Today, I’m sad to report that my beloved Herman Miller Aeon Chair finally gave up its seat — and its mesh back and its crippled casters and it decaying rubber arms — and I had to trash it after eight, magnificent, years of dutiful sitting service.
I was on the hunt for a new office chair. The replacement had to be hardy and tough and a good value. I spend 12 hours a day in and out of my office chair, so I needed to make certain the task of sitting would not interfere with my joy of writing.
When I happened upon a Staples chair exclusive with a mouthful of a name — the Tempur-Pedic TP8000 Ergonomic Mesh Mid-Back Task Chair — and I knew I’d found my new office chair at a great value.
The keen thing about the Tempur-Pedic chair is that the seat is made of Tempur foam mattress material that conforms to your body, and that makes for a super-comfortable sitting experience.
Here’s the lowdown on some of the specs of the new chair:
- Proprietary TEMPUR memory foam provides extra support and comfort for extended periods of sitting
- Polyester fabric upholstery with mesh back for durability and extended comfort
- Height and width adjustable arms enhance ergonomics
- TEMPUR material memory foam absorbs energy, relieves pressure, and distributes weight
- Built in lumbar support
- Center tilt with tilt lock, forward tilt and tilt tension
- Independent Back and Seat angle adjustments
- Seat and Back height adjustment
- Back height
- Forward tilt
Everything on this chair is adjustable. That makes it easy to sit in the chair all day long because you can switch positions and manipulate points of pressure at will on a whim. I’m always getting up and out of the chair, too, so having some predictability in height and angle are welcome changes.
The chair comes packed in a right looking box and you have to put the whole thing together yourself. All the parts were included and it took me about 20 minutes to assemble. I learned this: office chair parts are heavy! Settling the Tempur-Pedic seat on the chair base was clumsy and awkward, but it all worked out in the end.
When you first sit on the Tempur chair, your whole body sinks into the foam material and you realize you’ll never be satisfied with another seat again. The chair remains cool in hot weather and overall construction is solid and reliable.
I’ve been using my Tempur chair for a couple of weeks and every day it mushes into me just a little bit more as the chair begins to remember who I am and then properly place me in the right sitting position for maximum comfort.
Knowing Tempur mattress foam isn’t long-lasting, and can harden over the years, I realize this chair will not likely last eight years like my Herman Miller Aeon chair, but that’s okay, because the benefits to the bottom — and the bottom line! — are incalculable and worthy of refreshing every couple of years to continue to get the greatest possible foam experience.