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Our Design Challenges are Too Complicated... We should be solving the real problems..

cstanton

Like designing products to solve why I'm stuck to this pleather chair in 83.8 deg F heatwaves and why we don't have a way to keep it cool.

If you're from the UK you'll know that air conditioning here really isn't a thing, and it's even harder if you're renting.

When you're working from home, this starts to get to be a challenge, a real hot one. There's only so much I can get from swamp coolers and fans blowing at me, and keeping the curtains shut.

What's worse though, is how hot the chairs are. Why on earth don't we have cooling chairs?

I mean, thermaltake have a cooling gaming chair. I'm not convinced about it though, but I'm even less convinced about this, which looks like five laptop fans stuck together in a pad:

imageimage

We used to have a wild idea of design challenges where people managed to produce products that would sell... if someone can get away with selling this kind of thing on amazon, phew do we overthink things :D

But seriously... how can I cool this chair? Maybe I should have heatpipes in the base...

Parents

  • Hehe heatpipes would be very neat. I'm not used to the climate we get in recent years, and homes are not built for it, and yet we have to work in them all day. In some countries there are air ducts in walls etc. but UK homes have never typically needed that, maybe a few tiny holes in an air brick, etc. Also, backside is uncomfortable, since that area on foamy padded seats is hitting high dew point : ) All to do with the backside area microclimate! according to this: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/276199910_Research_of_Temperature_and_Moisture_during_Sitting_on_Office_Chairs

    I keep thinking to buy a decent office chair and never get around to it, since one really needs to try it in person. I tried a foam riser type thing more for posture purposes, but it was a waste of effort, it was uncomfortably hot and not very effective for posture either, since it compressed fully over time.

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  • Hehe heatpipes would be very neat. I'm not used to the climate we get in recent years, and homes are not built for it, and yet we have to work in them all day. In some countries there are air ducts in walls etc. but UK homes have never typically needed that, maybe a few tiny holes in an air brick, etc. Also, backside is uncomfortable, since that area on foamy padded seats is hitting high dew point : ) All to do with the backside area microclimate! according to this: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/276199910_Research_of_Temperature_and_Moisture_during_Sitting_on_Office_Chairs

    I keep thinking to buy a decent office chair and never get around to it, since one really needs to try it in person. I tried a foam riser type thing more for posture purposes, but it was a waste of effort, it was uncomfortably hot and not very effective for posture either, since it compressed fully over time.

Children
  • in reply to shabaz

    Quick thought.... So it seems we are stuck in a world where climate change is really going to mess with us. If you are hot now, what will it be like in 2 years? 5 years? 10 years?? My suggestion is this: if it only gets hotter why not put an air conditioning unit or system in now? And if it is a rental, ask your landlord to do so. Realize that by the time everyone realizes it is going to be necessary, everyone will be booked, a/c units and supplies with be practically non-existent and inventory will not be able to catch up with demand. Do it now before the rush and before they start charging 3, 4, 5X's the amount just because they can. Just a thought.

  • in reply to Doreen

    All those A/Cs are going to add to the problem

  • in reply to Doreen

    By chance I do have a contact with an air conditioning firm so I might call in a favor or two if it comes to it. I don't know much about UK/EU energy consumption (yet), but I would like to know. Probably everyone in the UK will need to make huge energy savings elsewhere though, if A/C was adopted more, maybe the current capacity isn't enough here (and not affordable, due to the high energy costs here).

    This US diagram of usage (not cost) was created based on information online, but I need to update it with the latest information which was released a few months ago (it is based on survey information which is not annual):

    image

    Some newer machines become more efficient, so it's hard to guess what the difference between 2015 and today is. I think the dip in "lighting and Appliances" energy usage between 2009 and 2015 was CFL and LED adoption, so it might have reduced a lot now, since LED usage has shot up massively.

  • in reply to Doreen
    Doreen said:
    And if it is a rental, ask your landlord to do so.

    I wish UK landlords gave a damn. Unfortunately after renting for over 10 years, most landlords really do not care unless you pay for it to up their property value.

    I could unfortunately easily derail this thread talking about landlords, but let's stop it there.

  • in reply to shabaz

    Adding to this that the majority of those in the UK will end up using the "one exhaust hose" portable aircon units as opposed to the isolated "air intake and exhaust" units.