Mesh Office Chairs - Not Just an Office Furniture Fad



Posted: Monday, March 10, 2008

by
Beyond Auctions, LLC

When mesh back chairs first hit the office furniture scene in the 1990s they were immediately looked at as new, innovative and eye-catching. Mesh back chairs offer a sleek, modern look that was instantly adopted by anyone and everyone that wanted an up to date, top notch office. Mesh chairs started to be used on many popular TV shows and in numerous Hollywood films, which helped to demonstrate the stature that the new modern office chairs conveyed.

Herman Miller took the lead by introducing one of the first mesh office chairs, the Aeron. Herman Miller did not hold back with the functionality of their Aeron chair. Almost everything on the chair was adjustable including: the armrests, seat depth, seat height, a fully adjustable backrest and adjustable lumbar support. Even with all of these high end ergonomic functions, the Aeron's mesh upholstery was an even greater feature. Many mesh chairs feature mesh that is coarse and stiff or soft and stretchy. The coarse, stiff mesh will provide adequate support but will be uncomfortable to the touch and may ruin clothing. The soft, stretchy mesh will be comfortable initially but when the mesh sags it will no longer provide the needed support and over time the user will start to experience pain. Herman Miller was able to use a Pellicle mesh that was both soft and strong. They successfully designed an ergonomically correct chair with a high quality mesh that was soft enough to provide maximum comfort for long hours and durable enough to resist sagging over time. It was Herman Miller's combination of premium mesh and an ergonomic chair design that catapulted them to the top of the mesh chair industry. Since the inception of the Aeron, almost every other office chair manufacturer has come up with their own mesh chairs.

The appeal of mesh back chairs is not only the high tech design or the rave reviews that chairs like the Aeron has received but also the amazing comfort that mesh can provide to the user. Historically office chairs have been upholstered with fabric, leather or vinyl. These types of upholsteries will always have some type of hard backing with a foam filled seat and backrest. Although comfortable, these upholsteries are not flexible or breathable like the mesh. Most mesh office chairs have no material or backing behind the mesh. This design helps to promote airflow and keep the user much cooler during the day. This will help to reduce overheating, sweating and the wrinkling of dress clothes. The lack of a solid backing allows the mesh to expand and stretch to meet your specific body dimensions instead of forcing your body dimensions to meet those of the chair. High quality mesh chairs will almost always give the user the feeling that they are floating because the mesh is so light and your body never comes into contact with a stiff backing.

Although many great mesh chairs exist, it is still important to avoid mesh office chairs that may end up causing more harm than good. It is very important to "test drive" mesh back chairs before buying. The quality of mesh on the chair is critical and the only way to know if it is comfortable is to sit in the chair. Try to find mesh that is comfortable to the touch and stiff enough to provide good support. Some mesh chairs may feature a mesh seat and mesh backrest while others may feature a mesh backrest and padded fabric or padded leather seat. It is important to sit in a couple different models to determine which type is the most comfortable. Also consider how many hours per sitting you will be in the chair. If you will be in your chair for more than 4 or 5 hours at a time then it is usually better to have a padded seat. A mesh seat can cause added stress to the tailbone that can cause pain and numbness if used for extended hours. The added padding that is received from a fabric or leather seat will help to alleviate the tension that is exerted on the tailbone.

Mesh back chairs can make a huge improvement in employee comfort, productivity and attitude. Instead of having uncomfortable employees that get hot and sweaty, mesh office chairs provide added air circulation. This circulation will immediately make the employee more comfortable and therefore much more productive. Having new aged mesh back chairs that employees can look forward to working in is an advantage in any company.

Ryan Bald owns and operates Beyond Auctions, LLC, an ergonomic office furniture company that specializes in the Ergohuman series and mesh office chairs.
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