scarbowcow I remember when I was a kid, and all this weird, amoeba-looking furniture came in as the latest thing. I only ever saw it on television and in magazines; nobody ever seemed to buy it in real life. Nobody ever sat on it in magazine pictures (perching picturesquely in some designer gown is another story), come to think of it - and on television only for comic effect when someone tried to get out of it.

What I wonder is, did anyone who bought that stuff in the '60s and '70s end up keeping it? Do they still sit on it and think it's comfortable today? Or was it like the exercise equipment that so much of it resembles: purchased in a rush of enthusiasm then relegated to a corner and used to hang clothes on?

The only thing in this ideabook I ever had the chance to sit on was those horrid round-bottom moulded plastic chairs (not the ones in this ideabook). I don't CARE if it's Eames and 'mid-century modern' and 'a classic.' Depending on your shape (that is, if you don't have a very skinny butt), they can grab your butt and not let go without making a farting noise (I saw LOTS of adults standing rather than take those plastic chairs when I was a kid and they were brought in for church functions). And in hot weather plastic chairs of any shape or design are horrible because they don't breathe and if you have bare legs (this I remember from personal experience as a child) you begin to sweat and stick to them.

Maybe the whole point of those plastic chairs was to get meetings over with as quickly as possible.

The point is, apart from the kneeling chair - which I know some people swear by, until their backs got better and they went back to a 'normal' chair - all of these chairs look uncomfortable and many would not be out of place in a sketch about a sadistic dentist.

So, show of hands: how many people have actually sat comfortably in any of these chairs? How many think their guests would make a bee-line for these chairs, settle in and be comfortable for an evening's conversation? How many would like to spend an afternoon reading in one of these chairs?

Me, I've sat in dentist's chairs (including a moulded plastic one) that looked more inviting and comfortable than these.

Roots and Rafters I have the original Balans kneeling chair (without the backrest). I find it impossible to sit in for more than about half an hour without extreme shin pain. Now, the manufacturer claims that the chair encourages you to move around in it. What I claim is that it's incredibly annoying to try to concentrate on a task while your chair is fighting against you.

The Balans is now sitting behind me, with a sweater and a pair of jeans draped over it. Such, I feel, would be the fate of any of these odd-shaped chairs in my house.

Unless you're a very specific body type and a very specific weight (both of which are generally impossible for 99% of people, as the body forms used by furniture manufacturers are drawn off impossible averages), you're not going to be very comfortable for very long in any of the above-shown contraptions.

midmodfan I would never buy a chair that is uncomfortable for our cat.

kellystevens Am I the only person who has friends and relatives that are old and/or fat? The chairs shown here along with anything molded from plywood/plastic, benches, and stools with no back support -- my poor guests would be at best uncomfortable, and at worst, mortified if they broke one of these flimsy art objects.

Jean Corey The first chair look so uncomfortable, and many of them look like they would hurt my back. Frank Lloyd Wright sheepishly admitted that he wouldn't like to own and sit in many of the chairs he made.

Kelly's- I would have the same problem. I have only bought sturdy seating, with a very few exceptions since my brother in law broke our futon one time.

patricia beharry I am 66 years old. Give me a break (literally).

astraea Give us a break; you don't have to have or want a McMansion, to want chairs/funiture that looks comfy & inviting!

That first set of chairs looks like you could use them for pilates or yoga, to improve your balance, and strengthen your core just to keep from falling off/thru! And the molded chairs without any cushioning? That must be for people who don't sit much .. or want company to stay very long. That last chair looks like with a couple of belts across it, it would be great for "giving someone the 3rd degree", or a dental exam! This furniture just doesn't look "welcoming" at all .. and isn't that what furniture should be?!

gwen47 Most entertaining comments ever! I think the Ekstrem chair looks like a child's jungle gym. Come to think of it, couldn't a child get their head stuck in that and injure themselves?

I wonder if the chair shaped like a high-heeled shoe will ever come back.

patricia beharry Now the high heel shoe chair is cool.

gwen47 I think the answer to too much heaviness is to not have so much furniture. Coffee table---do you actually use it or just hit your shins on it? I've never owned one and my life has been perfectly happy. A dozen pillows on every bed, sofa and chair? Terribly uncomfortable to me and what do you do with the bed pillows at night? (Really, I want to know for when I'm a guest.)

patricia beharry At night you throw the bed pillows onto the floor.

williamgb I owned two Ekstrem Chairs - which I recently donated to the Design Department of the local museum - and I can vouch for their incredible comfort. They provided support exactly where you want support, and they were 'showstoppers' for people who visited my home over the years. I miss them, but they belong in a Museum. As in any perfect example of Minimalism, Terje Ekstrom pared away the unnecessary until he reached the core of the object. Wonderful chairs, I hated to see them go, but I can see them in the Museum any time.

54cass i feel rather envious of williamgb who once owned two ekstrem chairs. they are beautiful. i would be thrilled to have 2 of them. i like furniture that is very comfortable and speaks for itself as an objet d'art. thanks for showing these wonderful designs. .

patricia beharry You guys have got to be kidding about those chairs being comfortable. But again,,some people enjoy a whip and handcuffs. LOL....

amystoller I have a HAG chair like the one pictured, only without the headrest extension. It is one of the best investments I ever made. A truly comfortable desk chair, and much better for my bad back than any other desk chair I've had. I know it looks peculiar, but it's a great chair.

j0dy I like the blue curved chair. :)

malibu4804 Hey guys, stop with all the mean dental comments! My hubby's dental chair fab comfy!

pat2kat This is a case of, "if you haven't tried it, don't knock it." We have owned one of the Peel chairs (though with a round base, see pix) for at least seven years. Saw it in a store that specialized in chairs that are good for one's back. I was first intrigued by the design, but after sitting in it, I was sold. It is amazingly comfortable (and I am NOT a skinny person). It rocks just like a rocking chair and it will tip far enough back to allow for afternoon naps. This is my favorite chair for reading, napping (with a cat or a Beagle in my lap), laptop computing, sitting around talking and watching TV. Obviously I'm smitten!

ugle43 I think its a matter of preference. I really don't enjoy sitting in very soft furniture for extended periods, although it is comfortable to just let yourself "fall into" soft stuff.

dsmth We have a Gravity recliner and a HÅG desk chair. The HÅG is a recent acquisition and I've not used it much, but it's perfectly comfortable, very adjustable, attractively designed, and solidly built. The Gravity is wonderfully comfortable and supportive in the right places.

Stretch your mind. Think outside the box. Chairs are so often poorly thought out and badly designed and bad for your health, yet we spend an enormous amount of our lives in them.