How comfortable are the Humanscale Freedom and Steelcase Please?
- Thread starter Hades
- Start date
Thanks
I took a risk on a relatively cheap Humanscale Freedom. I have to say it's a really lovely chair. It had been recently recovered and has a very comfortable soft black faux suede material. It also has what appears to be optional chrome metalwork. So it looks fantastic (a few marks here and there).
However there is a problem with the arms. I do understand that the arms are a common issue where they crack. This one doesn't have any cracks but the arms don't lock into position very well. They adjust fine but if you put any weight on the arms then they collapse back down. I assume the ratchet/locking mechanism has worn over the years. The rest of the chair is very nice indeed so I'd like to keep it if possible. Looking online the ratchet/locking mechanism is actually quite simple to get to and the various parts seem cheap according to an American price list. So I've contacted Humanscale Europe with a list of the parts from the repair manual. If they are cheap enough then I'll do a full refurbishment of the mechanism and post a guide up here.
Some useful links:
http://www.ergonomicofficedesigns.com/content/pdf/humanscale-parts-and-repair-manual.pdf
https://humanscale.com/UserFiles/file/Disassembly_FreedomChair_REV-00.pdf
However there is a problem with the arms. I do understand that the arms are a common issue where they crack. This one doesn't have any cracks but the arms don't lock into position very well. They adjust fine but if you put any weight on the arms then they collapse back down. I assume the ratchet/locking mechanism has worn over the years. The rest of the chair is very nice indeed so I'd like to keep it if possible. Looking online the ratchet/locking mechanism is actually quite simple to get to and the various parts seem cheap according to an American price list. So I've contacted Humanscale Europe with a list of the parts from the repair manual. If they are cheap enough then I'll do a full refurbishment of the mechanism and post a guide up here.
Some useful links:
http://www.ergonomicofficedesigns.com/content/pdf/humanscale-parts-and-repair-manual.pdf
https://humanscale.com/UserFiles/file/Disassembly_FreedomChair_REV-00.pdf
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I haven't used it yet as I want to get the arms fixed first, or try to return it if that is not feasible. I will get some pics tomorrow or at the weekend as I'm not at home right now.
First impressions are that it's really a lovely chair. I use a Herman Miller Aeron at work and prefer the Humanscale Freedom... so far. I am 5ft 8in and it fits me perfectly. Apparently the designer says they are aimed at most sized people but don't work so well if very small or very large. Like you, no headrest is a deal breaker for me at home and this feels very comfortable. It feels much nicer quality than the cheap office chair I have been using at home so far. I can see that the automatically adjusting headrest when reclining is going to be great for my use.
It also looks good so when sat in a nice environment it will add to it rather than look too bulky.
Sorry no pics as haven't had time. But I did just finish stripping the chair down to find out what is wrong with the arms. I found the problem(s). There is a square toothed block on each side. It fits into a curved toothed bar. When you lift the front of the arms it pulls the block away from the bar to allow you to move them. When you release the arms the block is pushed back into the bar by a spring. That is what stops the arms moving.
On mine one of the blocks had sheered off the holding mechanism so it is only being supported by one side. Secondly the toothed bars on each side had come away from their own holding screw. Thirdly the teeth on the block and bars looks a little worn.
I reseated the bars and put the chair back together. It works a little better now but it's still not right. I will see whether Humanscale can supply replacement parts.
I am afraid I am going to say that I can't recommend this chair. It looks to me like most of them will suffer this issue eventually.
On mine one of the blocks had sheered off the holding mechanism so it is only being supported by one side. Secondly the toothed bars on each side had come away from their own holding screw. Thirdly the teeth on the block and bars looks a little worn.
I reseated the bars and put the chair back together. It works a little better now but it's still not right. I will see whether Humanscale can supply replacement parts.
I am afraid I am going to say that I can't recommend this chair. It looks to me like most of them will suffer this issue eventually.
Thanks. I love the recline. It's the best part of the chair.
Yes my only gripe so far. But having taken it apart inside the frame and looking at the way the arms work, all of a persons weight on the arms will lean on a few small metal pieces (that weight will be multiplied by the pivotal force on the arm mechanism). I am not an engineer but to me it looks a poor design choice.
If Humanscale can supply the parts for a reasonable cost then it's worth a chance. If they can't then it's a matter of when, not if, the arms will fail. Let's see what they come back to me with.
But it does look fantastic and the recline is great.
Just a quick update as I've been a bit too busy to get this sorted so far. Humanscale are quoting £75 for the replacement parts and £75 if I want someone to come to the house to fit them. I may take them up on that offer as apparently you need a special tool to get the old broken part out.
Finally an update. I had a Humanscale engineer fix the chair today. It cost about £75 for parts and the same again for a call out fee. He replaced the internals of the arm mechanism. I probably could have done it myself but decided to get them to do it. They came to my house although looking at their website they only seem to come out to the areas around London and Manchester. The guy was very friendly and took about 20 mins. However actually getting them to come out was quite lengthy and not very efficient at all.
The arms now work perfectly and I am very happy with the chair from this point. think it would have been cheaper and better to have just bought a refurbished one from a company like 2ndHnd. But I guess this way I have actual new arm internals so it should last a good while.
It really is a lovely chair now that it's fixed.
The arms now work perfectly and I am very happy with the chair from this point. think it would have been cheaper and better to have just bought a refurbished one from a company like 2ndHnd. But I guess this way I have actual new arm internals so it should last a good while.
It really is a lovely chair now that it's fixed.
Although I am happy with mine I still can't recommend them. Having taken it apart and looked at the arm mechanism I feel the design is flawed. The arms will fail. It's just a matter of how long. I love the chair. But I can't recommend it because of this.
However in the plus side they look fabtastic, the reclining mechanism works well and you can get spares and service from Humanscale.
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I thought I'd give a medium term review of the Humanscale Freedom. I've finally got a desk in my office room and have been using the chair full time for a week. Firstly I still have reservations about the design flaw (my opinion) of the arm mechanism. I still think it will fail long term. For that reason I am still reticent to recommend it. But having used it for many hours now I do love the chair.
I've read reviews saying the base is quite hard. It is a little. But I've been using it for about 12 hours off and on today and it's only now started to feel a little hard. My herman Miller Aeron at work is definitely more comfy on the bum cheeks. But it's certainly OK for general home use. I've also read review saying the back doesn't give quite enough lower back support. Yes this is true to an extent too. I'd prefer a littl emore support on the lower back. But it's not enough to be uncomfortable and no doubt this can be fixed with a cushion if it was an issue. I'd say the arms are just very slightly wider than I would like. But I'm a small person and this is unlikely to be a problem for most people.
So far it sounds pretty negative. But the above points are minor for me. There are four things that make me very happy with the chair:
1) It does look great.
2) I find it very comfortable (notwithstanding a few minor points above when using all day).
3) While I am worried about the long term strength of the arm mechanism, they are working fine right now and they really do work well. Because they are so easy to adjust I have found myself adjusting them quite frequently through the day. Sometimes I want them higher. Sometimes I want them lower. Sometimes I want to fold them completely away. With other chairs I don't bother adjusting them. But because these are so easy to move I do actually change them through the day.
4) On just about every office/desk chair whcih I have used, I have just adjusted the back to be almost straight up and left it (similar to leaving the arms in place in the comment above). I then slouch in the chair over time. But I adore the recline facility on the chair. For example I was working this morning, bolt upright, and then leaned back while still typing. Tonight I was playing games bolt upright and then leaned back to watch some youtube. The killer feature of this chair, apart from the easily adjustable arms, is being able to lean back and the head and neck support moves forwardto support you. Unlike other chairs your head is supported while still facing towards the screen when you recline. I love it. I'm currently sat here, reclined, but still looking at the monitor, head supported so my neck doesn't ache, typing and sipping a beer
So, while I still have reservations about the long term durability of the arms, I currently love the chair and it is exactly what I was looking for.
I've read reviews saying the base is quite hard. It is a little. But I've been using it for about 12 hours off and on today and it's only now started to feel a little hard. My herman Miller Aeron at work is definitely more comfy on the bum cheeks. But it's certainly OK for general home use. I've also read review saying the back doesn't give quite enough lower back support. Yes this is true to an extent too. I'd prefer a littl emore support on the lower back. But it's not enough to be uncomfortable and no doubt this can be fixed with a cushion if it was an issue. I'd say the arms are just very slightly wider than I would like. But I'm a small person and this is unlikely to be a problem for most people.
So far it sounds pretty negative. But the above points are minor for me. There are four things that make me very happy with the chair:
1) It does look great.
2) I find it very comfortable (notwithstanding a few minor points above when using all day).
3) While I am worried about the long term strength of the arm mechanism, they are working fine right now and they really do work well. Because they are so easy to adjust I have found myself adjusting them quite frequently through the day. Sometimes I want them higher. Sometimes I want them lower. Sometimes I want to fold them completely away. With other chairs I don't bother adjusting them. But because these are so easy to move I do actually change them through the day.
4) On just about every office/desk chair whcih I have used, I have just adjusted the back to be almost straight up and left it (similar to leaving the arms in place in the comment above). I then slouch in the chair over time. But I adore the recline facility on the chair. For example I was working this morning, bolt upright, and then leaned back while still typing. Tonight I was playing games bolt upright and then leaned back to watch some youtube. The killer feature of this chair, apart from the easily adjustable arms, is being able to lean back and the head and neck support moves forwardto support you. Unlike other chairs your head is supported while still facing towards the screen when you recline. I love it. I'm currently sat here, reclined, but still looking at the monitor, head supported so my neck doesn't ache, typing and sipping a beer
So, while I still have reservations about the long term durability of the arms, I currently love the chair and it is exactly what I was looking for.
I'm sorry but I didn't ask. I had to get them replaced regardless of what warranty was on offer.