Mesh Ergonomic Task Chair
Since the 1990s, mesh ergonomic task chairs have become the latest big thing in office furniture. Offering greater ventilation than traditional leather or upholstered chairs, they lower body temperature, allowing users to sit much more comfortably for long periods of time.
A History of the Mesh Ergonomic Task Chair
Office furniture manufacturer Herman Miller introduced the world's first mesh ergonomic task chair, the Aeron, in 1994. Designed by Don Chadwick and Bill Stumpf, the Aeron revolutionized the design of office chairs. Containing no straight lines, it offered a unique lower back support system called Posturefit, that works with the body's natural design in order to ensure correct posture. The high and wide contoured back takes the weight off the lower spine and the chair tilts and moves in response to the motion of the person sitting in it. The Kinemat knee tilt mechanism allows the user to pivot naturally at the ankles, knees and hip simultaneously. Unlike an ergonomic kneeling chair, which can be difficult to get in and out of, the Kinemat mechanism ensures that the movement of the chair follows the user as he or she stands up or sits down.
The Aeron quickly became an iconic design. It has been featured in several movies and TV shows including House, The Office and Casino Royale, where it was M's chair of choice. It has been placed in New York's Museum of Modern Art and won a gold medal in the Industrial Designers Society of America's Designs of the Decade Awards for the 1990s.
Since then, several other lines of mesh ergonomic task chair have been launched, both by Herman Miller and by other manufacturers. These include the Genesis from Regency Office Furniture, the REVV series from Space and the Modern Mesh from OFM Inc.
Advantages of Mesh Ergonomic Task Chairs
Mesh ergonomic task chairs offer several advantages over more traditional styles of office chair, thus accounting for their popularity. We have already mentioned their excellent ventilation, but the plastic mesh also offers great strength in an extremely lightweight chair.
The mesh ensures that body weight is distributed evenly over the entire surface of the seat, ensuring an extremely comfortable chair, even when sitting for long periods of time. When buying a mesh ergonomic task chair, ensure that it features lumbar support, as mesh chairs without lumbar support may not be good for your back. Also, check the elasticity of the mesh. Mesh that is too stretchy may become soft over time, and cease to provide adequate support.
