Jim is always pressing me to select a better desk chair. I'm currently using a Parsons chair from a dining set we no longer own. For some reason, I sit at the very front edge of my seat, never leaning against the padded back. (I'm guessing my 5' frame has much to do with this.)

The chair is simple and unobtrusive, if not comfortable. Why my delay? Chairs are typically not sexy purchases. And good ones will set you back a fair amount.

But I read with interest a post about spine damage from improper laptop use. In it, Sarah Pullman mentions the importance of a good seat:

"I didn't really understand the power of a good chair until I started borrowing one belonging to a friend where I work... and completely fell in love. I have never felt anything like this chair (it's a Keilhauer and sadly retails for $1200) and I swear I could sit for hours in it without getting most of the weird pains that other chairs cause...If you spend as much time in your chair as you spend in your bed, shouldn't you make sure it's supporting you?"

As luck would have it, Keilhauer makes task seating that is both good for you and appealing to look at. The Sguig, as it is called, bounces, pivots and has a pelvic balance point. Designed by EOOS, the chair manages to accommodate the differences in how men and women sit. Yes... we even sit differently.

BusinessWeek explains:

"Keilhauer paired up with EOOS, an Austrian design firm, and researchers at the Technical University of Vienna, who conducted ergonomic research and wired up a series of ball-like prototypes and other more standard front- and back-tilting chairs. "We monitored and graphed people's movements over the course of the day," said Mike Keilhauer. "Those that could move around, did, and their bodies felt less beat up at the end of a day of active sitting."

The early movement studies uncovered something unexpected: Men and women sit differently. ...

Women perched, sitting on the edge of their seats, arching their backs, while men tended to slouch, relying more on the backrest. Differences in pelvic rotation between men and women contributed to these different postures. The consequence: Women felt more upper back pain, and men experienced lower back pain."

Very interesting to know that many women sit the way I do. Rather than design two unique seats, EOOS designed the Sguig to accommodate both genders. But comfort comes at a price.  At the time of the article, it was $1,350 for the Sguig. I'm off to Froogle to see if I can find it for less. The bigger question however, is do I go for energetic orange or classic black? Hmmmm....