Problogger Darren Rowse asks his readers for office chair recommendations. This is a subject that is somewhat unfortunately near and dear to my heart as I grew up in a family business selling office chairs and furniture, and my dad is an ergonomics expert.
All jokes aside, it is an important subject as people are spending an unnatural amount of time sitting while working on computers.
Without question, the chair my dad recommends to the majority of people working on computers with or without back pain, isn’t even technically a chair, it’s the Swopper Stool. I use the Swopper at home at my computer, and I should probably get one for work as well.
The reason a Swopper is better than standard ergonomic office chairs:
- It forces you to sit with a proper posture instead of slumping in a chair with a back.
- It bounces up and down and side to side, it allows you to move around and “sit in motion”. This keeps your spine lubricated and muscles moving throughout the day. It provides for better blood circulation as well as helping to strengthen your core muslces while sitting (abdomen and lower back).
- It relieves back pain from sitting due to the posture and movement.
- Sitting on a Swopper keeps you energized and alert due to the ability to move and proper posture.
- It is a contemporary and stylish piece of furniture that is well made and looks good while being a conversation piece.
Many people try to substitute an exercise ball to achieve some of these benefits. While it does promote healthy posture, it lacks many of the features of the Swopper. It can’t allow you to rock from side to side or front to back because you’ll roll off. It doesn’t raise or lower like the Swopper, meaning it can’t be used by people who need their seating position at a certain height. And it doesn’t grip as well as the seating material of the Swopper. It definitely doesn’t look as cool, as the Swopper also comes in multiple interesting colors.
While the Swopper isn’t cheap, healthy sitting and avoiding back pain is worth a very high price in my book. My dad sells them at his site Workchairs.com, and he’d be happy to answer any questions people have about the Swopper.
One problem with this chair – no armrest. My massage therapist told me this:
A person who keeps his right hand up holding a mouse is holding perpetual tension in his right shoulder. The arm should be resting on an armrest or pillow or something so that the mouse hand is free.
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In response to the comment about the massage therapist recommending resting the arm while mousing. The best solution is to get a Rollermouse made by Contour Design. It allows the user to mouse with their index fingers directly in front of the space bar on the keyboard. Consequently, the mousing arm is not extended. It is also not a good idea because people do damage to the funny bone nerve by resting it. I have sold hundreds of the rollermouse device, not to be confused with the track ball, and it has solved many arm and neck pain issues. Their is almost an epidemic of issues relating to the extension of reaching for the mouse.
It looks quite uncomfortable
Office Desks
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Good information and a great range of contemporary office desk and the prices are good value too
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