Ultimate Accessories: Allsteel Acuity- 06.30.08
NOTCOT Note: This is the first in my series of Ultimate Accessories posts which have been sponsored by the new Infiniti G Sedan! Don’t worry, as with any sponsored content ~ they basically give me an excuse to do a fun series of posts - my way - my product choices, my content, and they help keep the site free! And in all honesty, i’m kind of excited to be sponsored by Infiniti’s new G Sedan… i’ve been lusting after the G Coupe for years…
So to kick off this new series, here is a product review i’ve saved specially for this occasion! The sleek, sexy, new Acuity office chair from Allsteel! It is the first chair design by Design Continuum Italia, the Milan-based product innovation firm headed by founding partner Bruce Fifield, and from the look of the video on the design story (embedded on the next page), they really put the users first and designed around the needs of your body.
First impressions? Out of the box, the luscious white leather and the gorgeous metal curves looked incredible ~ and on my first spin, i instantly felt more productive - it gave me this Dr. Evil meets retro first class airplane seat feeling. And then i looked down and saw the controls, simple, adorable icons just where you needed them, allowing you to shift up/down, forwards/back, and a variable lever for the level of resistance tilting back. And the CASTERS! Looking closely, the icons and the caster are my favorite design details of this chair… Skip ahead and you can see many a product shot as well as close-ups of my favorite details on the next page - including the buttoning system used to attach/remove the leather jacket.
P.S. Can you believe this gorgeous chair is also Cradle to Cradle Certified Silver by MBDC? No PVC, Recycled content above 45%, more then 90% (by weight) recyclable, fair labor practices and socially responsible initiatives are followed…
As you browse these images, remember that the Allsteel Acuity is ready for all types of custom colors/combination to suit your office interiors - Using their design tool, you can choose finishes of Polished Aluminum, Silver, or Graphite; for the back you can choose from Titanium Carrer with Luster or Mist Mesh or Graphite Carrier with Mist or Dusk Mesh, and optional Jacket; and for the upholstery you can choose from a rande of leather and perennial fabric colors!
Here is the video walking you through the design story of the Allsteel Acuity - fun to see some of the sketching… and hearing the designers’ thoughts and goals with the chair.
Here is a series of images i took to show you my favorite details of the chair that weren’t shown in the press images and Acuity site.
These are the controls to your right that you pull upward on to adjust the seat. Adorable icons!
This is the slider to your left to adjust the resistance
Side view ~ you can see the slight finger dimples on the slider…
Here are the casters i love ~ something so beautiful about the way they taper in towards the center ~ reminds me of those old duncan butterfly yoyos…
Below the armrests, on the exterior, are the adjustments for armrest height.
On the interior of the armrests are the adjustments for forwards/backwards/sideways.
Here is what the jacket looks like removed from the chair backing - it attaches with simple buttons which are discreet and unnoticeable when the jacket is off.
This is where the jacket loops around the steel frame to be secured
And finally, on the bottom of the jacket is secured with two more buttons at the base of the back.
Conclusion: The Allsteel Acuity a beautiful piece of office furniture - irresistible to anyone who loves the strong look of the metal exoskeleton - and they aren’t kidding that within a few minutes, you simply sink into how comfortable the mesh/leather conform to support your body as you go about your work.
I just ordered mine after 6 months of thinking about it. I bought it locally in Raleigh, NC. Paid
For the money you are getting 100% Made in the USA product that is really a work of art, understated industrial design, that just happens to be the best productivity chair on the market. This should be the Apple Ipod of Chairs and will go nicely with my iGo desk and 24” iMac.
----- Jonathan Carcopo 20.12.08 10:25