In times of high inflation people flee to real assets. Expensive watches are in demand, but the jeweler’s waiting list for interested parties is a long leporello. It is rumored that only those who have previously bought a few less popular luxury watches have a chance at the really good pieces. So pragmatic alternatives for spending money are sought. Why not invest in a quality office chair?
This can be a sustainable financial investment and a good investment in your health. After all, people work more at home now. The Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health has calculated that office workers spend 80,000 hours of their lives sitting down. This is a mostly pleasant status, but not a healthy one. Two out of three Germans complain of pain in the lower back, one in three suffers from back pain on a regular basis. The production losses caused by patients with back problems and herniated discs add up to an amount in the double-digit billions every year. According to company health insurance companies, absenteeism due to muscular and skeletal disorders in Germany has increased by a third since 2005.
Not just as an executive chair
We tried two office chairs that people like to bring into the home office. Both are of particularly high quality and are more likely to be found in the executive suite than in the open-plan office. The Selvio from the manufacturer Züco and the Eyla from Girsberger are available in a number of variants, not just as an executive chair with a high backrest, but also as a swivel and conference chair.
The Selvio was developed by designer Rüdiger Schaack, who also works for Sedus. The chair is available in a total of eight versions, and the armrests and base can each be individually configured. Not all versions have a seat tilt adjustment, and the gas spring can also be ordered with mechanical depth springs. Our test chair with a high and slim backrest was covered with a thin, light mesh fabric on the back, which offers the great advantage that you sweat less, especially in summer. The fabric is taut and the S-shaped backrest offers a comfortable seating experience.
In comparison
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Eyla from Girsberger and Selvio from Züco
The angle of inclination of the backrest can be mechanically limited in four stages. The resistance that it opposes movements can also be adjusted. In the level of least resistance, there is very dynamic sitting, as required by orthopaedists. The lumbar support is also individually adjustable, as is the seat inclination by up to eight degrees.
Our test sample came with a gray leather seat padded with molded foam and integrated iliac crest support. Together with the gray backrest and the armrests made of black plastic, a very pleasing visual impression is created. You can choose the covers from the Züco textile collection, and it is even possible for Züco to process your own fabrics or leather. The armrests can be adjusted in height and width for an additional charge. Prices for the Selvio start at just over 1000 euros.
Eyla is his last seat
The Girsberger Eyla is in a price range between 2000 and more than 3000 euros, depending on the design and materials. The design comes from Burkhard Vogtherr and the British designer Jonathan Prestwich, who has his own studio in London. Vogtherr died in 2019, he worked for furniture manufacturers all over the world and was one of the most famous German furniture designers. The Eyla is his last seat. The Eyla looks big and solid, you marvel at the lush seat and like to fall. Only the seat height and the backrest can be adjusted. It either remains fixed, or it allows you to lean back flexibly, while the seat slides forward at the same time. Girsberger writes that the spring force automatically adjusts to the user’s weight.
The Eyla is available as a conference chair or with a high backrest, the armrests cannot be adjusted in width or height and are either made of polished aluminum or have a choice of plastic or leather pads. The base has four or five stars, depending on the model variant, and in addition to the version with castors, there is also one with glides. The covers are made of either fabric, textile leather or nappa leather. Recently there are two very exclusive leathers: Vitoria is a natural, olive leaf-tanned eco-leather and Verona is a nubuck leather, i.e. a sanded smooth leather with a velvety surface, which is often used in sports and hiking. We sat comfortably on both office chairs for a long time. With the Eyla, the impression of particularly high quality is remembered, the Selvio with its light back is a blessing in the hot summer.