good chair for sewing?

[Lady Toadflinger]

I don't think this question has been addressed here yet, if it has, I missed it.  I have been sewing a lot lately, sometimes 3-4 hours at a stretch, (bad weather), and my back begins to hurt after a while at the machine.  My chair is an old dining table chair, so it might be at fault.  Does anyone have any advice for me about a good chair to use at the sewing machine? Perhaps an office/computer type chair?  What kind of chair do you use? Do you like it or hate it?

[gem]

Are you a member of the Pattern Review bulletin board? (www.patternreview.com) There is a whole section on sewing spaces/ergonomics for sewing, and I know they've talked about this in the past (although cutting table height seems to be the biggest discussion point. Those of us who must cut on our dining room floors can only dream of developing this problem! LOL). Anyway, like you I sew at my dining room table with a regular ol' kitchen chair... but I seem to recall that the culprit for back pain while sewing is usually not the chair, but the height of the work surface.  So you might poke around over there and see what people are recommending.

Or... you could do what our GirlChris did, and start sewing in your corset! (At least I *think* that was Chris; it was a few years back.)

[Kate XXXXXX]

Get yourself a nice adjustable office chair.  It doesn't need to be expensive.  Mine cost just under £20.

[Lady Rebecca]

I picked up a used office chair (it's a larger size with arms) for $10, and I love it. My sewing table is a build-it-yourself office desk from Walmart for around $30, I think. It doesn't have much table-top space, but the height is really good. Office chairs are adjustable, too, so you could adjust it to whatever height you need.

[ArielCallista]

This is my chair http://www.staples.com/Staples-Desley-Mesh-Task-Chair/product_SS1049153?cmArea=SC2:CG32:DP2156:CL163662 (i have pink!) we got it super cheap cuz the staples that had it was getting rid of them so it was only like $20...I have major back problems and using a dining room chair was killing me...this chair seems to be cheaper cuz its mesh and doesn't have arms but I think that's best for sewing...

[GirlChris]

Ha! Yes, that was me that sewed in a corset. Back support is back support! Though at the time I was doing that, I was sewing at a coffee table while sitting on the floor and running the foot pedal with my knee. I didn't HAVE a chair. Yay for student housing!

[Artemisia]

I bought a book called "Dream Sewing Spaces". According to that book, the ideal position is to have your arms rest on the table at a 90 degree angle. The chair should be fully adjustable so you can tweak your body position.

OSHA has an article on this at http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/etools/sewing/index.html

I own this chair and I love it.
http://www.overstock.com/Office-Furniture/Boss-LeatherPlus-Multi-function-Task-Chair/4719274/product.html

[CecilsTanequin]

I've been spoiled by working for amazing professional theatre companies with great costume shops so my preferred seating is your basic adjustable rolly office chair on cement or hardwood floors (for maximum rollability). The adjustable thing is big, I think I change the height of my chair at least once in an 8 hour stitching work day and neither I nor my coworkers have ever had back issues at work. I just picked up my home sewing office chair at my local goodwill for 8 bucks.

[Lady Toadflinger]

Gramercy for the input! I went out and got a used office chair at the Goodwill, and it seems to be working out well.  I think it is the ajustable height that really helps.  The dining table chair does seem to be too low. Back to the sewing machine!

[Goody]

Something I try to remember to do is stretch frequently (ESP ARMS UP OVER MY HEAD) Everytime I get up to press something I try to stretch (like after my curves workout). For me that makes all the difference.

[Branwen]

My problem isn't so much the chair, as others have said, it's the height of the work space. I have neck issues so looking down for long periods of time is just a recipe for lots of pain.

I have sadly not found any solutions as of yet, what with only having my dining room table to work at. But I have found that if I know I'm going to be working for a long time, I slip on one of my corsets and so I don't slump while working and it takes care of my back pains.

Still gotta work on the neck angle though.

[gem]

Branwen, have you thought about putting the table on risers? You can get bed risers pretty much anywhere, and here's a tutorial for DIY ones from PVC pipe.

[Branwen]

What a clever and simple solution, thank you Gem!

I'll have to talk to the Man about it, as our table doesn't have four legs on the corners. It's a round table with a center pedestal, But I think it could still work.

[Adriana Rose]

Bricks or cinderblocks would work too Id think and a touch more stable than PVC

[Kate XXXXXX]

My cutting table is kitchen work surface height, which is ideal for me.  If you have a breakfast bar, try cutting on that...