Just served a customer who bought a chair a while back from a shop that doesn’t specialise in chairs. She’s been in so much pain ever since she was really concerned there was some serious damage. The pain was so bad it took her a while to realise the chair was the cause. How could it be? She’s been using chairs all her life, they’ve never hurt before, this one was shaped like a chair.
There was nothing right about her purchase. It wasn’t suitable for her workstation, and it didn’t fit her, the ensuing pain was inevitable. The seat base was too deep for her so circulation was restricted at her knees, and her back wasn’t being supported at all. The opening at the base of her desk wasn’t wide enough to get the chair base into so she was having to reach forward to read and type.
There’s probably nothing inherently wrong with the chair, but whoever sold it took no time to understand what it was being used for or the limitations of where it was going to be.
Taking time to understand the client, and her workstation it was clear to me that a ‘traditional’ seat wasn’t right for her. We had 3 products that would have worked, but by taking our time and assessing all the parameters she walked away the proud owner of a Salli Swing. It fits under her desk, her posture is terrific and her pain has gone.
We spend a lot of time sitting down, and investing in the right chair for the job will promote the health and well being of the user, and can make the difference between a full productive day, or a week off in bed with back pain.
The cost? Less than a weeks wages. Don’t suffer on the wrong chair, it’s not necessary and it’s not worth it.