Meaning of adjustable chair

Any proper recliner will tilt backwards into a flat position. It doesn't have to be motorised. I have an Ekornes, a purely wooden non-electrical affair, and if I tilt all the way back it turns into more or less a flat surface.

The difference, crucial IMHO, is that standing or sitting in any normal chair no matter how you adjust it still creates pressure on the lower spine. The upper body and head etc. will still press down on the spine below. In a proper recliner, tilted backwards even by a few degrees (which brings the seating below upwards proportionately), that's avoided. This means that while some folk won't be able to spend any appreciable length of time in any kind of chair, they'll be able to spend all day in a recliner.

The difference is obviously important. No case law on this yet, might I assume?

BB

Bill Kruse wrote:

Any proper recliner will tilt backwards into a flat position. It doesn't have to be motorised. I have an Ekornes, a purely wooden non-electrical affair, and if I tilt all the way back it turns into more or less a flat surface.

The difference, crucial IMHO, is that standing or sitting in any normal chair no matter how you adjust it still creates pressure on the lower spine. The upper body and head etc. will still press down on the spine below. In a proper recliner, tilted backwards even by a few degrees (which brings the seating below upwards proportionately), that's avoided. This means that while some folk won't be able to spend any appreciable length of time in any kind of chair, they'll be able to spend all day in a recliner.

The difference is obviously important. No case law on this yet, might I assume?

BB

My point is if you normally sit in a reclined postion at home because of lower back pain sitting tilted back means what work could be done in that position in the workplace.

Bill Kruse wrote:

Any proper recliner will tilt backwards into a flat position. It doesn't have to be motorised. I have an Ekornes, a purely wooden non-electrical affair, and if I tilt all the way back it turns into more or less a flat surface.

The difference, crucial IMHO, is that standing or sitting in any normal chair no matter how you adjust it still creates pressure on the lower spine. The upper body and head etc. will still press down on the spine below. In a proper recliner, tilted backwards even by a few degrees (which brings the seating below upwards proportionately), that's avoided. This means that while some folk won't be able to spend any appreciable length of time in any kind of chair, they'll be able to spend all day in a recliner.

The difference is obviously important. No case law on this yet, might I assume?

BB

Hi BK,

The motorised bit is most pertinent for someone who has cervical spinal problems, as well as lumber spinal problems, as the cervical condition affects upper limb use.

So it would be the difference between pressing a button on the motorised version, and operating a lever on the manual version.

cheers

bro58

Would an "adjustable" chair normally include a head rest?

There's no levers of any kind on an Ekornes, not the model I have anyway. I tilt it just by shifting bodyweight.

BB

"My point is if you normally sit in a reclined postion at home because of lower back pain sitting tilted back means what work could be done in that position in the workplace."

You could do any work that people normally do on a computer. I'm doing just that right now with the screen to my right and the keyboard in my lap. I'll agree this isn't a setup that would fit in with any normal workplace, you couldn't put me and my setup in a cubicle environment, for example. The Atos testing doesn't appear to be concerned with such niceties however, so as I understand it this wouldn't be considered as a factor in any benefits application.

BB