After learning that most office chair users find it challenging to adjust their chairs, the Think developers made the Steelcase Think chair. They worked with the University of Vermont Back Research Center, Tech University of Denmark and also Michigan State University where thorough research was done on the way people sit during the day. The Think chair is named well because its designers and also developers purposed to make a chair that catered for the needs of your body and they made sure to deliver exactly that, and so the purpose of the chair is to be a kind of thinking chair.
Glen Oliver is the mind behind the designing of this chair. He aimed to create a chair that is simply designed with stylish clean lines and longevity. There was also the input of the engineers who made sure that the chair’s technological functions are achieved. In addition, environmental experts helped in producing a chair that is eco-friendly and which is incredibly 99 percent recyclable. With these various discipline approaches, the Think chair is made into a high-quality seating product.
Contents
Steelcase Think Chair Review – Summary
- launched by Steelcase in 1st April 2015
- Designed by Glen Oliver in cooperation with Steelcase
- 15 shaped flexors that are unique and linked together as part of the Integrated LiveBack System
- Smart design making assembling and disassembling easy
- Upholstery techniques applied on the back and seat on the 3D mesh versions allow easy disassembly
- Supports the needs of mobile workers in the workplace and with its sleek design, it is ideal for various tasks
- Its height is adjustable
- The lines of the chair are variegated and different from traditional ones
- For optimum comfort, the back is curve broken in parts
- Power Mechanism Reclining supports various heights, weight and even postures
- The arms are adjustable
- Allows preferential control
The Good
When it comes to ergonomic products, a lot of people opt for flexibility and options on a sleek and current package. It is due to this that the Steelcase Think chair has been a popular option among most people. The Think chair has a distinctive look, stylish and comes with intuitive ergonomic features that enable it to remain above the common office chairs. It is a comfortable chair that offers maximum comfort while sitting; it is smooth and has supportive padding. The chair also features a striking present-day profile, and its back is also stunning, having some stainless steel flexors that are part of the back support system of the chair. These progressive choices of design not only are they pleasing, but also offer outstanding ergonomic benefits. The seat contains a padding waterfall front edge that helps in relieving pressure that could arise under the thighs and legs of the user no matter what their weight or position is. Due to this flexors, the seat and back of the chair dynamically adjust with the movements of the user and allows the edge of the front seat flex up to 1.5 inches. This is important in helping the seat’s front edge to reduce on the back of the knees of the user and consequently increasing comfort over extended periods.
The Steelcase Think chair is designed in a way that it supports users of all sizes and different sitting postures, and it beautifully fulfills this aim. You can order the chair with an adjustable lumbar support pad that can slide up and down within the back of the chair, and gives your lower back firm, padded support. Also, the chair has an optional headrest that makes horizontal and vertical adjustments possible too, offering support in upright and reclined postures. The recline controls of the seat are intuitive. You can lock the seat in an upright position, enabling a halfway or full recline through weight activation. The seat can also give full recline with a resistance-boosted setting, which makes sure that the chair back supports you even as it allows for a recline.
The chair’s options are unending. The Steelcase Think chair does not only support people with bigger frames but also can be adjusted easily to fit small users as well. Apart from the basic height adjustment, the depth of the seat can easily be adjusted to accommodate various lengths of legs. The arms are also flexible. Having that a lot of people find it comfortable to keep the mouse and keyboard within their reach to avoid straining, it is, therefore, essential to have a chair with adjustable arms, so that you can place them at the exact point you need them while typing. While most chairs only adjust up and down (if any), the Think Chair armrests allow for height, depth and width adjustments, and also pivots 30 degrees inward or outward. The chair can also allow you to retract the arms quite far. This allows you to move closer to your desk so that you can avoid stretching your arms out towards the keyboard. The armrest has the right friction to enable you to slide your forearms on them while moving the mouse. Regardless of your preferred posture while working, the Steelcase Think Chair arms will accommodate all your needs.
Think chair accommodates each user’s preference. It has a simple adjustment lever that makes it easy for users to set their chair easily to match the way they want to work. This is made possible by the multi-position lever located on the right underside of your chair:
Position 1: Weight activation. This allows the chair to respond to the user’s body weight and move as they move.
Position 2: Weight activation and an additional 20 percent weight resistance. This is preferred for individuals who like a higher resistance when reclining.
Position 3: It helps limit the mid-stop recline
Position 4: This is best for those people who like working while in an upright position. It helps lock the back in upright position.
You will agree with me that no matter the adjustability of your chair, if the material that has made it is not comfortable, you may eventually get tired of it. The good thing with the Steelcase Think chair is that it comes in various colors and also fabric types. You will enjoy the luxury of leather from its exceptional softness. If you prefer a breezy mesh, don’t worry because the Think chair has a mesh-back variant with a soft, padded 3D Knit mesh back. The 3D knit back is notable due to its plush for mesh and retains the mesh chair support that users have known and loved.
Regardless of what color or fabric you have chosen, you can remain assured that your Steelcase Think chair is as good for your environment as it is for your back. The Steelcase Think chair prides itself to have won the Silver Cradle to Cradle certification, the SCS Indoor Advantage designation for indoor air quality and is about 98 percent recyclable.
The Bad
One of the issues that have come up when using the Steelcase Think chair is that it might not be the best for working at an office desk. This is mainly because the chair’s back is at an angle that doesn’t seem conducive to working at a desk and typing. The chair misses having an adjustment for the angle of the back. This can sometimes be challenging for those people that like sitting upright. The Think may also not recline far enough to offer the lumbar spine a perfect rest break. Again both the sliding down lumbar support and the plastic ladder in the backrest may exert uncomfortable pressure on the shoulders. This can sometimes be annoying.
Bottom Line
Individuals with different weight and sizes can use the chair. People need the various amount of support for each part of their back. Therefore, it will be wise for you to test the chair to see whether the chair caters for your needs. Also, you need to change the posture of the body more frequently so that you can stay healthy and also comfortable. You can only achieve this if the chair you are using allows you to recline and at the same time remain close to your work. The Think chair has a weight-activation mechanism that enables the user to recline and not leave your reach zone. This allows you to lean back and remain comfortable and still access your desk and keyboard effortlessly.
Customization Options
The chair’s seat has a dimensions of 19.75’’ wide and 18.50’’ deep. It has a seat depth adjustment that makes it possible to make an additional movement to have optimal comfort in your legs. Its standard adjustment height is between 16 and 21 inches. This is good for people with average or slightly above average height. The chair has an optimal 4-inch pneumatic lift that allows a lower adjustment of between 15 and 17 inches. This is exceptionally good for people with short frames.
The Think chair has only one height back and can be adjusted by 4’’ approximately between the overall height of 37.125 and 41.75 inches. If needed, optional lumbar support is provided which offers 4-inch adjustment and is pretty enough for any user.
The height of the arm is generally adjustable by 4 inches and can be backwardly retracted additionally by up to three inches allowing you get in your working station when you desire. The arms pivot inwards or outwards by 30 degrees.
All these options make it suitable for users of various sizes and shapes.
Price
Think chair is relatively affordable as compared to other high-end chairs. With a price of $840, it is undoubtedly one of the affordable chairs considering all its features. The chair has a good airflow, which can sustain you during hot summers and also an exceptional reclining system that allows locking at any position and generally effortless switching of positions.
Conclusion
Apart from a few setbacks associated with the Steelcase Think chair, the chair offers some exceptional features. The 4-dimensionally adjustable armlets make the seat generally comfortable. The chair is soft and comfy making it accommodative to different body shapes and can flex either left or right just following you along when you lean on any direction. The tensioned wires in the backrest together with the height of the seat and depth adjustment, it perfectly accommodates individuals of various sizes.
