innovation in chair design due to arrive in stores in July – the Generation. Home- and office-furnishings company Knoll spent three years in collaboration with New Zealand-based Formway Design to produce this new ergonomic chair. Features include a durable rubber back and a figure-eight design that allow it to flex in support of the spine as the user moves freely through different sitting positions. The article notes that the Generation uses less material than the standard office chair and will be available in seven colors.

Source: Mangly Taing, Time; May 4, 2009

Steelcase Think Chair

April 30th, 2009 in Furniture    No Comments

It’s hard to justify purchasing new office furniture in a recession but the author of this piece thinks spending $729 on a Steelcase Think Chair could be a wise investment. The chair design features two trade-marked mechanisms developed by Steelcase after consultation with the University of Vermont’s Back Research Center.

Flexible metal bands in the chair’s back move with and support your back while the reclining apparatus under the seat ensures a smooth, jerk-free transition from sitting upright to leaning backward. Arm rests can be adjusted to move closer to your body and can also move forward or backward with a nudge from your elbows – great for shifting from your keyboard to answering your phone. Although there are no complicated levers, users can “program” their favorite chair positions with an analog, manual knob. (more…)

Your Next Office Chair Could Be a Ball

May 15th, 2006 in Trends    No Comments

Office Trend Helps Employees Get A Workout At Their Otherwise Sedentary Jobs

Driven by the popularity of Pilates and other core-strength fitness regimens, the newest trend in office furniture is … exercise balls. Already widespread in Europe and Canada (where entire office buildings have replaced regular chairs with colorful exercise balls) this trend was picked up by cutting-edge California workplaces like Google (where nearly half of its employees sit on balls) and has spread to heartland cities like Milwaukee.  Considered a boon to people who sit in offices all day, the ball-chair provides all-day muscle toning that improves posture and controls back pain.  The article ends with a number of ball-chair tips.

Source: Vikki Ortiz,  Milwaukee Journal Sentinel; May 15, 2006