Seating arrangements

[Gar]

I've been thinking about getting a new drawing chair because my back starts hurting after I've been drawing for a while, wondering if anyone has any recommendations. I'm currently using an old office chair and it's not the best.

I've been looking at the kneeling chairs (this kind of thing http://www.independentshopping.ie/icart/viewprod.asp?ID=2156 possibly one with a back support as well). Does anyone use one of these, and what do you think of it?

[Beyla]

Those chairs are grand.  It will take a couple days to get used to but after about a month you'll notice less hurting.

[Pixel]

....Looking at that picture, I can't really tell how you're supposed to sit in it. Care to explain?

[Gibson]

Your knees on the bottom pad, your butt on the top pad, as if you were in a kneeling position.

[JGray]

Kneeling chairs are supposed to be better for your posture because you don't have the option of scooting your butt forward on the seat and curving your spine at the base. I find them fairly comfortable in the short term but I've never tested one out for long periods of time or when hunched over a drawing pad or tablet.

[Rob]

I tried one of those chairs once. It was truly, a special kind of hell. I'll take my generic, rolling, leather office chair any day of the week and probably quite a bit more than twice on Sunday.  ;D

[Gar]

So kind-of recommendations for the kneeling chair from Beyla and JGray (assuming the same understanding of the word 'grand' on Beyla's part. It means 'alright' in Ireland, but may mean 'great' elsewhere).

I'm not fixed on the idea of the kneeling chair. There are some nice office chairs with lumbar support in Ikea for reasonably cheap. The main problem with my existing chair is that it's probably about 20 years old (my dad stole it from his office when I was still in school) and all the adjustable parts have broken down.

I'm just looking for advice on alleviating the back pain associated with being hunched over a Wacom tablet for a couple of hours, so input from the older board members would be especially appreciated.

[Rob]

I don't know what the retail situation is where you are. For me I just went to an office max, a staples and an office depot... found a couple chairs I felt comfortable in, got the names and model numbers and then ordered the one I wanted for cheap off teh internetz.

And I have 5 permanent disability ratings. One for each ankle, one for my left knee, one for my lungs and one for my lower back. The first four are all connected to my military service. The last one was when an eighty year old man driving an Eagle Summit connected with the back end of my motorcycle about about 25 mph. Bounced me off the hood and into the street on my back and totaled my GS-550.

So I understand the need for comfort. As I writer I spend ridiculous amounts of time in my chair and I can tell you for sure that it really is an individual thing. No one can tell you what you would like to sit in. One of my author friends swears by those knee chair things you were talking about and it put so much weight and pressure on my knees I found it extremely uncomfortable.

Plus I fidget a lot when I'm writing/working on the PC and I need something that moves around and accommodates me. I need to be able to scooch to the edge of my seat when I'm intensely writing or stretch back and relax when I'm thinking. I even rock a little bit when I'm  getting into something good.

My recommendation is to take a day, go shopping and research your options.