Does Ergonomic Chair Design Affect Thermal Comfort?

The effects of foam, mesh and gel chairs on thermal comfort and productivity were investigated. Thirty-six subjects, 18 men and 18 women, were tested in same-sex triads with each subject sitting on one of the 3 chairs for 1.5 hours. Subjects wore light clothing (shorts, t-shirt, socks and sneakers) with a low clo value. Skin and body temperature were measured. Thermal comfort votes and body thermal data were collected every 30 minutes. Climate conditions were controlled (air temperature of 22.4°C + 0.1°C and 21.1% + 1.0% relative humidity). Results showed a gender difference in thermal comfort, women voted that the environment was significantly cooler than did men by the end of the experiment. There were no differences between the chairs in thermal comfort votes, skin and body temperatures, body movements or productivity.