How to fit an ergonomic chair Tell a friend about this page: How to fit an ergonomic chair Your Name: Your Email: Friend Email: We do not use these e-mail addresses for any purpose other than sending your Tell-a-Friend email. All fields are required. Tweet How to fit an ergonomic chair No chair is equally well suited for all body types. The perfect chair for a 6'2" computer programmer may be ineffective and even harmful if used for long periods by a 5'5" dentist. Your personal ergonomic chair should comfortably fit your unique body-type. This guide highlights the fit you should look for when choosing your ergonomic chair. Upholstery 1. Body Weight Tolerance Chairs and portable supports should fit your body size and weight. Your weight can affect the adjustment capability, durability, and safety of a chair. Most office chairs accommodate up to 250 pounds of body weight and are not warranted for more. If you weigh more than that, ask us about special seating designed and warranted for heavier people. 2. Seat Height The seat of a chair should support your thighs evenly while your feet or legs rest comfortably on the floor, footrest, or knee rest.

On a traditional chair the seat's front edge height should match the length of your lower leg (popliteal height). If you sit too low, your back will tend to flatten or round into kyphosis, making even a good backrest ineffective. In addition, you may feel pressure over your buttocks and tailbone. Taller people often find seats too low for comfort. If you are tall and don't have a tall enough chair available, raise your seat with folded towels or pillows, and don't forget to raise your work surface, too, in order to attain good seated posture. If you sit too high, you will feel pressure behind your knees, and you may experience numbness or swelling in your feet. Shorter people often find seats too high for comfort. Shorter folks need to lower their chairs and work surfaces, or use a footstool at higher desks. Footstools, however, may create other problems. We do not recommend footrests for seated tasks that require frequent movement between forward and upright postures, reaching, or scooting. Remember, if you change the tilt of your seat you may need to readjust the height of your chair.

With kneeling chairs, there should be enough room between the seat and the knee rest, and the knee rest and the floor, to allow for easy access and movement. 3. Seat Depth You should be able to sit in a chair without pressure against the back of your knees, with your back properly supported by the backrest, and with adequate buttock and thigh support. Allow a 1" to 3" space behind your knees to avoid pressure. Use a deeper seat for reclining, and a shallower seat for forward sitting, so you have room to tuck your legs under. Larger people prefer seats with larger surfaces for weight distribution. 4. Seat Width Your seat should be wider than your hips, to allow space for movement and clothing. A seat 2" wider than you are is ideal. Remember that seat width can affect armrest width. 5. Seat Angle Most people prefer a forward tilting seat for forward sitting, a nearly horizontal seat for upright sitting, and a backwards tilting seat for reclining. A "free-float" seat tilt adjusts automatically with your shifting body weight, like a rocking chair. Some office chairs use an adjustable tension free-float seat to balance your body weight.

However, most adjustable tilt tension mechanisms are too stiff for very light people, and too loose for heavier people. The seat pan angle adjustment should not cause your torso-to-thigh angle to be less than 90°. 6. Seat Cushion A very contoured seat eliminates the sensation of sliding out of your seat during forward-reaching tasks. If you are looking for better weight distribution, select a seat with contour, extra padding, or with variable density upholstery materials. If you want a seat that is easier to move on, look for less contoured or firmer seats. Keep in mind, the greater the contour, the less movement. While greater contour can be more comfortable, and can keep you from sliding in a forward tilting seat, it can also limit your movement. 7. Backrest height and width All backrests should support your lumbar spine and allow clearance for your buttocks. Your need for a backrest changes as your activity changes. A narrow backrest frees your arms and shoulders for activity. Low backrests (below the shoulder blades) and narrow backrests (no wider than the width of your waist) are best for tasks that require upper body mobility, so as not to interfere with your arm movement.

Tall backrests that support the shoulders are best for reclining. When you use a chair with a tall back rest, be sure that you still feel support in your low back area. A tall backrest that contacts your upper back with more pressure than it contacts your lower back, will cause your pelvis to roll backward and you will slump. For reclining, your backrest should reach your upper back or neck, depending on how far you recline. For upright sitting in a conventional chair, a backrest need only support your low back and perhaps your upper back. For upright sitting in a saddle-seat, no backrest is necessary. For forward activity in a conventional chair, a support for the low back alone is sufficient, although some prefer no back support at all, or a torso support instead. For forward sitting in a saddle-seat, no backrest is necessary. 8. Backrest support contour Match your neutral spinal contours to the backrest contour. The lumbar support should feel firm, without localized pressure points. 9. Backrest height adjustment Backrest contours should match the placement of your spinal curves. Women sometimes need higher lumbar backrest placement and lower upper-back and neckrest placement than men.

Women may also need a "buttock recess" between the backrest and the seat. Backrests on most office chairs and some residential chairs adjust in height. Chairs without backrest height adjustment fit fewer people. 10. Backrest pivot Backrests that pivot forward and back on a central axis permit greater movement within the low back and upper back, but can be uncomfortable if your spinal flexibility is limited. Many office chairs have a backrest pivot. A backrest pivot sometimes provides a better fit for people with a larger than average thoracic kyphosis (a.k.a. forward head, upper back slump), or a larger than average lumber lordosis. 11. Seat-to-backrest angle Your thigh-torso angle, and therefore, the seat-to-back angle in a chair, affects your spinal posture. In a chair, the tighter the seat-to-back angle, the flatter your lumbar spine will become, regardless of the agressiveness of the lumbar back support. Your low-back curve deepens into an arch as your thigh-torso angle opens (for example, when you reach high overhead).

Your low-back curve flattens into a forward bend as your thigh-torso angle closes (for example, when you sit on a low stool). Some people do better with tighter seat-to-back angles (e.g., about 115°), and others do better with more open seat-to-back angles (e.g., 135°). If your body needs a more open thigh-torso angle than the chair allows, your buttocks and back will continuously slide away from the backrest leaving you with no lumbar support, and only your upper back resting against the backrest. If your body needs a tighter thigh-torso angle than the chair allows, you will find yourself sitting upright and not using the backrest, or tucking your feet under to try to stabilize your posture without a backrest. Match your unique, neutral, thigh-torso posture to the chair's seat-to-backrest adjustment range. Some residential recliners and office chairs feature a "free-float" seat-to-backrest angle that automatically adapts to your changing postures with built-in spring tension. Be sure to recheck your seat height if you make a change in your seat angle. 12.

Adjustment controls Adjustment controls should be within easy reach from a sitting position. This is especially important for seat and backrest tilt controls. 13. Armrest height You should be able to comfortably support your forearms or elbows on the armrest without hunching up your shoulders (armrests too high), or leaning to the side to reach the armrest (armrests too wide) or slumping (armrests too low). Standard armrests should be at about the same height as the point of your bent elbows. Specialty armrests used for two-handed fine tasks (e.g., linear tracking arms, surgeon's arms, dental arms) are usually higher for use with the arms reaching forward. There is a great deal of anatomical variation in individual arm lengths and body proportions. Some people need arm support only 4" above the seat, while others may need arm support 14" above the seat. No commercially available arm rests that we have seen, have adequate adjustment to fit everyone. Arm support can reduce neck and back fatigue, facilitate body movements when you are seated, and ease back and leg loads when you enter and exit the chair. However, arm support is not always necessary or desirable.

In fact, for some tasks, armrests can actually get in the way and cause problems. If you lean on your armrests too heavily you might strain your neck, wrist and hands when you type. In general, the better your pelvis is supported by the chair, the less you will feel the need for armrests. Armrests are generally not necessary when you sit quite erect or leaning forward a bit, and your arms hang vertically at your sides (you'll need to bring your keyboard quite close to your body to type this way). The key here, is that your upper arms MUST BE VERTICAL. If you reach forward even the slightest bit, you will strain your shoulders and neck if you have no arm support. Armrests are rarely desired by people who saddle-sit. Armrests are usually beneficial when you work in a reclined posture, and if you have to hold your upper arms forward of the vertical when you work. 14. Armrest length The length of your armrest should allow you to sit close enough to your work to perform your tasks and still maintain contact with your backrest.

Armrests for reclined and non-desk activities should support your entire forearm, and if desired, all the way to your knuckles. For desk work, armrests should be recessed and provide support only to your forearm or elbow area to allow easy access to the work surface. 15. Distance between armrests Correctly placed armrests can take stressful weight off your neck and back and help you get in and out of your chair. Armrests that are too narrow interfere with arm movement; armrests that are too wide are not useful for rest or support and cause you to position your arms too far outward. People with narrow shoulders who use a wide seat may have to compromise, since seat width often affects armrest width. The inside distance of the armrests should allow you to easily enter and exit your chair. Your hips should comfortably fit between your armrests. Armrests should never get in your way, or catch your clothing. 16. Swivel Chairs that swivel let you change your reach and line of vision with less body twisting, but can feel unstable if you are doing precise work with your hands. For some, swiveling in a chair can be relaxing. 17.

Base Larger diameter bases provide greater stability. A large base is especially important on chairs that tilt very far back or sit at counter heights, i.e., drafting chairs. Swivel office chairs, except where noted, have a durable five-pointed-star, one-piece base. 18. Casters and glides Carpet castors are standard on some chairs. They are especially useful for moving yourself toward and away from a table or desk. For use on a tile or wood floor, some chairs can be ordered with glides or with braking, locking, or soft friction castors. 19. Upholstery Upholstery varies depending on the manufacturer. Most seats and backrests are made of high-density foam to give years of comfort under normal use. Most chairs are covered with durable fibers like nylon, olefin, wool, or blended fabrics. Note that many manufacturers exclude upholstery from their warranties.

Eileen Vollowitz PT Office Chair will not lock in the Upright Position | Office Chairs Q&A - Office Chairs Questions Answered Office Chair will not lock in the Upright Position Posted on April 17, 2009 by officechairuk How to lock your chair in the upright seated position will depend upon the type of mechanism your chair is fitted with. This in turn can be determined in part by the number and location of the levers under the seat. The lever to adjust the height of the seat is always located on the right (when seated), and towards the front if there is more than one lever on the right. If your chair has just one lever (on the right), this single lever will adjust the height of the seat and also lock the backrest in the upright seated position. These are simple tilt/lock chairs. Pull the lever outwards away from the chair to lock the chair in the upright seated position. Push the lever inwards towards the chair to release the chair to rock back & forth. On some multi-lock chairs with a single lever, push the lever backwards to release the chair to rock back & forth, and push the lever forwards to lock the chair in any reclined position.

If your chair has two levers, one on the right & one on the left, the lever to lock the chair in the upright seated position will be the one on the left (when seated). These are knee-tilt multi-lock chairs. Push the lever downwards to lock the chair in any reclined position or in the upright seated position. If your chair has two levers, both on the right, use the lever further back to lock the chair. These are permanent-contact backrest chairs (PCB chairs). Push the lever downwards to lock the chair’s backrest in any reclined position or the upright seated position. Pull the lever upwards to release the backrest to move with you as you lean backwards into the chair. If your chair has 3 levers – two on the right and one one the left, you have an independent seat & back tilt chair (an ISB chair). Use the lever further back on the right-hand-side to lock the backrest as described for above PCB chairs. Use the lever on the left to similarly lock or release the seat independently of the backrest.

If your chair has 3 levers, with all 3 on the right-hand-side, you have a heavy-duty independent-seat and back chair (heavy-duty ISB chair). These chairs will hold weights of up to 23 stone and can be used in 24/7 round-the-clock environments such as in call centres. They may also have a seat-slide to adjust the seat depth for tall and short users. The lever to lock and release the backrest will be the one furthest to the back. The lever to adjust the height of the seat will be the one furthest to the front, and the lever to lock and release the seat tilt will be the one in the middle. Press the rear or middle lever downwards to lock the backrest or seat respectively; pull the lever upwards to release the backrest or seat. Finally, if the lever required to lock the backrest is not locking it as it should, your chair probably has a faulty mechanism. The good news is that you probably do not have to throw your chair out because of a faulty mechanism. You can get the mechanism replaced relatively inexpensively (depending on if your chair is expensive or not!) Search Google for an office chair components supplier, or ask us at Chellgrove!

Like this: Like Loading... This article reviews a simple, practical way to counteract this tendency to hunch forward and instead improve posture by keeping the body anchored to the back of the office chair. Upright Posture Both the abdominal muscles in the front of the spine and the back muscles in the back of the spine work to hold the body erect, like two elastic bands positioned on either side of the spine. Forward leaning posture—hunching forward while sitting in an office chair—distorts this balancing system and places considerable strain on the back. Article continues below To illustrate the amount of strain on the back, think of the example of balancing a stationary motorcycle upright so that it doesn't tip over. If the motorcycle is properly balanced it can be held upright easily with one hand. Similarly, when one sits upright in an office chair, the abdominal and back muscles work in unison to maintain an erect posture with only minimal effort. Ergonomics Video However, if the motorcycle leans over a bit there is a significant difference in the amount of effort it takes to keep the bike from falling over to the ground. The more the motorcycle leans, the more effort is needed to keep it from falling over.

Similarly, when people hunch forward while sitting on an office chair their back muscles have to work much harder to hold the body up and keep it from falling forward. Simply put, leaning forward 30 degrees in an attempt to get closer to the computer screen puts 3 to 4 times more strain on the back , causing advanced wear and tear on the joint surfaces, the ligaments of the spine, and the discs located between the vertebrae1. The back muscles are also negatively affected as the continuous added strain causes them to tighten up, reducing optimal blood and nutrient flow to the back muscles. Over time this posture leads to the development of tight, rigid muscles and joints, which makes them more prone to injury. One of the biggest misconceptions with sitting is that it doesn't require any muscular effort. This is absolutely false. The back muscles are continuously working to maintain the body in an upright posture while sitting. And for those who sit in an office chair and work for long periods of time at a computer in a hunched forward posture, the structures in the back suffer considerable strain.

In This Article: Video: Reverse Arch Stretch (Office Chair Stretch) for Back Pain Relief Technique to Avoid Hunching While Sitting in an Office Chair To avoid the natural tendency to hunch forward while sitting in an office chair and working at a computer, this simple technique is fool-proof. Place a tennis ball between the middle back and the office chair on each side of the spine (See Figure 1 ). Holding the tennis ball (or similar ball) in place while sitting and working at a computer accomplishes three things: Because the mind senses the ball, it remains connected with the body instead of being completely absorbed by what is on the computer screen. Maintaining more awareness of the body allows one to more easily maintain better posture. By leaning back into the tennis ball an acupressure effect is created, which stimulates blood flow into the area and physically releases contracted muscle and connective tissue. The pressure of the ball also creates a central nervous system mediated analgesic effect that is somewhat similar to acupuncture, loosening tight areas while sitting in the office chair and getting work done2.

Importantly, if one does get absorbed into work and starts to lean forward the tennis ball will fall out, serving as a concrete reminder to stop hunching forward and straining the back. Please note that the above technique and the advice provided on the following pages are effective, cost next to nothing, have no adverse side effects and are quite easy to do. Avoiding Mistakes when Buying a Power Lift Chair Recliner CMT - Charcot-Marie-Tooth Channel Share This Article Avoiding Mistakes when Buying a Power Lift Chair Recliner: Five Tips From A Licensed Physical Therapist By Jeff Roth MPT If getting up and down from a sofa or chair is not as simple as it used to be for your loved one, buying a power lift chair may be the right move as they are relatively inexpensive for the benefits they provide. There are so many options, both in stores and online, when it comes to buying mobility equipment that it can become overwhelming. As a licensed physical therapist and home health care specialist, I assess people with physical disabilities on a daily basis and can provide insight to avoid mistakes in your purchase. Below are five points to consider when selecting your lift chair. Number of Positions The most important feature to consider.

When looking at chairs, you'll see some are '2 Position', some '3 Position' and some 'Infinite Positions'. Infinite position models have two motors to let the footrest move independent of the back portion. Those who want to sit upright, but also have the footrest up, will need this type of chair. Both '2 Position' and '3 Position' chairs require the backrest to recline to have the footrest slide out because they only have a single motor. '3 Position' chairs differ from '2 Position' types in that they allow full recline; 2 positions only recline to 45 degrees. Fit Just like any recliner, you want the chair to fit your body size. This is very important because the larger the chair, the deeper the seat cushion. Choose a chair that's too big and your legs may not touch the floor when sitting straight up. Choose a model that's too small and your lower back area might not respond well. Type of Covering Do you sweat a lot? Leather may not be the best choice. Is incontinence a problem? Perhaps material made of cloth does not make sense in this case.

In most cases, leather will cost more, but do not discount its benefits. Living Area Do you have a fairly tight area in your living room to place the chair? Does it need to be against a wall? Models are available that can start against a wall and slide open forward without banging into the wall behind it. Standard models both slide out and backwards, which may be a problem in tight areas. Advanced Features Higher end models provide features such as heated seats, lift speed variations, vibrating seats and cup holders. While these may seem unnecessary, people with aches and pains could find them very soothing and worth the higher price tag. Best of luck in your lift chair purchase. Licensed Physical Therapist Jeff Roth, MPT, is owner of Roth Therapy Services, LLC, a home health care specialty practice in Pittsburgh, PA. In addition to his practice, Mr. Roth offers product reviews and expertise on aspects of home health at his Web site Email him at info@walkersandwheelchairs.com . Office Chair Ergonomics Video Sitting in an office chair for prolonged periods of time can definitely cause low back pain or worsen an existing back problem.

The main reason behind this is that sitting, in an office chair or in general, is a static posture that increases stress in the back, shoulders, arms, and legs, and in particular, can add large amounts of pressure to the back muscles and spinal discs. See Back Muscles and Low Back Pain When sitting in an office chair for a long period, the natural tendency for most people is to slouch over or slouch down in the chair, and this posture can overstretch the spinal ligaments and strain the discs and surrounding structures in the spine. Over time, incorrect sitting posture can damage spinal structures and contribute to or worsen back pain. Read more: Posture to Straighten Your Back Guidelines for Office Chair Setup An ergonomic office chair is a tool that, when used properly, can help one maximize back support and maintain good posture while sitting. However, simply owning an ergonomic office chair is not enough - it is also necessary to adjust the office chair to the proportions of the individual's body to improve comfort and reduce aggravation to the spine. See Good Posture Helps Reduce Back Pain The first step in setting up an office chair is to establish the desired height of the individual’s desk or workstation.

This decision is determined primarily by the type of work to be done and by the height of the person using the office chair. The height of the desk or workstation itself can vary greatly and will require different positioning of the office chair, or a different type of ergonomic chair altogether. See Choosing the Right Ergonomic Office Chair Article continues below Once the workstation has been situated, then the user can adjust the office chair according to his or her physical proportions. Here are the most important guidelines - distilled into a quick checklist - to help make sure that the office chair and work area are as comfortable as possible and will cause the least amount of stress to the spine: Elbow measure First, begin by sitting comfortably as close as possible to your desk so that your upper arms are parallel to your spine. Rest your hands on your work surface (e.g. desktop, computer keyboard). If your elbows are not at a 90-degree angle, adjust your office chair height either up or down. Thigh measure Check that you can easily slide your fingers under your thigh at the leading edge of the office chair. If it is too tight, you need to prop your feet up with an adjustable footrest.

If you are unusually tall and there is more than a finger width between your thigh and the chair, you need to raise the desk or work surface so that you can raise the height of your office chair. Calf measure With your bottom pushed against the chair back, try to pass your clenched fist between the back of your calf and the front of your office chair. If you can’t do that easily, then the office chair is too deep. You will need to adjust the backrest forward, insert a low back support (such as a lumbar support cushion, a pillow or rolled up towel), or get a new office chair. Low back support Your bottom should be pressed against the back of your chair, and there should be a cushion that causes your lower back to arch slightly so that you don’t slump forward or slouch down in the chair as you tire over time. This low back support in the office chair is essential to minimize the load (strain) on your back. Never slump or slouch forward in the office chair, as that places extra stress on the structures in the low back, and in particular, on the lumbar discs. See Office Chair Back Support Resting eye level Close your eyes while sitting comfortably with your head facing forward.

Slowly open your eyes. Your gaze should be aimed at the center of your computer screen. If your computer screen is higher or lower than your gaze, you need to either raise or lower it to reduce strain on the upper spine. Armrest Adjust the armrest of the office chair so that it just slightly lifts your arms at the shoulders. Use of an armrest on your office chair is important to take some of the strain off your upper spine and shoulders, and it should make you less likely to slouch forward in your chair. Stay Active To Reduce Back Pain in the Office No matter how comfortable one is in an office chair, prolonged static posture is not good for the back and is a common contributor to back problems and muscle strain . To avoid keeping the back in one position for a long period, remember to stand, stretch and walk for at least a minute or two every half hour. Even a quick stretch or some minimal movement – such as walking to the water cooler or bathroom - will help. A twenty minute walk will help even more, promoting healthy blood flow that brings important nutrients to all the spinal structures.

In general, moving about and stretching on a regular basis throughout the day will help keep the joints, ligaments, muscles, and tendons loose, which in turn promotes an overall feeling of comfort, relaxation, and ability to focus productively. See Simple Office Chair Stretch Alternatives to Traditional Office Chairs While this article is about traditional office chairs, some people prefer more active, ergonomic chairs, such as a Swedish kneeling chair or a Swiss exercise ball. See Exercise Ball Uses While a traditional office chair is designed to provide complete support, these alternatives help promote good posture without a back support. They also require more active use of one's muscles (e.g. for balance and to sit upright). If you have an injured back or other health problems, it is advisable to first talk with your doctor prior to using one of these types of chairs. For more information, see Alternatives to Traditional Office Chairs . There is no single type of office chair that is optimal for all patients, and people should determine their individual preference for comfort while following the guidelines explained in this article to promote good posture and back support while sitting in an office chair.

Parts of a Chair | Prop Agenda Parts of a Chair Eric Hart Learning the names and terms for parts of objects is important in developing your shared vocabulary for easier communication. If a designer asks you to “make the splat wider”, you don’t want to waste your time trying to widen a drop of paint. For chairs, this was a little tricky trying to distill down all the general parts. Not all chairs have all the parts. Some parts are only specific to certain styles or time periods. Various people refer to similar parts by different names; in some contexts, they can be synonyms, while in others, they might have slightly different definitions. I’ve tried to exclude terminology which describes styles of parts. So while I defined a “leg”, I haven’t included a “cabriole leg”. Some parts of a chair You can refer to the drawing above as well as the one below when looking at the definitions. At the end of today’s post, I’ve included a full-size drawing of both diagrams together at a higher resolution so you can print it out and hang it up. Have fun!

Some more parts of a chair apron – the strips that run between the legs and connects to the surface (seat) arm or armrest - part that supports your elbow and forearm arm support – generalized term for the upright piece which supports the arm back rail - rails specific to the seat back back upright – synonym for “stile” corner bracket – item which connects two members for added support and structure cresting - ornamental topping, usually set in the center of the top of a chair-back cresting rail – rail which contains the cresting, aka top rail ear - small projecting member or part of a piece or structure, either decorative or structural foot - bottom of the leg headpiece - another word for “top rail” or “headrest”.

With cresting, can be called “cresting rail” leg - support for the chair lower rail – lowermost rail of the seat back manchette (arm pad) – upholstered patch or cushion on an armrest mid rail – rail close to the vertical center of the seat back rail – horizontal bar (of the back) seat – the piece you set your bum on seat back – general term encompassing the whole back of a chair, from the seat on up seat rail – a synonym for the apron, or a single piece of the apron shoe - a piece that sits on the back seat rail and holds the bottom of the splat, allowing easy replacement of a broken splat without disassembling the whole chair skirt - band of fabric that hangs free from the bottom of an upholstered cushion.

Sometimes used as a synonym for “apron” slip seat – a seat which is easily removable to facilitate re-upholstery spindle - a cylindrically symmetric shaft splat - a vertical central element of the chair back stile - outside vertical framing member (of the back) stretcher – horizontal support element joining the legs top rail – uppermost rail of the seat back upholstered back – a padded back covered in fabric upholstered seat – a padded seat covered in fabric upright - vertical members of a chair back Click to load a large version for printing Lift Chairs & Seating: Products for Seniors & Disabled - Disabled World Lift Chairs & Seating: Products for Seniors & Disabled Synopsis: Information and reviews on a variety of lift chairs and power recliners for seniors and people with a disability. About Lift Chair Also known as rise or recliner chairs, are chairs that feature a powered lifting mechanism that pushes the entire chair up from its base, and so assists the user to move more easily to a standing position. Lift chairs can be useful to the elderly, infirm, or disabled. They can aid comfort and mobility and also promote independence.

Most lift chairs will work with weights up to 450 pounds (204 kg) although some can handle up to 700 pounds (318 kg). Main Document Information and reviews on a variety of lift chairs and power recliners for seniors and people with a disability. A lift chair is a device that gradually lifts the person to a standing position or gradually descends the person into a sitting position without causing any injuries. It has the look and feel of a normal recliner which makes it very comfortable for the individual. Most lift chairs plug directly into the wall, but feature a backup power supply that is activated when the power goes out. Many people who are mobility challenged depend on their lift chair to stand and could not do so otherwise without assistance. The battery backup ensures that they will never be left without this precious resource. The look and design of the chair also allows it to fit in with the rest of the furniture easily without looking out of place. The chairs are available in many different sizes and you can have custom designs by picking out fabrics and colors. Many elderly and those who suffer from arthritis or limited mobility find lift chairs to be the answer.

Power lift chairs have a built in motor that changes the position of a seat from sitting down to a complete upright position. These electric lift chairs are specially designed to prevent them from folding down on the individual or tipping over. Most lift chairs have two positions, upright and sitting down. Electric lift chairs can generally hold weight up to 375 pounds. Special chair lifts can be made for heavier individuals. A newer design on the market is the multi position lift chair. They are deeper and wider than the two position lift chairs. The additional position is called the napping position, which is a fully reclined position. The weight limit is the same as that of the two position lift chair. Another popular option is chairs that are wall huggers. Wall huggers are designed so that they can be placed very close to the wall, while still completely reclining. These are great for areas with limited space and some can be placed as close as six inches to the wall, without affecting how far back the chair can recline. This is about a third of the distance a traditional lift chair requires. Many lift chairs are designed to look just like regular chairs and recliners. They blend in well with other furniture and come in a wide array of colors.

They are made of many types of fabrics as well including vinyl and leather. Some chairs offer heat and massaging options as well. Prices of lift chairs vary based on the brand, the size, the fabric, options, and how many positions they have. They start as low as $400 and are as much as several thousand dollars. Recliner Lift Chairs Recliner lift chairs are very useful for individuals who have a difficult time getting from a sitting to standing position, as well as for those who have a hard time going from a standing position to a comfortable sitting position. Lift chairs are available with a variety of features, designed to provide the best types of services to those who need it. The chairs also feature a fully reclined position that allows for comfortable sitting and sleeping in the chair. This type of reclining chair is used by individuals who have arthritis, aches and pains, and who find moving from one position to another painful. They also have a backrest that offers the user added support. Many models come with a footrest that raises slightly higher to provide comfort and improve leg circulation. Some recliner chair lifts have a memory button. Once you find a position you like, easily program it into the remote control.

Whenever you want to return to that position, push that button on the controller. Most reclining lift chairs have a motor. With the touch of a button, you can move the chair from a sitting position to a full upright position. This process takes place at a speed that is comfortable for any individual. Once you are in a full upright position, you can walk away from the chair, or even use your walker. When you are ready to sit down, simply stand against the chair. Using the control buttons, it will slowly take you from a standing to sitting position. Most reclining lift chairs have a wider seat than most recliners, to allow for easier use. Zero Gravity Chairs The zero-gravity sitting position, developed and heavily researched by NASA, is one of the best ways to relieve back and neck pain. In the zero-gravity reclining position, the legs are raised above the heart. This in turn puts your back and spine into the correct resting position. One of the most important parts of the zero-gravity reclining position is that your spine is put into the correct neutral position, but there are many other advantages as well. The zero-gravity position relieves stress on the lower back and reduces or eliminates disc compression.

It also helps improve lung capacity and circulation due to the way the torso is positioned relative to the legs. The neutral back position maintains the natural curves of the spine and reduces strain on the ligaments and muscles. These features are incredibly important if you suffer from back problems, but also if you want to keep your body healthy. There are various quality manufacturers that offer power lift chairs. One of them is Pride Mobility, which offers four product lines of lift chairs. They include Heritage, Classic, Elegance and Specialty. Another popular name in the lift chair business is Golden Technologies. The firm's line up of chairs include the Value Series, Comforter, Traditional, Signature, MaxiComfort and Golden Designer. Other brands are La-Z Boy, Med-Lift and Maxi-Comfort among others. There is virtually no limit in style and comfort in today's lift chairs. Whether you are 4'9" and weigh 85 pounds or 6'5" and weigh 500 pounds, there is a lift chair to fit you. Quick Facts: Lift Chair Lift chairs come in many styles and sizes. Being properly fitted is very important for safety. One size does not fit all. Each chair is made for certain height and weight capacities.

A Medicare Approved Provider is trained in fitting each client accurately. Find a local lift chair showroom and try the chairs out. No one would purchase a regular recliner without trying it out first. Chairs that are well made usually have a good warranty. Ask about the warranty on each chair and how the chairs are serviced. A big furniture or discount store may not even know the answer to this very important question. Determine the best chair for the particular need. Many chairs lay down in a full sleeper position. Zero gravity positions offer many benefits such as back relief, improved circulation, and expanded lung capacity. Also, many chairs are the standard 2 and 3 way positions Feet should be on the floor when the chair is in a seated position. When the chair is rising, feet should not be dangling! Consider the space that the chair will fill. Is it small? How far from the wall does it need to be? Is there room to walk past the chair if it is reclined Make sure there are many fabric options available. Look for regular upholstery, vinyl, leather, microfiber,or new cleanable fabrics. Many lift chairs are more stylish than ever before. Look for plush Big Man chairs or sleek wing backs.

Share on: Promoting Healthy Movement and Natural Alignment – Research – Herman Miller Pelvic/Sacral Distal thigh / Figure 4 / The Embody tilt has three linked support zones: 1) thoracic, 2) pelvic/sacral, and 3) distal thigh. The zones work as a system to encourage freedom of movement, which is vital to good health. They are designed especially to support the working recline posture—the healthiest posture for computer users given both the need to offload upper body weight onto the backrest and to view the computer display. The thoracic zone holds the sitter’s head upright throughout the postural range, allowing the eyes to remain level in relation to the computer screen. The base of the Embody backrest is fixed relative to the seat, stabilizing the pelvis in the same natural, supported position throughout the range of postures. This requires no additional adjustment to support the sacrum and keep it from rotating rearward. Together, the thoracic and pelvic/sacral zones also address a common tendency for the sitter to have a feeling of sliding out of the chair when reclining. They address this by moving at rates that counteract the increasing sliding-out force.

In the Embody chair, the sitter does not drop so far vertically in space due in part to the segmented seat. The distal thighs remain horizontal, enabling the feet to remain flat on the ground throughout the postural range, thereby delivering more comfort and constant support. Similarly, the eyes—which also do not drop so far vertically—are able to stay in alignment with the computer display throughout the postural range from upright to reclined. / See Figure 5 / / Figure 5 / As the sitter shifts from upright to reclined postures in Embody, the thigh remains horizontal, the seat pocket is maintained (stabilizing the pelvis), and contact support in the thoracic region is continuous, allowing the sitter to look forward and down without neck strain. Tuning the tilt to the weight of the person provides another way to encourage healthy movement. Ten turns of the tilt’s tension knob allow the sitter to match the resistance of the mechanism to his or her weight. This adjustment helps ensure proper support for the body throughout the postural range. Further, the Embody tilt mechanism allows the sitter to “dwell” in any position from upright to full recline until he or she is ready to shift to the next position.

By encouraging shifting positions, the Embody tilt builds on research that has clearly established the health benefits of postural change: Muscle movement serves as a pump to improve blood circulation (Schoberth, 1978). Movement of the spine nourishes the intervertebral discs through hydration (Holm and Nachemson, 1983). Continuous movement of joints is therapeutic for joints and ligaments (Reinecke, 1994). To encourage additional movement in the seated position, the Embody tilt has an articulation that allows a sitter to stretch beyond the fitted postural support from any tilt-limited position or at the end of the tilt range. The extra extension mode is called the “kicker.” It allows the user to extend and flex his or her torso in the lumbar region while the backrest maintains support. It is activated by simply applying a little extra force in the upper part of the backrest. / See Figure 6 / Along with the chair’s narrow backrest and frameless silhouette, this removes the constraints found in a conventional, single-part backrest and allows healthful movement at the sitter’s discretion for stretching the neck, shoulders, and lumbar spine.

The kinematic returns the sitter to the fitted backrest shape by default. / Figure 6 / The Embody tilt supports the working recline posture. The "kicker" provides an extra amount of movement. Back support is also a result of the Backfit adjustment. It allows the flexible, segmented backrest to be tuned, or fitted, for an individual—across the spectrum of people’s S-shaped back profiles—to achieve postural equilibrium appropriate for postures associated with technology-based tasks. The thoracic support zone can be adjusted forward or rearward through a 9.3-degree range within which a sitter will find his or her neutral, balanced body posture with head balanced over the torso and eyes aimed at the horizon. This position also becomes the starting point for the sitter’s visual display. With the Backfit adjustment, the sitter rotates the entire back rearward or forward. A sitter with a curved back rotates it rearward, effectively providing more room for the thoracic curvature. This brings the head and eyes rearward of the pelvis to where they need to be to allow the person to effectively gaze slightly downward to the center of the visual display (rather than at a more pronounced angle).

A person with a flat back brings the backrest forward to also gaze downward at his or her display—rather than looking over and beyond. In effect, the Embody chair not only accommodates spinal curvature, it embraces it. / See Figure 7 / / Figure 7 / No matter what the sitter’s spinal curvature, the Backfit adjustment lets the person achieve a neutral, balanced posture and stay aligned with the visual display. The Embody chair’s ability to embrace spinal curvature results in continuous support through the full range of postures. This was observed in a study conducted at a leading university ergonomics laboratory. Subjects sat in an Embody chair and four other chairs with various backrest designs (none of which had thoracic adjustment capabilities). Subjects performed four tasks in a random order. Pressure-sensitive mats draped across the chairs’ backrests recorded the dynamic distribution and intensity of pressure throughout the trials. As subjects’ torso angles became more reclined, the center of pressure shifted vertically regardless of chair. The increase in the average contact area, from upright keying to reclined video watching, was greatest for the Embody chair.

This suggests that, when reclining, the Embody backrest provides greater support to the sitter’s upper back compared to other chairs. (University of California Berkeley, 2008). Movement—and proper support as it occurs—is central to the design of the Embody tilt. As research has shown, a chair that fits the sitter perfectly does not promote healthful sitting unless it also encourages freedom of movement. By supporting instinctive motion that balances the freedom of movement with the security of stability, the Embody tilt addresses the health negative conditions that can occur with static postures. Beyond supporting healthy movement while seated, the Embody tilt promotes natural alignment. With Embody, the sitter’s head level in relation to a computer screen doesn’t drop when the person is in the working recline position. This allows the sitter to stay aligned with the visual display naturally. References Andersson (1981), “Epidemiologic aspects of low-back pain in industry,” Spine. Andersson, et al. (1974), “Lumbar disc pressure and myoelectric back muscle activity during sitting. 1. Studies on an office chair,” Scandinavian Journal of Rehabilitation Medicine.

Civilian American and European Surface Anthropometric Resource (CAESAR), 1998–2003. Dowell, Green, and Yuan (2001), “Office Seating Behaviors: An Investigation of Posture, Task, and Job Type,” Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society 45th Annual Meeting. HFES, Santa Monica, CA. Gscheidle and Reed (2004). “Sitter-selected postures in an office chair with minimal task constraints.” Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society 48th Annual Meeting. HFES, Santa Monica, CA. Holm and Nachemson (1983), “Variations in nutrition of the canine intervertebral disc induced by motion,” Spine. Reinecke and Hazard (1994), “Continuous passive lumbar motion in seating,” in Hard Facts about Soft Machines, edited by Lueder and Noro. Schoberth (1978), “Vom richtigen sitzen am arbeitsplatz,” University of Frankfurt, Ostsee Clinic. University of California Berkeley (2008).

“Back Load and Postural Response to Five Chairs,” Ergonomics Program, UC-Berkeley. Credits Championing research and creativity in the earliest phases of Herman Miller’s product development efforts, Gretchen Gscheidle leads the team that explores unmet customer needs and responds to strategic questions identified by various organizational leaders. As the research link in all of the company’s seating introductions beginning with the Aeron chair in 1994, Gretchen has a strong record of participation and contribution in product development at Herman Miller. She is a member of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society and represents Herman Miller on the Office Ergonomics Research Committee. Her research has been published in peer-reviewed journals. Gretchen earned a BFA in Industrial Design from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and graduated from Northwestern University’s McCormick School of Engineering with a Master’s of Science in Product Design and Development. The late Bill Stumpf studied behavioral and physiological aspects of sitting at work for more than 30 years. A specialist in the design of ergonomic seating, his designs include the Ergon chair, introduced by Herman Miller in 1976 and, with Don Chadwick, the equally innovative Equa and Aeron chairs.

He contributed significantly to the design of the Embody chair prior to his death in 2006. In that same year, he posthumously received the National Design Award in Product Design presented by the Smithsonian’s Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum. per-Hewitt, National Design Museum. Jeff Weber credits his love of furniture design to working with Bill Stumpf, who designed for Herman Miller for 30 years. Weber joined forces with Stumpf’s Minneapolis firm in 1988. That led him to his association with Herman Miller. Weber worked with Stumpf on the Embody chair and, after Stumpf died in 2006, Weber evolved the design at his Minneapolis-based Studio Weber + Associates. In addition to the Embody chair, Weber’s designs for Herman Miller include the Intersect portfolio, Caper seating, and the Avive table collection. divider Real vs. Fake: The Eames Lounge | Manhattan Nest Real vs. Fake: The Eames Lounge Posted: Mar 25 · Comments: 72 I know this post is kind of a departure from my regular programming ’round these parts, but what can I say?

It’s Monday, it’s almost the end of March, it’s snowing, possibly this is the rapture, my apartment building has no heat, and I woke up feeling like it was high time to nerd out over chairs. So. Remember how I used to have a fake Eames lounge chair? Back when my living room looked like this: Yeah. Well. When we received the very special things from my grandparents’ house , there was a brief hot second when I had two Eames lounge chairs—the real deal, straight out of Zeeland, Michigan circa 1972, and the fakey guy who I think was manufactured by Plycraft, probably a few years later. “Reproductions” and “replicas” and “inspired-by” designs have been around for forever, but it seems like only in more recent years have these unauthorized replicas inched closer and closer to looking like the real thing. Now. There is a whooooollllleeee long debate to be had about “real” vs. “fake” and the legal standing of intellectual property surrounding furniture designs and who is getting ripped off and how and what this means for society and design and quality and whether the sky is blue.

Frankly, I’d rather not get into that because everybody has their own opinions and I find that type of squabbling annoying. Personally, I can’t picture myself buying a newly-produced knock-off piece of furniture for a number of reasons, but I think the rules change a little when you’re talking vintage and secondhand. Nobody’s getting hurt, it isn’t perpetuating the lousy knock-off furniture industry—it’s just good clean old-fashioned thrifty fun times. I support that. Point is, people often wonder what the differences are between authentic and knock-off furniture—Eames lounge chairs, specifically—and it’s hard to find a good guide explaining it. So being in the unique position of owning both concurrently, I thought it would be a good time to put together a little show and tell. The first thing you’ll notice is that the knock-off Plycraft (left) is huge. This is a pretty standard issue with knock-off furniture: getting the proportions all wrong. One of the many things the Eames’s did very well was scale—the 670 has all the comfort of a larger lounge chair, but is really only as big as it needs to be without sacrificing comfort.

The elimination of that kind of bulk is a big part of its charm. Even modern-day knock-offs are usually too big or just proportionally super weird. The base is often the most telling difference between an authentic chair and a knock-off. Vintage knock-offs usually have a base like Plycraft, or a flat chrome X base. The Herman Miller base is powdercoated black with chrome on the top, and each foot has a height adjustment to accommodate uneven flooring. Clever! Modern knock-offs usually get the base wrong by designing the legs with an incline that’s way too steep. It makes the chair look like it’s frightened or standing on tip-toes, which is just not all that pretty. The design of the base also affects the incline of the chair. Vintage knock-offs (and some modern ones) try to make the chair into more of a recliner by adding a spring mechanism that allows it to tilt forward and back, but the base position is much more upright than the 670. The real chair is at a constant stationary position that’s something between upright and reclining. The wood shells and rubber shockmounts give the chair a little flex, but it doesn’t actually tilt at all.

Some people find this prescribed positioning wildly uncomfortable, but that’s a matter of personal taste. I found the Plycraft chair really uncomfortable because it required effort to tilt back and remain there, so as soon as I took my feet off the ottoman it would spring forward to its upright position. The 670, for me, really is just right. I love that thing. The biggest difference, structurally, between vintage knock-offs and the real thing is that the plywood shells on the Eames chair are continuous, without any exposed hardware (except, of course, the vertical braces holding together the middle and top shell). Charles and Ray Eames are known for their honest use of materials and exposed structure, but they also believed in elegant solutions to vexing engineering problems—like how to hold this gorgeous thing together. The solution they came up with was the rubber shockmount, which is basically a metal disc encased in rubber. The Eames lounge has 4 oval shockmounts, bonded to the inside of the wood shell at the upper tips of the bottom shell and the “ears” of the middle shell.

A black metal plate attaches to both shockmounts on each side, and then the upholstered armrest is fitted on top of the metal plate and secured from underneath. That’s a little hard to explain. The knock-off chair, however, just says fuck it! and screws directly through the wood shell from the outside instead of into shockmounts from the inside. Make sense? Additionally, the cushions in the authentic chair are secured by clips on the inside of the wood shells and the backside of the cushions, whereas the cushions on the knock-off chair are held on by small screws that go through the shell and into the back of the cushion (which in this case is a lower-quality, thinner plywood shell covered in foam and leather). This all adds up to plywood shells that look OK from afar but are actually covered in screws holding everything together. Not so elegant, but it gets the job done. Often vintage knock-offs will have a small metal brace between the bottom shell and the middle shell, which takes some pressure off the sides as the main structural support. Whereas the authentic 670 gives the impression of three floating wood shells, it’s pretty plainly obvious how the knock-off works.

Most modern knock-offs look more like the originals because they’ve gotten more ballsy about directly copying both the style and the engineering of the original chair. This is partly where the problem of “quality” comes in, because even the Herman Miller chair is prone to problems. Tragic, horrible problems. Like so. I debated even sharing this because it was pretty sad and SUCH a headache, but here you go. Consider yourself warned. The main engineering failure of the 670 is that it relies solely on the adhesion of four rubber shockmounts to support the weight of a human being reclining in it. What I really wish I had known is that after about 40 years, give or take a few, the rubber tends to shrink and become brittle and the adhesive tends to fail. So, one day, a person—say, your adorable boyfriend named Max—decides to sit in the chair. The bond between the shockmount and the shell fails on one side, putting the pressure of all his weight on the remaining side. In the course of a split second, the middle shell swings backward under the weight, bends, and snaps completely in two. You hear a sickening sound from the next room and know something terrible has happened.

You enter the room to find your boyfriend on the floor, your chair lying in a depressing, crumpled mess around him. I may not have many strengths, but I have one that I’m fairly confident about: I don’t cry over spilt milk. Which is a stupid saying, because really, who would? But for somebody as into stuff and pretty little things as I am, I really don’t sweat it too much when stuff breaks. I break things with decent enough frequency to recover pretty fast. Shattered dish? Whatever. Ink stain on my favorite shirt? Shit happens. Cherished Eames 670 lounge chair inherited from my grandparents? This was a tough pill to swallow. We’d only had the chair about a month or so, and it had been all smooth sailing and fancy recline-y times, and now it was totally broken and unusable. My grandparents weren’t the sorts of people who were all that precious about stuff, and I think that’s healthy. For everything the chair symbolized and recalled for me, it is, ultimately, just a thing. It isn’t my grandparents and it isn’t my memories.

It’s metal and wood and leather and foam and rubber and some stupid glue that just didn’t hold. Which is shitty, but not as shitty as a lot of other things that are shitty. So there weren’t any tears or real dramatics. We just picked up the pieces, disassembled the whole thing, and got to work trying to figure out what to do. I found out that this isn’t altogether uncommon. It happens mostly to vintage chairs, but even some new chairs as well. Turns out that Herman Miller only warrantees the shockmounts for 3 years, and after that, you’re on your own. I don’t blame the Eames’s for this—after all, this chair was produced in 1956 and was totally revolutionary at the time. The shockmount technology was an innovative and incredibly elegant solution, and it seemed strong. It did last for 40 years on this chair, to its credit, and had I known that this might happen I would have had the shocks replaced preemptively. I asked a lot of smart, wood-worky people about what it would take to fix the broken shell, and the news was pretty consistently disappointing.

Because the wood breaks at a major stress point, it isn’t something that a little wood epoxy can really fix, and the repair is highly specialized and expensive. A new shell can be ordered from a couple third-party retailers, but I couldn’t imagine that the new shell would match the 40 year old sun-faded rosewood veneer of the remaining original shells. Herman Miller recommends buying an entirely new set of shells from them (the design has changed slightly, and I was told that the new 7-ply shells don’t interface properly with the old 5-ply ones), but that was basically the cost of a new chair and was even more depressing because all I really wanted to do was repair my grandparents’ chair, maintaining as much of the original materials as possible but making it functional, strong, and something I wouldn’t have to worry about. The last thing I want in my living space is something I’m scared to use or uptight about other people using. I don’t believe in “showpieces,” and this chair is no exception. I even considered this DIY fix , which sounded kind of amazing until I read in other places that it wasn’t likely to hold for very long, at which point the shell really would be irreparable.

So we saved up and let the chair sit in sad pieces for a while before finally biting the bullet and getting the repair done by Olek Lejbzon , a furniture restoration company in New Jersey who specialize in this repair. If you click the link, you can see that this repair wasn’t done with quite as much finesse as advertised. If I were more concerned about maintaining the monetary value of the chair for resale or whatever, I probably would have been pissed with how obviously mis-matched the grain patterns are and all that, but honestly? I don’t care. The work has a great guarantee and I think was the best solution for us. It seems really strong, and most importantly I can sit in the chair without feeling like I could break it at any moment. There’s a certain honesty about it, too. It isn’t perfect, but that’s what gives it history. It was my grandparents’ chair, and then it was mine, and then it broke and I did what I could to make it whole again. And it’s all right there, in that awkward little line where something will never look quite right again. And that’s OK.

Question: What is the name of the upright member fitted into the back of a chair
Answer: A splat