Lifeform's Midback Executive Chair, from Relax the Back Store, Burnaby, BC
MY REVIEW:
As a PhD Candidate and a web designer, I spend 14 hours sitting in front of my computer, almost 365 days a year. I have been doing this since 1995, but it's not until I came to the GVA that I started researching the "perfect chair". This included reading books such as The Chair by Galen Granz and The Breathing Book by Donna Farhi.
One thing I've learnt is that the perfect posture doesn't exist. Or rather, the perfect posture is... the next one. Healthy mind and body are all about movement, so the first thing a long-term use desk chair should do is let you easily switch between several different postures. Unless you are a pro athlete, it's unlikely you'll feel consistently concentrated and comfortable for more than a couple of hours without changing your position. Many chairs like "The Leap" by Steelcase or Herman Miller's "Aeron" boast sophisticated ergonomic features. But they look and feel too plastic. You can get a feel for this when you slide onto the memory foam and contoured seat of a "Lifeform— and that's on top of the half a dozen different handles for adjusting the chair's elements to every possible angle.
Ahh, memory foam, is there anything it can't do?
By being pressure and heat sensitive, memory foam conforms to individual body shapes. This spreads your weight to a larger surface area, reducing pressure points that cause reduced blood flow and fatigue. The comfortable effect is further enhanced by the contoured seat. Its raised surface also acts as a bump, preventing the tendency to slide out and slouch.
Blood circulation is increased, not only as a result of the reduced pressure points, but also from the deeper breathing allowed by your more upright position (which is achieved by the chair's adjustability). Sitting with an erect spine at about 100 degrees to your thighs is the ideal posture for concentration. However, most chairs do not come with a seat that can be tilted forwards. "Lifeforms" let you do that at ease, either fixing the position or rocking back and forth. Actually, a kneeling chair is probably ideal for such 'poised' sitting, as it also redistributes some of your weight to your knees. But these are taxing for long-term computer work. You want to lean back at some point. The "Lifeform" lets you tilt backwards both the seat and the backrest. A reclining position not only takes some pressure off your hip area, but also allows blood to return to the heart easier. You may have noticed that as recline, your heart rate goes way down, which is essential for rest.
The "Lifeform", in many ways, give you the best of a recliner and a kneeling chair, with an infinite combination of adjustments in between. Based in Calgary, the company manufacturers and sells its chairs exclusively through "Relax the Back" stores. "Lifeform" was originally founded by Danes who used to make saddles. This tradition has evolved into producing what may be the most human-centered chairs around, and ones that come with a lifetime warranty.
PRINT DIRECTIONS AND DISCOUNT OFFER
"Lifeform's" Midback Ultimate Executive Chair.
Get one at "Burnaby's Relax the Back" Store.
5175 Kingsway (corner of Royal Oak).
Print these directions and get a 10% discount on any "Lifeform" chair (valid until Christmas).
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