In the Make: Online Toolbox, we focus mainly on tools that fly under the radar of more conventional tool coverage: in-depth tool-making projects, strange or specialty tools unique to a trade or craft that can be useful elsewhere, tools and techniques you may not know about, but once you do, and incorporate them into your workflow, you'll wonder how you ever lived without them. And, in the spirit of the times, we pay close attention to tools that you can get on the cheap, make yourself, or refurbish.
In 1994, I wrote a book called Mosaic Quick Tour: Accessing and Navigating the World Wide Web. It was, arguably, the first book dedicated the the World Wide Web. The publisher, Ventana, wanted it to be the first, so they wanted it fast, really fast. I wrote it in 30 days. I did literally nothing but eat, sleep, and write that book for a month, all in a very crappy, bottomed-out, office store "task chair." I like to tell people that I sacrificed my right hip to that book. I have bad arthritis and my hip was already shot, but I had a hip before the book, and it was pretty much history by the time I was done. I had to have a replacement. It was stupid to not get a better chair during the writing marathon, but I had tight deadlines every day and didn't feel like I ever had the time to go shopping. But literally the day the book was finished, I went to a "bed and back" story and blew about $1300 of my book advance on an amazing chair with crazy amounts of adjustability and lumbar and neck support. From then on, I've never skimped on my seating. And neither should you.
We asked a bunch of our readers and staff, through mailing lists and our Facebook page, for input on chairs and work stools. Here's some of what they had to say. Hands down, the chair-of-note is still the Herman Miller Aeron. But there were a few others. And one suggestion for no sitting at all.
Chairs
For the past ten years or so, I've had a Herman Miller Aeron Chair ($920) for desk work and I love it. I'm not alone. Lots of people responded with enthusiastic thumbs-up for the Aeron. Andrew Righter, of Q Labs, said: "I'm a simple man. And there's nothing better than this chair." ChopSey, of HacDC, adds: "it's all about the air flow, configurability, and easing of any pressure points." Dorkbot DC Overlord Alberto Gaitán says: I concur. I've used an Aeron for almost 15 years and wouldn't buy another chair that isn't fully and adjustable, with lumbar support, and a mesh seat so one doesn't eventually end up bottoming out." MAKE contributor Alden Hart writes: "In the tech bubble days, we used an "Aeron Count" as a predictive indicator of startup failure. The more Aerons, the greater the likelihood of failure. That said, I love my Aeron, and so does my wife. Got cheap from a failed startup!" HacDC member Ben Stanfield writes: "As the token fat geek, it might be good to include a couple of options for those of us who are, euphemistically speaking, "big boned." Of course, that would require actually finding a decent chair for us, something I've yet to come across. The Aeron is probably the closest in terms of comfort."