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I've got this chair, whose back* can recline - but does so even with the slightest weight against it, so in practice I just can't sit straight.

*: Actually, the recline involves the back and the arms.

I'd like to make it harder to recline, and "resist" my back lean against it. I thought of using simple resistance bands and just tie each arm with a leg.

Is there a better hack? I don't care about aesthetics much.

enter image description here

Per request in comments, adding a picture of the bottom side of the seat (Picture was taken when the seat is lifted up to the back of the chair. Pardon the rough cuts):

enter image description here

Glorfindel
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OfirD
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    Hi OfirD, Welcome to Lifehacks. We hope you enjoy your time here sharing. – Stan Jul 07 '21 at 22:48
  • Pictures of the tilting mechanism might help. – Weather Vane Jul 08 '21 at 15:51
  • @Weather Vane, it's not possible, I think the mechanism is placed inside that black rod below the seat, which the arms connects to. – OfirD Jul 08 '21 at 16:17
  • What I mean is that we can't see the back, or the pivot. The picture shows the front, and the pivot concealed below the chair's seat. So you'll only get guessing from that. Imagine lying on the floor behind the chair and taking a picture forwards and upwards (or turn the chair over). – Weather Vane Jul 08 '21 at 16:50
  • @WeatherVane, thanks for the suggestion, picutre added. – OfirD Jul 08 '21 at 20:57
  • Thanks I can now see how the back pivots at the ends. I'm not sure I can make this an answer, but you know what happens to the wheels of a supermarket trolley when a bit of string gets wound around one? It acts like a brake. Suppose you wind fishing line or similar round and round and into the crack on the outer side of the pivot? If the inner edge, that would also restrict being able to fold the seat up, although I am unsure which parts rotate when the seat is lifted. But you get the idea, I hope. – Weather Vane Jul 08 '21 at 21:12
  • Not quite sure what's the exact points you refer to - are they where the arrows in this picture points to? – OfirD Jul 08 '21 at 21:39
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    Yes, into those gaps. – Weather Vane Jul 08 '21 at 21:51

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Your chair seems to be a variation of a Torsion chair, perhaps Torsion R. If the back is loose it is probably broken and in need of repair. I would not try to hack a repair for this: if you put too much weight against it, your hack could break causing sudden movement of the chair back and possibly injury. There are disassembly and repair instructions for similar chairs at https://www.ki.com/products/name/torsion-on-the-go-nesting-chair/# . Click on Project Tools & Downloads. From the documentation:

Torsion Mechanism

The back flex is achieved by the torsion mechanism. It consists of two flat torsion springs captured at both ends by steel bushings that are welded to the backrest supports. The torsion mechanism creates gradually increasing resistance over the full 12 degrees of back flex.

Edward Doolittle
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  • That's indeed a Torsion R. I wasn't sure that it's broken as it is brand new, but now that you've mentioned it, I should maybe talk again with the store, which I already did and they told me the resistence can't be changed. – OfirD Jul 10 '21 at 22:28
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    @OfirD try sitting in another in the store, to find out if yours is defective. – Weather Vane Jul 10 '21 at 23:24
  • Perhaps the leaf springs which create the resistance of the torsion bar are not installed correctly or have become misaligned over time or some other factor. Perhaps other, stiffer leaf springs can be located to replace the stock parts to suit your specific need or desire. These remedies fall into a repair or modification on the edge of a classic 'hack.' – Stan Jul 11 '21 at 16:54