Computer furniture

Brightech Owen Nightstand review

REVIEW – It’s back-to-school time, and folks are thinking about changing where they live, setting up dorm rooms, and generally getting ready to snuggle down and study. Having a cozy corner with a lamp and a place to sit your coffee/tea/adult beverage has been a necessity since students read by oil lamps and candles. Nowadays, however, having places to charge laptops, tablets, or phones are just as important. BrightTech has recently released a table they call Owen that incorporates a lamp, a wireless charger, and both a USB port and an AC plug. I was sent a sample to test and have been using it for a few weeks now.

What is it?

A wooden table 19” diameter and 23.5” high with a built in lamp, power ports, and a wireless charging area.

What’s in the box?

Everything you need except a power outlet!

Wooden tabletop 19” in diameter with charger, leg sockets, and lamp connection kit assembly
Top and bottom powder-coated rings for the shade
Collapsable shade cover
Two-piece prewired lamp with socket
Harp and wooden finial
Three solid wood legs with metal sockets installed

Design and features

When the box containing the Owen table arrived, I was sure it was something else. Even when I opened the outer box and saw the picture, I was sure there would be another box with the shade or something. When I opened it, I was amazed at the compact and complete packaging. All the pieces are cleanly finished, made of quality materials, and fit together on the first try. I think it took all of 15 minutes to unpack, take photos, and assemble.

Setup

Setup is pretty straightforward.

Screw in the legs to the pre-attached threaded studs.
Connect the two tubes of the lamp assembly (prewired).
Pass the wires through the hole in the table.
Tighten the threaded holder for the lamp. (See detail in picture above.)
Attach the power cable to the table’s electronic assembly. (See detail in picture below.)
Unroll the shade cover and click the two wire circles into the clips of the shade and press the Velcro seam together. (Shade clips shown in second picture below.)
Attach the harp to the two clips on the side of the socket and screw in the bulb.
Attach the shade to the harp with the included finial.
Place the table where want it and plug it into the wall.

Performance

The built-in wireless charger works really well. It’s not fiddly or touchy, like some disk chargers that let the phone slide off the sweet spot due to the vibrations of walking nearby. The switch for the light is tight and always works. The light from the bulb is a very white light, but the shade diffuses it well.

The AC and USB ports have a red light that glows when the unit is plugged in, which is really bright if you’re using this for a night table. I wish they would have mounted the plugs in the back or under the table so that light wasn’t always shining out and the ugly plugs didn’t show. Be aware, this table is not heavy-duty (Load limit is 2.5 pounds), so don’t pile it up with huge volumes.

What I like

Easy to assemble
Looks surprisingly good for a kit table
Everything you need is in the box

What I’d change

I wish the red power light wasn’t so bright or visible.
Plugs could be around back, rather than on the front.
The Velcro seam in the shade is really ugly.

Final thoughts

For what it is, it’s a really nice little piece of furniture for a casual room like a reading nook, dorm room, or man-cave. I would have liked to have something like this when I was grad school, rather than the whale oil lamps we used back then!

Price: $80.99, on sale for $79.99
Where to buy: BrightTech website
Source: The sample of this product was provided by BrightTech.

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: Computer furniture, Home lighting, Wireless charging

Brightech Owen Nightstand review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 14, 2019 at 10:00 am.

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Eureka Ergonomic Executive Swing office chair review

REVIEW – We keep hearing that sitting is the new smoking when it comes to activities that can be damaging/fatal to your health. I can’t really disagree that sitting all day is bad for me, but I’ve tried several standing desks over the years and can’t seem to work as well as I can while sitting at a desk.

If I’m going to sit, I want to sit on a chair that doesn’t contribute even more problems to the activity of sitting. I don’t want the chair to make my posture worse, back pain worse, etc. So with that in mind, let’s check out the Eureka Ergonomic Executive Swing Chair.

What is it?

The Eureka Ergonomic Executive Swing Chair is an office chair that has been designed to make the action of sitting better for your body by improving posture and comfort.

What’s in the box?

All the parts needed to assemble the Eureka Ergonomic Executive Swing Chair
Hardware screws, washers, and 2 Allen wrenches
Assembly instructions

Assembly

Assembling the Eureka Ergonomic Executive Swing Chair is not difficult and you will not need any extra tools as they are included with the hardware. You will need about 30 minutes to go through the steps which are clearly outlined in the included instructions.

The first step has you put the wheels/castors into the heavy metal (not ACDC) chair base. I always find this part the most difficult part of any chair assembly because you have to press the wheels into slots which takes more hand strength than I usually have. Having said that, I was able to seat each wheel in place with fewer swear words than normal.

After the wheels have been attached, the next step is to set the hydraulic piston thingy in the center of the base. This step takes no effort at all.

Then you have to place the seat on the piston. With this step, it is helpful to have someone hold the base while you place the chair on top. I didn’t have anyone to help me on the day I assembled the chair so it did take a little effort but it wasn’t too hard.

After the seat is seated, the back of the chair is positioned so that you can attach it to the seat with 4 screws that require the included Allen wrench to tighten them. Again, this isn’t difficult to do alone, but having another person around to hold things while you try to get the screws lined up helps a lot. Another thing that would help a lot would be longer Allen wrenches. The back of the armrests get in the way so that you can’t tighten the screws without reseating the wrench multiple times.

After the back of the chair is attached to the seat, there is a plastic piece that has to be attached to cover the screws.

Then the adjustable headrest is attached with 2 more screws and you’re done!

The Eureka Ergonomic Executive Swing office chair is attractive with the black leather material on the padded back and seat cushion. But as you can see, the backrest of my chair is slightly deformed in the center due to having rested over the chair’s wheelbase while packaged in the shipping box. I thought this “dent” would eventually go away on its own, but after a week, it is still there. I’m hoping it will disappear after some time.

Design and features

The Eureka Ergonomic Executive Swing Chair has quite a few adjustment points. First of all, the back of the chair has 3 depth positions that can be changed by twisting the oval knob on each side. Doing so will move the back of the chair towards the front of the seat cushion or back of the seat cushion by 2 inches in either direction.

The armrests can be raised, lowered 2 inches, slid forwards or backward 2 inches, and pivoted outwards, and inwards.

The padded headrest can also be raised and lowered 2 inches and pivoted forwards and backward. The whole chair can also be raised and lowered using the piston. At the lowest height, the seat cushion is 18 inches from the floor and at the highest height, it can be 21 inches from the floor. I’m 5’6″ tall and even at the highest seat height, my feet can still be placed flat on the floor so I’m not sure how a really tall person would feel about this chair.

All of the settings/adjustments that I’ve told you about so far can be found on most office chairs. But where the Eureka Ergonomic Executive Swing office chair is different is that the backrest and the seat cushion swing independently. Check out this 20-second video to see what I mean.

Is it comfortable?

You betcha! The leather covering is soft, smooth, and feels great. The seat cushion is firm but comfortable, as is the chair back. I like that it has built-in lumbar support which is important if you have lower back issues.

The independent pivot of the back and seat felt weird when I first started using the chair, but now I really like it.

According to Eureka Ergonomic:

This chair is the only chair in the world where the center of rotation (CR-1) of the chair is approximate to that of natural human seated posture. This provides natural human motion when you are seated, allowing you to work in comfort, while reducing the stress on your back, neck, legs, and hips.

What I like

Comfortable
Easy to assemble
30-day money back guarantee
3-year warranty

What needs to be improved

Armrests are too easy to slide forward and backward
Seat may not raise high enough for tall people

Final thoughts

The Executive Swing office chair from Eureka Ergonomic Is the nicest office chair that I’ve reviewed in my over 2 decades reviewing products. I can’t tell if it’s improving my posture, but I can say that it is comfortable to sit in for long review writing sessions. If I can be productive without my bum, my back, or my legs bothering me, then that’s all I care about.

Price: $499.00 for the leather version reviewed here and $399.00 for the cloth version
Where to buy: Eureka Ergonomics and Amazon
Source: The sample for this review was provided by Eureka Ergonomics.

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: Computer furniture, Office

Eureka Ergonomic Executive Swing office chair review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on June 15, 2019 at 12:45 pm.

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Turn your clutter into functional furniture

NEWS – Does your home have a problem with clutter? I’m not too proud to say that mine does. Right now I’m staring at a 3.5 foot tall stack of magazines in the corner of the room. I’m sure there is some valid reason why the magazine has been saved instead of thrown in the recycle bin. Wouldn’t be nice to turn an eyesore stack of magazines into something useful? The Hockenheimer M makes that dream a reality.

The Hockenheimer M may have an odd name, but it’s a genius idea that combines a wooden birchwood base, 2 leather belts, a pillow, and your magazines to make a small stool or footrest.

All you have to do is stack your magazines or newspapers on the base, place the pillow on top and cinch up the belts to create a piece of furniture.

The only downside to the Hockenheimer M is the price. It’s 128,00 – 140,000 € which works out to about $145-158 US. Interested? Head over to njustudio.com or make one yourself. I bet it wouldn’t be difficult.

Filed in categories: News

Tagged: Computer furniture

Turn your clutter into functional furniture originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on June 9, 2019 at 12:01 pm.

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Where ergonomics is paramount, X marks the spot

NEWS – Here’s a question for you: Have you been sitting all day? How good does your back feel right now? How are your legs doing? If you (like me) regularly have aches and pains after working all day sitting in a less-than-perfect chair while staring at a monitor, there may be hope. Sometimes, all it takes is the right chair—and a company called X-Chair thinks they have the answer.

The X-Chair is an ergonomic wonder. It comes with 10 adjustments that can help the X-Chair fit your body like a glove. Fine-tune the arms, seat, back, headrest, and lumbar until you’re comfortable. SciFloat Infinite Recline, DVL Support, Tilt Lock, and Flex Mesh technologies make what X-Chair says is the most technologically ergonomic chair available. There are color and material options available to help create an individualized environment.

Here are the 10 adjustments:

Dynamic Variable Lumbar (DVL): This support adjusts itself to your body every time you move. It responds to weight, height, position, and the amount of pressure placed on it.
SciFloat Infinite Recline: Created specifically for X-Chair, SciFloat facilitates motion throughout your day. Movement increases circulation, concentration, and energy levels boosting both comfort and productivity.
Tilt Tension & Lock: Adjust the tilt tension to change the amount of resistance as you recline, whether you like a little or a lot of resistance.
Height-Adjustable Backrest: The X-Chair’s independently adjustable backrest lets you raise the variable lumbar support to fit the curve of your back.
Adjustable Seat Height: Easily adjust the seat height so feet rest flat on the ground and knees are at a 90⁰ angle.
Adjustable Seat Depth: An improper seat depth puts undue pressure on the veins and lymph nodes behind your knee, and can lead to poor circulation and leg cramps.
Adjustable Headrest Height: In addition to adjustable seat height and backrest height, the X-Chair’s headrest is height adjustable, so no matter your proportions—you get to adjust the whole chair to fit you.
Adjustable Headrest Angle: Easily adjust the angle of the X-Chair’s headrest to find comfort no matter what position you’re sitting in.
4-Dimensional Arms: No one keeps their arms in the same position all day, and the X-Chair is ready to move with you with forward/back, side-to-side, up/down, and pivot adjustments.
Premium Mesh & Leather: The X-Chair’s fabric suspension system disperses weight evenly across the chair to helping relieve sensitive pressure points. This improves circulation and keeps you comfortable throughout the day.

X1 comes with Flex Mesh Technology, a breathable and durable mesh. X2 has K-Sport material, which features a tighter weave for a softer feel. X3 incorporates the same design and ergonomics as the X2 Advanced Tensile Recovery fabric provides enhanced support and comfort getting inspiration from modern material designs. X4 is covered in premium leather. Each fabric is available in your choice of color.

The X-Chair comes with a 15-year warranty. Prices range from $659.99 – $1099.99 US. Visit xchair.com for more information.

Filed in categories: News

Tagged: Computer furniture

Where ergonomics is paramount, X marks the spot originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 29, 2018 at 10:00 am.

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Understands Evo Walnut Live Edge Desktop Computer Stand review

REVIEW – Monitor stands are just the kind of gadget accessory that suits me. They lift your monitor up to a level to help ease any neck discomfort and they help to free up space below the monitor. Since I love small gadgets like the Apple Wireless Keyboard (or Apple Magic Keyboard), the space below the monitor stand is a perfect storage area for a keyboard. I had the opportunity to review the Understands Evo Live Edge Desktop Computer Stand. I found that it is a beautiful high-quality monitor stand made out of walnut and birch and the legs are tall enough and just wide enough to accommodate my keyboard.

What is it?

The Understands Evo Live Edge Desktop Computer Stand that I received for review is a gorgeous hand-crafted computer (monitor) stand made out of walnut (with a birch plywood iMac undermount) and is used to elevate your monitor to a level that eases neck pain, frees up space, and brings a bit of nature inside your home or office. Understands makes other styles of wood stands (some with drawers) and also uses different kinds of wood (see the Understands website). All Understands products are made in the United States.

Hardware specs

What’s in the box?

My Understands Evo Live Edge Desktop Computer Stand came with an information sheet that provided information on the care of the stand and stated that it is guaranteed for life.

Design and features

The Evo Walnut stand is hand-made and crafted from “urban walnut sustainably harvested from northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin.” The stand has been tested to hold up to 50 pounds according to Understands.

The above three photos illustrate the beauty and the high-quality materials and craftsmanship involved with making this stand. It also displays the “live edge” feature which gives each piece a distinctively unique look as shown in the last photo. “Live Edge lets you imagine the profile [of] the tree. … Lacquer coating enriches natural beauty and protects from aging and mishaps.”

There is an iMac undermount in this stand for iMac and iMac Pro. The bottom of your iMac slides right into this space. If you don’t have an iMac, you would just place your monitor on top of the stand.

The iMac undermount is made of Baltic birch plywood (for strength).

There were supposed to be furniture slides applied to the feet of the stand, but mine was missing these. I applied my own adhesive felt furniture sliders to the stand to help avoid scratching the surface that the stand would rest on.

The Evo Monitor stand is 18″ long…

by about 9.5″ at it widest point (each stand will differ in this measurement due to the variation in the Live Edge feature)…

by 3″ tall.

The measurement between the legs of the stand is slightly over 11.5″.

And last, the width of the legs is 8″.

Performance

The Understands Evo Walnut Live Edge Desktop Computer Stand elevated my monitor to a comfortable viewing height for me.

And there was enough room under the stand to store my keyboard.

Not only did it perfectly store my Apple Wireless Keyboard (it will also store the small Apple Magic Keyboard), but I found a place to store my mouse too (right next to the right leg of the stand as shown in the photo above)! Ergonomic viewing height, storage for my keyboard and mouse, and high-quality materials and craftsmanship all make this a wonderful computer accessory. It’s also durable, strong, and brings the outdoors in. I have really enjoyed using this stand. I’ve also enjoyed just looking at it because it is so attractive.

To keep the stand looking its best, Understands recommends using a damp cloth to clean it and they suggest keeping it out of direct sunlight and away from heating vents which can cause cracks and warping.

What I like

It stores my Apple Wireless Keyboard perfectly
It places my monitor at a comfortable viewing level to help alleviate neck strain
It is made from high-quality solid walnut and birch plywood
It is hand-crafted
It is durable and strong (will hold up to 50 pounds according to Understands)
Its Live Edge feature makes it unique and beautiful
It is guaranteed for life

What needs to be improved

It is a bit expensive

Final thoughts

I thoroughly enjoy using the Understands Evo Walnut Live Edge Desktop Computer Stand. It’s so difficult to find such beautiful high-quality solid hardwood furniture these days, but the Evo Walnut stand is one of those pieces. It is a fabulous, well-made, hand-crafted, durable monitor stand that keeps my monitor at a comfortable viewing height, provides me with enough room to store my Apple Wireless Keyboard beneath the stand and even tuck my mouse off to the side. It’s also just beautiful to look at. It is a bit expensive, but if funds aren’t an issue, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed with this purchase.

Price: $109.00
Where to buy: Understands
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Understands.

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: Computer furniture

Understands Evo Walnut Live Edge Desktop Computer Stand review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 28, 2018 at 9:00 am.

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