Rico's Week with the Generation Chair, Day Three

Today, I attempted to do what I had never thought about doing before. I sat backwards in my office chair and leaned on the back. I can only imagine this being useful when sitting at someone else’s desk watching them work, or participating in something that does not require the use of typing or mousing actions. With that qualifier, it was comfy enough, but not as comfy as sitting backwards in a dining chair without arms. Because a task chair needs to have arms and a frame, which get in the way of your legs a little bit, the Generation wasn’t as great backwards as it is forwards or sideways. However, the part that really was neat was that the top of the seat back bent back and I was able to rest my arms on it while I was sitting backwards. I still prefer the quarter-turned or sideways positions, and can rest my arm on the flexible seat back in that position. This chair would be awesome for the type of person who can’t sit still in their chair, or is always sitting on their leg, or is up and down frequently, or needs to look at the ceiling a lot (like if you work in a cubicle and don’t have a view … the flexible back would save your neck a lot of pain from straining to see something beyond your cubicle walls).

Rico's Week with the Generation Chair, Day One

In the realm of ergonomic task seating, the Aeron was first, a groundbreaking chair in both design and comfort. Following on its heels was a host of chairs that mimicked the design and couldn’t touch the comfort. But recently, with the Embody’s advent and the quality chairs produced by Steelcase and Humanscale, the discomfort of the consumer can be alleviated in any number of ways by any number of contenders. If you’re a fan of being able to sit in the best position possible for your body and for comfort, you have choices. But what if you don’t want to sit still, with your feet flat on the ground and your arms at a 90 degree angle, and your back straight? What if you move a lot, or need to use the same chair to task and to collaborate? What if you (gasp) like to sit crooked? This week I’m testing the Generation chair by Knoll, created with just such needs in mind. The one I’m sitting in has a Lemongrass colored seat and back and a polished aluminum base and frame. It’s the kind of color that would look horrible in my parents’ house and super cool in my friend’s condo. The basic adjustments of this chair are the levers built into each armrest for up and down movement, a paddle built into each side of the seat’s underside (left to adjust seat pan depth, right to adjust seat height), and a lever at the right rear of the seat to adjust degree of tilt. The tilt adjustment has three settings: Slacker Recline, Moderately Relaxed, and No Recline for You. The rubber back has a ton of flex to it, so each of those positions incorporates give, and stretching is easy and even encouraged by the back’s flexibility. Even though it doesn’t have any additional lumbar support, I don’t feel like the chair is lacking in that area as I sit in it. We’ll see how the week goes!

Matt & Aeron, Day Five.

Hey everyone- this is my last day talking about the Aeron Chair. I think I've touched on its major points- the lumbar support, the Pellicle fabric, the adjustable arms... Today I just want to mention a few things about the overall design. To start, I have to just express that this is a cool looking chair. The guts of it (underneath the seat) has a lot going on, but the back, the seat pan, and the base are all very sleek looking. It's a chair that actually has a distinct profile, which is pretty neat.

I do have a couple of things- you may call them complaints- about the Aeron. Herman Miller has improved on these issues with the Mirra and Embody Chairs, both of which have been introduced since the Aeron Chair. The first issue pertains to the Aeron Chair's back frame. The perimeter of the back is made of hard plastic; so the back feels soft and giving as you move up the Pellicle back- that is- until you hit the rigid frame. For this reason, it's important to get the size that fits you right. Aeron comes in 3 sizes to fit the vast majority of the population. If you get a size A and you need a size B, your shoulder blades will hit the frame and make you unhappy. The rigid frame also prevents you from twisting free spiritedly (quite the adverb) in the chair- something you come to expect once you've sat in the Embody Chair, and to a lesser extent- the Mirra Chair.

The second issue I have is with the tension mechanism for the recline. Maybe I'm just lazy and like to lean back in my chair too much, but I think the Aeron Chair is a little bit too serious about keeping you upright in a traditional tasking posture. You can recline, but you kind of have to work for it, otherwise Aeron will tilt you forward again.

I don't want to sound like I don't like the chair; the only reason I noticed the rigid frame is that we have different sizes around the office so I tried all of them, which is how I found that I'm not comfortable in a size A. And the thing with the twisting- I think this is just me being spoiled after sitting in an Embody Chair- a chair designed to let you twist. This feature has just come out in the last couple of years- and the Aeron Chair was introduced way back in '94. That's about all I have to say on the Aeron Chair- I hope you learned something new.

Matt & Aeron, Day Three

Yesterday I covered the PostureFit Lumbar Support that is one of the main options on the Aeron Chair. Today I wanna talk about another unique feature that was pretty groundbreaking at the time. This is the patented Pellicle fabric that was developed by Herman Miller. Pellicle is a breathable, flexible synthetic material that is outstanding in every way- in my opinion, at least.

Breathable is the key for me. Pellicle ventilates extremely well- and it covers the entire seat pan and back. And because Pellicle covers a suspended seat pan on Aeron (meaning its just fabric supporting you, not fabric over a cushion over a solid seat), you're behind and back are pretty much completely exposed to the air. This is a different feel from standard seat pans over foam and generic upholstery, where you can have many stifling inches of materials between you and the open air. Pellicle is so thin you can literally see through it. Also, it feels good to drag your fingernails across and it makes a cool noise similar to a zipper. It's not the softest material out there, but it's not rough at all. It's just not as soft as say, a standard leather or the Embody Chair fabric.

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Happy Customer With Happy Toys

Unbuckle the fun with buckleyboo. BuckleyBoos encourage cognitive development through multi-stage learning. Buckleyboo's look great on Smart Furniture shelving. BuckleyBoo, We love you too.

Me and My Cobi

Got a Cobi chair from SmartFurniture.com and you can too — they’re having this awesome contest, which I mentioned earlier: they are giving away five Cobis (yes I said FIVE!!!)! Here’s how to enter: Tell us about you, and why Cobi fits. Points will be awarded for compelling or interesting circumstances, mastery of the English language, your knowledge of and interest in the Cobi Chair, among other things. We will give bonus points to people who send us pictures of themselves and/or pictures of their current chair. Healthy (and proper) use of the word ‘Cobi’ garners even more bonus points. No phony baloney stories though – our team of marketing analysts will see right through sensationalist fiction and may blacklist any perpetrators (unless it is really good fiction). We aren’t looking for the next great American novel, but we do want a pretty good story. So let us know who you are and why you deserve Cobi. Happy Writing! Read the crazy chair stories here and vote for the winners here. I designed my own Cobi chair with their 3-minute Cobi chair designer. It’s 3 minutes if you know what you want. It’s like a half-hour when you can’t make up your mind and you keep clicking on all the different colors…here is what I did: About 3 days later it showed up! More Details.. Much better, huh? Now that I’m running Design Milk full time (yay!), it’s been quite difficult sitting in that plastic chair all day. Getting Cobi a week ago has drastically improved my productivity and comfort all day. Not only has this helped my poor back and bum feel much better sitting down for 10-12 hours a day, but my posture has improved dramatically. The adjustable height makes it much easier to get those arms under almost any desk, while still providing my poor elbows a nice little rest. View Blog Here

Smart Furniture Featured on The Week Magazine

Herman Miller's Enchord desk made 'The Best...Modern Desks' article in the Lifestyle section of The Week magazine. The Week placed The Enchord Desk as one of five desks with sleek designs. Check out Herman Miller's Enchord Desk .

A Week With Karen & Cobi

Day Five How quickly time flies with cobi – already on Day 5. By the way, did I mention cobi ships in 5 days? Actually, it may be changing now to 2 days, which I think is pretty amazingly quick for a chair that you can customize. Just thought I'd toss that out there. I was pretty sore climbing the stairs this morning from a particularly intense kickboxing class recently. Thankfully, I have a supportive and comfortable seat to relieve the stress on my body! The cushioned seat pad is soothing and helps me forget the abuse my backside endured the day before. I am grateful of just how accommodating cobi is, allowing me to sit in multiple positions to stretch my legs. Ahhhh. Thank you, cobi. Since 5 is the magic number today, I thought I'd tell you about our new contest: We are giving away FIVE cobi chairs! To win, you need to convince us why you need cobi. Tell us a compelling or interesting story and what you like about cobi. Extra bonus points if you include some photos, too. Photos can be sent to cobi@smartfurniture.com. Can't figure out which color or style of cobi you want to win? Design your own in 3 minutes. Details and rules at Smart Furniture.

Geneva, meet Amia. Amia, Geneva.

Geneva, meet Amia. Amia, Geneva.

Final Day I will be parting with Amia as my week is over, and I am very, very sad. It's back to flimsy, unsupportive, sticky leather, generic office chairs for me. My experience with this amazing chair has opened my eyes to the possibilities of office chairs being comfortable and adjustable. It also makes me acutely aware of just how regretful of having to give it up I will be next week when I stand up and grab my back, hobble a few steps, then stand upright. Yes, it is possible to miss a chair. I know, because I miss my green, cushy, sturdy, flexible Amia already. Good bye Amia. You have a special place in my heart.

Geneva, meet Amia. Amia, Geneva.

Contrary to popular belief, Geneva is not twelve. No, her winning personality has had eighteen years - and counting - to develop. Don't let the fact that she has recently graduated from high school fool you, she is a Class A go-getter and is very determined to give her best for what she wants ... which is currently to sit at a desk beside the Creative Director at Smart Furniture from ten to six every weekday. Not many eighteen-year-olds can claim to have an office; this one can. Day One The Amia is insta-ergonomic technology that has my back. I can honestly say that I have never been happier about a chair switch in my Smart Furniture career -- now, I have only had three switches so far, but I'm trying to magnify the fact that this is by far my favorite. I did a little pre-switch research and discovered that the design for the Amia has roots in the old version of the Volkswagen Bug and a nearly-empty glass of cognac. Don't drink and drive is what comes to mind next after hearing that, but fortunately I'm at no risk there. I find those ideas very off-the-wall for a chair, but at the same time, I am happy to sit on an idea like that. It reminds me to think outside the boundary or the expected norm. Earlier today I was complaining about how my back was bothering me, and believe me, it was. I ride my bicycle to and from work, plus most everywhere else I want to go, every day. That leaves me with aches and pains that are hard to deal with and an uncomfortable chair does nothing except perpetuate them. Sitting down in my new Amia after adjusting it to the nuances of my body is sublime. I feel no pressure on my back besides support. As I said, sublime. And, ironically, my Amia is green. Ha! Get it? Sub-lime, green? Ah, I never get over cheesy jokes.

Steelcase Creates Life

To demonstrate their commitment to going green, during the career exchange the recruiters from Steelcase gave out only one thing: a card made of biodegradable fibers with wildflower seeds embedded in it. So it doesn't just biodegrade, it creates life! And we all know how good plants are for the environment. Well done, Steelcase. more here.

Steelcase Think Chair Is Worth The Price

During a recession, it's hard to justify purchasing new office furniture, especially of the sleek and stylish variety. Sure, it was one thing to shell out $1,000 for an Aeron Chair back in the dot-com bubble days. Or even during the more recent mid-2000s boom. But spending upwards of $729 on a chic seat like Steelcase's (SCS) Think chair now? While it seems like an extreme expenditure, it could just be worth it. This is the conclusion I come to after trying out a Think chair in "Coconut" (white vinyl) at work for four months—the whole first quarter of 2009. If white vinyl sounds impractical, think again: Its surface was as soft as real leather, and you can wipe away spilled coffee without guilt. The chair design features two trade-marked mechanisms created by Steelcase after consulting health experts at institutions such as the University of Vermont's Back Research Center. Flexible metal bands in the seat back support and move with your back, while the reclining apparatus underneath the seat leverages body weight to provide a smooth transition from sitting upright to leaning backward. Gone are the jarring or jerky position switches that can occur with other office chairs. And you can adjust the arm rests, covered with a cushiony plastic, so they can slide closer to the body. Move them backward and forward by nudging them with your elbows—wonderful when typing and then abruptly moving toward the phone to answer a call. There aren't any complicated levers, though you can "program" your favorite chair positions via an analog, manual knob. Troubles Vanish In the months I tried the chair, I saw some writing-related injuries disappear. (Full disclosure: I usually sit in an Aeron Chair.) I'm not sure this is coincidence. A small cyst in my left wrist disappeared during this time. The wrist aches I used to have from typing too much went away—although I was in fact typing more than before. Which brings me to a caveat: When I was using the Think chair, I took fewer breaks to get up and walk around. While I certainly was productive during the first quarter of 2009, I had to wonder about how healthy these hour-long spells of sitting really were. Another "warning": The Think chair is good-looking. Colleagues who usually don't walk past my cubicle made detours because they had heard I had a cool new seat. Invariably, they commented on the chair's striking appearance. I don't think it's a coincidence that the features added to the latest version of the Think chair (the first version was launched nearly five years ago) are new fabrics and colors. In March, Steelcase announced bright new shades that essentially, and unofficially, match the vibrant hues of the current Apple (AAPL) iPod Nano music players. On the chairs, the colors are featured in a soft, knit fabric. Sure, this is a cosmetic upgrade, but the fact that no other upgrades were announced also speaks to the effectiveness of the chair's original design and engineering. While its price tag suggests it's a bit of a luxury right now, the real reason to buy the chair is its functionality—its ergonomic comfort and simplicity of use. But the new Think chair's jewel-toned fabrics provide a bit of a mood boost, too. And these days, who couldn't use a mood boost as well? Jana is the Innovation Dept. editor for BusinessWeek.

Three Herman Miller Products Pick Up Awards at Neocon

Chicago — Herman Miller’s Setu and Embody chairs, along with its Twist task light, have picked up awards at NeoCon 2009 World’s Trade Fair. Interior design and real estate management professionals jury the “Best of NeoCon Awards.” They recognized Herman Miller's Setu chair with a gold award in the Conference Seating category and a silver award in the Lounge Seating category. Also, the Embody chair got a silver award in the Ergonomic Seating category, while the Twist light was given gold. The awards are sponsored and organized by the International Interior Design Association, the International Facility Management Association, Contractmagazine, the McMorrow Report and Merchandise Mart Properties, Inc. “These awards reflect our company’s continuing investment in innovation and also the talent and dedication of employees and designers who made it possible for us to achieve this recognition," noted Herman Miller President and CEO Brian Walker. More from The Holland Sentinel

Greener By Design

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. -- GreenBiz.com has partnered with Net Impact and Steelcase to create the Steelcase Sustainable Design Scholarships -- four full scholarships to the 2009 Greener by Design conference. The four lucky winners will receive full conference registration, as well as travel and lodging at the event, scheduled to take place May 19-20, in San Francisco, Calif. Greener By Design, produced by GreenBiz.com, is the conference where hundreds of brand managers, business strategist, sustainability officers, marketing directors, product designers, material sourcing experts, and many others go to get the answers, tools, insight, and inspiration to improve their company’s bottom line through product innovation and green design techniques. With a long history of leadership in sustainable design, Steelcase, the global manufacturer of office furnishings, is looking to identify ways that design, defined broadly as products, services or business ventures, can be used to improve lives. They have funded the scholarships as a means of supporting the next generation of product designers who understand the opportunity to align environmental and social goals with cutting-edge design. By GreenBiz Staff More on the article here

What We Think About THINK

Day Two with Cyndi I was very excited when I was asked to “test drive” the Think Chair by Steelcase.I am not a woman of many words so I was concerned that maybe I was not the best choice for this “test drive” and analysis, but nonetheless I agreed. When I first sat down in the Think Chair I immediately noticed the very cushioned and comfortable seat. I also noticed how comfortable it was when I leaned back. You see, I ruptured a disk in my back a few years ago so there aren’t too many chairs that are truly comfortable. So I need a chair that has great lumbar support and helps my back relax while sitting. The Think chair does have a great lumbar support which really helps my posture while sitting, not one of my strong points. I also noticed the dial on the right side that allows the chair to recline more or less, depending on my preference. The chair I normally sit in has a lever to allow the chair to recline slightly or not recline at all. So the dial on the Think Chair gives me more options depending on the way I feel for the day. I am a woman and yes I change my mind often. I am looking forward to my second day in the Think...

What We Think About THINK

Because of our continuing curiosity about what it’s like to use the great chairs we sell, we here at Smart Furniture have prevailed upon two of our fine employees to test the Steelcase Think chair. Mark Rico (our resident rendering specialist) and Cyndi Brackett (our accountant extraordinaire), have graciously accepted the opportunity to share the Think for one week and write about their experience.

Mark, in addition to his superb SketchUp and facial-hair-growing skills, is glad to spend life with his wife and two daughters. He hopes to one day hike the Appalachian Trail with his family and is currently reading about insects and spiders because they’re amazing.

Cyndi works out of our office three days a week and is at home the remaining four. She is very blessed to have a wonderful husband and two amazing kids. Her son is entering middle school next year and her daughter will be entering Kindergarten next year. Yes, she drives a minivan and hauls kids around all day but loves every minute of it. She hopes to go to Europe on vacation at some point in the future. On those days when she doesn’t have a minute to herself she looks forward to being an empty nester!

Day One with Mark

Today I started a week-long test of the Steelcase Think chair. Steelcase isn’t really the first brand many people think of when they’re considering modern furniture, or even seating for their home offices. However, the Think pretty well demonstrates that Steelcase doesn’t just make conventional office furniture; it’s beautiful to look at (especially the one I’m sitting in – white seat, white mesh back – stunning) and super comfortable. The real question at this point is how it performs every day.

The first thing I did was read the little how-to-adjust-the-chair tag that came with the Think. It’s only a one-page diagram that tells you what the knobs do, and it’s really all that’s necessary. Think is a very intuitive chair to adjust. The lever thing (there’s only one – simple) is for adjusting the height. The knob thing (there’s only one – again, very simple) is for setting the tilt limit, and there are 4 settings. Under the front of the seat, there’s a bar very similar to the bar you’d find under the front seat of your car, and you lift it and scoot the seat forwards or backwards to increase or decrease the seat depth. There are about 2 inches of adjustability for the depth which turns out to be enough for me, and I’m 6’1”.

The armrests are by far the most fun function. They move in/out in front and back, independently, so that you can find the best position without pressing buttons or being confined to a preset location. Throughout the day, as I’ve gotten used to sitting here, I’ve gotten comfortable enough to just move the armrests with my elbows as I change position.

More tomorrow, but my first impression is that I like the way it feels almost as much as I like the way it looks, and it looks incredible. This is the kind of chair that I want to have in my home office and just “happen” to leave the door open, hoping my guests will see it as I purposefully lead them past the doorway …

Steelcase Amia Design Story

Beneath the Amia chair’s upholstery, inside its sleek backrest, there’s a form of our unique comfort system called LiveLumbar™ technology. You may not see it, but you’ll certainly feel it. As you sit in the chair, an adjustable LiveLumbar™ zone flexes with your every move, for consistent ergonomic support for your lower back. Hour after hour, day after day. With additional comfort features like 4-way adjustable arms, adjustable seat depth and a flexible front seat edge, Amia keeps you feeling good 24/7. It’s a chair for every day, that’s not your everyday chair.

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Amia 3D Model--Download it here at the Google 3D Warehouse.