I want to sit on the floor in style.

May 5, 2010 1:28 PM

What are some good solutions for sitting comfortably while working on a surface that is coffee-table height?

I'm putting together a home office. My only real piece of work equipment is a laptop, so if I can avoid buying a desk and office chair, I'd like to do so. I do have a coffee table that's about 16 inches high that fits very nicely under the window. Is there some type of furniture that would allow me to sit in comfort while resting the laptop on the coffee table?

Please note the "in comfort." My core muscles and posture can go suck eggs. This won't be the only way that I'll write ... I'm probably going to be buying something in the Lazy-Boy mode for the times I want to recline and write.

posted by Bookhouse to Home & Garden (20 answers total)

Sit on a cushion on the floor?
posted by Juicy Avenger at 1:32 PM on May 5, 2010

I sit on a floor cushion when I use my laptop at our coffee table that is approximately that height.
posted by mandymanwasregistered at 1:32 PM on May 5, 2010

Response by poster: Yeah, I guess I should have said "anything more advanced than a cushion?" Particularity something with some kind of lower back support when I lean back?
posted by Bookhouse at 1:36 PM on May 5, 2010

Personally, I would do one of two things instead of the coffee table. If you can sit comfortably cross-legged, I would get a big cushion, put it in the corner and put a small drawing board (maybe twenty four by thirty) across my lap. Room enough for your laptop, an auxiliary mouse and a note pad if you want, but it can all stand in the corner against the wall when you are out of the room.

Alternatively, just buy a comfortable desk chair and use your laptop while sitting in it. Who says you have to have a desk to have a desk chair?
posted by Old Geezer at 1:38 PM on May 5, 2010

you could try something designed for stadium seating. perhaps some version of this
posted by maulik at 1:38 PM on May 5, 2010

What about a camping chair like this?
posted by chrisamiller at 1:39 PM on May 5, 2010

I sit on a thick rug and I also have a bean bag chair nearby so I can pull it closer and lean back on it if I want to. There was an older ask mefi about that type of chairs. Also: learn to sit in a half lotus or, better yet, a full lotus.
posted by rainy at 1:39 PM on May 5, 2010

Low to the ground? Trying to get some real work done? My friend, you need the Ace Bayou Adult Video Rocker. This revolutionary gaming chair offers:

- casual, close to the floor seating for relaxation

- Hardwood frame padded by fire-retardant foam; upholstery-grade vinyl cover with mesh racing stripes (!) on side

- Compact and light for easy portability and storage; wipe clean with a damp cloth

- Measures 16 by 24 by 32 inches and weighs 14 pounds; 30-day limited warranty

That, or get a floor cushion I suppose.
posted by Think_Long at 1:40 PM on May 5, 2010

If you have an old swivel office chair (or can find one), you can also simply unscrew the base and sit in it. I used to do that after I moved and did not put it together yet, it works very nicely.
posted by rainy at 1:43 PM on May 5, 2010

Burhanistan: I doubt half lotus will take that long; and full lotus is great for legs so you're killing two birds there.. But, yes, it does take a long while.
posted by rainy at 1:44 PM on May 5, 2010

I just tested out the crazy creek camping chair + coffee table combo and found it rather awkward, especially for getting in and out with my legs under the table. But if you want to borrow mine to test it out, let me know.
posted by mandymanwasregistered at 1:49 PM on May 5, 2010

I use a coffee table sometimes to work on and my solution is to sit against a wall on a cushion, for extra back support I use another cushion. A Cheap and portable arrangement for me. YMMV.
posted by VickyR at 1:50 PM on May 5, 2010

Just get a wooden chair from the thrift store and chop off the legs. That way you get a sturdy, non-rocking back support.
posted by echo target at 2:05 PM on May 5, 2010

I'm a big fan of using a lap desk when I want to use my laptop while sitting on a couch or chair. I hate sitting on the floor, and I don't like the laptop directly on my lap.
posted by wondermouse at 2:26 PM on May 5, 2010

bean bag!
posted by metaphorical at 3:27 PM on May 5, 2010

Sit on the sofa with the laptop on a cushion on your lap, alternated with sitting on the floor with the laptop on a board. This is all dependent on how much you'll be using the mouse, if at all - carpal tunnel is a bitch and a comfortable mouse hand would be my priority if it's an issue at all, in which case I would recommend a board with room for a mouse if you are going to be using a mouse at all.
posted by goo at 4:11 PM on May 5, 2010

I did just what you are proposing with a beanbag chair and small end table in high school. It was really comfortable. I put handwritten things on the table and used the laptop on my lap.
posted by martinX's bellbottoms at 4:45 PM on May 5, 2010

M'dear, they now make chairs with backs for sitting at Japanese dinner tables. They are called (or are made by a company called) Zaisu.
posted by fujiko at 4:51 PM on May 5, 2010

That Zaiso chair looks about like what you'd get if you bought a side chair at a thrift store, sawed off the legs and stuck some plastic feet on the bottom.
posted by contraption at 5:38 PM on May 5, 2010

Zaisu, dammit, Zaisu!
posted by contraption at 5:39 PM on May 5, 2010