Office Furniture: The Via Swopper Stool

The Swopper stool, made by Via is currently in a class all of it’s own. With it’s truly unique ergonomic design concepts and style of sitting, the VIA has won over it’s many critics once they have spent time testing the design. When first viewed by someone unaware of it’s ergonomic presence, it may seem just a high-end and stylish stool with great presence. It is very modern with the coordinating coils giving just a hint as to the true inner workings of the Swopper motion seating experience.

Once seated in the Swopper stool, your spine can definitely feel the relaxed and yet stretched perfectly position of the spine and lower lumbar region. The lower lumbar can feel truly relaxed and although the seated position of the Swopper may look hard to keep, once seated, the user realizes how easy it is to stay in the position without effort. The design of the Swopper keeps your feet flat on the floor and your back in the correct position, even without any backrest at all.

The standard Swopper featured in the VIA Quick Ship Program has an ultrasuede fabric which is helpful for its gripping qualities to hold the user in place. The Swopper is also available in a large variety of custom ordered fabrics including leather and many different patterns available. The VIA custom ordered Swopper Stool has a choice of two different base choices, titanium or anthracite (charcoal gray). Either base is available through the custom ordered Swopper program although the quick ship program is only sold with the anthracite base. A wooden backrest is even available as an option for custom ordered Swopper’s.

With strong support from it’s purchaser’s and ranking high in customer satisfaction while winning many prestigious office furniture design awards, the Swopper Chair is here to stay. This author would rank it as one of my most unique seating experiences with real comfort ability for long periods. Using one for a week to “test drive” it, I could feel some pressure released from my spine and got a ton of compliments and questions from everyone who saw it. It truly wins many hearts with it’s beautiful, unique and ergonomic styled design and health benefits.

Author Bio:
Amy Pedersen has worked in the Ergonomics and Office Furniture
industry for over 10 years and is owner of Sit On This Ergonomics,
operating a number of ergonomic websites dedicated to Office
Chairs and the practice of good Workplace Ergonomics.

Featuring a wide variety of Executive Chairs, Leather Office Chairs,
Mesh
Seating & Task Office Chairs with an Online Sales Catalog. Their
Huge
Office Chair Collection and the Sit On This Ergo
website
provides detailed ergonomic information on proper chair positioning and
seating in the workplace environment to help people to find the perfect
Office Chair for their situation.

Visit Our Office Chair Collection:
Sit On
This Ergonomics

More Ergonomic Information:
Ergonomics
Explained

How to Choose Your Chair:
Picking
the Right Office Chair for You

Choosing Proper Office Furniture for Special Needs: Part 2

When searching for office chairs, it is easy to assume that one size fits all. However, to practice good ergonomics, the office chair can have many features designed to help the users who fall out of the range of normal size, has special health considerations, has an unusual job or works with unique machinery. The most popular extra features and options for an ergonomic chair are discussed here.

Some users have longer or shorter torsos and body types and extra adjustments and cylinder height options should be considered to keep the proper posture. Some individuals may not like the idea of a footrest option and might order a smaller cylinder, while a larger person would order a taller cylinder height. The cylinder height controls the seat height allowing the user to place his feet flat on the floor, an important step in ergonomic positioning.

Some workspaces that necessitate taller needs, such as drafting tables or wetbars may require a foot-ring option to keep the users feet firmly supported while still reaching the table comfortably and with proper elbow placement. Foot-rings can also help the smaller user accommodate for the proper feet placement.

Large individuals can often have the most difficult time finding chairs with options and features that adequately meet their needs. Many options are now available to keep any user practicing good ergonomics. The seat pan can be manufactured to a wider specification, with usually only 1-2” increase can make all the difference.

Many Big and Tall chair models also come with a sliding adjustable seat to change the seat depth to better accommodate a longer leg or upper thigh. A synchro knee tilt which keeps the user’s feet firmly on the floor even when reclining is recommended for a larger user to prevent circulation reduction in the back of the legs. This feature reclines the back of the seat at a faster ratio than the seat pan, helping keep the legs positioned correctly.

When choosing your office chair, the casters are also an important option to consider and one which many people forget. When using an office chair on carpet, the caters are of a completely different sort than on hardwood or linoleum. Make sure to consider where the chair will be used to get the easiest glide available. Some casters are made with locking mechanisms which are needed in some workspaces or optional glides to keep the chair stationary.

When choosing the options for your office chair, it is good to remember proper ergonomics, always keep in mind your body type and any special needs necessary and unique for your comfort.

Author Bio:
Amy Pedersen has worked in the Ergonomics and Office Furniture
industry for over 10 years and is owner of Sit On This Ergonomics,
operating a number of ergonomic websites dedicated to Office
Chairs and the practice of good Workplace Ergonomics.

Featuring a wide variety of Executive Chairs, Leather Office Chairs,
Mesh
Seating & Task Office Chairs with an Online Sales Catalog. Their
Huge
Office Chair Collection and the Sit On This Ergo
website
provides detailed ergonomic information on proper chair positioning and
seating in the workplace environment to help people to find the perfect
Office Chair for their situation.

Visit Our Office Chair Collection:
Sit On
This Ergonomics

More Ergonomic Information:
Ergonomics
Explained

How to Choose Your Chair:
Picking
the Right Office Chair for You

Office Furniture Ultimate Experience: The Executive Massage Chairs!

Sometimes, no matter how comfortable a chair may be, after sitting in it for hours you still feel pain: muscle tension, lower back pain, etc. At the end of the day, or maybe even well before clock out time, you want and need a massage. Instead of paying for expensive massages and having to take time out of your busy day, now you can get one while you’re still in the office- even still sitting in your chair. Meet the executive massage chairs! These chairs are available in a leather, with a variety of color options, and come with many ergonomic features such as lumbar support, height adjustment, and tilt tension control. The massage control switch is conveniently located near the seat cushion so not to be obvious. The chair is designed to look like a classy business chair.

Besides looking great in any office, the massage chairs actually help reduce your aches and pains by targeting key areas in the thighs, lumbar (lower back) and upper back regions. There are three levels and intensity and pre-programmed modes for all-over relaxation. The chairs are very durable and can handle weights over 350 pounds like a charm.

So when purchasing your next office chair, consider an executive massage chairs that offers both style and the ultimate experience in comfort and relaxation.

Author Bio:
Amy Pedersen has worked in the Ergonomics and Office Furniture
industry for over 10 years and is owner of Sit On This Ergonomics,
operating a number of ergonomic websites dedicated to Office
Chairs and the practice of good Workplace Ergonomics.

Featuring a wide variety of Executive Chairs, Leather Office Chairs,
Mesh
Seating & Task Office Chairs with an Online Sales Catalog. Their
Huge
Office Chair Collection and the Sit On This Ergo
website
provides detailed ergonomic information on proper chair positioning and
seating in the workplace environment to help people to find the perfect
Office Chair for their situation.

Visit Our Office Chair Collection:
Sit On
This Ergonomics

More Ergonomic Information:
Ergonomics
Explained

How to Choose Your Chair:
Picking
the Right Office Chair for You

Choosing Proper Office Furniture for Special Needs: Part 1

When searching for office chairs, it is easy to assume that one size fits all. However, to practice good ergonomics, the office chair can have many features designed to help the users who fall out of the range of normal size, has special health considerations, has an unusual job or works with unique machinery. The most popular extra features and options for an ergonomic chair are discussed here.

Proper armrest support is critical to alleviating back and neck pain when seated for long hours at the computer typing or using the mouse. Most armrest are designed for the user to take small break throughout the typing experience, answering phone calls, conversations, etc., when the user has the armrest for additional support and an armrest is needed.

Adjustable arms with height and width adjustments are recommended to get the proper elbow and wrist placement. This allows the user to put the armrest at the precise location for optimum elbow support. Some individuals have chronic forearm pain and manufacturers of ergonomic custom chairs have started to feature an option of a tilting armrests which would match the user’s natural motions forward and back.

Your spine is equally as important and good lower back relief comes from maintaining your natural curve in the lower lumbar (back) region. Most chairs don’t accommodate for this and it is absolutely necessary for proper lumbar support and comfort ability in the long term when seated for long periods of time at employment. Some users may have a large lordosis which is a fancy name for the lower back curve. These users may require an additional lumbar support bolster or pillow to help keep the natural curve.

For people with sensitive lower backs, an adjustable lumbar support may be necessary to truly find the comfort level desired when seated. Many new task chair models are already starting to feature this as a standard option because of the benefits of fitting that support your body type.

© 2007 Sit On This Ergonomics, LLC.

Author Bio:
Amy Pedersen has worked in the Ergonomics and Office Furniture industry for over 10 years and is owner of Sit On This Ergonomics, operating a number of ergonomic websites dedicated to Office Chairs and the practice of good Workplace Ergonomics.

Featuring a wide variety of Executive Chairs, Leather Office Chairs, Mesh Seating & Task Office Chairs with an Online Sales Catalog. Their Huge Office Chair Collection and the Sit On This Ergo website provides detailed ergonomic information on proper chair positioning and seating in the workplace environment to help people to find the perfect Office Chair for their situation.

Visit Our Office Chair Collection:
Sit On This Ergonomics

More Ergonomic Information:
Ergonomics Explained

How to Choose Your Chair:
Picking the Right Office Chair for You

Creating Your Ergonomic Office Environment, Part 1

Once buying your ergonomic office chair, your journey towards a better office is just beginning. Now you must correctly set up your chair and create an ergonomic environment. Once seated in your chair, proper positioning is a key element in keeping up good blood flow and body health. Movement is critical during the work day, and proper movement is critical to good ergonomics. It all starts with knowing how to properly position your back and legs.

While seated in your chair, start by adjusting your backrest angle and the seat pan to place the torso and the upper legs at 90 degrees or in a slightly more reclined position. This provides for good lower back support. Studies have found that the slightly reclined position is the most desired posture and a proper tilt mechanism, preferably with locking positions is critical to practicing good ergonomics.

Have your feet firmly on the floor is also very important. If your feet are not touching the floor, even with seat height adjusted, you will need to find a footrest or platform to rest your feet on. When viewing a picture of this posture on the human body, you will notice that 90 degrees is the overall effect. The arms are at an angle 90 degrees from the chest, the lower abdomen is 90 degrees from the lower leg and the upper leg is 90 degrees angled from the lower leg.

To continue creating an ergonomic environment, place your monitor so the middle of the screen is eye level to reduce the stress to the neck muscles. Follow the manufacturers recommended distance from the computer monitor to your eyes.

You probably spend a great deal of time typing or using a mouse device in your workstation. To properly arrange your mouse and keyboard, relax your arms allowing them to hang down naturally from your shoulders. Next, bring your forearms up so that they are positioned parallel with the ground. You want your wrist to be in a neutral position. Place your chair in front of your workstation desk and adjust the height of the seat so that your elbows are just at or above the keyboard height. You’ve done it with little effort, now practice makes perfect. Try to remember to keep the posture throughout the day and soon it will come naturally.

Taking the right position in your office chair is critical for a long term body health and good ergonomics can help prevent future back, neck, and arm problems. Ergonomic positioning is easy once you get used to the posture. When practicing your office ergonomics, make sure to remember how critical it can be to keeping productive and healthy in the workplace.

Author Bio:
Amy Pedersen has worked in the Ergonomics and Office Furniture
industry for over 10 years and is owner of Sit On This Ergonomics,
operating a number of ergonomic websites dedicated to Office
Chairs and the practice of good Workplace Ergonomics.

Featuring a wide variety of Executive Chairs, Leather Office Chairs,
Mesh
Seating & Task Office Chairs with an Online Sales Catalog. Their
Huge
Office Chair Collection and the Sit On This Ergo
website
provides detailed ergonomic information on proper chair positioning and
seating in the workplace environment to help people to find the perfect
Office Chair for their situation.

Visit Our Office Chair Collection:
Sit On
This Ergonomics

More Ergonomic Information:
Ergonomics
Explained

How to Choose Your Chair:
Picking
the Right Office Chair for You

Know Your Office Chair Needs and Options Before Buying

There are thousands of options to choose from when picking your office furniture, from different features and styles to colors. With such a large market, it can be confusing when trying to find and order the chair that best suits your needs. The most important feature to look for in a chair are the ergonomic options. Practicing proper ergonomics can promote a healthy spine and good posture. This will help reduce pain and possible related health problems.

The standard options available on most task office chairs and stools are things like seat height adjustment levers, a tilt mechanism, tilt locking pins, and lumbar support with adjustments on each. Having proper lumbar support and the adjustability of the tilt mechanism are perhaps the most important features for good ergonomics. The lower back is the area affected by the most stress when sitting for a long period of time; extra lumbar support is really effective to help relieve some of the pressure to the lower back. Lumbar support can also be optioned with an adjustment scale to help place the support where needed for the user’s specific body type.

The desired position when seated in your office chair is in a slightly reclined position, therefore a tilt mechanism is needed for proper positioning. This also works to prevent future long term back problems. Some tilt mechanisms also come with locking positions to help the user properly recline into the desired position for the task at hand.

Another feature that is helpful to users but is often found mostly in more expensive models is an option referred to as “synchro-knee tilt.” This allows the user’s feet to stay on the floor while supporting a straight back or in a reclining position. Ergonomics also call for your feet to be placed squarely on the floor at all times to help keep the spine in the correct position. The ratio is approximately 2 degrees for recline in each position or the back support and 1 degree for recline in each position for the seat.

Finally, a headrest can be helpful to the taller user or to the user who spends more time reclining than the average worker. When choosing a high backed model versus a mid or low backed model it seems to be more of a matter of taste than ergonomic needs. Most executive chairs feature a high back while the task chairs are standard in a mid back form. The “Big and Tall” options within office chairs are growing bigger. When choosing the features for a chair where you intend to spend a great deal of your day, keep in mind your body type and individual tasks that need to be performed daily to find the perfect office chair for you.

Author Bio:
Amy Pedersen has worked in the Ergonomics and Office Furniture
industry for over 10 years and is owner of Sit On This Ergonomics,
operating a number of ergonomic websites dedicated to Office
Chairs and the practice of good Workplace Ergonomics.

Featuring a wide variety of Executive Chairs, Leather Office Chairs,
Mesh
Seating & Task Office Chairs with an Online Sales Catalog. Their
Huge
Office Chair Collection and the Sit On This Ergo
website
provides detailed ergonomic information on proper chair positioning and
seating in the workplace environment to help people to find the perfect
Office Chair for their situation.

Visit Our Office Chair Collection:
Sit On
This Ergonomics

More Ergonomic Information:
Ergonomics
Explained

How to Choose Your Chair:
Picking
the Right Office Chair for You

Ergonomics and your Aching Back

After I graduated from college, and while working to put my husband through school, I took a job at a law office as a file clerk. Because of limited space and the nature of my job, I didn’t get a typical office set up. My “desk” was comprised of an old, leather executive chair that had been sitting in storage waiting to be thrown away. This chair was crammed in between two of the three rows of filing cabinets, and I cradled my laptop on my lap while balancing stacks of paper around me on the floor. Although the nature of the job isn’t physically demanding, the environment left me physically tired at the end of each day. My back hurt from poor support and being hunched over. My hands and wrists hurt from using the keyboard on my computer improperly. I could even feel the strain in my neck and my feet.

Thankfully, I’ve since moved out of that make-shift desk into an office that is now ergonomically friendly and my back thanks me everyday. The human spine is comprised of vertebrae like a stack of bones, with the bones in the lower back curve in. In between these vertebrae is a separate disk, and like an ice pack, it’s strong exterior protects a gel like substance inside. In the normal position, the space between the vertebrae and the disks are evenly filled with this “gel”. When leaning forward, like I was having to be all hunched over a computer, the vertebrae pushes all the gel to the rear of the back. This compresses the nerves that exit the central nervous system. In response, the nerves tighten up in your back muscles, because they think they are supposed to contract the lower muscles in the back. Eventually, the muscles slowly pull the vertebrae further out of line while pushing the gel further back against the nerves.

If the body is continually subjected to this position, it can cause severe, if not permanent pain. The same nerve that is cause pain in your back also runs down the leg to the feet and toes. In a worst case scenario the “ice pack gel” can completely rupture and you can be in for a long recovery.

The good news is that ergonomics can prevent this pain. Proper lumbar support is essential for prevention of muscle and nervous system issues when seated at your office or workstation. Without this support serious injuries can occur and impede workplace production. Proper lumbar support can be found in most good office chairs that are labeled “Ergonomic”. Make sure when shopping for you chair that it has the back support you need to make it through the work day.

Author Bio:
Amy Pedersen has worked in the Ergonomics and Office Furniture
industry for over 10 years and is owner of Sit On This Ergonomics,
operating a number of ergonomic websites dedicated to Office
Chairs and the practice of good Workplace Ergonomics.

Featuring a wide variety of Executive Chairs, Leather Office Chairs,
Mesh
Seating & Task Office Chairs with an Online Sales Catalog. Their
Huge
Office Chair Collection and the Sit On This Ergo
website
provides detailed ergonomic information on proper chair positioning and
seating in the workplace environment to help people to find the perfect
Office Chair for their situation.

Visit Our Office Chair Collection:
Sit On
This Ergonomics

More Ergonomic Information:
Ergonomics
Explained

How to Choose Your Chair:
Picking
the Right Office Chair for You

Posture Knee Office Chairs and How they can Help Your Back at Work

I have been asked many times by my customers over the years about how the posture knee office chairs can help ergonomically. With the kneeling style of chair becoming quite popular recently, employees have heard about them from friends or collegeages. Although not simple, the answer can be stated shortly in that “it helps the body take the correct position while sitting to reduce stress on the lower lumbar (back) region”.

Posture Knee models are fast becoming popular as people spend more and more time in front of the computer. America is starting to see epidemic problems with back pain, carpal tunnel and various work related injuries due to all of this sitting in front of a workstation for longer periods of time.Kneeling chairs are used differently then the standard task office chair with a typical seat and back.

The kneeling chair models are used while sitting in position with your thighs dropped to an angle of about 60 to 70 degrees from the standard vertical. When sitting in a normal chair your posture would be more 90 degrees overall with your upper thighs 90 degrees from your lower leg and your upper torso 90 degress from your upper thighs. This would be the posture while sitting in a normal office chair.

This posture no matter how ergonomic requires some of your body weight to be supported by your shins putting a strain, however small, on your spine. When seated for long periods of time, a small strain can become a large problem eventually.The designs of these chairs, wanted to correct the body’s ergonomic posture to essential “open up” the angle of the body between the thigh and spine to retain the curvature of the back and keep the body in a more slightly reclined posture. Studies show that even in the standard office chair, a person should stay or lock their chair in a slightly reclined posture to maintain this lumbar curvature.

Even though the term “kneeling” is often used due to the appearance of the person when seated in a posture knee model, a person is actually still sitting and bearing of the main body weight is really not placed on the knees at all. Some doctor’s have started recommending posture knee chairs for people with certain injuries or even diseases of the backbone or knees due to the extra benefit and lumbar support this positioning enables.

When seated in a posture knee chair, the body is really in a position which is between that of a person sitting or standing and keeps the curvature of the spine at a very realxed “place” and many people seem to be trying and loving this new mode of sitting at the workstation.

History:

Invented in Norway in the 1970’s the kneeling chairs seemed to stress finding a design that rid the problem of strain placed on a person’s spine when seated in the conventional right angled task computer chair.

One of the first designers was Hans Christian Mengshoel, who used experiments with different types of sitting devices which placed support under a person’s shins. Furniture designers Peter Opsvik, Oddvin Rykken, and Svein Gusrud followed suit, each developing their own version of the posture knee chair to promote.

Copyright, 2007 All Rights Reserved, Sit On This Ergonomics, LLC

Author Bio:
Amy Pedersen has worked in the Ergonomics and Office Furniture industry for over 10 years and is owner of Sit On This Ergonomics, operating a number of ergonomic websites dedicated to Office Chairs and the practice of good Workplace Ergonomics.

Featuring a wide variety of Executive Chairs, Leather Office Chairs, Mesh Seating & Task Office Chairs with an Online Sales Catalog. Their Huge Office Chair Collection and the Sit On This Ergo website provides detailed ergonomic information on proper chair positioning and seating in the workplace environment to help people to find the perfect Office Chair for their situation.

Visit Our Office Chair Collection:
Sit On This Ergonomics

More Ergonomic Information:
Ergonomics Explained

How to Choose Your Chair:
Picking the Right Office Chair for You

What Ergonomic Chair Functions and Features Do – Part 4

By now, most people are familiar with the term “Ergonomics” and understand that ergonomic furniture is more healthy for the body because it helps to maintain more natural positions that reduce stress to the bones, muscles, and nerves throughout the body. But chair companies and ergonomists often throw around terms related to the designs and functions of ergonomic chairs that the common consumer may not understand. Here is a list of some terms you may need to know.

Lumbar Support: This is one of the most important features of an ergonomic chair. This device is intended to prevent, as much as possible, the flattening of the lumbar spine that occurs to most people when there are seated. Lumbar supports usually work as a gentle curve in the backrest shape, and allow user to be seated more comfortable for a longer period of time.

Backrest Height Adjustability: This function allows the user to change the height of the lumbar support area in the chair backrest, although this feature is often interpreted as the ability to change the height of the entire backrest. This function accommodates preference by different users regarding where and how the lumbar support curve contacts the back.

Lumbar Depth Adjustability: This feature affects the size and sometimes the firmness of the lumbar support curve in a chair’s backrest. Like backrest height adjustability, it accommodates different body types and preferences by the user.

Author Bio:
Amy Pedersen has worked in the Ergonomics and Office Furniture industry for over 10 years and is owner of Sit On This Ergonomics, operating a number of ergonomic websites dedicated to Office Chairs and the practice of good Workplace Ergonomics.

Featuring a wide variety of Executive Chairs, Leather Office Chairs, Mesh Seating & Task Office Chairs with an Online Sales Catalog. Their Huge Office Chair Collection and the Sit On This Ergo website provides detailed ergonomic information on proper chair positioning and seating in the workplace environment to help people to find the perfect Office Chair for their situation.

Visit Our Office Chair Collection:
Sit On This Ergonomics

More Ergonomic Information:
Ergonomics Explained

How to Choose Your Chair:
Picking the Right Office Chair for You

What Ergonomic Chair Functions and Features Do – Part 3

By now, most people are familiar with the term “Ergonomics” and understand that ergonomic furniture is more healthy for the body because it helps to maintain more natural positions that reduce stress to the bones, muscles, and nerves throughout the body. But chair companies and ergonomists often throw around terms related to the designs and functions of ergonomic chairs that the common consumer may not understand. Here is a list of some terms you may need to know.
Height-adjustable Armrests: This function, as the name suggests, allows the user to adjust the height of the armrests to suit the body of the person, this helps people avoid using chairs with too high or too low of armrests, which could result in elevated shoulders and pressure on the undersides of the elbows and forearms, or would require the user to slump or lean over to one side to use the armrest, respectively. This feature also allows for the armrest to be moved out of the way during some activities that may require lots of arm movement.

Width-adjustable Armrests: This function allows the user to change the distance between the armrests, not the armrests themselves. For an ergonomic office experience, the user does not want a chair with armrest too close together as this will splay the elbows and cause the wrists to bend to the side during activities such as typing. This puts the user at wrist for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.

Padded Armrests: This feature is advisable as it prevents uncomfortable pressure on the undersides of the forearms and elbows.

Author Amy Pedersen has worked in the ergonomics and office industry for a number of years and is currently co-founder of Sit On This Ergonomics, operating a number of ergonomic websites dedicated to office chairs and the practice of good workplace ergonomics. Featuring a wide variety of executive, leather, mesh and task office chairs with an online sales catalog, their website also provides detailed ergonomic information on proper chair positioning and seating in the workplace environment.

Sit On This Ergonomics:
http://stores.ebay.com/sitonthisergonomics

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