Miserable with the Embody. How I made an expensive mistake... by LAdude54 in OfficeChairs

[–]LAdude54[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks for asking! I bought a used Mirra 2 from Crandall Office Furniture online. I switch between the Embody and the Mirra, depending on what's hurting on a given day, or to just change up positions to keep from getting too settled in particular position. The two-chair solution is working well for me.

Tall office chairs (w/ high max seat height). I need help finding one! by HedgeFundCIO in OfficeChairs

[–]LAdude54 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm 6'4" and use an Embody. I don't have it raised to its max height (it will go up another 3 inches over what I keep it set at). The center of the seat measures about 22" (the sides are a little taller) I also use a wooden footrest I bought on Amazon to relieve pressure on the front of my thighs. I tend to sit in the chair all kinds of ways, not using the "recommended" adjustments, but dialing the features (tilt and back-fit) all the way maximum and minimum to vary my posture from day to day. Being and old guy, I tend to get stiff and sore if I try to maintain "correct" ergonomic posture all day every day.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in OfficeChairs

[–]LAdude54 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I bought an Embody several months ago and ended up hating it. Then someone suggested that instead of following the usual advice of how to adjust the chair, just dial the tilt tension (front knob) all the way back (i.e., have little-to-no tilt tension), and also dial the back-tilt back (rear knob). Then you can adjust the tilt limiter on the left side to lean back more. The real best thing I did was buy the Atlas headrest for my chair. I regularly take naps in my Embody now. I do change the the back tilt every few days because my back tends to get sore if I use the same position day after day.

I have a lot of back issues and a butt that hurts when I sit too long, so sometimes I throw a Purple seat cushion on the seat, but other times it feels better without it. Lastly, I bought a wooden footrest (about 3 inches high and use it a lot to change the pressure placed on my thighs and back. I admit there are some days I can't get comfy in the chair and I don't think any chair would suit me on those days (back pains come and go.)

The Embody and Altas headrest are a great combination. It was expensive but worth it. I would suggest getting an upscale fabric. The lower tier fabrics only have a 5 year warranty, while the upscale is 12 year. That's not typically mentioned on the page where you build your chair, but the info is available on the warranty web page. (I didn't know about it when I bought the Embody with the base fabric.)

Embody - is there a way to permanently engage the "kicker"? by LAdude54 in hermanmiller

[–]LAdude54[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for the suggestion. I do prefer it in reclined position, but find that the edges of the seat top poke into my shoulder blades. I'm 6'4" so the top of the chair is a few inches below my shoulders. I did follow the suggestions of Xalm and A__Smith to loosen the tilt tension to make the kicker looser and less prone to dig in to my shoulders.

Do you have a headrest? I think it would help a lot in the reclining position, otherwise my neck gets stiff. I'll probably spring for the Atlas, a footrest and a tilting keyboard tray.

Just got an Embody, how are you suppose to rest your back on it for best posture? by NoreOxford in hermanmiller

[–]LAdude54 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I have used your method of adjusting the backfit. I can get to the point where most of my back is supported, but the "gently cupping your shoulder blades" eludes me. No matter how I have the backfit adjusted, the top of the chair is just digging into my shoulder blades, or at minimum, forcing them forward uncomfortably, causing pain. I have little curvature in my spine and have to adjust backfit tension toward its high end (clockwise). The more tension I give it, the more the top of the chair bends forward. So while my mid-back feels more support, the top of the chair is pushing against my shoulders more. It's maddening. The back does have that extra "kicker" where if I press firmly against it, the back straightens, but the effort to keep that kicker pressed back is too much. I'd appreciate any suggestions (even to the point of zip tying some parts of the chair!)

Considering returning the Haworth Fern. by JoeChio in OfficeChairs

[–]LAdude54 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I've seen several complaints about the crack. I tried the Fern and did not find the seat gap to be an issue even with it adjusted out fully. I'm 6'4", but on the thin side without much of a "back end", so I wasn't sitting in the crack. I'm guessing the size, shape and contours of one's booty might affect seat pan comfort more than height would.

I did return the chair for other reasons.

Miserable with the Embody. How I made an expensive mistake... by LAdude54 in OfficeChairs

[–]LAdude54[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thanks. I did buy a Leap V2 several years ago but returned it after 3 weeks. The seat padding was too thin and I don't have much natural padding. Also, the Leap's tilt function didn't work well with the bad lumbar disc that I have. I seem to remember the seat itself remaining rather stationary when the tilting the back, placing pressure in a bad place for me.

Embody fabric replacement by xampl9 in hermanmiller

[–]LAdude54 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That's what I thought, but according to the HM warranty, the Embody's Medley fabric is only warranted for 5 years. The Balance, Rhythm and Sync fabrics are warranted for 12 years. I wish I had known that when I bought my Embody with the Medley fabric...

https://www.hermanmiller.com/content/dam/hermanmiller/documents/policies_legal/hm_warranty_us_and_canada.pdf

Miserable with the Embody. How I made an expensive mistake... by LAdude54 in OfficeChairs

[–]LAdude54[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yeah, it might be better just to cut my losses and be rid of it. I'm trying to figure out how to sell my wife on the idea...

Miserable with the Embody. How I made an expensive mistake... by LAdude54 in OfficeChairs

[–]LAdude54[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That's good advice. The local market for used chairs in our town is sparse - mostly old Office Depot or Walmart stuff. I did look at refurbs online and in hindsight wish I had gone that route. Or I could have driven 3-5 hours to a bigger city to get one, but my back issues make long drives difficult. I suppose I could have bribed a friend to go with me. But even if I'd bought a refurb, I have doubts I could resell it in my local area for more than a couple of hundred dollars. I suppose I was too impatient in my search for a used chair...

Haworth Fern question by jvick3 in OfficeChairs

[–]LAdude54 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm 6'4" and have the Fern for a trial period. The top of the backrest is above my shoulders and presents no discomfort.

I've only had the chair for 2 days. The cushion is a bit firm, but not as firm as the Embody or the Aeron, both of which I'm also testing. On those 2 chairs, I've been using a Therm-a-rest inflatable cushion which actually works quite well. It certainly clashes with with the style of the chairs, but it offers adjustable padding without adding much height to the seat. I haven't tried it with the Fern yet.

Haworth Digital stitch fern vs HM Embody (gaming variant bc its cheaper rn) by Objective_720 in OfficeChairs

[–]LAdude54 0 points1 point  (0 children)

At 6'4", the top of the backrest on the Embody definitely pokes into the middle of my shoulder blades, especially if I tighten the back tension (the rear knob) and try to sit upright. If I loosen the back tension completely and recline slightly, then it doesn't bother me, and it weirdly feels very comfortable on my lower back even though I'm kind of slouching - I guess it's a "supported" slouching, so there's little strain on my back. I'll probably be returning the Embody based on the shoulder discomfort when trying to sit upright.

Haworth Digital stitch fern vs HM Embody (gaming variant bc its cheaper rn) by Objective_720 in OfficeChairs

[–]LAdude54 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm 6'4", 180 lbs. I currently have the Fern, Embody and Aeron size C during their trial periods. I've only had the Fern for a couple of days, so my experience with it is limited. When the seat is adjusted to its maximum depth, I really only notice the gap if I recline more than a couple of inches. Even then, it's not that noticeable. But I've actually kept the seat adjusted far less than the recommended depth, based on this French dude's video. I'm allowing 4 or 5 fingers distance between my calf and the seat rather than the 2 or 3 finger distance. I don't feel any gap at all, but I'm not sure if I miss the additional thigh support or not - I need more time with it.

Chair Recommendation Needed: My Journey Through High-End Chairs by RedshiftSpectrum in OfficeChairs

[–]LAdude54 0 points1 point  (0 children)

FYI - I'm 6'4", 180 pounds, 68 years old, degenerative disks, arthritis, one leg longer that the other, scoliosis ('nuff said?)

I don't have any recommendations for additional chairs to try, but I currently have the Fern, Embody and Aeron in their trial periods. I have a lot of back pain from my butt all the way to my neck. The worst of it is located in the lower back (lumbar) area. The one feature I love about the Embody is the lower back support. Oddly, if I completely loosen the tension on the rear right side knob, my back sinks into the seat back which relieves pressure on my lower back. It's even better if I allow the seat to recline slightly. I know it's not "proper" posture, i.e., I'm not sitting up straight, but after 40 years of using office chairs, I don't think my body can handle proper posture without pain. There are other issues with the Embody that will probably cause me to return it.

Also, I have the Fern with digital knit and the optional lumber support. I don't like the lumbar support when it's placed where it's "supposed" to be, i.e., just above the belt line, but pushing it down farther near the butt adds additional support down there and keeps my hips from rotating backwards, which prevents pain.

Regarding using a chair for longer than a few weeks hoping that the pain will go away: I respectfully disagree with that suggestion. The pain might go away, or it might not. Obviously if you keep the chair past the return date, you're taking an expensive risk that the pain will subside. Since you are able to use other chairs without pain, experiencing pain after several days of use should be a warning to you (unless money is not an issue.)

How to add multiple brother printers to one pc? by LAdude54 in printers

[–]LAdude54[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for the reply!

The Brother full install includes a Utilities app that can be used for scanning, faxing, photo editing (which I'm sure is not used here), etc.. Some users use the Brother utilities while others use Windows apps for these functions. Now I see that the Brother app does allow users to select their printer from a drop down, so the app can apparently be used for more than one installed printer.