| BUSINESSWEEK ONLINE : OCTOBER 25, 1999 ISSUE | ||||||||
| ||||||||
 | ||||||||
| BUSINESSWEEK LIFESTYLE
Sitting Pretty--And Pain Free How to find a chair that won't give you a backache When Charles Kennedy retired from the M.W. Kellogg engineering firm in July to become an independent consultant, he needed a chair for his home office in Houston. ''It's not an easy thing to shop for,'' he says. ''There are so many different kinds, and every one of them is supposed to solve every problem you ever had.'' He finally settled on a fully adjustable Symetrix from Stylex. From chairs that suspend you like an astronaut in zero gravity to models with built-in massage units, the number of choices is almost as daunting as the prices, which can run as high as $2,000. Choosing a chair that's right for you requires knowing what features are important. Then you have to sit, sit, and sit some more. You definitely need a good chair if your job requires you to remain seated more than two hours a day. Not only will it make you more comfortable and willing to work but it also prevents injury. ''You'd be surprised how many people come to me with debilitating back, shoulder, and neck pain that's directly related to bad office chairs,'' says Dr. Terry Clyburn, orthopedic surgeon and professor at the University of Texas-Houston Medical School. But what is a good chair? Many claim to be ergonomic, or built to maximize your physical well-being--but there are no universally accepted ergonomic standards. ''Be very skeptical,'' says Dr. David Rempel, director of the University of California at San Francisco and Berkley Ergonomics Laboratory. PLENTY OF TILT. Experts agree that rather than looking for ergonomic seals or particular brands, consumers should look for chairs with certain features. A seat back you can adjust to fit the curvature, or lumbar region, of your back is critical. ''It's like making sure you can put an arch support in the right place in your shoe,'' Clyburn says. And the seat back should tilt so you can periodically lean back to relieve the vertical pressure on your vertebrae. There should also be a tilt tension control to create enough resistance so ''you won't flip over but also so it isn't so stiff you have to push hard'' to recline, says Rempel. Look for seats that are as deep as possible without hitting you behind the knee. Also, seek out ones you can raise or lower to make sure your thighs are parallel to the floor and your feet sit flat. Padded, movable armrests are a must, too. ''You need them to support your upper torso and help alleviate strain on your back and stomach muscles,'' says Cynthia Roth, CEO of Ergonomic Technologies (ETC), which advises such companies as American Airlines and Scott Paper on how to create healthy work environments. Neck rests, massage units, space-age suspension systems, and bun warmers may be nice but not necessary. What you don't want is a chair that's overly sculpted or keeps you in a rigidly upright position. ''You want a chair you can move around in. The body was made to move,'' says Barbara Silverstein, research director for Safety & Health Assessment & Research for Prevention (SHARP) at the Labor & Industries Dept. for the state of Washington. Assuming different postures, even slouching, is normal and healthy. ''It's O.K. to slouch. The problem is staying in a slouching position,'' says Mac Reynolds, director of the Ergonomic Research Laboratory at Michigan State University in East Lansing, Mich. You also want to avoid slippery chair coverings such as highly treated leather or vinyl, which offer little traction and trap heat so you end up ''sitting in a puddle of sweat,'' Reynolds says. Last, make sure you get appropriate casters. Roth at ETC gives the example of a hapless purchaser for a hospital who bought chairs with carpet casters. Many of the doctors and nurses became patients themselves when the chairs went zooming out from under them on the hospital's slick linoleum floors. Mindful of what you need and don't need, it's time to hit the stores. You can buy office chairs through various Internet sources, but ''this is the type of commodity you really need to try before you buy,'' says engineering consultant Kennedy. Even a chair with all the right attributes may not have the fit and feel you want. Besides, most hits you get when searching the Web using the keywords ''ergonomic chair'' or ''office chair'' refer you to the nearest dealer. Still, a site's product descriptions may clue you in to whether this is a chair worth investigating. Rarely do outlets have a selection broader than two or three brands, so be prepared to visit multiple office-furniture showrooms. It's similar to test-driving a variety of cars at several dealers. Beware of salespeople who quote you prices that exclude such ''options'' as a base, arms, and fabric. Adjustable features are almost always considered extras. Those add up. ''It's a significant investment,'' says Michigan State's Reynolds, who has yet to find a quality office chair for less than $400. Kennedy agrees: ''You can really tell the difference when you sit in the cheaper ones.'' Consequently, you might not want to spend time at such mass-market retailers as Kmart or office superstores like OfficeMax, which tend to only carry inexpensive lines. Better bets are office-furniture stores, manufacturer showrooms, and back-specialty shops. (Look under ergonomic or medical supplies in the phone book.) Kennedy ended up getting his chair from a small orthopedic-products boutique. Once you find a chair that suits you, bargain-hunt by checking out used furniture stores and surfing the Web for special deals. Your best chance at savings, though, is if you can persuade an architect or interior designer to buy the chair for you. Furniture dealers often give professionals up to 50% discounts. Wherever you end up buying your chair, make sure that there's a minimum 30-day return policy. ''You want to be able to try it out in your workplace, because the initial impression that you got in the showroom may not always be right,'' Rempel says. Your back will tell you whether to take it back. By KATE MURPHY _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ BACK TO TOP |
|  |
 | |
RELATED ITEMS Sitting Pretty--And Pain Free TABLE: Where the Chairs Are TABLE: A Chair Buyer's Checklist PHOTO: HAG (left) and BodyBilt Chairs INTERACT E-Mail to Business Week Online | |||
