The Biggest Pain You Will Ever Sit On
As a small business owner a large portion of my day is spent at my desk doing business. Since my business is mostly computer based I actually spend most if not all of my working day at the desk. Sitting in front of a desk can seem like torture to some and that is usually because they have the wrong chair.
Because I spend so much time on my chair I decided that purchasing a quality chair was one of the smartest investments I could make into my business. If you are still not convinced consider this: how much does your back hurt after sitting at your desk for a few hours? Did you know that a bad chair can set you up to have Repetitive Strain Injuries (RSI) because of your poor posture?
I certainly wasn’t interested in experiencing the effects of a bad chair so I decided to take some time and purchase a chair better suited to the use I place upon it. Since I just recently went through this process I decided to share some of it with you.
Firstly I created a list of requirements that my chair had to meet:
- Quality. I don’t want to be replacing chairs every few years. My last very crappy chair lasted me 5 years before I finally destroyed it. I wanted this chair to last as long or longer.
- Comfort. An uncomfortable chair is pointless. I have to sit in my chair all day long so I need to feel reasonably comfortable.
- ROI. I am investing in this chair I would like it to be cost effective, and yet I would like to maximize my year over year cost average.
- Cost. Lastly I am not made of money. Most small business owners aren’t otherwise we wouldn’t likely be owning the company anymore. Money is always tight and reducing my initial investment was important.
The first place I looked when searching for a chair was the high end chairs. The type of ergonomic furniture that was the emblem of the dot-com boom. The basic Herman Miller Aeron chair is the typical standby when looking at a nice office chair. There are numerous other options out there other than the Aeron and each provide their own benefits and drawbacks depending upon your personal needs.
Unfortunately for myself my budget did not enable me to spring for a thousand dollar chair. I have reallocated a series of future budgets to ensure that when I replace the chair I have now I will be able to look at the high end ergonomic chairs.
I had to setting for the $200-400 range of a chair. This limited me to mostly shopping your standard office retailers.
My shopping advice when looking at mid-range office chairs is to test as many out before purchasing. A chair that feels incredible can often feel like the worst chair ever once you have tried out others. These chairs are going to keep their comfort based upon how quickly the foam compresses over time. To ensure a slightly longer lasting chair look for ones with firmer seats.
Ultimately the decision rides with the person actually purchasing. What feels more comfortable to myself is not always the most comfortable for others.
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