Well…. now on to a chair so terribly misused it’s awful!
The mid-back conference/manager’s chair.
Now, you might ask, just how is this chair misused? (And I used this particular mid-back, the B686, because I think it’s a great chair!)Often, when people go down to the Officestaplesmax superstore for pens, paper and other etc., they’ll see a bunch of chairs there priced on sale for 39.95 which are similar to this one- fixed arms, chair goes up and down and can lean back. They think the price is great, take it home, where they are going to spend 5 hours sitting, or to work where they’ll spend 8-10.
Now, those arms are going to be hard and they’ll likely have their elbows on them all day long…. after a few months… the seat padding is seemingly disappearing…. it feels a bit creaky in the mechanism….
What’s going on?
First off, this sort of chair is designed more for conferencing, not working in all day long. It’s really meant to be sat in for an hour or so, then left all alone for the rest of the day! Far too often the aesthetics of a chair override the practicality. Second- you’ve seen those task chairs at the officestaplesmax stores- they are flimsy and certainly not very attractive. A decent task chair with multiple adjustments which is designed for computer work is going to start at the 150.00-175.00 range (and granted, those are not stylish, those are going to start at a hundred more!).
So this chair is certainly misused, but the reality is- people just don’t know! No one at those big officestaplesmax stores really knows about chairs, or how people ought to sit (nor do they really care) and the chairs they do carry, well, are mostly junk! (and that’s being charitable- some are actually dangerous!)
Now, chairs like the B686 are great for that which they’re designed- conferencing, sitting in for shorter periods of time, casual use. That’s not to say that it’s not well-built, Boss (the manufacturer) actually makes chairs which are designed for 8 hour workdays and rugged enough for some of the most demanding environments. I’m rather picky at SitBetter.com, I don’t sell things I don’t like.
When you’re shopping for a conference chair, simply always weigh the cost factor (I know you do, the chairs are usually more expensive than the table!) against functionality, durability and aesthetics.
Cost- Never go less than 80ish dollars. At that point the chair’s not likely to be very comfortable (most under a hundred aren’t, really!) nor very sturdy or durable. Unless you want to be respending your money within a couple years, spend a bit more. You’re usually better off starting around the 120 dollar range (although the B686 is only 99.00- it’s one of my special buys!)
Functionality- What are you really using it for? An hour or two at a time? Or is it going to be your primary desk chair. If it’s the latter, buy a task chair of sorts (Try this one, or any number of others!).
Durability- Is it ANSI/BIFMA certified? (I’ll get into those terms in depth another time). That just means it’s durable enough for office use. Generally (although not ALWAYS the case), the more you spend the better built it’s going to be. If you want it to last for years and you don’t have to worry about it, spend a bit more!
Aesthetics- This, aside from cost, usually drives the purchace! Does it look good? Fit into the environment? Oh heck, let’s face it, most want it looking better than feeling better! Just weigh that against the other determinations! (quick story- took a Humanscale chair to a customer a couple weeks ago. High end law firm, top floor of a downtown highrise and I see in their conference room the cheapest looking conference room chair imaginable! Good Grief, people!)
So weigh what you want, need and can afford and get the best you can!
