Do you spend any time in a chair like me? I am a software developer and small business owner, so I can spend 20 hours in a chair some days non-stop, multiple days in a row even, but always spend some significant amount of time in a chair 7 days a week, 12 months a year. If you are even remotely a chair warrior as part of your daily routine, then read this!
The Chair: http://store.hermanmiller.com/Products/Embody-Chair
I assembled this 2-piece chair (as it arrived) several hours ago, and upon sitting down for the first time I instantly realized why it was worth the price, in mere minutes, and while still sitting in it the first time, I ordered 2 more, one for my lady (to spend more time with me in the office) and one for my mom (because I love her too) and will do the same for my employees in the morning when they pick a color… (bonus AND business expense for taxes!) Expensive enough that I need to float them on credit, maybe keep hunting for deals, it’s a no-brainer really… – YES, THIS IS THAT IMPORTANT.
Within minutes of sitting in the chair, parts all along my back, neck, and shoulders were starting to … “shift” a little, and I kept getting more and more comfortable the longer I sat – completely opposite of any other chair I’ve ever used! At first it was a tad painful as things shifted into place, but not bad just – noticeable I guess… soon I realized I was “fixing” myself by sitting in this chair, from the spine outwards! There isn’t a point in going into all the issues I have with these areas, the pain, the inflexibility, cramps, etc. etc. not just from years of bad posture and declining eye sight forcing slumping forwards at computer desks, or even talking about my flat feet and standing issues — just know that I’m positive this chair has fixed them all — yes it’s even helping my issues with standing (after sitting in the chair for just a little time.)
I didn’t realize how bad it hurt to just sit down before… Sitting in this chair for the first time is a sudden shock, for the PAIN REDUCTION as pressures are relieved in areas that you didn’t know were stressed. You don’t realize how much you move in a chair even when you think you are still. It hurts, not enough to realize it, but it causes uncomfortable pressure. Not in this chair. It moves with your spine like fluid, the rest of your back is free to rotate or curve as necessary. Every little movement in this chair is pleasant, and 20x today already (my first day) I’ve said aloud “oh!” in pleasure (umm, yeah, really) as I’ve moved slightly or stood up even and was shocked at how easy the movement was with this chair, and even the surprising lack of leg strength it seemed to take to later get out of it and stand up. Not sure how to describe this feeling of — JOY!
Oh yeah, 12 year warranty on this thing, and quality to match!
The website says it promotes blood/oxygen flow, ultimately you are more alert, can concentrate, and are free to be creative with your mind as well as being unrestricted in body movement. I can see that already! I also found it interesting the website reminds us that we are at least 1 centimeter shorter at the end of each day than when we wake up, due to spinal compression from sitting during the day (and for people like me, that must be more like 1 inch!) Just food for thought, this chair is supposed to fix that. I can see it!
One size fits all too! I got the same chair for me (an oversize guy) and my lady (a petite little thing that I once described as “fun size” like those tiny candy bars we give out at halloween.) Different back shape? No problem, that’s why the back of the thing looks so cool, all these little support/pressure point thingies. Yes, it reclines and yes it is enough to kick your feet up if you want — no it doesn’t recline when you don’t want it to. There’s an adjustment for that with a bunch of different settings for various reclining depths. Like your seat tilt a little more forward than most people? No problem there either. Tension adjustments make your effort/pressure/movements in this thing adjustable too. It even has an adjustment for how long the seat bottom is (in relation to how far the bend of your knee is from the front edge of the seat.) The seat adjustment guide is a good browse, detailing the 7 simple (yet fully comprehensive) adjustments you can use to make this chair truly customized to YOU: http://www.hermanmiller.com/content/dam/hermanmiller/documents/user_information/Embody_Chairs_adjustment_guide.pdf
I normally don’t just write reviews; not only am I a bad procrastinator, but a product has to be pretty special for me to spend my time talking about it beyond close circles. But yet, here is my review on Amazon, which I made while still sitting in the chair for the first time: http://www.amazon.com/review/RHAYI4JRRDPC3
Some additional random thoughts since I’ve had more time to ponder it:
- Sitting in this chair is like seeing through the right prescription lenses for the first time, after struggling with degraded vision problems…
- For comfort and ENTIRE BODY pain (neck/shoulders/back/all of it,) this chair beats laying on a good mattress! Really! Parts of me feel better I didn’t even know were a problem until now…
- After sitting for a while, later when standing or walking, and also even laying down on my bed, I feel so much BETTER after sitting in this chair for any length of time first.
- Bottom Line: It appears the Embody Chair by Herman Miller has essentially fixed the major problems with sitting down.
You owe it to yourself to at least consider it, research it, and try it if you can find a local outlet with a demo if you aren’t convinced already. If you can’t, feel free to ask me anything about the chair and I’ll try to answer your questions.
Just please don’t ask me if it is “worth” the expense! Realize that I purchased 2 additional chairs within 1.5 hours of sitting down in this one. You make the call on “worth” yourself, it’s easy math. For the retail cost of the chair over the 12 year warranty period (which I believe won’t be necessary to use, with the quality I believe is currently supporting my butt) and it breaks down to a mere 28 cents (US) a day. Let me tell you what that buys for me: My morning sit was interrupted when I got up to return some coffee I rented earlier, and strangely my back felt so unusually good that I for some reason decided to take the dog for a walk around the block (I haven’t done that since long before I moved to this apartment complex.) This morning so far, my back, neck, shoulders, and whole body feel GREAT and I’m actually awake and alert — I don’t actually need anymore coffee this morning (usually I drink it well into the afternoon sometimes evening due to being sleepy in my chair…)
This IS a life changing product, so my $0.28? This is totally worth it, because YOU are worth it!
Yes I endorse this, and no I am not paid. I know it is a lot of scratch to buy one, so if you are really interested but unconvinced, and maybe curious to ask this particular chair jockey something specific, then just ask me about it! I just had to pass this along to my fellow techs especially, small business owners, office workers, support workers, etc. Just like my “How I Quit Cigarettes“ page, this one will go up permanently on this website at some point, because I actually believe in the QUALITY OF LIFE improvement I’m about to have thanks to this chair!
(sorry about the “URGENT” in the subject if you don’t agree — but yeah, I feel that it is.)
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