20 ms·
Show HN: My Desk Chair
- sosuke 13y agoI love the idea, but I'd probably end up feeling too far away from the monitors.
- hashbangsam 13y agoi sometimes pull them forward. they need to be on casters too :)
- mturmon 13y agoThe wheel, a truly great design pattern.
- MattBearman 13y agoI've been thinking about something similar to this since reading this article - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/6187080.stm http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/6187080.stm I was thinking of going one step further and suspending my monitor over my face - at a reasonable distance of course :)
- joshstrange 13y agoSame here, after reading that article a while back I've been working on way to sit like that while still being able to see my monitors well. Please post to HN your setup when you get it done as I am be very interested in how you would pull it off. Thanks!
- hashbangsam 13y agocool hadn't seen that, but that's pretty much what i find to be the optimal angle. monitor hacks are definitely the next step, i'd prefer them higher and slightly angled downwards
- malone 13y agoI have a bodged together standing/bed desk - http://imgur.com/Ia9GNwL http://imgur.com/Ia9GNwL I tend to stand behind the desk during the day and recline on the bed in the evenings. I do find reclining with the suspended monitor is very comfortable (sometimes i'll lie almost horizontal with the monitor directly above me) but I think I'd struggle to do a full days work like that.
- suyash 13y agointeresting way to manage the space in a optimal way but coding on bed, that's not for me.
- jballanc 13y agoSaw the "CSAIL" domain and I expected steps 4-20 to describe how to attach an electric motor, some actuators, and software to automatically direct the chair to a specific monitor based on facial recognition from the webcams in each. ...but this is pretty cool too.
- ericd 13y agoOne guy had a PC on his loft, and a chair hung with a winch so that he could sit, press a button, and it would pull him up to the keyboard. It was pretty badass...
- comrh 13y agoWhat's the thinking behind your light setup?
- rsync 13y agoYes, do tell ... I found that more intriguing than the la-z-boy...
- hashbangsam 13y agoour lab is a photon vacuum. i've iterated through an array of desk lamps, but realized the biggest problem is the lack of reflections from walls/ceilings. so the shield is a big light reflector --- just foam posterboard taped together and hung from a 5-iron and some rope. the $5 ikea lamps provide nice warm light, and the angular shield makes it feel like you're on a photo shoot with ambient light and minimal self-occluding shadows.
- sitkack 13y agoI have a design for a suspended reflector tent that is pretty much exactly what you have there. I can't stand shadows and varying illumination when I read or work on electronics.
- krilnon 13y ago> our lab is a photon vacuum. Parts of it, anyway. My desk was next to one of those huge glass walls facing Kiva. We also got reflections from the mirror-like metal paneling on the opposite side of the tower.
- cylinder 13y agoNice, but the rest of the cluttered and chaotic setup would provide me with endless anxiety.
- hashbangsam 13y ago... and that picture was on a good day
- SanjayUttam 13y agohaha, my thoughts exactly, my OCD is driving me nuts just looking at this.. Can't even focus
- ChuckMcM 13y agoReminds me of Roger's chair : http://www.arrickrobotics.com/chair/ http://www.arrickrobotics.com/chair/ The scorpion looking thing (http://greenstylo.blogspot.com/2013/08/emperor-1510-workstation.html http://greenstylo.blogspot.com/2013/08/emperor-1510-workstat...) is probably the ultimate one for me though. That would be pretty awesome.
- billmalarky 13y agoThe scorpion one looks awesome, but I feel like I would be too tempted to nap at that incline.
- Eleutheria 13y agoI bet the scorpion can be easily built for under $999 and sell like hotcakes.
- rootuid 13y agoCluttered, messy, ugly and how the hell can you read the screens from back there ?
- hashbangsam 13y agoi slide the chair forward until the arms are just under the desk and my feet hit the back wall of the desk. occasionally i slide the monitors forward or backward if my eyes feel strained
- cheez 13y agoMy setup: http://i.imgur.com/HKhovMT.jpg http://i.imgur.com/HKhovMT.jpg I used to sit on a normal desk chair but it felt wrong. I can sit here for longer without issue, though I still get up every half hour. As long as I ensure my head is touching the back of the chair as well as the bottom of my back (i.e., no hunch), my spine is easily straight and I have absolutely no back problems after working for a long time, which happens on occasion, believe it or not.
- msluyter 13y agoWhat about your wrists? The angle of your monitor stand would suggest that they have to be bent at least 20 degrees or so.
- cheez 13y agoThey actually rest very comfortably. My elbows are on the arms of the chair and my wrists are completely flat against the keyboard. If I had to guess at the angle of my forearm against my upper arm, I'd say it is close to 90 degrees. I don't think this image shows much, but here you go anway: http://i.imgur.com/kDEHDmt.jpg http://i.imgur.com/kDEHDmt.jpg
- oftenwrong 13y agoSeems like the monitor is too low for proper ergonomics.
- cheez 13y agoPossible. That is the lowest setting.
- cheez 13y agoDid some experimenting based on your comments and it looks like the ideal position to improve my setup would be: 1. Some form of a foot rest 2. The monitor raised to the next height 3. A bluetooth keyboard so my wrists can rest on my lap
- iterationx 13y ago
- cwbrandsma 13y agoI actually like that setup, as I prefer a chair that leans back as well. And the area looks cozy...I like some clutter, I feel more comfortable in spaces like that. Here are my suggestions for the rest of your setup: 1. Monitor arms. That will allow you to move you monitors around easily. I use one from 3m. 2. Deeper desk. I use an old kitchen table that is really just a thick 4x8 sheet of plywood.
- msluyter 13y agoMy first thought is that the monitors would be way too far away for someone with poor eyesight like myself. Which reminded me... At my last dentist appointment I was thinking about how comfortable the chair was and wondering whether you could set up a workstation with one (perhaps with totally separated right and left hand keyboards so your arms rest at your sides?) To make it work, I think you'd need monitors on like boom arms essentially suspended above you. Anyone tried something like this?
- mvleming 13y agoI think so: http://www.wired.com/wiredenterprise/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/20140227-FACEBOOK-PAPER-ENGINEERS-0050edit-660x495.jpg http://www.wired.com/wiredenterprise/wp-content/uploads/2014... Caption that went with the photo: > Engineering manager Scott Goodson reclines in the reclining workstation he built at Facebook HQ. From: http://www.wired.com/wiredenterprise/2014/03/facebook-paper/ http://www.wired.com/wiredenterprise/2014/03/facebook-paper/ Edit: Added caption.
- lowmagnet 13y agoFor those who want to know about that particular chair, it's a Zero-gravity Chair from Human Touch. I've got a much older version of that chair, and it's kinda busted, but when I have the floor space set up for it, it's an awesome recliner. Big problem though: it rotates its full height to the horizontal so you have to have it practically in the middle of an area so it can lean back and not hit the wall.
- User8712 13y agoThis makes me wonder, would it be better for your posture to lay on your back, while looking straight up at a screen? I mean, go lay on a carpet floor or on your bed, flat on your back, with your knees bent for comfort. Then imagine a screen a couple of feet in front of your eyes, and a keyboard/mouse angled as well. Wouldn't this give you perfect posture? It forces your back, neck and head to be straight. You can't lean forward because gravity forces your head into position. The above chair most likely offers some similar benefits since it's reclined so far back.
- ChikkaChiChi 13y agoThis is close to a design in my head. I even bought the LaZBoy to work on it. What we need is a swing away arm similar to the nav console in Star Trek: The Next Generation. The only problem tends to be that you have to keep the keyboard and mouse separate from the monitor arm so that your screens don't shake.
- jderick 13y agoI don't think reclining is that great for your shoulders / neck since it encourages your shoulders to slump forward and you will be likely to hold your head forward in order to see your monitor properly.
- nulagrithom 13y agoI tried the recliner-desk for a while myself. After a couple months the behavior you described started to take its toll as well. I traded one pain for another.
- hashbangsam 13y agoit does the opposite for my shoulders, they are relaxed. i keep a pillow around that i sometimes place behind my head to zero-out any neck strain
- varelse 13y agoWhile (ironically) that is exactly the La-Z-Boy from which I watch television and sometimes sleep, it would be an ergonomic disaster for me to work from it. 1. I have a (really) long body and (freakishly IMO) short legs (as in my wife is 6" shorter than me but still has longer legs). If my arms were extended down to the arm rests for typing, fuggedaboutit, I'd be crippled in a week. 2. Due to uncorrectable vision issues, I have a 30" monitor roughly 1' from my face. I would barely be able to read text on the monitor setup you have. 3. Can't use a mouse, can't use a kinesis keyboard sadly. 4. Haven't been able to use laptops effectively for 15+ years. Ironically, tablets are no problem. Go figure that one out. That said, we seem to share a passion for hoarding gadgets.
- DontBeADick 13y agoIn an industry with a fetish for stand-up desks, you are a true rebel.
- columbo 13y agoI think a better solution is to not have one designated body position for work. I have an office with only a standing desk but I'll come in and sit by the table, or on the recliner, or even lie on the floor. The hardest part was getting myself trained to be just as productive on one monitor. My anecdotal evidence is I feel this has been better than doing X day-after-day year-after-year.
- EC1 13y ago>The hardest part was getting myself trained to be just as productive on one monitor. Sold my 6 monitor PC setup for a single MBPR. That combined with an external trackpad just takes a swipe or two to get to the screen I want.
- vonmoltke 13y agoNo matter what I do, I can't handle bouncing between screens like that. I use my virtual desktops to organize different tasks if I need to work multiple things at once, but for a given task I want as much visible to me at once as possible.
- tijs 13y agoyup. that and exercising your back and shoulder muscles a bit now and then actually helps your body from getting RSI symptoms in the first place...
- josefresco 13y agoI use one of these bad boys: http://www.amazon.com/Gaiam-Balance-Ball-Chairs/dp/B006JBWYDA http://www.amazon.com/Gaiam-Balance-Ball-Chairs/dp/B006JBWYD... My wife/business partner also uses one and (begrudgingly) convinced me to ditch my $300+ leather office chair for one. I'm sold. It's the best option short of sitting on just the ball part (which engages more balance muscles) The best part is your can't "slump" into the chair if you're feeling tired. The best option at that point it to get up and do something else as opposed to fighting your body and relying on a Lazy-Boy approach. What I like especially is that when listening to music, or when you're feeling energetic you (subconsciously at times) tend to bounce and roll your butt around on the ball which exercises even more muscles in your back/lower body.
- sizzle 13y agocarpel tunnel for your wrists when typing?
- josefresco 13y agoNope, my seat/ball and desk height is correct making that a non-issue for both typing and mouse control (I do more mouse clicking than typing) As long as you measure everything correctly you won't have issues. Also keep in mind the height and depth of your monitor placement. You don't want to be leaning in, or looking down/up all day. Pretty basic ergonomic stuff.
- joemaller1 13y agoMost of the advantages of sitting on a ball are negated when you put it in one of those fake-chair things. Try the ball by itself.
- josefresco 13y agoI did, and it's too much. The chair is a nice in-between solution while still encouraging you to sit upright and balance yourself.
- sitkack 13y ago
- ebbv 13y agoStep 1) Buy a laptop. Step 2) Work anywhere you want.
- schwap 13y agoUsing a laptop (especially on your lap) is ergonomically terrible.
- jotux 13y agoMy productivity takes a dramatic hit when I have to work on a single, [relatively] small screen and use a less-than-full-sized keyboard.
- SanjayUttam 13y agoThe keyboard + lack of monitor space reduces my productivity. Even on a laptop with a "large" (17"ish) screen and a decent full keyboard.
- chrisBob 13y agoHospital beds start at about $500. I might have to put together a kickstarter campaign for a hospital bed, downward facing monitor, and split keyboard setup. The only thing I can't figure out is the mouse. Would a motion tracking mouse that follows your nose be too much?
- subsection1h 13y agoYet another discussion about chairs without any mention of active sitting/seating. Based on my own experience with standing desks and high-end office chairs (the most recent being a Herman Miller Embody, which I ended up selling), I've concluded that I need an office setup that allows me to move throughout the day and not just stand or sit nearly motionless for most of the day. After trying out all the chairs at my local office furniture stores (yet again) and enjoying a Swopper stool that one of the stores had in their showroom, I'm now planning to order a Swopper Air. The Swopper is the most comfortable active seating solution that I've tried (but I haven't spent hours sitting on it yet). I hope the Swopper Air works out for me. If not, I'll finally pull the trigger on a LifeSpan TR5000-DT3 treadmill for my standing desk.
- mey 13y agoWouldn't an exercise ball chair solve the same issue and be cheaper?
- specialist 13y agoI bought a cushion bar stool off craigslist. Works great. Stand, lean, half-sit, full sit, whatever. Before that I had drafting stool. Sometimes made my ass fall asleep, which was my reminder to move around. Followup: Just googled "Swopper Air". $699. Bam. My bar stool cost $40.
- dsissitka 13y agoI picked one up for less than $500 a few years ago. I wonder why its price skyrocketed. Its successor is currently priced at $559: http://www.ergodepot.com/Muvman_p/muv.htm http://www.ergodepot.com/Muvman_p/muv.htm
- hoka 13y agoWhat about a convertible desk and an Embody? It's my setup and I'm a huge fan.
- keithwarren 13y ago
- tzs 13y agoWhat is that blue thing on the floor near the right front of the desk?
- pbhjpbhj 13y agoDo you mean amongst the cables at the side of the desk or the thing that looks like a makerbot mounted on a turtle/robo-vacuum at the front to the left of the rucksack? I liked the avocado best.
- deleted 13y ago[deleted]
- nezza-_- 13y agoHow much sport do you do for your back? This setup looks like it's comfortable, but not healthy. I'm not a physician but a friend of mine is, he said this is not a good idea, you need to move your back etc to give nutrition to your spinal discs. I'm using a Swopper as chair, it's quite nice and allows me to move around all day, but it also requires discipline and a bit of back training.
- jotux 13y agoRelevent: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/57654.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/57654.php
- gohrt 13y agoTell me more about those reflector/diffuser flaps around the lights...
- hashbangsam 13y agoit creates ambient lighting, and feels like being on a photo shoot. it's just some foam posterboard tapes together, but it does a good job of reflecting light from many angles, so if you are reading/writing on the desk, you don't get shadows from your head/arms i highly recommend those $5 ikea lamps too, they give off nice warm light
- enscr 13y agoAs someone who's struggled with back + shoulder pain and having gone through a few expensive chairs, now I feel that a correct posture is more important than chair. I have a cheap cookie cutter chair + a thin pillow and I can work much better. Not advertising anything, just go to Amazon and search "back pain" in books. Probably the first entry is the one. It teaches you how to correct your posture naturally. Or just watch a video from the book author on youtube. I think that technique alone will fix a lot of the problems.
- pyrocat 13y agoCould you post the youtube video?
- enscr 13y agoFor sitting : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n9CDhcVTAdc http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n9CDhcVTAdc Similarly there are methods for standing, lying etc.
- karlgrz 13y agoI've been fighting with wrist/back/neck pain for a while now. I always attributed it to working on a laptop on my train commute (1 hour each way) to work. I just watched that video and tried it out at the office, it feels MUCH more comfortable. Thanks for sharing! Hopefully it helps.
- enscr 13y agoI'm glad I could help. I've felt so helpless with back pain in the past that I love to share this book with anyone who's had similar problems. It's hard to imagine that the problem is so trivial, for which we seek really expensive solutions through herman millers & the likes.
- T-zex 13y agoWe recently moved to the new flat and I had to give up my desk in a hope to do all the coding at work. Of course you have to do some coding at home, but without a desk it is not so convenient especially that my Linux box is a desktop. So I ended up having a TV screen instead of a monitor, couch instead of an office chair and having a keyboard on my laps with no desk at all. Kinesis Advantage seems to be specifically designed to be used in this way. It is very convenient and feels ergonomic. I'm a bit annoyed by the TV which is a bit too far and I have to reduce the resolution for easier reading. It is fun to see somebody else coding in a similar way.
- postit 13y agoAre you on Media Lab?
- hashbangsam 13y agocsail
- stonogo 13y agoYour work environment looks like the den of a trash golem who failed to evacuate in accordance with FEMA recommendations.
- larrywright 13y agoI injured my foot a few months ago, and as a result had significant swelling in my foot. The best solution is to elevate the foot, which has led me to working much of the day from a recliner (I work from home), with the laptop in my lap. It's been surprisingly comfortable. I'm not sure I could do it forever though.
- melling 13y agoHe's using a Kinesis keyboard, which does seem to come up a lot in ergonomic discussions. Does it offer anything over a Tek (https://www.trulyergonomic.com/store/index.php https://www.trulyergonomic.com/store/index.php)?
- breadbox 13y agoThat keyboard has the aligned key columns, which I think are a big part of Kinesis's advantage. But I also love the two wells for the separated halves, which helps minimize extra motion. Plus the wide variety of thumb keys.
- subsection1h 13y agoThe main benefit of the Kinesis Contoured for me is that the Ctrl and Alt buttons are pressed by my thumbs, not my pinkies. No Emacs pinky for me.
- thinkling 13y agoSame here. Reducing the weird reach for modifiers is a big advantage of the Kinesis.
- jseliger 13y agoDoes it offer anything over a Tek (https://www.trulyergonomic.com/store/index.php https://www.trulyergonomic.com/store/index.php)? The answer appears to be "yes:" I'm typing on one right now, and the large separation between the key wells makes for a MUCH better experience. I haven't used a Tek and so can't speak directly to it, but I"m guessing that the key well separation is the Kinesis advantage. (I wrote more about it here: http://jseliger.wordpress.com/2011/07/17/further-thoughts-on-the-kinesis-advantage-unicomp-space-saver-and-das-keyboard%E2%80%94two-years-later/ http://jseliger.wordpress.com/2011/07/17/further-thoughts-on...).
- garycomtois 13y agoNice chair, but what's with the modified roomba?
- hashbangsam 13y agoit's called a turtlebot, just a simple trashcan robot that you can throw sensors on for basic research
- kaonashi 13y agoOn a lot of La-Z-Boy chairs, there are two wingnuts that can adjust the back tension; I would think tightening those down would make operating the chair more stable while wheels were engaged.
- zacinbusiness 13y agoI know the guy says he tried a standing desk...but I wonder if he calibrated it correctly? It's more than just standing in front of a desk, you have to get all the measurements correct as well.
- collyw 13y agoWill do wonders for your posture.
- yeukhon 13y agoI like MIT dormitory culture. As freshman you have to decorate the dorm room yourself. You have to build the bed frame, the table yourself. I love that culture.
- romanrage 13y agoJust visit the site and see the pictures, and after seeing your Desk chair, all I can say is you make your room your office..
- jdorw 13y agoand a Turtlebot!
- zenocon 13y agoMy eyes aren't good enough to sit that far away from the monitor. I had back pain, and other aches too -- then I decided to just get in shape. I do high intensity circuit training (mix of cardio / strength) 3x a week, and all my physical problems disappeared. I've never felt better. I often sit at my desk exactly how you are not supposed to: slouched with feet up on the desk...but b/c my core is strong, it doesn't ever phase me. I think most people will find if they just get in shape, a lot of these desk fads will just go away for them.
- Eleutheria 13y agoMy dream chair is a lazy-boy with two trackballs in both armrests, a swiveling 24" display and a swiveling wireless keyboard attached to the base of the left armrest. A pivoting right armrest for easy enter/exit like an airplane. Just sit, rest your arms, control the display with the trackballs and when you need to code, slide the keyboard in and type furiously without moving your head from its resting position, like looking to the ceiling. If you place a laptop on your legs, the neck will suffer after some time. I know, I am a lazy-boy surfer.
- klausnrooster 13y agoPoints for Longboard
- deleted 13y ago[deleted]
- edwinyzh 13y agoI think I'm not off topic, but what's the name of your keyboard? I'm considering the Microsoft Sculpt keyboard as a replace for my current Microsoft 4000, in order to relief me from pain on the back of my right shoulder...
- SloopJon 13y agoLooks like a Kinesis Advantage. I've long been tempted to get one, but could never convince myself that it was worth $300. Seems to me that the recent Microsoft keyboards are kind of mushy. I use an Apple wireless keyboard at work. It has a relatively light touch, and is comfortable on my lap. At home, I'm breaking in a tenkeyless keyboard with Cherry MX Brown switches. There's something satisfying about banging away on it. I bet the Blue switches would be even better, but I was afraid they'd make too much of a racket. I've gotten a bit of WASD claw from first-person shooters, gorilla arm from poor mousing form, and gamer thumb from too much Xbox. Those injuries (if I can even call them that) didn't prompt me to search for a new keyboard or an ergonomic game controller. I just backed off a bit on the offending activity.
- edwinyzh 13y agoErgonomic devices would help, but you are wise to back off a bit on those activities. To me a dream keyboard would be Microsoft 4000 with softer keys, and most importantly, with the number pad split.
- ageofwant 13y agoYou Sir, are a god among men.