We spend a great deal of time at the computer — between two full time design jobs and our blogging gig here on AT, our behinds are glued to a desk chair for the majority of the day, everyday. So when we decided to graduate from using our laptops on the couch to a legitimate desk-chair-home-office the issue of "Which chair?" was a big one. We think we have found the perfect fit...
Vitra Panton Chair: The Perfect Desk Chair?
Note: Please forgive our unorganized cords, we're working on it.
Our "home office" is really just a corner in our dining room so, first, we chose a desk whose size was substantial enough to define the space but light and open enough not to overtake our dining table: Blu Dot's Desk 51 in white. Its a cantilever design which begged for a complimentary chair. But none of our spare chairs quite fit the criteria of being both (a.) comfortable over extended periods of time and (b.) aesthetically complimentary to our new cantilever desk. After much deliberation we settled on the Panton Chair.
We have loved Vitra's Panton Chair from afar and dreamed of having a dining table full of them but never, ever imagined using one as a desk chair. Not only does the cantilever design allow you to bounce lightly while working but the molded plastic form hugs you from calf to shoulder blade — a gentle, comfortable reminder for good posture.
If you're in the market for a desk chair and cringe at the thought of those black mesh, infinitely "customizable" wheelie office chairs, a quick trip to DWR might be worth your while to give Panton a test drive. We love how beautifully the 50-year-old form compliments the new Blu Dot design — a testament to the quality of both pieces.
Panton is available in white, blue or red at Design Within Reach for $260 plus shipping or Design Public for $245 with free shipping. In our opinion, it is worth every penny.
[Originally posted at AT Boston by Wes & Kayla]
Tags
seating, home office, Blu Dot, Vitra, Panton Chair, Desk 51, office desk chairRelated Links
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Comments (8)
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I was going to send in a question regarding something similar. I need a desk chair that can do double duty as a regular living room chair, and was thinking maybe something like the ikea skruvsta chair might work, but any suggestion would be welcomed.
view Jose A's profile
From the back, the Panton chair is highly reminiscent of a small toilet. I think the black mesh atrocities are less cringe-worthy than the image of a commode.
For Jose A, I might suggest the Stockholm chair from Walmart. I have one, but I didn't get it from Walmart as I'm in Japan and they don't have Walmarts here (so obviously, Walmart is not the only distributor of this style of chair). I bought mine secondhand from a used furniture store near my home. It's low profile, comfortable, and stylish (IMO). In Japan, there are a variety of such low profile chairs called "Roco desk chairs". The low back height keeps them from overwhelming a small space and the wide seat is comfortable.
view Orchid64's profile
I think if I was at the computer all the time (wait I am...) I'd go for a real task chair designed for the job. We have two humanscale liberties and they are great.
view bordjon's profile
I ditto bordjon. I invested in a bodybilt chair a few years ago after some serious neck/jaw pain & it has been worth every penny (of which sadly there were many :/). Pretty chairs are not worth the long-term health impact if you're really in the chair most of the day every day.
I did get the chair in a nicer buttercup color so at least it's not so heavy as the all-black typical style.
view nnovik's profile
Although you might think that this chair in uncomfortable, it’s actually very good for a work chair. I have two that I bought that were floor samples (100.00 for two) and have been happy using one as a desk chair. BTW, I am 6’2” and broke my back (coccyx, pelvis, and a couple of cracked vertebrae) years ago and am pretty picky about work chairs.
view dss10's profile
Although I love the look of the Panton chair, I'll keep my Aeron for my desk.
view shlacking's profile
I think you might find this Suite101.com article interesting
The Panton Chair by Verner Panton
A Moulded Plastic "S" Chair From a Bona Fide Modernist Maverick
The Panton Chair is the brainchild of maverick Danish designer Verner Panton (1926-1998). Panton it was who first realised the potential for moulded plastic design.
Click here to read this article
You can also cut and paste the following address into your browser
http://collectibles.suite101.com/article.cfm/the_panton_chair_by_verner_panton
Christopher Wilson
suite101.com
view chairman's profile
I prefer a tub chair to sit in front of my desk. Makes it more comfortable. This plastic chair would just ruin my back. it's better having a nice soft one.
view adawakeman's profile