JordanPatton.com

For the past 8 months, I’ve been living in the Tenth and Home apartments. The complex is really great, and it allows me to walk to all of my classes on Georgia Tech campus. One problem: the apartment came unfurnished. Since I spend hours every day in front of the computer (I’m studying them, after all), I really need a comfortable chair. This weekend, I finally decided to go out and get one.

You see, my wife Sarah re-upholstered a couple of chairs for us right when we moved in. She did a really great job, but we never intended to use them as office chairs. When you’re a poor grad student, however, you’ll turn a trash can upside for a bench, chair, table, whatever. In other words, I didn’t want to spend my hard-earned cash on a new seat when these refurbished ones were already available. After sitting in one for 8 months, however, I began to change my mind. I’m very unusual in that when I’m doing certain things (sleeping and sitting in front of the computer included), my body’s core temperature goes berserk, and anything I’m touching gets really warm, really fast. As such, sitting on a basic cloth/foam seat makes me feel like I’m in a hot tub.

The original chair. It actually looks quite nice (minus the pillow/towel).

Last weekend, I decided to go for it. I wanted to buy a decent leather or mesh chair, because I’ve found that my insane body heat doesn’t seem to have such a profound effect on these materials. Fast forward several hours later (yes, it took 2 hours in Office Depot, just moving from chair to chair), and I finally found my new seat! Oddly enough, I didn’t go as crazy as I expected to. I walked away with a Carlin High-Back Leather Chair, and the best part is that I got a great deal on it! ($80.00 at the Office Depot near Kroger/Wal-mart/La Parilla on Howell Mill Rd.) They literally had about 30 chairs available for testing, so I nearly passed out from all the sit-down and stand-up motions. I had a very, very hard time deciding (as I suspect I’ll be using this thing for years to come), but so far I am very happy with my choice.

The new chair. Notice that I had to move the desk out for space?

The seat of the chair is very comfortable, giving plenty of cushion without letting you sink in. The back is great, providing support for both your lower lumbar (crucial) and a nice head rest. In all honesty, I don’t think I’ve ever been so comfortable sitting in front of a computer. (Let’s hope it doesn’t make me sleepy.) The build appears to be pretty solid, and nothing rattles, creaks, or groans when I sit. As far as durability goes, however, only time will tell. If you’re looking for a new chair and you wanna spend around $80.00, this is a great option. How about you? What kind of seat do you use in your office?