15 AWESOMELY ERGONOMIC OFFICE CHAIRS

15 Awesomely Ergonomic Office Chairs
By Julian, Business Pundit, 12 July 2013.

If we’re going to spend more than eight hours a day sitting on our butts, we might as well do it in style. Sitting has been referred to as a disease and even an epidemic. Thankfully, these incredible office chairs have the answer: ergonomic, posture-improving design. And on top of crucial health benefits, the 15 chairs we’ve collected also offer style and sophistication. One thing’s for sure: with one of these chairs, work will never be the same again.

15. LimbIC

The LimbIC is one cool office chair. Switzerland-based company Inno Motion used some of the latest principles of neuroscience and ergonomics to come up with this innovative and highly unusual “intelligent chair.” Rather than having a seat cushion for people to sit on, the LimbIC features two ergonomic shells that fit around the upper legs and allow freedom of movement. “You don’t sit, you float. You are not blocked, you are free,” claims Inno Motion.

Medical doctor Christian Larsen, who is the Scientific Head at the Spiraldynamik Medical Center in Zurich, described the LimbIC chair as “probably the most significant milestone in chair development.” And Andy Habermacher, a CEO of corporate training programs, said, “LimbIC is the first chair that not only adapts to your body, but also to your thoughts.”

14. Aeron

According to Popsci.com, Michigan-based company Herman Miller came up with this Aeron self-adjusting office chair in 2007, and the name pretty much speaks for itself. The odd-looking chair - which is still just a concept for now - is designed to automatically adjust whenever it detects a shift in weight or a change in position. This is so that proper support is provided at all times. The panels are designed to be weight sensitive, with the intention that when the user leans back, the chair will respond accordingly - meaning no more fiddling about with controls and buttons.

13. Emperor 200

Okay, so this isn’t just a chair. In fact, it’s an entire workspace environment, complete with LED lighting and an integrated Bose sound system. Designed by Quebec city-based MWE Lab, the Emperor chair and workstation is ergonomic and tilt adjustable. It comes in three models: the original Emperor 200, which includes climate controls, a glossy finish and customization options; the Emperor 1510, which is the cheapest and most slimmed down version; and the Emperor 1510 LX, which lies somewhere between the other two. Web designer Martin Carpentier designed the Emperor 200 workstation after growing increasingly frustrated with the bad ergonomics of his work desk. First introduced in 2007, the design is modelled on the emperor scorpion - hence the name.

12. B-52 Ejection Seat

Your productivity is bound to cruise at high altitudes with the addition of this B-52 Ejection Seat. California-based design company MotoArt is behind this awesome office chair. The seats are salvaged from B-52 bombers and can be painted in a number of different colours, while the cushions are available in vinyl, leather and other fabrics. Meanwhile, the all-important ejection handles are decked out in traditional yellow and black - and if you’ve got a bit of a fighter jet obsession, MotoArt also manufactures ejection seats made from salvaged F-4 Phantom fighter jets. Okay, so perhaps these beauties aren’t ergonomic per se, but they could possibly provide the most dramatic way of exiting a meeting anyone has ever come up with.

11. Nethrone

The Nethrone workstation was released in 2006. Created by well-known designer Eran Baruhe, the chair was made for gamers, web surfers and anyone who values ergonomic luxury while they work. The Nethrone can recline to an almost horizontal position, while its armrests, keyboard, LCD panel and headrest can be adjusted according to preference - and the chair even vibrates, just in case you feel like a (quake-style) massage while you work. One thing’s certain: you’re bound to feel like royalty whilst sitting in this luxurious throne.

10. Surf Chair

Danish students Kenneth Lylover and Leif Sørensen designed this suave-looking workstation for the 2000 Scandinavian Furniture Fair. Looking at it, it isn’t too surprising to learn that the design won “Best Product” in the fair’s “Internet Collection” category. Its undulating curves are reminiscent of ocean waves, while the blue cushions contrast nicely with the chair’s dark frame. The monitor is suspended overhead, and you rest your keyboard on your lap. This elegant and simple design offers lounge-like comfort for anyone hoping to surf the Internet with ease.

9. Locus Workstation

As gadget website Technabob.com puts it, the Locus Workstation is for those who are “ready to stand down and sit up.” Created by New York-based company Focal, this unique chair (for lack of a better word) allows you to comfortably enjoy a position halfway between standing and sitting. This more active body position is ergonomic and takes strain off the lower back as well. Introduced in 2012, the award-winning workstation was designed by company founder Martin Keen in response to what he calls the “sitting disease.” According to Keen, his innovative chair design “is the solution - supporting the user’s natural balancing point, encouraging healthy movement, blood circulation and oxygen flow.”

8. Chakra Chair

Prolific Egyptian-born industrial and interior designer Karim Rashid teamed up with New York-based chair design company Raynorcontract to produce this aesthetically pleasing, innovative and ergonomically designed office chair. The Chakra Chair has seven brightly coloured pads that apparently stimulate what traditional Indian medicine calls “chakras,” or pressure points. According to the theory, each chakra relates to a particular part of the body and is a focal point of our vital life energy. The chair was featured at Chicago’s NeoCon Show in 2010, but it currently doesn’t have a release date. If only we could get our hands on one of the prototypes.

7. Oki Leopard

The Oki Leopard chair is the result of a collaboration between two Japanese companies: telecommunications giant OKI Electric Industry and office furniture manufacturer the Okamura Corporation. In 2005, OKI designed a robot leg, which was developed following research into human muscle and bone structure. This concept was then combined with a sleek seat to create the Leopard chair. The idea is that the chair supports you from the moment you begin to sit down to the moment you stand up, so your body is cradled. Okamura’s Hiroki Iwashita explained, “As the creation of intellectual value becomes important, office space also requires creativity and diversity. In such a creative environment, seating is becoming an important tool and new and unconventional values are desired.”

6. Verte Chair

If you think this chair looks like alien vertebrae, you aren’t too far off. Oregon-based company Anthro Technology Furniture created the Verte Chair to follow the precise impression of users’ spines. The chair’s 11 torsion spring-loaded bearing joints form around your back’s ideal position and can be fixed into place, further encouraging you to maintain a healthy posture. Most importantly, the chair apparently helps to refine people’s postures naturally over time. The neck rest, seat, tilt, height and depth of the Verte are all adjustable, and the seat is made of leather for an executive finish.

5. Ferrari F430 Scuderia 16M

This racy seat was taken from a Ferrari F430 Scuderia 16M, so it doesn’t come cheap - especially when you consider the fact that there are just 499 of these Ferrari models in the world. Purportedly, this is one of the most comfortable and ergonomic seats that the car manufacturer has ever produced. So there’s no reason why this chair shouldn’t make a snazzy addition to your office - provided you can afford the US$25,000 price tag! The seat consists of a carbon fibre shell, which is combined with black and red leather, and it can also be ordered with a bespoke painted base. The Ferrari F430 Scuderia 16M office chair is available to order from website Carbonfibergear.com.

4. Evolution Chair

Yes, it is an exercise ball/chair hybrid. The Evolution Chair looks funny, but before you decide it isn’t incredible enough for this list, read on. Apparently, sitting on this inflatable sphere improves your core strength, relieves spinal pressure and eases muscle tension. Sharon Osborn (not that one), who works in a dental office in Phoenix, Arizona, described the experience, saying, “You can’t really slouch because it’s all about balance, you have to stay balanced, you have to stay cantered in the chair. It’s made all the difference in the world.” Dental hygienist Gina Voithofer added, “The problem with my other chair, the circulation always got cut off, when I sat down I didn’t know whether my blood would get cut off from my thighs or my feet would go numb.” The Evolution Chair was manufactured by IsoKinetics in Arizona.

3. The Daybed

The Daybed looks more like some kind of luxurious La-Z-Boy than something fit for an office, but it’s a great solution for those working on laptops. It’s ergonomically designed and comes with a special laptop table - and it’s got to be one of the most comfortable ways to work while maintaining good posture. It looks like the perfect solution to the unhealthy practice of propping your laptop on a pillow while reclining on a bed or couch. Award-winning Argentinean industrial designer Manuel Saez designed the Daybed for global ergonomic work solution company Humanscale. The chair first surfaced online in 2008, but currently there’s still no release date for the product, which is disappointing.

2. Salli Saddle

In 1989, ergonomic and back physiological experts started working on the Salli Saddle in Finland. Manufactured by global design company Salli Systems, the chair design is meant to help improve posture and can even aid healthy digestion. But does it work? The folks at ergonomics store Back Design Inc. seem to think so. Apparently, most of the company’s employees opt for saddle-style seats - even though they’ve tried hundreds of other ergonomic designs and are allowed to use whatever chairs they prefer. Reportedly, ergonomic chairs can help work muscles more effectively, thereby strengthening the butt, abdomen and back.

1. The Rocking Wheel

Although only a concept at this stage, this rocking chair looks like a stylish way to work on a laptop. It even comes with a built-in overhead light for those late night sessions. Besides looking really modern and fashionable, this chair would be just plain fun to rock back and forth in as you work. German illustrator and concept artist Mathias Koehler came up with the innovative and beautifully futuristic reinterpretation of the classic rocking chair, and it would certainly fit a modern office environment. In fact, this chair would be the perfect place to brainstorm, write notes, or simply spend a relaxing lunch break.

Top image: Emperor 1510 (source).

[Source: Business Pundit. Edited. Links added.]

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