At my office, I’ve noticed how we all slouch to pick at our iPhones, plant our legs on desks, twist around to speak with colleagues and wiggle to tunes emanating from our headsets. Our chairs are still designed for sitting up straight, but we’re doing gymnastics.
Perhaps that is why Knoll is marketing flexibility — not to mention fidgetability — as a key feature of the new desk chair it is revealing at the NeoCon trade expo next week in Chicago. As office-furniture makers vie to create the next Herman Miller Aeron — a chair that sets a standard for the next generation of office seating — ease of movement is a novel selling point.
Before my personal sitting session, I did some fast research into other alternative chairs. There’s a “kneeling” chair, which includes both a seat and an inclining knee pad to brace your legs against; it made my shins sore, and it didn’t prevent me from slouching. There’s also a balance-ball chair. The upside is that it engages the abdominal muscles, so I’m working out as I work. The downside is that it’s awkward if you’re wearing a skirt.
Now, I’m back to my sturdy Steelcase chair, which does its job. But just as I missed that Ferrari, I missed the Generation when they took it back.
