Digital Trends

DESIGNER
Niels Diffrient
 
Highly adjustable ergonomic chairs are very likely to be improperly adjusted, often resulting in the creation of more problems than intended to solve. Niels Diffrient's Freedom Chair (winner of the National Design Award from the Smithsonian's Cooper Hewitt Museum) is a breakthrough in user-friendly seating machines and now offers a newly released height-adjustable headrest offering customized support for the head and allowing for proper eye-level positioning when working long hours at a computer station. The Freedom Chair is designed to fit almost all body types. The overall sizing is accomplished by adjusting the seat depth to properly support the seat and thighs while also adjusting the back support to support the lumbar region of the body. The Freedom Chair goes further than other chairs by eliminating many manual adjustments and creating instead a system of internal mechanisms which respond to the user's needs. A unique counterbalancing tilt mechanism self adjusts according to the user's weight and movement, thus eliminating the need for manual adjustments. In addition, the chair and seatback can be easily raised or lowered , the seat moves forward or back. Any adjustments can be easily made while the user is seated for accurate positioning. Because of a natural lift-and-release action the armrests are effortlessly repositioned dependent on the task at hand, and unlike other ergonomic chairs the armrests work in tandem. The seat cushion has a top layer of plasticizer-free gel that provides excellent shock absorption and weight distribution for unmatched comfort.