JANUARY 2008: BIZLIFE
|
The Life chair by Knoll Seating adjusts to the user’s
weight without any knobs or levers. It has a mesh back with
a frame that flexes when the user reclines. It includes
partially recycled materials and zero-VOC paints and
adhesives. ($799)
|
|
The Leap chair by Steel Case has a back that changes shape
to mimic spinal motion while maintaining lumbar support.
You can adjust the seat depth, and it is 94%
recyclable. ($1,199)
|
|
The Freedom chair by Human Scale has a system of pivot
points that adjust to and support the body. The headrest
moves when you recline or sit upright, and armrests move in
tandem to prevent uneven arm positions. ($1,240)
|
Luxury chairs for any body, at any price
Gone are the days when the best desk chair in the office had
the most knobs and levers. “People are looking for chairs
with design built into them, so the chair moves with the
person,” says Hugh Donnelly, a workplace consultant at
Steelcase, a national office furniture company. “The
fewer the adjustments they have to make, the better.”
Today’s high-end chairs are designed with materials that
adjust to the user’s body, says Jayson Gates, sales
executive at Portland-based Corporate Environments, which fits
with the idea of having employees move from workspace to
workspace in a team setting. “People want to sit down in
any chair and have it fit their body,” Gates says.
Ergonomics still matter, but designers have a new sense of
what exactly that means. “If someone tells you,
‘This is how you should be sitting,’ beware,”
Donnelly says. “You should be moving around in your
chair, keeping blood flowing through the spine.”
Therefore, the best chairs encourage movement without requiring
adjustments.
In addition to using green materials and ensuring that a chair
can easily be recycled at the end of its life, companies
continue to focus on aesthetics. “Design is just as
important as function,” says Chris Corrado, CEO of
Corporate Environments. “People don’t like ugly
chairs.”
LUCY BURNINGHAM
Send comments to feedback@oregonbusiness.com.
