Most office workers have at some point in a moment of boredom at least taken a spin in their chair, or even pushed off down a corridor. In Germany this has been taken to a whole new level, as last year the town of Bad König-Zell in Hesse hosted the third annual office chair racing championships. Pierre Feller of Luxembourg wowed fans as he broke the record for the 200m downhill discipline in just 26.95 seconds, at a top speed of 22mph. If you fancy holding your own office chair racing championships you should think about which designs are best suited for picking up speeds and maintaining balance.
Office Chair Racing in Bad König-Zell in Hesse
Mesh Chairs
Mesh chairs are designed to keep workers cool by allowing the air to circulate. This very same feature makes for a pretty good aerodynamic design, as air rushes through the mesh rather than building up an opposing force. However, the downside to these chairs is that they tend to be quite lightweight so can be tricky if your chosen racetrack involves any cornering.
Stools or Saddle Chairs
These types of seat allow for greater flexibility of position – you can sit up for balance, or lie down to build up speed. They do not provide any upper body support though, so choosing to use these for racing means you must be pretty confident in your ability to keep your balance at high speeds.
Recliners
In terms of building up speed recliners have to be the very best chairs. Lying down means you are presenting less body mass and therefore are much more aerodynamic. Of course, if you lie down you cannot easily see where you are going, so any race track with corners or a tricky sudden stop at the end may prove problematic.
Executive Chairs
Executive chairs tend to be a bit heavier and more supportive than most other office chairs. In terms of balance these are probably the best choice, and the weight helps you pick up speed on a downhill section. The manoeuvrability in these chairs is minimal though, so choose your course wisely.
Operator Chairs
In terms of racing these are like the poor cousins of other office chairs. Lightweight, easy to over balance and difficult to lie down on, there are no discernible advantages to racing in one of these, other than the pride you can take in your win despite having an inferior vehicle should you happen to do so.
Office Chair Race Championships 2011
This post was provided on behalf of Chair Office suppliers of leading office chairs & furniture.
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