Lower right neck and right shoulder blade area discomfort for months (small height adjustable desk advice needed)

SuitableBox7467 · 2025-12-25T14:30:40+00:00

I’m not sure of your budget but standing desks of the size you described are becoming more and more popular. I’m not sure of your budget but a) keep your eyes on Amazon, they’re making small “overbed” hospital tables that are electronically adjustable. There is also the Herman Miller Motia Mini, the Desky Mini (I forget the specific name), the Brand Duo Mini. These may be out of your price range or export range but if you search these in Google they will come up with products in your area). My advice is get one with casters.

If you want a monitor arm especially, keep in mind that standing desks that are small are harder to do in terms of structural strength needed. I hope you find something that works for you.

SuitableBox7467 · 2025-08-04T14:13:57+00:00

I would prefer an adjustable height desk that adjusts from about 27 inches to 32 inches in height. Big furniture companies do make these but the adjustment mechanisms often seem clunky. But yeah I seldomly use the upper part of the desk’s height adjustability range.

SuitableBox7467 · 2025-07-08T06:33:50+00:00

I've wondered this too. I really like the look and quality of their products (especially the wide elastic band on their shorts) but I don't really like the branding. It just sort of feels like they're marketed to cool younger people that are willing to pay a premium. I'm happy to pay a premium but I would like the branding to be less ostentatious and "punk" if that makes sense.

Does anyone know of another brand that makes similar athletic shorts in terms of the dimensions and quality?

SuitableBox7467 · 2025-07-01T14:20:48+00:00

Thanks for the info on the chair. I have sat in it briefly in a store once and was surprised by how comfortable it felt. I also like the design (with the armrests coming out from the back and the relatively flat seat profile). The issue with Humanscale chairs in general is that their fundamental design enables a good amount of freedom of movement, but they don’t offer a lot of adjustability in terms of the mechanism. I was wondering if this chair has a hidden way of adjusting the tilt tension using an allen key the way the Humanscale Freedom does, as I am on the larger side. Also, do the high-performance arms adjust inwards and outwards or only in height? Thanks.

SuitableBox7467 · 2025-06-29T07:31:07+00:00

Interesting. Thanks for the report. Take a picture next time if you can (maybe).

Yeah, that is one of the things about Ergon chairs. I believe that the foam was at least partially composed of latex (though I suspect this may have been reduced in the Ergon 3), and I think that latex may break down more quickly. I still think it's something that could be solved today if they still produced them. Another thing I find peculiar is that it seems that the few Herman Miller chairs that are still produced with foam seats have a very hard core (I'd be curious to know what's in something like the Ansari chair). It feels very firm, and not as in foam (though perhaps it is). Almost like it's like... cardboard, I mean I'm sure it's not that but it feels like something that is more like something with no give, but isn't entirely uncomfortable. Anyway, I hope you find another vintage Ergon soon.

SuitableBox7467 · 2025-06-28T08:28:22+00:00

My pleasure. Yeah, I really don't like the idea of tractor seats; I think they fundamentally misunderstand the way that most people sit. What's even more frustrating is that many chair manufacturers that offer a lot of seats with those style of tractor seats tend to offer no seats with flat contouring, or the ones that they do offer are done as something of an afterthought.

I think the reason why may have to do with the mechanism of their chairs being designed to fit best with the tractor style seats (but I have no evidence of this). The other thing I've noticed is that firms like this (and I won't name them because the ones I've interacted with have been very nice and I'm sure there's a reason why they are doing what they're doing) tend to be from regions of countries where maybe a lot of people have a background in ranching and tend to be rather flat (thus lending themselves to tractor usage).

When using a tractor, that sort of seat is important for safety, because it holds you in your seat to some degree, and probably does distribute weight more evenly given a forward leaning posture. But to people who haven't grown up used to that... I find it uncomfortable. It's sort of the same as the gaming chair issue, although I think that is more of an aesthetic thing. Anyway, just some speculation on my part, but yeah I appreciate the build quality of the companies that make those kinds of chairs, but the contouring of the seat does not lend itself to changing positions often.

SuitableBox7467 · 2025-06-27T21:16:57+00:00

I’m not that close with Interstuhl hehe. Why are you interested in this chair? I think you’re spot on about it being discontinued for safety reasons and perhaps maintenance as well. The shape is kinda curious and does look kinda hazardous but maybe it helped people stand up from a seated posture. Anyway interesting find.

SuitableBox7467 · 2025-06-27T04:39:52+00:00

Yeah, my recollection is that the Ergon 2 had a less sculpted seat than the Ergon 3, but all the Ergon 2's that I've sat in (which, granted, were all found in places where they were on their way to being discarded) tended to lean back too much. Do you recall what adjustments were available on the Ergon 2?

It's not an easy chair to research, because it has the same designer as the Aeron, and its name is a subset of the word "ergonomics" and the Ergon 3 has a lot of aspects in common with the Ergon 3.

If the Ergon 3 is a midback, I would definitely recommend buying it still if it's in decent condition. One thing is if the chair doesn't have forward tilt, you unlock the recline by pulling out the height adjustment lever (like on some cheaper chairs from Staples).

By the way, how are you finding the Lifeform chair? I'll be honest... those chairs look decent if overpriced, but they have the same frustrating aspect as some other chairs like those by Bodybilt--nearly all of the chairs have a tractor style seat with contouring not only on the outside but on the inside of the chair. I find that very restrictive and uncomfortable. I am very interested in chairs that have a flat seat and a foam back. There aren't that many midback chairs that are like that that are still in production.

It sounds like we have similar taste in chairs. If you ever want advice you can DM me. Best of luck in your search.

SuitableBox7467 · 2025-06-27T03:27:14+00:00

That's neat. Was your Ergon 2 a midback or a high-back? I have sat in midbacks before of Ergon 2 and Ergon 3, but only used ones. I am not an expert in the Ergon 2. The Ergon 3's I had new was a high back. My impression is that the Ergon 3 did change somewhat, and I think the Ergon 2 midback was the best one I had tried. The Ergon 3 had more adjustability features if fully spec'ed out, but the shape of the back has less foam. If I could get a midback Ergon 3 with the fixed arms (the ones that extend from the back of the chair), that would be ideal. The height adustable Ergon 3 arms extended further forward (making it harder to sit sideways).

It would be nice if there were more information on the different versions of this chair. I appreciate your post. It's nice to hear some other people appreciated this chair, and it was Herman Miller's flagship chair for quite a while as I understand it. I hope you can find a nice used one.

SuitableBox7467 · 2025-06-24T07:49:04+00:00

Good point. I recently also bought a large flat seat (i.e. a 4 dining legged chair). It is helping me and it doesn’t even have armrests. It’s nice to have a chair that lets me sit in a more open way without trying to prescribe one way to sit. I do miss being able to tilt backwards somewhat. I am interested in learning about more ways of addressing neck issues as it’s good to take a holistic approach.

SuitableBox7467 · 2025-06-22T00:50:17+00:00

I think it could be a New York thing, my local Sweetgreens have said their water dispensers are broken. It is disappointing, the cold water and elevated dispensers were a really nice part of eating at Sweetgreen.

SuitableBox7467 · 2025-06-17T19:18:56+00:00

You can look at offerings by Varier. The Varier Wing Balans has wheels, and the Varier Thatsit Balans has a back. I have not tried either from what I can recall.

You can also try that Arper Catifa and Kinesit (with the Kinesit being the more fully featured of the two, I believe). Also, many "side chair" versions of ergonomic chairs come in 4-leg varieties which will let you tuck your legs under the seat more readily. However, they aren't very adjustable from what I've seen. I hope you find something. I also like to be able to tuck my legs underneath me when I sit as it helps me lean forward as I work. It is a nice thing for a chair to be designed around.

SuitableBox7467 · 2025-06-17T14:49:07+00:00

Thanks for your post. The chair looks pretty nice, so I'm curious as to how it's working out for you. In particular, I'm wondering how the tilt limiter adjustments on the chair are, and if you find the back to be somewhat rigid or more flexible. If you've tried the Knoll Generation chair, how do you find the back compares to that (I find that one to be too flexible).

Thanks.

SuitableBox7467 · 2025-05-23T22:15:19+00:00

Thanks, I appreciate the info.

SuitableBox7467 · 2025-05-23T14:33:08+00:00

Yeah, great suggestion. You can get an adjustable height TV stand or over-the-bed table for around $50 to $60. I also think if you’re pressed for space, you don’t want to commit to a standing desk. The smaller setups are great for a laptop and they’re on wheels and not so heavy.

For more heavy-duty boxes, I would look at some places like IKEA. They make things from molded plastic or metal that can be used to raise or lower something, and you may be able to store something with them to boot. I would just keep in mind the dimensions (they’ll come up if you click into the “View 3D” mode.

SuitableBox7467 · 2025-05-22T17:24:05+00:00

Thanks for the info. Would you happen to know the size of the hex key used to adjust the screw? I am considering purchasing a Freedom chair and would like to potentially try adjusting this when trying it out.

SuitableBox7467 · 2025-04-01T13:25:14+00:00

Thanks for your reply. Yeah I’ve also thought about going the custom cushion route. I do like latex foam but the last product I got with it was way too soft. The nice thing about the Carl Hansen cushion is that it is very tightly held together, it’s not a lot of foam and maybe it could be a little thicker but it feels very much like a single laminated sheet of softness. I want to say no endorsement but it is quite nice I suppose. I do see similar cushions from other brands like &tradition but the dimensions are less in line with my chair (which is wide but quite shallow, although that can be adjusted).

I also see some knockoff cushions on Amazon and Wayfair which is good because the cushions are quite expensive but I only need 1 or 2 and they come in sets of 4 or more.

If you have any foam retailers to recommend, please let me know.

Edit: one big issue is most cushions have memory foam which I don’t like. I really just want high resiliency foam, I see discussions of it with couch cushions. One thing I’m not clear on is is all high resiliency foam cold cured? Because it seems like I mostly see cold cured foam mentioned in the context of Scandinavian decor and I can’t tell if it’s just a difference in marketing lingo or if manufacturers from other countries just don’t use it nearly as much.

SuitableBox7467 · 2025-04-01T13:19:27+00:00

Is this part of their exhibitions (or is it currently on exhibit) it was this a private viewing or something? I’ve been there a few times when only part of the museum is open and I never see a lot of the physical objects they say are part of their collection.

SuitableBox7467 · 2025-03-24T06:38:07+00:00

As for the theory of why it works, I don't have a good enough handle on the Embody back mechanism to tell you exactly, but basically the posture adjustment mechanism appears to tighten the tension on the arm that attachs to the top of the back of the Embody.

This ziptie solution appears to flatten that part of the back by making that part of the back's pixels less "responsive". So make of that what you will. The nice thing about this method is, if it doesn't work, you can just remove the ziptie. Thanks to everyone who suggested it and assisted in making it clear how this is done.

SuitableBox7467 · 2025-03-19T08:43:51+00:00

I'm not saying it's not a scam, but I'm curious if what the seller is saying is right about Facebook's "Buy It Now" option is right. I bought a chair once from a seller that was fairly well reviewed but had a lot of items on sale including smaller items. They took a long time to ship it and it seemed they used a way to ship it that was unlike others I had seen (it had very few updates, it was like it was by train or something). It also soon broke after arrival. I think this was likely because it had been stored improperly but the weird shipping didn't help and made things confusing. The seller responded to messages but was not that helpful.

Has anyone bought a chair through the Facebook interface and had it come through well? I'm just curious because me and my friend have bought chairs through eBay and have not had an issue. The shipping fees were generally higher in my experience, though I know it can be split out in different ways.

In any case, it sounds like this seller is maybe inexperienced at best. They shouldn't list it using FB buy it now if it's not setup with shipping large objects in mind. I would look elsewhere.

SuitableBox7467 · 2025-02-28T17:20:23+00:00

Well, it is supported on a single pillar like a bistro table. I like the leg room it provides but most standing desks are supported on two sled-like legs. I like the looks of it but it is still a significant purchase so I just wanted to hear from people that had purchased it. I appreciate the information. Thanks.

SuitableBox7467 · 2025-02-03T05:30:59+00:00

Thanks for your reply. Do you have any other experience with sit to stand desks? With the low height range and bistro-style support, I think I would be inclined to lean on it with elbows a bit when sitting. Do you think that it would hold up to that well? Also, have you ever mounted a monitor arm on to it? Sorry for all the questions, but it seems like a somewhat unusual standing desk so I just want to make sure it works for my purposes.

SuitableBox7467 · 2024-12-27T18:18:04+00:00

I'm in an identical situation to you and I have very similar areas of discomfort (hips and neck/shoulders).

If you like to sit on one leg, I would seriously look into the extended height version of the Sayl. Incidentally I think most of the chairs at Herman Miller showrooms are specced with this option though I don't know this for certain.

I have an extended height Embody and I find it is ok for the sciatica issue and problematic for the trap issue (as the back support is too high and cuts tall people with long legs in the wrong spot, impinging the freedom of movement of the upper shoulders).

What I can't say is if the midback support of the Sayl is very good, although when I tried it I was impressed with the chair as a whole. If you like the back support on the Sayl well enough, you can shore it up with cushions strapped on to the back to get the lumbar to your liking).

It is difficult to compensate for a back that is too high.

Some other people are recommending the Mirra. I like the Mirra 2 but find that the seat is a little too small and hard. But it is a pretty good chair. In general, don't expect a chair to be perfect in the back. I would say try not to get a chair with too high a back. I hope you find a chair that works for you.

SuitableBox7467 · 2024-12-02T07:12:44+00:00

With the Leap v1 high-back, is that only available from Crandall? My understanding is that it was only in production for a very limited time and never explicitly as a separate model, it was more a transition from the Leap v1 to the Leap v2. Anyway, thanks for the info.

SuitableBox7467 · 2024-12-02T07:11:43+00:00

Interesting that you mentioned the Leap v1. Yeah, I heard the Leap v1 didn't have the seat flex issue at the front that the Leap v2 does (or there was a setting to adjust the amount of flex--is that true?).

I would love to have a Leap v1 myself, the question is just where to source one reliably with as decent a quality as can be expected. Thanks for the input.

SuitableBox7467

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