OT: office chair recommendation

[LegendRider]

I need a new chair for my home office and I'd prefer not to spend more than $300. Ideally I'd get a lightly used Herman Miller Aeron, but they are proving hard to find at that price. Any recommendations? I like the mesh style rather than the heavily-padded, overstuffed leather ones, but otherwise open to suggestions.

[chuckroast]

I have a Steelcase Think chair in my home office that I really like. I bought it used (corporate cast off) for $150 or so but looks like new ones are heavily discounted.

http://www.madisonseating.com/think-chair-in-grey-by-steelcase.html?gclid=CNCP5_GLo8ACFcRcMgodKH8Agg

[eddief]

http://www.hermanmiller.com/products/seating/performance-work-chairs/mirra-chairs.html

They look weird, they feel great. As you can tell, I spend half my life at the computer for work and the forum. I had been through a number of Office Depot and Costco crap chairs. Then I stumbled onto this Mirra used on craigslist. Have never looked back. For my ass, the seating platform has never been an issue. No butt fatigue ever. Not fat padding, but more a mesh sling. And prices have come down a lot since I bought mine. But probably like bike saddles, it's gotta agree with your smiley face.

I guess since I bought mine there is now a Mirra 2

http://www.officedesigns.com/hermanmiller/Mirra-2/pid_3009?cid=63832%5EMirra+2+PLA%5EGAN+Herman+Mill er%5EFRO%5EOD&st-t=OD_PLA_HermanMiller&vt-k=%7Bkeyword%7D&vt-mt=%7Bmatchtype%7D&gclid=Cj0KEQjwjtGfBRCN4-LU9ODG1-wBEiQAy_Xp76rvt3gK0dGoDYE4J9cVuhQ3kd8EYL4jRHjaPtT_ 05caAnPg8P8HAQ

[Ken Robb]

go to a few stores and test-sit as many chairs as possible. Butts in chairs can be as personally variable as butts on saddles. :D

[eddief]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9JPy_BWsPLw

[daker13]

Definitely check CL. I found a good Steelcase chair that way.

[54ny77]

i hate aeron chairs.

have not found a desk chair i like. have tried many. even sat on one of those giant balls for awhile.

next step is buying a stand-up desk, which is my real preference. not cheap, unfortunately.

if you were near me i'd trade you my aeron for some decent wine or beer.

[Louis]

i hate aeron chairs.

have not found a desk chair i like. have tried many. even sat on one of those giant balls for awhile.

Have you ever tried one of these? I've only used one for a short period of time (a few minutes) but was pleasantly surprised.

http://www.officechairadvice.com/images/assets/multi-balans-5-large.jpg

[R3awak3n]

I like the aeron chair. Its expensive but its confortable and it agrees with my back. I know some people do not like em.

luckily we have them at work, at home I have some chair I bought on amazon for $250 and it sucks, I do not use it that much or I would have already replaced that crap with an aeron.


@54ny77: maybe you need a standing desk

[54ny77]

she must've been too.

:D

Have you ever tried one of these? I've only used one for a short period of time (a few minutes) but was pleasantly surprised.

http://www.officechairadvice.com/images/assets/multi-balans-5-large.jpg

[Louis]

she must've been too.

;)

[buldogge]

I use an Aeron in my office…but…when I still tattooed, I used a HAG Capisco, daily:

http://www.modernchair.com/capisco-chair.html

Great adjustability and extremely comfortable, along with replaceable covers.

-Mark in St. Louis

[Peter P.]

Steelcase Sensor Chair. I'm sitting in mine now. I've had mine for about 20 years.

Don't waste your time the Staples and Office Max and similar mass merchandise product. The chairs fall apart from even casual use and can't handle heavier users.

You "build" these chairs ala carte-pick the wheels (for carpet or hardwood), base color, fabric color, base color, arm style, chair size, back height, and many other features. Very adjustable chair.

Of course, with the ability to do that, it's expensive. But a lot of independent office supply stores sell these used. Definitely worth calling around.

http://cubeclerk.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Steelcase-375x500.jpg

[Kirk Pacenti]

Have you considered a standing desk? I've been using one of these for years and doubt I could ever go back to sitting. I do have a chair of course, but use it very rarely.


http://www.biomorphdesk.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/f/l/flexo-standing-desk-maple-surface.jpg

[gavingould]

i've had a Herman Miller SAYL in the office for a couple years. closer to $500, but perhaps can be found for less or lightly used.

[MarkJ]

I know it's out of your price target (new), but take a look at the Steelcase Leap and see what used or warranty-invalidating options (unlicensed retailers, from what I hear) you can find and are comfortable with. I've been on one for years and even bought my own when switching to a job without an ergo program.

Find a good store and sit around for a while to find something that makes you happy. The Steelcase Criterion that my employer's stingy landlord provided made my back scream in pain, but I'm off the proportion charts (freakishly small in some areas and freakishly large in others) so an average chair didn't fit non-average me.

Things I like about the Leap... You can lean back without having to lift your knees with your toes, because the seat pan stays level and articulates forward as you lean. You can stop leaning before you reach the stop point, and it holds firm as though you were against a hard stop. Arm rests can move way back and out of the way for elbow-only use. Totally freaking adjustable. Adjustable lumbar height and pressure. Totally freaking adjustable.

Good justifications for buying a good chair...
How many hours a day will you spend on it? You'd spend $1000 for your 8-hour-a-day mattress, so why not spend that much on an 8-hour-a-day chair with a 10+ year warranty that will last you a long time? If you are only in the chair an hour a day and in the saddle the other seven, then I'm jealous. ;-)

Studies have shown 17% productivity gains from the Leap (which probably is similar for any other right ergonomic chair for your body). Multiply your monthly cost to your employer by 0.17 to get the monthly increased value of the chair, divide the chair cost by that, and then tell your boss how much the chair will earn him per year after the first N months that it works toward the break-even point.

Final justification? Pain sucks and we're all getting older. Avoiding a lifetime of pain is worth a little money.

[rugbysecondrow]

I went through this process for about a year for my home office. I work from home half the time, so it was hard to pull the trigger on something so pricey. I have the Aeron as my chair in the office, but I have never been a big fan of it. I found a nice used chair on CL which is solid, has plenty of ergo adjustments and works well for me. The company name on the label is BIOFIT. http://www.biofit.com/products/2

It obviously doesn't have the cache as Herman Miller or Steelcase, which are name brands, but I have been very happy with it for the last months.

[fuzzalow]

Count me too as not a fan of the Aeron office chair. That chair always struck me as the Dave Matthews Band of chairs - wildly popular for a time but so bland that it's claim to fame was it was innocuous to the widest swath of people. For a long time that chair was standard corporate issue.

Chairs I like are the Herman Miller Embody and the strangely comfortable Eames Aluminum Management chair. The Steelcase Leap was also very good and I couldn't grasp the comfort & ergonomics of the Humanscale Freedom chair. Yes, these chairs are out of OP budget new but you can't put a price on comfort and these chairs will last a lifetime.

[paredown]

Count me too as not a fan of the Aeron office chair. That chair always struck me as the Dave Matthews Band of chairs - wildly popular for a time but so bland that it's claim to fame was it was innocuous to the widest swath of people. For a long time that chair was standard corporate issue.

Chairs I like are the Herman Miller Embody and the strangely comfortable Eames Aluminum Management chair. The Steelcase Leap was also very good and I couldn't grasp the comfort & ergonomics of the Humanscale Freedom chair. Yes, these chairs are out of OP budget new but you can't put a price on comfort and these chairs will last a lifetime.

Funny--I just checked on eBay, and the DWR outlet store in Secaucus, NJ is selling floor models and returns--this might be a way to pick up the Eames Management or the Miller Mirra at a decent price...

I bought an Aeron when I was putting in long days writing--it was better than the alternatives at the time, but I finally decided it didn't work so well for my non-padded posterior.