Why I Sit In A Humanscale Liberty Chair
Posted by Human Solution on Nov 6th 2008
The benefit of working for a chair store is I get my pick of the litter when it comes to where I rest my laurels. This is a place where the powers that be recognize that comfortable bottoms translate to a better “bottom-line”. So when I had the opportunity to choose a new office chair last Fall I had a few criteria I needed the chair to meet.
First, I am lazy, and while I have found great moments of comfort in infinitely adjustable chairs (most notably theNeutral Posture 8600), I find I rarely dedicate the time to adjust the chairs as needed throughout the day. So I need a chair that will do some of that work for me even if I am sacrificing some ergonomic adjustability. Beginning with their Freedom chair, and later with the Liberty chair, Humanscale integrated a counterbalance mechanism that automatically adjusts in proportion to trunk weight. What does that mean in non-chair geek speak? It means the Liberty chair sets the correct recline tension based on my weight without any effort expended on my part. This allows for dynamic movement throughout the chairs range without ever turning a tension knob or flipping a recline lock.
I am also unapologetically fidgety when seated for any length of time. I occasionally cause a disturbance in quiet movies. So I needed a chair back that didn’t require perfect posture to be comfortable. Enter the Liberty chairs tri-panel mesh design. The mesh back breathes easily for a cool days work, but more importantly the clever construction flexes with my back as I lean diagonally across the seat, or prop an elbow at the top of my backrest. It literally follows my every move. The elegant simplicity of the Liberty chair means that I sacrifice the height adjustable back and independent lumbar support seen on so many chairs in this price range, but I find that the natural movement of the mesh design more than makes up for the missing features.
Finally I needed a chair that would minimize the fatigue associated with long stretches behind a desk. I typically work 9 hour days and rarely leave my corner, so lacking armchair comfort in a desk chair is a deal breaker. The optional Technogel seat from Humanscale is test proven to more evenly distribute weight than foam seat counterparts. We trade chairs frequently in our offices and I have yet to find a seat I am happier to come home to. The gel seat conforms to the body well, and allows for a sleek design that thick foam seats make impossible.
Ultimately I settled on the Liberty chair I now sit in for the exact reasons that I would recommend it to anyone else. The controls are simple, because there are none. Set the chair height and seat depth to fit your body and then just go to work. No need for pressing another button for the entire life of your chair. The mesh back tracks your every movement and the gel seat provides enough cushion for those long looming-deadline-days. And combined with all these features the Liberty chair sports a simple elegance that adds huge style points to my wire and paper covered office.