Althouse: Freedom Chair.

June 18, 2012

Freedom Chair.

May I recommend a great work chair? I know a lot of people like Aeron Chairs, but they don't work for me because I sit in a half-lotus position much of the time, so I don't like the hard edge of the seat. And I really wanted something with a headrest. I have a big head, and it needs some rest. Anyway, the Freedom Chair is nice, it adjusts itself when you lean back into it.

We had it delivered today along with a second motorized sit-stand desk. Here's my post from a year ago demonstrating the first motorized desk. Obviously, I loved it and Meade was envious, so we now have side-by-side motorized desks in our living space looking out at the old oak tree.

33 comments:

Pastafarian said...: Work chair? Maybe if your job is taking naps. Now here's a work chair.; 6/18/12, 3:04 PM
ndspinelli said...: Now you can have races.; 6/18/12, 3:06 PM
Ann Althouse said...: @Pastafarian:

1. If anybody around here wants to buy anything at Amazon, please start through the Althouse portal. You pay nothing extra, but Amazon gives me a percentage. I appreciate all the support for this blog that comes in this form.

2. I bought one of those years ago. In fact, I've bought 2 different kneeling chairs over the years. I simply loathe them. I hate the pressure on my knees.

3. I have one of these which I like for variety.

But basically, I'm all about the lotus position and the headrest.; 6/18/12, 3:13 PM
Michael said...: It is an awesome chair, indeed. A dozen years ago a neighbor gave up his day job to become a day trader in the stock of Apple. He used his wife's inheritance to purchase a chair like this for his "trading room." He lost over a million dollars of his wife's money. Had he invested that million, long, in Apple and held it his portfolio, today would be worth more than 15 million.

His chair did not work.; 6/18/12, 3:14 PM
bagoh20 said...: Wow, do I look at money and chairs differently!; 6/18/12, 3:18 PM
Known Unknown said...: I have a big head,

Braggart.; 6/18/12, 3:20 PM
Pastafarian said...: Althouse -- oops, I meant to run that link through your portal -- I even went back through and found the same chair through your portal Then I copied and pasted the wrong one.

Either that or the Althouse tag goes away once you reach the specific item.

Here's the page on kneeling chairs, through the portal. The Boss brand chair is about 6 items from the top.

True, kneeling chairs put more pressure on your knees, but they take the pressure off of the lower back. I like to go back and forth between a conventional chair and a kneeling chair.

But they can't be as comfy-looking as that thing you have here, and still be called a work chair.; 6/18/12, 3:28 PM
ndspinelli said...: Pastafarian, Althouse doesn't want to end up like that woman living in a double wide in Palm Springs.; 6/18/12, 3:30 PM
Wince said...: My office chair just broke, but $1,000 for an office chair!

I must be getting old, because I had the same reaction as Henry Fonda in On Golden Pond when I went to the link: "Good Gaad!"

Althouse must know how to "write-it-off... because she's the one... writing-it-off."

Didn't Althouse used to have an experimental-looking, backless (blue colored?) office chair that I asked about years ago when I saw it in the background of a Meadehouse photo?; 6/18/12, 3:31 PM
Rabel said...: bagoh,

Don't click on the "these" link in Ann's response to Pastafarian.

Don't, really.; 6/18/12, 3:33 PM
Pastafarian said...: I don't care much for that stool you linked to, either.

a) It's too thick, squishy, and velvety -- I'd sink down into it and it would cook my testicles. Testicle heat transfer, either through convection or conduction (contact with a nice leather heat sink) is an extremely important factor in chair selection.

b) $700 for a stool? It would have to be hand-carved from the last example of a now-extinct species of tree, with an intricate engraving of Dick Cheney shooting a passenger pigeon.; 6/18/12, 3:38 PM
rhhardin said...: This Kneeling Chair seems to be the one I have - formerly made by Jobri, maybe the model was bought from Jobri because it looks identical to mine.

You can sit on it a couple of ways, and both keep the weight off your thighs.

Cures back problems.

Cheaper than when I bought it, but maybe it doesn't have a lifetime guarantee like mine. Mine broke once after years of sitting-on and they replaced the part.; 6/18/12, 3:56 PM
edutcher said...: I need something with a bit more lumbar and leg support, which The Blonde bought me for Chrsitmas (sciatica) while you've mentioned you have cervical issues.

The knee chairs, however, sound like more of a torture device, but as long as it's not waterboarding, right?

But could Mr Meade put up a picture of you in a "half lotus"?

I know what a lotus is, but I can't even imagine what that must look like.; 6/18/12, 4:04 PM
Paddy O said...: Althouse, I'm curious why you bought that particular chair. That's not a critique--I'm actually curious about the process for choosing that chair. The reviews for it on Amazon are pretty bad--an average of 3 stars.

Did you try it out somewhere else (you don't need to say where)?; 6/18/12, 4:12 PM
Shanna said...: I have an aeron at work and like. I tried a chair of my coworkers that looks very much like your freedom chair and I absolutely hated the way my head kept bumping against the headrest.; 6/18/12, 4:12 PM
rhhardin said...: Memory foam would be good if you have Alzheimers.; 6/18/12, 4:17 PM
Ann Althouse said...: "I have an aeron at work and like. I tried a chair of my coworkers that looks very much like your freedom chair and I absolutely hated the way my head kept bumping against the headrest."

On the chair that I have the headrest stays back and away unless you move into more of a recline, and then it comes forward.; 6/18/12, 4:28 PM
Ann Althouse said...: "Althouse, I'm curious why you bought that particular chair. That's not a critique--I'm actually curious about the process for choosing that chair. The reviews for it on Amazon are pretty bad--an average of 3 stars."

I bought it at a local furniture store after trying it out for a long time. I wanted something with a headrest, and everything else was appealing about it. I ordered it a a color I like.

That is, I didn't use Amazon. Just saw those reviews this morning as I was getting a link.; 6/18/12, 4:31 PM
Ann Althouse said...: "But could Mr Meade put up a picture of you in a "half lotus"? I know what a lotus is, but I can't even imagine what that must look like."

A half lotus is basically the position that is sometimes called "Indian style" or simply "cross legged."

A full lotus position requires you to pull both feet on top of your thighs, which is a big strain on the knees.

In a half lotus, you've got one foot on the opposite thigh and the other foot is under its opposite thigh.

I can't tell you how many times I've been sitting in that position in my office and some colleague of mine has said "You look like you have no legs."

I've never come up with a good answer to that. Well, in fact I do have legs...; 6/18/12, 4:35 PM
bagoh20 said...: That first chair is an unusual item in that 8 people gave it 5 stars and 9 gave it 1 star. That's an unusual level of disagreement about a product. Call it the politics chair.; 6/18/12, 4:35 PM
edutcher said...: Oh, OK.

I had a couple of ideas - one with a foot on the floor and forget the other.

As my legs are short for the rest of me, I can only envy your pliantness.; 6/18/12, 4:42 PM
ElPresidenteCastro said...: I read those studies last year and resolved to lay down rather than sitting up and working. I'm still among the living so I figure it works for me.; 6/18/12, 4:45 PM
Rusty said...: For $925.00 it better give great head.; 6/18/12, 5:03 PM
Robert J. said...: Alternate post title: "Office Chairs of the 1%"; 6/18/12, 5:06 PM
wyo sis said...: I also sit in the half lotus position almost always. It's great for keeping limber. For an old lady I can get into as many or more yoga positions as lots of people half my age. I don't really work at it it's just a body style thing I guess. Long legs help. I was all jazzed about getting a freedom chair until I saw the price. Yipe! I guess I'll have to use my laptop on the couch for a while longer.; 6/18/12, 5:37 PM
JAL said...: I have a big head, and it needs some rest.

I haven't read the comments.

Please tell me no one nailed you on this.

Why am I laughing?; 6/18/12, 5:50 PM
JAL said...: And the chair I am sitting in now is something a neighbor across the street from my parents in NY was throwing away 20 + years ago. We have electrical tape on the arms. It rolls. Must have been an home office chair. The neighbor was a prof at Union I think. I have an pillow I sit on, hubby pushes it out of the way.

My other seat is whatever is convenient to my rolling stand I put the laptop on. Sometimes the corner of the couch while I watch Blue Bloods and surf.

We are low maintenance folks.; 6/18/12, 6:02 PM
Jason (the commenter) said...: A thousand dollars for a chair, when you can find perfectly good ones, for free, along the side of the road!; 6/18/12, 6:13 PM
edutcher said...: JAL said...

I have a big head, and it needs some rest.

I haven't read the comments.

Please tell me no one nailed you on this.

Why am I laughing?

You're thinking masculine, not feminine.; 6/18/12, 6:28 PM
rhhardin said...: A thousand dollars for a chair, when you can find perfectly good ones, for free, along the side of the road!

Ohio offers the widest selection.; 6/18/12, 6:48 PM
Joe said...: You did notice it got more 1 star reviews (9) than 5 star reviews (8).

I hate chairs with arms and headrests.; 6/19/12, 9:34 AM
Wally Kalbacken said...: For 9 bills, it should serve cold Diet Coke!; 6/19/12, 4:55 PM
A. Shmendrik said...: Althouse is getting a vigorish.; 6/19/12, 5:05 PM