Question from Lyn
Hi Debra,
I have a dilemma. I have an insurance company that will be purchasing an ergonomic office chair for me that, I am told, has memory foam. I have chemical sensitivities and can’t go into any store selling office chairs with memory foam without it making it difficult for me to breathe and my leaving immediately. I have asked that I get a used chair to avoid off-gassing of the fumes of the polyurethane foam. I am also allergic to latex so I can’t use natural latex in seating or beds. Is there any way to seal off the material with some other material to block the off-gassing of the memory foam? Or…is there an ergonomic office chair that has a memory foam made from safe materials for someone with chemical sensitivies? Any information from you or your readers would be much appreciated.
Thank you,
Lyn
Debra’s Answer
I don’t know of an office chair with safe memory foam, and I doubt there is one.
If your only option is to have this chair, I would devise some kind of cover that would block the fumes. The first thing that comes to mind is an aluminum “space blanket”, which would certainly block the fumes. You would need to wrap it around the chair in such a way to cover all the memory foam, and use foil tape to make a good seal.
Once you’ve done this, you can make a decorative cover of any material that pleases you.
Readers, any other suggestions?
