Ask HN: Why does everyone buy Aeron chairs for programmers? | Hacker News Reader

Ask HN: Why does everyone buy Aeron chairs for programmers?

2 pointsmannicken6 comments

I have sat in an Aeron chair for many hours during meetings and, frankly, I don't find it that comfortable at all.

Now, I have a nice huge armchair and it costs a lot less than Aeron (usually between 100-400). It is also much more comfortable.

So, why? Why have I seen so many "we buy Aerons for our hackers!" but no "we buy armchairs for our hackers!". Frankly, and I don't want to appear judgemental, it seems like this is not about comfort for the developer but more of a marketing shout of "see how much money we 've got".

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I suspect age has something to do with this. A huge armchair probably isn't going to be very good for your neck and back for very long periods; the way you'd have to hold your head for working at a desktop computer (or, god forbid, looking at a laptop) in such a chair would be horrid. If you're young, you won't notice. If you're 30-something, it won't take long for you to know why it's a bad idea.

Good office chairs, Aeron included, encourage (though none can enforce) reasonably good posture. It's not a cure all, but I learned the hard way that "comfortable" chairs are not comfortable in the long run if they don't support reasonably good posture.

If you are already doing something stupid to cause back problems, like using a laptop instead of a desktop with a monitor at appropriate height, then sitting in a big ol' comfy armchair isn't going to seem problematic, no matter what.

But, no chair can make you have good practices. Moving frequently, adjusting heights appropriately, etc.

I have a friend who does his programming from an armchair and I often wonder how long it's going to be until his wrists start to be effected by the massively subergonomic elbow/wrist placement that it forces on him.

Anecdotally, my sister is a chiropractor and the Aeron (when properly adjusted, which can take a bit of doing) blew her mind in terms of back health goodness, which served as a pretty big recommendation for me. She also recommends yoga balls as well. I'll have to ask her about armchairs :)

Talking to your local chiropractor or ergonomics person is probably a good plan if you're going to be buying any furniture you plan to use intensively.

I personally like my Aeron chair for 2 reasons. 1, because of it's mesh material. I can sit in it for extended periods of time and not have much fatigue or get sweaty like I can with some of those pleather chairs that you have to assemble when you get them home. 2, for the many many number of ways you can adjust the chair. I'm curious if the ones you've been sitting on are the basic model or have the lumbar, arm adjustments, etc. Also they come in 3 different sizes and getting the right sized model is actually pretty important.

I also find them much more comfortable to sit in but this could be because I have a medium sized frame and because I prefer sitting leaning back.

Either way like noodle said, it doesn't really matter what anyone else says, if you don't like the aeron skip it. We're all different and have different tastes.

Cheers!

I don't exactly remember, but I do recall reading about posture in office chairs in nytimes, something about the sitting errect was not the right way and the traditionally sloppy way was more easy on the back! I looked up one link at nytimes - http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/12/health/12real.html - suggesting that standing erect is the most efficient.

I love a full Yoga ball, like Dwight from the office. Aeron is a good 2nd. The best ones have many ways to adjust them and

to each his or her own. if you don't like aerons, skip em.

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