View Full Version : What chair do you use to sit on for editing?


Tim Sargent
August 7th, 2008, 06:56 AM
I need to find something thats comfy and going to support my posture, but im not sure what to get. My current office chairs isnt great, so what do you guys use?

Thanks

Jeff Harper
August 7th, 2008, 07:04 AM
I just bought an inexpensive chair at an office supply house...$100. How I regret it.

My previous chari was stained and old, but it cost $400 and was SO comfortable.

Here's the one I wish I had bought....

http://ergonomic-chairs.officechairs.com/Designer-Fabric-Multifunction-Ergonomic-Computer-Chair-CH02741.aspx

Martin Mayer
August 7th, 2008, 07:08 AM
Personally, I found it a COMPLETE MISTAKE to use an "executive" office chair with castors, tilt and swivel facilities - as you have to "hold" your posture against it (for hours, of course, when editing): you can't lean into it for support.

I was getting back ache and thigh aches until I changed it for a "fixed chair" - i.e. NO castors, NO sprung tilt, NO swivel.

It needs padding, sure, and arms, but NOT movement.

Tim Sargent
August 7th, 2008, 07:22 AM
Thats what Im finding. I have a nice padded chair, swivel on castors etc.
Find that prolonged use causes back problems, a fixed chair plain and simple/wooden - seems to work better.

Jeff Harper
August 7th, 2008, 07:31 AM
You can't beat going to an office furniture store and trying out a few different ones.

I have had a fixed chair, spent the last year in it prior to buying the new one. I hated it, but I wouldn't characterize buying one as a mistake if it works for you. The chair I linked to is a task chair, by the way. Executive chairs tend to be larger and plusher, and I agree are not so good, for me anyway. For a person that is very tall and/or large, say 200 lbs, or more, an exective chair might be perfect.

I personally like to have movement, but prefer the chair to have adjustable tension settings, which will make it more expensive. I personally believe, chairs, like editing programs etc, are a matter of preference.

I move constantly even while sitting, as I am just that way, and need something to allow me to stretch and lay back to stretch, as I might spend up to 24 hours, sometime more, in a sitting.

Chris Hurd
August 7th, 2008, 08:00 AM
Moved from What Happens In Vegas to Home, Away From Home.

Mike Kujbida
August 7th, 2008, 08:35 AM
If money is no object, the Aeron chair (http://www.hermanmiller.com/CDA/SSA/Product/0,,a10-c440-p8,00.html) has a great reputation.
Pricing and accessories info is in a PDF at the top of this page (http://www.hermanmiller.com/CDA/SSA/Category/0,1564,a10-c766,00.html).

Perrone Ford
August 7th, 2008, 09:50 AM
I've used an Aeron chair for many years. Maybe 8 years now. Works great, and I wouldn't use anything else.

Michael Wisniewski
August 7th, 2008, 10:04 AM
Another vote for the Aeron, a very, very good chair. For my standup editing station, I use a saddle stool. Recently added a small step stool underneath to stretch and rest my feet.

Bill Busby
August 7th, 2008, 05:37 PM
yet another vote for a Herman Miller Aeron!

Benjamin Hill
August 7th, 2008, 07:17 PM
Another vote for the Herman Miller Aeron, which I used for 2 years, as well as the Steelcase Think chair which is compact but comfortable. Both good task chairs in my experience

Eric Stemen
August 7th, 2008, 10:11 PM
The Aeron chair is really good.
I also like the chair I've been using for the past 5 years really well also(it's a Global).

I didn't use this retailer, but there description is good.
http://www.buyonlinenow.com/viewproduct.asp?sku=GLB32173NBKIM11

I waited two years when working at Office Depot for it to go on clearance for $200.

Adam Levins
August 19th, 2008, 02:02 PM
Another option is to stand up while editing. I have a high desk that I have adjusted to the height of an old Steinbeck I alternate between standing and sitting. I have 2 chairs one is like a bar stool and the other is a kneeling chair that is extra high.

Richard Gooderick
August 20th, 2008, 01:48 AM
I went out and bought one of these 3 years ago when I started editing and am really pleased with it.

IKEA | Work chairs | Adjustable chairs | JOAKIM | Swivel chair (http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/catalog/products/70096457)

The seat back locks in the upright position but you can also unlock it - in which case the back tilts backwards and the seat base slides forward so that I am almost lying down if I put my feet on the table. I use that mode a lot when I am watching what I am editing.

I like to move around a lot so a fixed chair would not suit.

And it's firm, not soft. I prefer that.

I expect the ideal chair is largely a matter of personal preference. This one works for me but maybe not for you.

Tim Dashwood
August 22nd, 2008, 09:16 PM
I've tried many different chairs over the years but have taken a note from Walter Murch and switched to just standing up and using a tall table (and sit on a barstool occasionally.) I've been editing this way for over a year now and I find I'm more focused, I take WAAAAY more breaks and my overall productivity has increased.
Just make sure you have a soft piece of carpet to stand on and good shoes for all those hours per day.

Dean Sensui
August 26th, 2008, 01:27 AM
When a company my wife was working for went out of business, she bought a chair for me for $20.

Nothing fancy but it's very comfortable with a high back. Padding is firm. It has a tilt-back feature than can be locked if necessary. I removed the armrests as they tend to get in the way.

It's a Steelcase Turnstone, model TS 38003.

Also known as the "Springboard Task Chair".

http://www.office-environments.com/seatingonline/fabric.asp?ProductId=SPRINGBOARD

Listed at $305.

Darren Shroeger
September 3rd, 2008, 05:39 PM
I started using Herman Miller Equa 2 Chairs (http://hermanmiller.com/CDA/SSA/Product/1,1592,a10-c440-p60,00.html) before the Aeron came out. They are firm and provide great back support. Boy, every time I sit in a cheap chair I really appreciate my Herman Millers!

While I admire the design of the Aeron I still use Equas. I was fortunate enough to pick up one inexpensively at Herman Miller's factory outlet store (I used to live near their factory in Michigan). My second one came, fortuitously, from a local hospital "garage sale" where they were selling off excess items. Imagine my joy at seeing rows of Herman Miller chairs for $7 each!

Thane Brooker
January 26th, 2009, 03:49 AM
I looked at a few of the top-end chairs a while back. My findings here: www.8networks.co.uk/articles/0005/01.html (http://www.8networks.co.uk/articles/0005/01.html).

Be careful with the Aeron if you are tall; the hard plastic frame on the seat required to keep the mesh in place can cause discomfort and numbness. The Aeron is available in 3 frame sizes which may help, but for me it didn't.

I haven't finished part 2 of this article yet, but I ended up buying a mixture of Steelcase Think and Steelcase Please chairs as I couldn't decide which was better for me. Having used both of these for over a year now prefer the Steelcase Please chair, the articulated back is excellent for stretching and having got used to a high back, find it provides better support for long sessions.

Mainly I use my chair for computer programming, but also a fair number of hours video editing. I do not see any difference in the way I use the chair or need different support between the two tasks. It is definitely important to be able to lock the back, but I have never seen the need to lock the castors.