Humanscale Seating: Overview

Humanscale Seating A Relative Newcomer With A Lot Of Class

It would be a mistake to dismiss Humanscale when buying a new office chair on the grounds that it has only been making office seating since 1999. When you dig deeper you will realize just how far it has come in a relatively short time since launching the Freedom chair just before the start of the new millennium.

So how has it been able to become such an established seating manufacturer in little over a dozen years in the business?

Why Humanscale has been so successful in office seating
In an odd way it's Humanscale's lack of experience that has made it so successful in producing innovative new chairs. Unlike more established chair manufacturers it doesn't carry around the baggage of existing products and designs. This means it's been able to start with a clean slate with no preconceived ideas.

But surely a lack of experience is a bad thing isn't it? Only when you don't go about things the right way.

What makes Humanscale different?
From its first entry into the office seating market Humanscale called on the expertise of Neils Diffrient a renowned designer. It was Diffrient who came up with its first award winning chair the Freedom. This chair has gone on to be its most popular seating product.

It's a relationship that has endured as Humanscale and Neils Diffrient continue to collaborate on all its new seats, the last of which even bears his name, the Diffrient World chair.

By using such a talented designer not only has the company created a great range of seating, it's also given it a consistent approach. Each new chair it launches bears the hallmark of a master designer and at the same time has that unmistakable Humanscale identity about it.

And as mark of confidence in its chairs they all come with a 15 year 24/7 warranty so you won't have any worries about quality and reliability.

Let's take a look at some of its seating, shall we?

The Humanscale seating range
In terms of task chairs there are three seats in the Humanscale offering. The Freedom, Liberty and Diffrient World. Let's delve into each of them in a little more detail.

Humanscale Freedom chair
The Freedom was the first chair Neils Diffrient designed for Humanscale and in keeping with his thoughts on good chair design it doesn't have loads of complicated levers and knobs to set up. Instead many of the chairs functions are automatic requiring little user interaction apart from setting up the seat height and seat depth for personal leg comfort. Neither are complicated and are generally one off settings.

From there the chair takes over and automatically senses the user's weight and movements and self adjusts as you go about your work.

There are a couple of neat features which are definitely worth having.

First the the chair has an optional headrest. If you like to recline a lot while sitting then you'll find this acts as an excellent neck and head support.

Second the adjustable arms offer great flexibility. One of the problems with arms on office chairs, even adjustable ones, is they can get in the way. The great thing with the arms on the Freedom is it's very simple to drop them down to seat level when you don't need them.

As well as the standard chair there are also models for specialist applications like a drafting chair model, an ultrasound version for laboratory use and even a saddle seat version.

Following the success of the Freedom, Humanscale's next chair was the Liberty.

Liberty chair
In conceiving the Liberty, Humanscale wanted to maintain the kinds of benefits of the Freedom and yet take things a stage further. The main difference is the introduction of mesh upholstery to the back. However, the mesh used is a world away from the normal run of the mill stuff you find on the average mesh chair.

It's formed from three layers of mesh in a tri-panel construction. This gives far superior support compared to single layer meshes. In fact the support is so good the chair doesn't need a separate lumbar support as the mesh is more than able to support your lower back correctly and comfortably.

It retains the self adjustability features of the Freedom and so is very simple to use. Perhaps the biggest difference with this chair is that it is a lot lighter due to the use of advanced plastics in its construction.

There is also a side chair model which is great for use for coordinating guest or meeting chairs.

So much for the liberty, let's fast forward to 2011 and the Diffrient World chair.

Diffrient World chair
Named after its designer, the Diffrient World uses the latest in technology to take chair design even further. And clearly a great deal of thought has gone into conceiving the chair, Neils Diffrient spent almost 10 years working on the design of this chair.

As you might expect most of the adjustments are automatic. With the Diffrient World it's possible have both the seat and back finished in its unique tri-panel upholstery. So not only do you get great support, you also get excellent air circulation too, making it a great choice if you find conventional upholstery makes you sweat.

By using even more plastics it's been possible to reduce the major components used in the chair to just 8, nearly all made from eco friendly recycled materials. Simplifying the construction has also helped keep costs down with the chair starting at $200 less than the equivalent Freedom model.
The other great thing is the chair weighs a mere 25 pounds about half the weight of a typical office chair. This helps to make it easy to move it around your work area and office.  

Clearly Humanscale offers a great range of quality ergonomic office seating, helping to make your working day more comfortable.

Further information
You can find out more about these excellent seats by visiting our Humanscale page.

Introducing Humanscale's M/Flex Monitor Arm

It takes a very special monitor arm to bring the word “revolutionary” to mind. After all, monitor arms have been seen in almost every office for the last decade, people know the long list of benefits, and there are already monitor arms built to hold up to six flat panel monitors.

So why did we think of ways to reconfigure our desks to make room for the newest monitor arm on the market? Because there’s really nothing else like it out there.

Humanscale’s M/Flex monitor arm is the most versatile and dynamic monitor support system available today. Its sustainable design—not just the parts but the philosophy–ensure it’s the last monitor arm system you’ll ever need.

The key difference between the M/Flex system and all other monitor arms on the market is the scalable design, allowing you to upgrade from one to six monitors without disrupting your current configuration. The modular system works by adding additional arms to the existing post simply by stacking them. Check out the video below for a demonstration of how straightforward the M/Flex system is.

We have had a chance to use the M/Flex M2 model and it’s just as easy to use as the standard M2 monitor arm. The dynamic arm links make it incredibly easy to adjust and find a comfortable position.

For heavier monitors, the M/Flex M8 will be available during the first quarter of 2013, and we look forward to getting our hands on it when it arrives.

Quick Tips: Which Casters Do I Need?

Higher-end chairs usually mean more options for the user. Many of these choices are pretty self-explanatory—“What color do I want?” “How tall should my seat go?”—but one area that tends to trip our clients up is the choice of hard surface or carpet casters for their new task chair. Here’s a quick way to remember which you will (typically) need:

Hard floors = Soft casters
Soft, carpeted floors = Hard casters

Standard hard casters are made out of either plastic or nylon, allowing the wheel to roll easily through high-pile residential carpet.

For both HAG and Humanscale seating, the hard surface casters (also known as “soft casters”) have a rubber ring around the outside of the caster which helps protect hard wood, while offering rolling resistance on other types of hard floors.

One notable exception to these rules is that we almost always suggest the hard surface casters with industrial low-pile carpet or if you are using a chair mat over your area rug. If you have questions about these recommendations, please don't hesitate to get in touch.

Humanscale Float Adjustable Table Introduction

Humanscale’s eagerly anticipated Float adjustable-height table is sure to make an immediate impact in the sit-stand desk market. Sleek design, easy to use, and affordable are only three of the features we’re excited about from Humanscale’s newest product.

The main feature that makes this adjustable table different from our other popular sit-stand desk options is the way it raises and lowers. The counterbalance mechanism means that no motor or crank is required to move the desk from sitting to standing. If you’ve poked around the blog before, you know that we think effortless hight adjustment is key to getting people moving during the work day, and the Float table definitely meets our standards. Simply squeeze the level and release when you have found a comfortable sitting or standing height. It really couldn’t be easier.

Check out this video from Humanscale to see the Float in action.

New studies seem to come out weekly touting the benefits of height-adjustable desks. We've linked to several here on the blog, but the thread that ties each new report together is: sitting all day is unhealthy. Not only is it bad for your body to be in one static position for 8+ hours per day, studies have shown that increased physical activity increased mental aquity. Go ahead and copy and paste that sentence to your boss if he or she gives you a hard time about wanting to change out your desk.

We are currently accepting orders for the Float table. We’ll have more information and reviews as we get closer to the launch date, rumored for late August.  For now, here are some of the specifications we’re excited about:

• Robust 120lb. lifting capacity, in addition to the desk top weight
• Several frame and top colors
• 20" height adjustment, from 27" to 47"
• Adjustable frame widths from 47" - 72"

Humanscale Horizon LED Lamp Review

Introducing Humanscale's Horizon LED Task Light

We're taking a look at the Horizon LED task light the latest lighting offering from Humanscale. In keeping with all Humanscale products it's a beautifully designed lamp with great looks and simplicity in use.

Where many LED task lights use multiple arrays of LED bulbs, Humanscale has opted for a single lamp. It has combined this with the latest in lighting development, Thin Film Technology™ and is the first lamp to use it. The film on the underside of the lamp allows the light to be spread evenly over quite a wide area. Its light output is based on a neutral white light (3000 K).

With a dimmer switch built into the base it's very easy to control offering seven different light levels. At maximum output it consumes just 9 watts. It's actually possible to drop the light level right down to the equivalent of a night light where it only consumes a single watt of electricity. The switch glows in the dark making it easy to locate at low light levels.

Adjusting the lamp is very easy as both the head and the base have spherical ball joints. You literally just move the head and arm to exactly the position you want to illuminate. And its compact design means it doesn't take up loads of space either.

There is a choice of three color finishes, black, silver or white. And of course Humanscale's commitment to the environment means it's highly eco friendly. It's made from 95% recycled content and ultimately if you do ever wear it out it's good to know it's 99% recyclable. Mind you with a 10 year 24/7 warranty it going to last a very long time.    

Below is a video of the Horizon in use. Click here for further details on this great lamp.