Green Gear for greenhouse managers: An office chair and a Wi-Fi hotspot

Between the spring and fall seasons, it’s time to catch up on paperwork and do some travel to trade shows both local and abroad.

This month, we’re featuring two tools to help greenhouse managers accomplish both tasks with ease and comfort: an innovative office chair that will keep your hardworking back aligned and comfortable and a Wi-Fi hotspot that will keep you connected whether you’re in Europe, Canada, Mexico or the most remote greenhouse on your property.

Photos courtesy of respective brands

Duelhawk Ultra 2 Ergonomic Chair

There are low-tech office chairs that will leave you wincing after being bent over a laptop full of Excel documents, and then there is the Ultra 2 Ergonomic Chair that claims to be a revolution in ergonomic office chair design. What makes it so different? The Ultra 2 touts a unique rail system along the spine of the chair, which allows users to precisely place the lumbar and head supports to enable an aligned spine and natural healthy posture tailored to the user’s specific body proportions. The chair also features dual-layer memory foam in key areas of the seat, which the company claims provides eight hours of continuous comfort should you not be able to move from the desk for a full workday. Finally, perforated upholstery and ventilation along the rails and “silent casters” to roll around on increase the comfort. But it all comes at a premium price point. Still, if you rarely sit at work, you might want the cushiest seat in the house when you finally do.

Solis Lite Hotspot

Late summer might find greenhouse managers out of the office and traveling to trade shows, educational opportunities or supplier visits. All of these can be far afield, which makes staying connected difficult. Enter the Solis Lite Hotspot. This simple, palm-sized, orange puck pulls down 4G LTE by using AI to scan your area for the strongest, nearest, most viable network to connect to. And because it’s not tied to a specific network and uses digital SIM technology, users have flexibility to travel where they please without carrier contracts. The Solis Lite allows users to share Wi-Fi with up to 10 devices, including tablets, laptops and phones, and boasts a 16-hour battery life, giving you plenty of time to catch up on emails or browse supplier websites. The Solis Lite operates on a subscription plan specific to the coverage area you’d like to use it in. The North American coverage plan extends from Canada to Mexico and Puerto Rico, but the company also provides a global coverage plan and one specific to the United Sates. Regardless of which plan you choose, the Solis Lite provides 1 gigabyte of data for free per month and 24/7 customer service.