Ergonomics, Chairs, and Children

Despite my best efforts, I have not found a chair with a good combination of ergonomic comfort and minimal hazards to children. A great chair is possibly the single most important office supply, facilitating long hours at a desk. The Herman Miller Aeron line may seem like a dot.bomb era cliche, but it's among the most comfortable solutions for 8-10 hour stretches involving the seated position.

The adjustment levers found underneath a chair help prevent the onset of chronic back and leg pains later in life (assuming you take the time to adjust the chair). While useful, levers and knobs are of great interest to small children, consequently risking pinched fingers due to unattended exploration.

The only way I've found to avoid numerous levers on a chair is to buy something cheap without any adjustment options. While this seems like a great short term solution, shopping for a chair based on price or lack of features may cause some undesirable long-term damage to your body. Bottom line--buy a chair you would feel comfortable sitting in. Don't purchase one that lacks features necessary to maintain good posture and comfort while sitting. This is one office area where it may be necessary to emphatically remind kids the chair is off limits (unless supervised).

• Protecting Your Computer Desktop from Children
• Children and Computer Parts Don't Mix
• Reducing Wires Eliminates Child Temptations
• Consumer Electronics Child Safety
• Keeping Watch on Children From Your Office
• Childproof Your Trash
• Hidden Costs in Childproofing a Home Office
• Create a Child Friendly YES Environment