What's new

Oh my aching body!

This month is the first time I’ve been able to sit at the computer since last Spring without experiencing pain. I was having some disc and vertebrae issues that made using my mouse extremely painful (the same thing went for driving, too).

I’m trying to take it easy so I don’t reinjure myself so I’m continually update and down. My computer chair is an old executive chair that my husband’s old office was getting rid of years ago. It’s showing wear but it still works! So I’m not going to be any help for you in that account. Sorry!
 
Karen said:
This is my biggest pet peeve about office chairs... they never make the arms go low enough to fit under my desk all the way. I have a shallow drawer underneath my desk and chairs with arms always hit that drawer and then I can't scoot far enough in and end up leaning forward to reach stuff. It's murder on my lower back. That's why I have one without arms right now. Let me know what you find out if you get to test it out! :agree
Click to expand...
When I was looking for a new desk, one of my requirements was a keyboard tray. It is great if you use cordless keyboard/mouse. But I had to switch to a corded because I was losing connection all the time. So now the keyboard tray has a 3-ring binder with my 2 year calendar in it on there as well as a couple of steno books with notes on using PSP. So any chair with arms will not work.

My current chair is really old. I've had at least 2 other chairs besides this one. One of those which was comfortable was from IKEA and had arms which is when I realized I didn't like arms on my chair. My first chair and this chair are both "steno" chairs. My issue with it is the back makes my back hurt since I have to lean back. So I have a Longaberger chair pad that I put behind my back so that I sit up straight when I use it.

I will say though that even though I spend most of my day on the computer, I do get up and move around quite often which does help alleviate pain from sitting too much. Of course, the dog is the main reason... in and out, in and out, in and out!
 
bcgal00 said:
Glad to hear its not COVID and that you are using your time wisely....scrapping :) I can't help with the chair b/c I don't use a regular chair anymore. I use a kneeling chair (no back or arms) which is better for my back and core muscles (no slouching).
Click to expand...

My knees hurt just reading about your chair! I've had knee issues for years but thankfully not bad enough for knee replacement. But a knee chair... ouch!
 
I've been using my recliner chair to scrap on my laptop for the past six months. Its comfy but I have to remind myself to get up and stretch/do some yoga every hour so I don't end up really stiff. I'll be getting a new desk chair when we move back home since mine was written off in the flood.
 
@Karen I'm so sorry that you haven't been well. I'll be praying that you return to top health quickly!

I have a great chair, but I still get up frequently to walk around and do some simple stretches. I'm also up and down like @HavaDrPepper to take Piper outside . . . several times a day. :giggle

The last chair I bought was from Office Depot in 2017 and it's still going strong. Like @bestcee 's chair, mine is mesh backed. Jay has a similar chair as well.

They were, in my opinion, very expensive BUT because of my chronic back issues, it was a must for me. My chair was actually marked with an incorrect price. At that time, the chair was supposed to be $399.99 (it's now $499.99!) but the paper tag said it was $279.91. Office Depot honored the price, so with taxes I paid $300. So I've been using it for five years. That's $60 a year, which is a very reasonable price for a chair I sit in very frequently with designing AND scrapping. My chair is still very comfortable and I'm having no issues with it, and highly recommend it.

Jay's purchase was an anniversary gift in 2018. He was going to get a standing desk. When he went to get the desk, the bin was mislabeled at $199.99 and the actual price was $499.99. They honored that lower price, so he decided to get a better chair. His chair was $399.99 (now $569.99!), but they had a sale, so he actually paid $260.00 for his chair. He ended up paying less for the desk and the chair than the desk alone would have cost. He was so pleased! LOL

I've linked the images below. I can't say enough about investing in a really good chair, especially if you are married to a desk with a desktop and two monitors (which is what I have as well). I also have a little footstool under my desk. I picked it up at an estate sale and it really helps to be able to put my feet up occasionally.

Mine:



Jay's:

 
Karen said:
OH it's so pretty! I hope you love it. I just made the switch a couple years ago from my mini van to a Subaru Forester which is a really small SUV. I love it. I do miss being able fold all my seats down in the minivan and buying lumber and plywood at Lowes. I can fit a 6 foot board in my car, but plywood has to be cut in half now. Priorities, right? :giggle
Click to expand...
Oh My that is what I missed most about my minivan!!! It was the best
 
HavaDrPepper said:
I hope they have one of these set up so I can sit in it the next time I go to Sam's. I'd like a chair with arms but want to be able to push them up so the chair can be pushed all the way under the desk or table. This looks like it would work but I have to "try" it out!
Click to expand...
It might! The arms can totally move out of the way. The arms can be pushed down and back towards the back of the chair, or they have some up and down to them to put them at arm height.
 
Karen said:
This is my biggest pet peeve about office chairs... they never make the arms go low enough to fit under my desk all the way. I have a shallow drawer underneath my desk and chairs with arms always hit that drawer and then I can't scoot far enough in and end up leaning forward to reach stuff. It's murder on my lower back. That's why I have one without arms right now. Let me know what you find out if you get to test it out!
Click to expand...

I responded to Rene also, but in case you missed it, the arms on my chair tilt back too. So I can move them out of the way and make it like it's a backless one. I use an old kitchen table as my desk, and it has a drawer on it also. I just tip the arms back a little and it slides under to the back.

(At this point - I realized a photo is worth a 1000 words)

@HavaDrPepper This is what the chair arms do. The left is the slight back I do to go under my desk. The right is Nick's chair all the way down.
2022-01-14-16.52.jpg
 
I have a wooden vintage desk that I absolutely love (you should see all the drawer space it has!!) Since it doesn't have a keyboard tray I just use the middle drawer. I plop my keyboard on top of whatever's in there and it just works fine.
 
@bestcee I saw that about the arms when I went to the Sam's Club link you provided. I checked out all the photos. I know at one time I saw a chair there that I liked but wasn't ready to buy it. It was about 2 years ago so not sure if they would even have that one again.
 
@Karen I'm glad you're starting to feel better!

I like my desk chair but I find I have to remember to set the timer on my phone for 25 minutes. That way, when it goes off, I stand up and stretch and walk around for a bit. If I don't, I find myself sitting at my desk for hours at a time and then it hurts to stand up. Getting old sucks!
 
bestcee said:
I like my office chair. I splurged on it, after hemming and hawing for 3 months. I like that it has a mesh back because it keeps me cooler in the summer. It adjusts up and down of course, but the arms also adjust and that's one of the best things because I can really make it fit me.
View attachment 484084
My tall husband loves it too. He kept stealing mine, so we ended up buying him his own. It really did change how much I hurt after time at the computer. My old chair would kill me after about a few hours. This one hasn't hurt me at all, even after an entire day of DSD!
Click to expand...
THAT is EXACTLY what I am looking for! And it's $100 cheaper than the model I found! I do my pages seated in my recliner, sometime reclining, sometimes not. I don't do yoga, I purposely break up time seated and do chores, projects etc in stages so that there isn't any pain of any kind. :) Now off to see about getting that chair for my studio!!!
 
HavaDrPepper said:
My knees hurt just reading about your chair! I've had knee issues for years but thankfully not bad enough for knee replacement. But a knee chair... ouch!
Click to expand...
I find it really comfortable. The part where my knees rest are padded. But, if I didn't have a bad back, I would love to sink into a soft comfy chair but that just doesn't work for me unfortunately.
 
bcgal00 said:
I find it really comfortable. The part where my knees rest are padded. But, if I didn't have a bad back, I would love to sink into a soft comfy chair but that just doesn't work for me unfortunately.
Click to expand...
I still can't put any pressure on my knees even with padding. Having a sprained knee and torn cartilage in same knee in 2 years (age 13 and 15), there's not a lot of good in that knee. I have to wear a knee brace when I walk because it will just "go out" on me randomly. I was told by an orthopedic specialist 40 years ago that I have "football knees" and would probably need surgery at some point. I also had osteoarthritis in the knee that I had previously injured. I was 26. I'm very thankful that I have not needed surgery but I've done everything I can to proactively avoid it.

I also have a bad back and need support for my back so for me, a chair with good support works best.

Isn't it great that there are so many options that everyone can find one that works for them? :)
 
bcgal00 said:
Glad to hear its not COVID and that you are using your time wisely....scrapping :) I can't help with the chair b/c I don't use a regular chair anymore. I use a kneeling chair (no back or arms) which is better for my back and core muscles (no slouching).
Click to expand...

My Dad had one of those and I tried it and liked it. I just don't know if I could use one all day long or not. Sometimes I've thought about trying a ball too.
 
gonewiththewind said:
@Karen I'm so sorry that you haven't been well. I'll be praying that you return to top health quickly!

I have a great chair, but I still get up frequently to walk around and do some simple stretches. I'm also up and down like @HavaDrPepper to take Piper outside . . . several times a day. :giggle

The last chair I bought was from Office Depot in 2017 and it's still going strong. Like @bestcee 's chair, mine is mesh backed. Jay has a similar chair as well.

They were, in my opinion, very expensive BUT because of my chronic back issues, it was a must for me. My chair was actually marked with an incorrect price. At that time, the chair was supposed to be $399.99 (it's now $499.99!) but the paper tag said it was $279.91. Office Depot honored the price, so with taxes I paid $300. So I've been using it for five years. That's $60 a year, which is a very reasonable price for a chair I sit in very frequently with designing AND scrapping. My chair is still very comfortable and I'm having no issues with it, and highly recommend it.

Jay's purchase was an anniversary gift in 2018. He was going to get a standing desk. When he went to get the desk, the bin was mislabeled at $199.99 and the actual price was $499.99. They honored that lower price, so he decided to get a better chair. His chair was $399.99 (now $569.99!), but they had a sale, so he actually paid $260.00 for his chair. He ended up paying less for the desk and the chair than the desk alone would have cost. He was so pleased! LOL

I've linked the images below. I can't say enough about investing in a really good chair, especially if you are married to a desk with a desktop and two monitors (which is what I have as well). I also have a little footstool under my desk. I picked it up at an estate sale and it really helps to be able to put my feet up occasionally.

Mine:



Jay's:

Click to expand...

Thanks for the links! They both look awesome! Sounds like you and your hubby are both Office Depot whisperers... finding good deals mismarked and getting those prices. :giggle Maybe I should send you in search of a chair for me. Lol!
 
bestcee said:
I responded to Rene also, but in case you missed it, the arms on my chair tilt back too. So I can move them out of the way and make it like it's a backless one. I use an old kitchen table as my desk, and it has a drawer on it also. I just tip the arms back a little and it slides under to the back.

(At this point - I realized a photo is worth a 1000 words)

@HavaDrPepper This is what the chair arms do. The left is the slight back I do to go under my desk. The right is Nick's chair all the way down.
View attachment 484208
Click to expand...

Ok, now THAT is brilliant! Why don't all the chair makers do this?
 
Karen said:
My Dad had one of those and I tried it and liked it. I just don't know if I could use one all day long or not. Sometimes I've thought about trying a ball too.
Click to expand...
I have a ball, one of those big ones that I sometimes use instead of my chair. You can even buy one with a wheel base on the bottom. But overall, I like using my chair instead.
 
I tried the ball at one time. I fell off every time. The other problem was that I was too low to the desk with it and my arms were not in a comfortable position to type.

The ball ended up being a decoration for awhile. Then I finally got rid of it.
 
Karen said:
Thanks for the links! They both look awesome! Sounds like you and your hubby are both Office Depot whisperers... finding good deals mismarked and getting those prices. :giggle Maybe I should send you in search of a chair for me. Lol!
Click to expand...

A year apart and from two different locations . . . Office Depot was clearly understaffed and/or sales associates aren't checking their zones/areas. I can't imagine their staffing has improved over the past couple of years. It's definitely a place to check out just for that reason alone. Although I will say that I think their chairs are overpriced to begin with, so I don't think they took a big hit from the discounts.
 
Back
Top