Ergonomic Office Chairs - The next generation

Bad Münder, October 2006.

The NeoCon Silver Best, the NeoCon Canada Gold Product Award, Gold Cradle to Cradle Product Certification by McDonough Braungart Design Chemistry, Quality Office and finally in December 2005, the Good Design Award given by the Chicago Athenaeum Museum of Architecture and Design - this is the impressive list of awards won so far by the Zody_System 89 range of office chairs, produced by Haworth. The complete systems supplier of office worlds is to launch the model that it designed together with ITO Design Deutschland on the German market in the second quarter of 2006. 'For us, these awards are proof of the unique ergonomic properties which we have concentrated within the Zody_System 89 range', say Franco Bianchi, president and CEO of Haworth and Thorsten Prée, general manager of Haworth Deutschland, both obviously proud of their design highlight.

Zody_System 89 is redefining the range of products on the worldwide office chair market. It displays a number of features normally only found on more expensive high-end models. This model reveals a successful combination of American and European design influences, and its internationally appealing exterior is as convincing as its flowing, functional form and ergonomic features. Its use of various paddings and different materials for the backrest plus its ability to perform in a variety of configurations allow it to be integrated in any environment with no problems. As with all Haworth products, great importance was placed on the quality of the chair's materials and manufacturing.

Zody_System 89 is the first product to incorporate PAL, a revolutionary, asymmetrical lumbar support system. This innovation allows users to adjust the amount of support available to the lower back area on either side of the spinal column, depending on individual needs or preferences.

The system is the result of a study carried out by the Human Performance Institute of Western Michigan University for Haworth. The findings of this study showed that 71 percent of test participants preferred an asymmetrical system for balancing out the pressure that invariably builds up over the course of the working day, that particularly affects the lumbar spine. By incorporating this innovation, Zody_System 89 constitutes the next generation of ergonomic office chairs. Besides PAL, the model is also equipped with 3D arm rests, a variety of seat depth settings, and a three-point synchronisation setting that can be locked in the front position. Zody_System 89 also has the option of a twin-component seat cushion, which additionally reduces the pressure on the pelvis and the lower back muscles. Thanks to all these features, the Zody_System 89 chair supports dynamic sitting and complies with the individual requirements of around 95 percent of the world's office working population.