Comfortable chair for studying?

IndyElmer · May 17, 2012

Are you looking for a rolling desk chair? Will you be using it for studying books and for using a computer?

~RN67~ · May 17, 2012

Yes, looking for a rolling desk chair. I've been through several. The last chair I purchased was a Gaiam Balance Ball chair thinking it would help with the long hours I spend sitting at my computer desk studying... it works great for a while, and then I find my feet falling asleep, ugh! I really can't afford to buy another uncomfortable chairs, so any suggestions would be greatly appreciated :)

Thanks a bunch!

IndyElmer · May 17, 2012

I've heard that the balance ball chairs are actually pretty hard on a person, particularly if they are in the chair a lot and/or are trying to do computer work on them. (I was totally wanting to get one!)

I would start by going to a store that has a lot high end models (in addition to the cheaper ones) and tell the sale person that you'd like to get the least expensive chair possible but that you recognize you get what you pay for and that you're interested in hearing the benefits of the more expensive ergonomic models too. Ask a lot of questions that will encourage them to continue trying to sell you / up-sell you on a model.

Even if the chairs they are showing you are out of your price range, you can get an idea of which features matter to you. Then you can either choose to buy a chair there or go to a less expensive store with less selection and choose the best of what you can afford. (Sometimes this technique results in you buying a slightly more expensive chair than you had planned, but if you go in with a firm budget in mind and remember that half of what they'll tell you is baloney, it's not very often that you'll end up buying the most expensive model they have, though I do have a couple friends who absolutely can't do this because then they end up feeling like no other chair (or whatever) will be as good as that top model (that they didn't even know existed until the sales person told them about it))

My last three chairs have been free / thrift or office going out of business purchases so I don't actually know the model of any them :)

At a minimum, I prefer a chair that has adjustable seat height and adjustable arm height. Adjustable arm height really helps me to maintain better body mechanics if I'm doing to be typing a lot. (I also absolutely LOVE my Humanscale ergonomic, undermounted keyboard system. I type a LOT of my notes, study guides and even flashcards so the expensive Humanscale system was WELL worth it for me. All of my elbow, shoulder and wrist pain went away when I got it :) )

Given a choice between a plastic seat, a lightly padded seat, moderately padded and very "plush" I prefer a moderate - with a very firm foam.

Being able to tilt the seat pan or the back of the chair don't matter as much to me, but I know people with nerve problems who really value the tilting seat pan or who have back problems and really like to be able to adjust the tilt and or "firmness" of the "give" in the back of the chair.

~RN67~ · May 17, 2012

thank you somuch for your recommendation. i trulyappreciate it. i’m planning on shoppingthis weekend for a new chair and i will definitely be looking for adjustablearms along with the adjustable height. ichecked out the humanscale ergonomic tray system on amazon, pricey... but i’m gladto hear the great review, maybe i’ll look on ebay for a used model.

guess i’llhave to spend a little more on a chair this time… should have done it in the first place…in the long run it would have been less expensive!

thanks againfor your input!

IndyElmer · May 17, 2012

Humanscale has several ergo tray models. If you decide to seriously consider, let me know and I can find my model number. I never would have made that type of investment, but I used that tray at work and LOVED it!!

~RN67~ · May 17, 2012

i found this model for $39 (used) on ebay:

humanscale g2 keyboard tray w/ swivel mouse tray

with shipping only $17.75, i think i can swing that

thanks again for all your help!

IndyElmer · May 18, 2012

I hope that model is as awesome as the one that I have. Mine slides in/under and back out, you can adjust the height from quite low to rather high and you can adjust the front to back tilt angle. It take a bit of finnigling to figure out the "just right" position so that your arms and wrists are in the most neutral/natural postion that minimizes/prevents repetitive strain injuries. Once I figured it out though, I wondered how I had ever spent more than a few minutes typing without it!

PS. The most neutral/natural position probably isn't what your gut will tell you. I'd google for some ergonomic keyboard tray positioning photos ) Good luck with your chair selection (and possible tray purchase)!!

KMtoRN · May 18, 2012

Ummm, this is a great question! Thank you for asking this. I need to start looking for a better chair before the long hours of studying start in the Fall! :-)

k_girl153 · May 18, 2012

I got a high back leather one from an office store. I would definitely recommend going to a store to make your decision since everyones comfort level is so different. My chair is pretty plush and has every adjustment you can imagine on a computer chair, but it was also over 300. ( i finished almost the first year of NS without a desk or chair and it was rough.) My fiancé need up buying me a new desk and chair. I'm at my desk a lot so it was worth it to me. Its made a huge difference! Regardless you know what will work best for you. Good luck!