With almost eight million sold, the 22-year-old Aeron claims to be the best-selling office chair of all time – and now it’s had a millennium makeover.
The Nineties classic, made by the company Herman Miller, has had a “complete remaster, from the castors upwards”, says Chris Morley, its head of design for Middle East and Africa.
Changes have been made to the mesh (the Aeron was the first chair to do away with the traditional foam and fabric), as well as the tilt, dials and back support.
Perfect timing for millennials coming into the workplace: a 2013 survey by Simplyhealth found that 84 per cent of 18 to 24-year-olds in Britain had suffered from back pain in the past year. The problem is being called “iposture”, because of the hunched position adopted while using a computer or phone.
Mr Morley says a good chair should be like a “nice pair of shoes”: you only notice when you’re uncomfortable.
The new Aeron tilts the pelvis forward to mimic the spine’s natural S shape when standing, he says, and focuses on supporting the sacrum – the large, triangular bone at the base of the spine – rather than the lumbar.
That revolutionary mesh now has eight zones of tension, while the number of turns needed to adjust the chair tilt has been reduced from 50 to 12.
The improvements should help people who are sitting for lengthy periods, he says.
While Mr Morley says sitting was negatively seen as “the new smoking a few months ago”, research last year from Exeter University and University College London found that sitting was no worse than standing, as long as you took regular exercise.
Good news for the 70 per cent of office workers who the American Osteopathic Association found spend more than five hours at their desks.
People are not aware of their posture most of the time when sitting, says Dr Sebouh Kassis, a specialist neurosurgeon at the Burjeel Hospital for Advanced Surgery in Dubai, which is running a “Watch Your Back” campaign.
“The key is dynamic sitting,” says Mr Morley. “Basically … move. We’re not designed as humans to sit. We make great chairs but I wouldn’t want to say, sit for eight hours.”
q&a avoid posture torture
Suzanne Locke analyses the best way to sit at your desk:
Does anyone I know use an Aeron?
Of the Fortune 100 companies, a third sit in Aerons, say Herman Miller. Here, you might spot Dubai passport controllers sitting in them as you arrive at the airport. President Barack Obama has been photographed on one in the White House; Tina Fey has one in 30 Rock, as does Hugh Laurie in House.
What makes a good office chair?
Your chair height should be adjustable relative to your desk and screen, says Burjeel Hospital’s Dr Sebouh Kassis, with a good arc to support the lower portion of your back and armrests that can put your forearms at a 90-degree angle.
If my company won’t get me a good chair, what else can I do?
Stand, stretch and walk about every 20 to 30 minutes, says Dr Kassis. You should adjust your screen to be directly in front of you and at eye level and you could use a small pillow to fill the gap in your lower back. Herman Miller’s Chris Morley says you should slide your bottom to the back of your chair for the correct support. His company, he says, has found that lumbar support can open the joint between the pelvis and spine and cause lower back injury. Exercising three to four times a week, particularly swimming, helps strengthen the core muscles of the back, he says.
How much does the Aeron chair cost?
It starts at Dh2,865. But add in all the bells and whistles – adjustable arms, seat and back support, “quiet roll” castors and the funkier light grey mesh and aluminium chassis – and you’re up to $1,508 (Dh5,539).
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