Horizontal office chair, recliner, laptop stand etc.

InfiniteRubix said:
Laptop stand

The next bit of fun is where to put the laptop. The above link has some kind of laptop arm, but I'm not entirely convinced. I was hoping someone had been using a stand that held the laptop over them while on a recliner or sofa?
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Assuming you can find a recliner chair that you like (no small feat!) then using a lap desk in the recliner might work for you. It's what I do.

I found this photo online years ago that shows an approximation of how I use the laptop.

recliner-laptop.jpg

One difference between the photo and my laptop usage is that my chair back is taller. So I can lean my head against the back of the chair while I am looking at my laptop and typing.

She is holding her head up, not resting her head on the chair. That uses more muscles and is more tiring for me.

I don't put the laptop directly on my legs. I use a lap desk that has a "bean bag" type of bottom (conforms to my lap/legs) and a flat plastic top.

Ikea discontinued the one that I use, but here's one my husband bought for himself:

https://www.walmart.com/ip/LapGear-...its-up-to-15-6-Laptop/792657853?selected=true

Since my laptop is a smaller size (MacBook Pro 13 inch) it fits on my lap more easily and weighs less than other laptops. The built-in trackpad means no mouse. Using a traditional mouse is much harder for my arm/hand muscles.
 
Thank you :)

It might be a male thing, but I often found I'd end up cooking my private area with the lap desk type things. We already had some in the house, but had to move to the bamboo table cos I ended up with other problems as a result :(

But important to flag for whoever can tolerate them :)
 
InfiniteRubix said:
Thank you :)

It might be a male thing, but I often found I'd end up cooking my private area with the lap desk type things. We already had some in the house, but had to move to the bamboo table cos I ended up with other problems as a result :(

But important to flag for whoever can tolerate them :)
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I'm not trying to convince you, and there are definitely advantages to having a separate table to keep the laptop off of your lap!

But newer laptops produce a lot less heat. My old MacBook (purchased in 2007, I think?) was a LOT hotter (as well as heavier) than my current one (bought in 2016).

Also, the foam cushions/bases for lap desks (which seem more common) don't allow any air flow. The fabric covered "bean bag" type of bases are much cooler.
 
ahimsa said:
I'm not trying to convince you, and there are definitely advantages to having a separate table to keep the laptop off of your lap!

But newer laptops produce a lot less heat. My old MacBook (purchased in 2007, I think?) was a LOT hotter (as well as heavier) than my current one (bought in 2016).

Also, the foam cushions/bases for lap desks (which seem more common) don't allow any air flow. The fabric covered "bean bag" type of bases are much cooler.
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Don't worry, I'm not taking it the wrong way and the brainstorm will help many :)

For my part, the work and personal laptops are pretty newish and the beanbag version did still cook me :(

Without being too unpleasant in detail, I even ended up with thrush from the privates cooking, which I think sinking into the mattress didn't help. On that note, coconut oil was only thing that helped permanently, both in terms of healing and prevention (it's a mild anti bacterial and antifungal as a moisturiser). I actually put that preventively after any wash, as I don't want it coming back after it becoming a cycle. Note that a shallow jar design is important to getting at it and Asda has better stuff than Tesco in the UK.

Value added coconut detail!
 
Important subject for ME patients, I think.

InfiniteRubix said:
Chairs still a pain in the bottom, maybe literally!
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ahimsa said:
Assuming you can find a recliner chair that you like (no small feat!)
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Finding good chairs, mattresses, and shoes has been a source of endless frustration, pain, and expense for me for decades. In no small part because just when you have found a good one the manufacturers usually discontinue it. :banghead:

Not helped by osteoarthritis turning up in the last decade, including in my hips, which further complicates the mattress and chair situation in particular.
 
InfiniteRubix said:
That's really interesting. The Secret Lab ones do recline, but on a hinge, rather than a weight based sliding track. That's my concern. Have you ever tried it reclined?
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I haven’t, but I can give it a go and see what it’s like. I’ll also try and find the details of the particular one he has if that would be helpful. I have to say, I’ve been very impressed myself with how comfortable it is when I’ve been well enough to use it, it’s firm but supportive. I’ll also see if I can get some photos of it reclined, assuming it does, of course.
 
InfiniteRubix said:
I have even seen a few gamer chairs online that recline, like the Secret Lab, but so many of these are also of dubious quality. Can't afford for it to collapse with me on it or for to become brutally uncomfortable when padding decays.
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I've had a Noblechairs Epic for the past 18M or so and it's been wonderful. It gets a LOT of use at my desk and still looks and feels great - a real step up from any sort of semi-ergonomic office chair I've had before.

The one aspect of the Noblechair that I really like is the lockable seat tilt, separate from the backrest tilt. I have the seat base tilted right back with a fairly upright backrest, this gives it a car bucket seat feel. I then have my feet elevated on a sloping foot rest that's about 2-3" high, really takes the strain off. The padded lumbar and neck cushions are great too, I couldn't go back to a chair without them now.

With that said I'm not sure how well it'd work with a laptop, I think some sort of larger, stationary recliner chair is probably a better fit for that. Hope it helps :)
 
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Hubby says that the Secret Lab Facebook page is really helpful with deciding what you might need, he found them very responsive when he was looking at buying his.

The chair does recline, and the seat tilts as well but they’re separate controls as it’s just an office chair for “normal” people (if he’s what counts as normal, then I’m definitely in trouble :rofl:).

We took a couple of pics to try and show how far back it goes and the seat angle - the chair is called the Titan, apparently.6019DA26-5BC9-4944-B11A-B9E1C27F5C18.jpeg
 

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Sean said:
Important subject for ME patients, I think.



Finding good chairs, mattresses, and shoes has been a source of endless frustration, pain, and expense for me for decades. In no small part because just when you have found a good one the manufacturers usually discontinue it. :banghead:

Not helped by osteoarthritis turning up in the last decade, including in my hips, which further complicates the mattress and chair situation in particular.
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I know exactly what you mean. Hypermobility comma leading to flat feet, needing Doc Martens or similar from when I was a kid, and all of that....

Sometimes good things don't even disappear, the end up up.by being diluted in quality by new proprietors or a new leader. Very annoying.

Midnattsol said:
I have a Varier gravity balans chair https://www.varierfurniture.com/en_no/explore-our-chairs/recline/gravity-balans-r which I really enjoy using wih my laptop on my lap. Having the opportunity to lean back and have my feet high helps me a lot.
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Woah! Cool!

I now have further evidence as to why the Byzantines hired the Varangians. They saw a sea of norsemen conquering Kiev and harassing their borders on legions of well made comfortable chairs of indescribable variety and ergonomics. Too well rested to defeat, so they hired them all, and their chairs. Yes, I have a pretentious sense of humour LoL

I will look into this, thank you!

Ryan31337 said:
I've had a Noblechairs Epic for the past 18M or so and it's been wonderful. It gets a LOT of use at my desk and still looks and feels great - a real step up from any sort of semi-ergonomic office chair I've had before.

The one aspect of the Noblechair that I really like is the lockable seat tilt, separate from the backrest tilt. I have the seat base tilted right back with a fairly upright backrest, this gives it a car bucket seat feel. I then have my feet elevated on a sloping foot rest that's about 2-3" high, really takes the strain off. The padded lumbar and neck cushions are great too, I couldn't go back to a chair without them now.

With that said I'm not sure how we'll it'd work with a laptop, I think some sort of larger, stationary recliner chair is probably a better fit for that. Hope it helps :)
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That is really great to know. I wasn't aware of this brand. They do look like a quality option. I have always liked sports car bucket seats comma and it's interesting to see them become household items. The recline looks similar to the the Secret Lab, really good, but perhaps tricky with the laptop and when trying to come back up.

Blueskytoo said:
Hubby says that the Secret Lab Facebook page is really helpful with deciding what you might need, he found them very responsive when he was looking at buying his.

The chair does recline, and the seat tilts as well but they’re separate controls as it’s just an office chair for “normal” people (if he’s what counts as normal, then I’m definitely in trouble :rofl:).

We took a couple of pics to try and show how far back it goes and the seat angle - the chair is called the Titan, apparently.View attachment 13688
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Thank you so much for the pictures. That's very kind. Please thank your husband also. It really does have a proper recline to it.

My big concern is is being able to get back up with sufficiently low energy cost in all scenarios :(
 
Ryan31337 said:
I've had a Noblechairs Epic for the past 18M or so and it's been wonderful. It gets a LOT of use at my desk and still looks and feels great - a real step up from any sort of semi-ergonomic office chair I've had before.

The one aspect of the Noblechair that I really like is the lockable seat tilt, separate from the backrest tilt. I have the seat base tilted right back with a fairly upright backrest, this gives it a car bucket seat feel. I then have my feet elevated on a sloping foot rest that's about 2-3" high, really takes the strain off. The padded lumbar and neck cushions are great too, I couldn't go back to a chair without them now.

With that said I'm not sure how we'll it'd work with a laptop, I think some sort of larger, stationary recliner chair is probably a better fit for that. Hope it helps :)
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They do a Doom edition chair!

I wish I could!
 
InfiniteRubix said:
Woah! Cool!

I now have further evidence as to why the Byzantines hired the Varangians. They saw a sea of norsemen conquering Kiev and harassing their borders on legions of well made comfortable chairs of indescribable variety and ergonomics. Too well rested to defeat, so they hired them all, and their chairs. Yes, I have a pretentious sense of humour LoL

I will look into this, thank you!
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:rofl:
 
Slightly off-the-wall suggestion, but I've just bought a restored Gimson & Slater Rock 'n' Rest chair from the early 70s. My granddad used to have one for his bad back and legs; they cost a fortune at the time, and restored ones aren't cheap now (I saved up for ages, and was gifted part of the money for my birthday). The superb build quality means it'll easily outlive me.

One of the reasons for choosing it is that I knew the mechanism was really easy – I have severe hand arthritis, and can't operate any of the modern ones I've come across. The positioning is free rather than in pre-set stages, they recline a long way back, and you can rock back and forth too. Oh, and they look fantastic! The teak arms are obviously hard, but are so smooth and well positioned that I can sleep on it without any discomfort in my forearms when I wake.

I doubt it's a choice many people would go for, not least because they're so expensive. But as you were concerned about quality, I thought I'd mention the option of a restored piece? All my furniture is from the 60s and 70s or earlier, and today's mass produced rammel doesn't come anywhere near it in terms of quality. Most of it was given to me for free or cost next to nothing to buy; the chair was only expensive because it needed professional reupholstery.

This isn't my example, just an image I stole off the web, but you can see what type of chair it is. I think it tilts a bit back further than it is in the photo. They originally came with a footstool, and mine didn't have one – my mum's old Sherborne sewing box, which has a padded top, is perfect for the job, though!


Screenshot 2021-03-28 at 11.26.27.png
 
Sean said:
That looks good. :cool:
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It is good. Designing the zero gravity effect, so that you can shift the chair by making tiny postural or weight adjustments and then it stays balanced there even if you don't lock it, is an engineering feat on its own! My mum had a good quality modern one, but it took a lot of muscle effort to shift the position – this needs almost none.
 
Kitty said:
Slightly off-the-wall suggestion, but I've just bought a restored Gimson & Slater Rock 'n' Rest chair from the early 70s. My granddad used to have one for his bad back and legs; they cost a fortune at the time, and restored ones aren't cheap now (I saved up for ages, and was gifted part of the money for my birthday). The superb build quality means it'll easily outlive me.

One of the reasons for choosing it is that I knew the mechanism was really easy – I have severe hand arthritis, and can't operate any of the modern ones I've come across. The positioning is free rather than in pre-set stages, they recline a long way back, and you can rock back and forth too. Oh, and they look fantastic! The teak arms are obviously hard, but are so smooth and well positioned that I can sleep on it without any discomfort in my forearms when I wake.

I doubt it's a choice many people would go for, not least because they're so expensive. But as you were concerned about quality, I thought I'd mention the option of a restored piece? All my furniture is from the 60s and 70s or earlier, and today's mass produced rammel doesn't come anywhere near it in terms of quality. Most of it was given to me for free or cost next to nothing to buy; the chair was only expensive because it needed professional reupholstery.

This isn't my example, just an image I stole off the web, but you can see what type of chair it is. I think it tilts a bit back further than it is in the photo. They originally came with a footstool, and mine didn't have one – my mum's old Sherborne sewing box, which has a padded top, is perfect for the job, though!


View attachment 13693
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It's so true that they don't make furniture very well most of the time nowadays. Everything is disposable, and probably oozing vapours :(
 
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