As an alternative to the Aeron, tried out a bunch of chairs in different various stores around town, and ended up ordering the Embody online. Ordering online (either through Herman Miller or a reseller), you get all sorts of cusotmization options to make it suit your needs specifically; how much adjustment options do you want? What size for the seat? Arms / no arms? Upgraded casters? Fancy colours/more breathable materials? etc.

Zack Lovatt

416.786.4129

www.zacklovatt.com

On 23 July 2014 13:02, Dann Stubbs <AE-List@media-motion.tv> wrote:

i myself do get up a lot. always up and down, also that is one reason i got the two chairs, i liked it better getting up to move between them rather then just rolling over to the other desk.

in our previous office we had a RSI person come in too - there were some common things most people did wrong, don’t dangle your feet, nor chair too low. back position etc - most adjusted but usually went back to their old habits anyway. as a last resort before i bough the aerons after giving up on all the “office” chairs i even used one of those knee chairs (anyone else remember those) like a kneeling scooter - it was ok but just seemed to shift the body issues elsewhere for me.

i had a few terrible years of wrist pain long ago, but the aerons and a proper desk height cured that - been years since i’ve had that carpel tunnel pain…

it is what fits you and your body best, i just have had excellent results with my aerons so it’s what suits you best (i bet at your height you would need the large aeron for sure - most offices i go to seem to be the medium) once you know the dimple thing about aerons i will often check other chairs at other places to see the size - though once you are used to seeing the different sizes you can usually tell the apart easily enough.

 - one thing that i noticed with other “padded” chairs is that i would crush the padding and eventually i could feel myself sitting on the hard plywood underneath (or plastic in some cases)

not to get gross - but there is the dreaded H word that can come from sitting too much - especially on hard surfaces and my first sign of that issue all those years ago made me change my sitting habits right away. very happy to say that i’ve not ever had H issues since, i’d like to think the good support of the aeron as well as the vented design helps with a good sitting temperature so your not too hot in your butt and legs etc - etc another positive as we get older and our bodies fall apart.

again not to get gross or into too much info - my dad always had H issues, so i grew up hearing all the issues with it and just thought everyone had those problems at they got older and i supposed that i was going to be the same way when i got older - and am so happy that i don’t have the same problems. i wonder if it was the chairs they had in their offices that contributed.

but we who make living sitting on our butts have many same worries like lower back issue, etc… so better to share the info. chairs are like a good bicycle - it needs to fit your size and body dimensions - they aren’t really one size fits all (though you can use one that way, long term your body will feel it)

good luck and i hope you can find a chair that fits your needs perfect.

dann

___________________________________________________________________

Dann Stubbs  -  dann@darkskydigital.com

Dark Sky Digital -  http://www.darkskydigital.com

http://www.RenderKing.com  Value Priced C4D, VRAY Render Farm

___________________________________________________________________

“You can ignore reality, but you can’t ignore the consequences of ignoring reality.” -Ayn Rand

On Jul 23, 2014, at 12:39 PM, Teddy Gage <AE-List@media-motion.tv> wrote:

And to add to that, I use to work at an office that had an ergonomics specialist on staff. The thing that stuck with me she said even though there are some general things you can do to improve RSIs and back pain, "it's not about a single perfect position or chair, it's about changing your setup constantly" - change your chair height, arm height, lumbar position, even chairs entirely, never stay in the same position day in day out. it's the repetition of singular stresses that wear out that weak link in your body. 

I am pretty sure I have some kind of sciatica, but I do yoga with my wife, I lift weights, I do core and stamina training... I have lost over 30lbs in the last year and it has improved my back pain dramatically. But there's still only so much you can do when you sit all day, and I am literally wearing out my current chair, so it's time for an upgrade. 

I also get up at least 2x an hour, I am easily distracted, so that's nice. Ironically I never had back pain when I was a smoker because of all the breaks I took. But all other aspects of my life have also improved dramatically since I quit, so it's a fair trade.

On Wed, Jul 23, 2014 at 11:52 AM, Brian Klein <AE-List@media-motion.tv> wrote:

My recommendation is to find a chair that fits you best. It might be any of the Aeron models mentioned, but you might find a perfectly suitable chair at Costco. Aeron's would certainly look more impressive, if that is a factor.  You might want to consult with an ergonomic specialist to help you make a good decision? It might be worth it, especially if you are considering spending a lot of money on an Aeron.

Also, I have had bouts of low back pain myself, and my recommendation would be to work with a good trainer to strengthen your core, and make sure you are getting up every 30 minutes to move around. Staying in the same position hours on end is likely more of an issue than even sitting in a bad chair.

Hope that's helpful.

Brian

On Jul 23, 2014, at 10:43 AM, Benny Christensen <AE-List@media-motion.tv> wrote:

I might suggest that if you have lower back issues, maybe you need to try a stool where you can keep moving and strengthen your core.

I am looking at a KORE Stool myself. http://www.korestool.com

Thanks.

Benny Christensen

Producers Playhouse

Oklahoma City

405-858-0700

"Who are you going to believe? Me or your lying eyes?" - Redd Foxx

On Jul 23, 2014, at 10:19 AM, Teddy Gage <AE-List@media-motion.tv> wrote:

Well Dann maybe I will look into trying the large Aeron, last time I am pretty sure I was in a medium or even small, and I'm over six foot so like I said, could have been a size issue. My problem with the arms had more to do with angle and width than position adjustability though, which is not as easily fixed. 

However I was hoping there were great alternatives and all I've seen suggested is the steelcase leap so far... Which is at the top end of my price range, although much cheaper than back surgery. Gotta go find a place I can try them out as opposed to ordering sight-unseen on the web.

On Tue, Jul 22, 2014 at 6:12 PM, Dann Stubbs <AE-List@media-motion.tv> wrote:

i’ve got two of them at two desks side by side - put the settings the same on each and i can get up and move from workstation to workstation and don’t even feel like i’ve moved chairs.

also mine are now 16+ years old! (gasp) and still look and feel like brand new.

i don’t have any excessive lint issues on them at all, wear mostly lightweight clothing (florida) and cottons etc… maybe once a year i remember to take the vacuum hose and do a light dusting on the lower chair legs but no real shredding issues that i see, but i try hard for a fairly clean environment since it’s computers ya know… helps them run cooler too and not build up the heat mat of dust inside either.

i did see a few in our past office that people abused, but they really are tough chairs. mine are the fully articulated one (i think those “dumbed down ones” came later as a cost saving measure to compete with the look alikes)

before i bit the bullet and got these (list price used to be $1200 each when i got them) i used to get expensive “office” chairs ($200-$300 each) and literally had to toss them away after a year, two max - just crushed them with my long days sitting. these have probably 12  hours a day for the past 16 years… some days probably 24+ hours, some a bit less (i’m not good at taking vacations)

i’m an ex athlete person (played hockey for 20+ years), still pretty solid and heavy for my size and age at 5’ 10” - yeah with my age now i’ve got an extra 20 lbs hanging around but for the past twenty years i’ve been 200-225LB and the chairs don’t mind at all. not some skinny lightweight on them.

probably the best office tool i ever purchased. they are a bit firm, but i personally like firm seats, beds etc… don’t care for soft or mushy things.

but then again, everyone is different but i’d be really sad if i lost these chairs. sorry to hear you could not find a good setting for you…

___________________________________________________________________

Dann Stubbs  -  dann@darkskydigital.com

Dark Sky Digital -  http://www.darkskydigital.com

http://www.RenderKing.com  Value Priced C4D, VRAY Render Farm

___________________________________________________________________

“You can ignore reality, but you can’t ignore the consequences of ignoring reality.” -Ayn Rand

On Jul 22, 2014, at 5:13 PM, Richard Bajjalieh <AE-List@media-motion.tv> wrote:

Did you get the fully articulated version? There is a Aeron version that looks the same but lacks all the adjustments.

 

I have had one for years; I have serious back issues, 2 collapsed discs in my lower lumbar, it’s the only chair I can sit in for an extended time. When the seat broke I called HM to get a replacement part and they sent me a new chair for free. Seriously don’t know how I’d work without it.

 

Everyone’s different but I’m surprised you couldn’t find a comfortable position unless you had the ‘dumbed down’ version.

 

Rich Bajjalieh

 

From: Teddy Gage [mailto:AE-List@media-motion.tv] 
Sent: Tuesday, July 22, 2014 4:00 PM
To: After Effects Mail List
Subject: Re: [AE] [OT] Best office chairs?

 

I thought the seat was uncomfortable and the arms had no good working positions. Maybe it was a size thing, but I was unimpressed

-TG

 

On Tue, Jul 22, 2014 at 4:12 PM, Dann Stubbs <AE-List@media-motion.tv> wrote:

really? i love my aeron’s

 

are you short or tall perhaps?

 

there are three sizes of aeron - on the top back under the lip feel and there are dimples - one for small, two for medium and three for large chair size

 

i’m 5’ 10 and the medium fits me great, just get it adjusted right and you can also flip the lumbar over to have two levels of lower back support (pull it up and off the chair back and flip it over - you can see there are two “depths” then slide it back on)

 

only people i’ve heard of that really did not like the aeron’s in our previous office of 100+ were people either too big or too small for the medium sized chairs we had

 

dann

___________________________________________________________________

 

Dann Stubbs  -  dann@darkskydigital.com

Dark Sky Digital -  http://www.darkskydigital.com

 

http://www.RenderKing.com  Value Priced C4D, VRAY Render Farm

___________________________________________________________________

 

“You can ignore reality, but you can’t ignore the consequences of ignoring reality.” -Ayn Rand

 

 

 

On Jul 22, 2014, at 4:00 PM, Teddy Gage <AE-List@media-motion.tv> wrote:

Looking for good lower back support. Tried the Aeron chair for a while but hated it. Anything people swear by in this industry of sitting? Have a reasonable budget for something well-built. 

 

 

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VFX & Motion Graphic Artist
teddygage dot com

 

 

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VFX & Motion Graphic Artist
teddygage dot com

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VFX & Motion Graphic Artist
teddygage dot com

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VFX & Motion Graphic Artist
teddygage dot com