Do you sit at a desk and keyboard for multiple hours? If yes, please recommend a good chair.
I'm Looking for a good office chair.
Thanks! Found a good price for a Steelcase Amia.
Herman Miller Aeron Embody and Steelcase Leap are both good.
Check out Crandall's Office Furniture for good refurbished chairs.
Edited because apparently the Embody is just way better.
Will echo the aeron. Have had mine for about 5 years, rock solid.
Bought one from a guy who refurbishes them for $500. Definely get it used and look at Craigslist/Facebook marketplace for local deals. May luck out.
I got a refurbished Aeron for $400. The thing was originally manufactured in 2002 and it is still rock solid.
That's it, these two. There are more expensive options in those two brands, but these are the baseline. They are actual professional chairs, not Chinese gamer chair bullshit like the stuff that gets marketed everywhere. Because they last forever due to actually being well built, you can oftentimes find them second hand.
When work from home first started during covid, lots of offices liquidated. I got my steealcase leap V2s for $200 a pop.
Yup. I hesitated when I should have bought one in 2022 and now their prices are back up.
Can +1 for Herman Miller (and maybe mesh chairs in general), however I went for the Cosm instead. It's supposed to be a "relaxation" chair in comparison to their Aeron but the taller back on the Cosm I tried was much more suitable for me than a regular Aeron.
That being said, OP, look up where you're able to try the chairs once you've got some recommendations. Not a good idea to go in blind. For Herman Miller, John Lewis is a good retailer in the UK that has their chairs on display.
Heck the aeron!
I used to work in the warehouse where we shipped them. They're good chairs. If you're gonna spend that money though, get the Embody. Make sure to get the correct size. After hours of lugging designer couches around and other overly heavy stuff, sitting in an Embody chair makes the hurt stop immediately.
I'm not a promoter and they stopped paying me over some stupid shit a coworker pulled. It's just a damn good chair. The eames lounge is also sick, but so incredibly expensive.
I highly recommend the Steelcase Leap (v2, is what I have).
However, you may need the headrest, and they are extremely expensive/hard to find, just a warning.
I got my Steelcase from a place that resold them, so it was like 275 Canadian. Still, a great chair.
I have the Aeron at work and it's pretty meh. Not sure how it's $2k
I think with these chairs the trick is to never buy new and only buy them refurb. Refurbished, you can knock over 70% of the price off. My hermon miller aeron chair cost me C$350 (or like 260 USD).
The embody is much better than the Aeron. I used an aeron for years and switched to an embody that was a decade old and it outperformed the aeron easily. Much more adjustable, much easier to sit in in different positions, none of that mesh. It’s a much better chair
Another place that's got good deals is https://nationalofficeinteriors.com . Learned about this place at an old job. They sell used stuff that's pretty much new but has like one little stain or scuff on it or something, so places making bulk purchases refuse it. Just doing a search for the Steelcase Leap (which I also highly recommend), they've got a bunch for like 50-70% off full price right now.
Get an office chair and not one of those "gaming chairs"
Source: I use a "gaming chair" and it sucks ass
That's cool! Does it mean you don't need to stand up when you need to use the toilet during a WoW raid?
EDIT: Ummm... I was just joking about literally sucking ass. And referring to the South Park episode with World of Warcraft. Sorry if it didn't come through as funny.
Nevermind the philistines, it was funny. Could make it sexual too, would be even better.
Secret lab is used but a lot of at home workers without issues but you gotta spring for it
I have a secret labs chair and use it a lot for working at home. I often sit for more than 14 hours on it, never had any back pain ir felt uncomfortable. Unfortunately I have one of the older generations and the arm rests are slowly deteriorating and falling apart, otherwise it's pretty good.
Go to a brick and mortar store like Staples and try them out yourself.
The chair that suits one person will be agony another.
You have to find out for yourself.
Second this. Don't get a gaming one, go to an office store. They build them expecting people to need to sit in them for hours.
Don't cheap out either. Remember the most important things to never cheap out on are things that go between you and the ground. Chairs, mattresses, shoes.
Personally I found a great mesh one that doesn't get hot in the summer and is still very supportive after 5 years
I second the mesh chair. I got this one at Staples for $100 a couple weeks ago and my ass is thanking me. I was using a fancy gaming chair before that felt like sitting on concrete.
Steelcase. They make good office chairs that you can get used for decent money.
My vote as well. I got a series 2 around 3 years ago now and it's the best chair I've had. I work from home and spend most my free time on a machine so I'm sitting like 10+ hours a day in this and it's still going strong. My back hurts less, my hips hurt less, just a good sturdy chair
Edit to add: My spouse actually does not like these chairs because they're super uncomfortable to sit in with bad posture. That's part of why I like mine because I'm basically forced to use good posture. So if you need a chair that lets you sit like a gremlin a series 2 might not work well
I've done some shopping and I too would recommend a Steelcase. I have one in the office and want to get one for home - I find everything at Staples and other home office stores just comes close, whereas this one is wildly adjustable (I'm tall and need all the help I can get).
Got a refurbished steelcase leap V2 from Crandall after my budget office chair shit the bed. been really enjoying it. My ass and back are very comfortable.
I'll advocate for the steelcase leap as well. Got that as my office chair a bit over a year ago and has been great
I work as, amongst other things, an ergonomist and was here to comment exactly this. The Steelcase Leap or Gesture are nearly always my recommendations.
I've been sitting in the same Steelcase Leap V2 for 8 years at work and it is still comfortable. I love it. When my current chair at home dies (it's good, but not "Steelcase" good) I'm biting the bullet and getting the Leap V2 at home as well.
Refurbished from Crandall has been great for me. It really makes the top office chairs affordable. A new steelcase leap is absurd.
Same here. Work had the leather leap v2s and they were a better fit for me than a Herman Miller.
Yeah me too. I got mine for 150€ and honestly one of the best health purchases I ever did.
Herman Miller
Going to go a bit against the grain on this one and recommend SecretLab. It does have that "gaming chair" aesthetic, but it is a great chair IMO.
I work from home, sit on my ass for 8 hours straight, and occasionally game right after work into the evening. I can park my ass in that thing and sit for 16 hours no problem (obviously getting up to take short breaks etc). It is super comfortable. I own the mesh one, instead of the leather/pleather, and I think it's the way to go.
Furthermore, the customer service is excellent. I needed to replace the armrest after 4 years as it was beginning to crack. My model didn't come with the snap on/snap off armrests, so I had to send an email to customer support to see if there was something they could do. Not only did they inform me it was actually easily replaceable, they sent me instructions, and gave me 50% of the replacement cost, which was only $20CAD, as I was just over the warranty at that point. It might be a 3 year warranty, but I can't quite remember, possibly 4.
My circle of friends largely work from home as well, and many of them have SecretLab chairs, and they also love them. No back problems, super comfy, breathable.
The only downside I can really think of is that it is a fairly heavy chair, as the base uses a large amount of metal, and the price tag can be expensive, at around $500-$700CAD if you purchase new.
They are also sized to fit your height and weight. I own the Titan 2020 model, and I love it.
Hope this helps!
Comfort wise I have to say it saved me. That said, for their price they lack any real durability on the aesthetic parts. The functional parts are amazing (save for the mis-manufactured back I got originally. The warranty process was involved but they delivered a new back).
So it's expensive, wears quickly, has QA issues, and they slow play warranty claims? Glad you ended up with a chair you like, but this is not inspiring confidence. :-)
Seconded this, if you're a bigger guy or like sitting on your legs like I do then the Titan is the right choice, that wide flat platform is ideal
I'd recommend against this. I have a 2020 Titan XL and it's been nothing but headache. It's finally in an OK state after two years.
The QA is poor beyond belief and the support team is nearly useless. The chair shipped with defects resulting in very loud creaking in the backrest when you make any movement (enough to be heard on Zoom or across your home). What's worse is they KNEW about the defect and only sent you a small email about it after the item arrived. Returning the chair requires you to cover shipping, so they banked on people keeping a defective product.
It took them 6 months to replace the chair back and the replacement was even worse. It took them a month to replace THAT one and I had to call twice to get them to schedule a pickup for the first defective replacement they sent.
Finally, the seat bottom was replaced about 4 months ago because some metal wire started poking out of it.
Each interaction with support was awful, it doesn't matter how much detail or how many photos and videos of the problem you provide, it's ignored and you get put on a script.
In hindsight, I should have charged the stupid chair back. You couldn't pay me enough to have next chair be Secretlab.
It does look nice though.
Going to second this. I have a Titan XL from 2019 and it's still going strong. Only issue has been a small crack in the side of 1 of the armrests. I haven't bothered replacing it because it doesn't affect functionality, just aesthetics. The cushion is firm as a chair cushion should be for proper support. It supports my tall, heavy ass no problem. I work from home half the week and I'm pretty comfortable. I cannot speak to newer versions of the chair though. I know about 3 or 4 people that have the Titan XL as well and haven't heard any negatives from them.
I just want to say, I'm in my 40's and most of my friends are late 30's/early 40's, and those chairs are starting to cause some of them some serious issues. If they're the ones that have the 'racing car' style seats, where the left and right are forward of the back, that design is to combat G-forces while driving. When you're stationary though, they can cause your shoulders to bend forward. Over a year or so, no big deal. Over 5-10, it starts to cause issues.
I work for a company that specializes in ergonomic work setups and the OTs recommend Ergocentric chairs at least 90% of the time.
They're expensive, but if you are having health issues due to sitting then your employer has a "duty to accommodate" to get you a better setup.
We also often recommend sit-stand desks because too comfy of a chair can just cause different problems from lack of movement.
I got a Varidesk and that was a game changer. Standing for half the day helped me lose 5lbs with no other change.
Had a Marcus from IKEA for years, switched out to a Herman Miller Embody and I can sit in it for hours without any butt or back pain. I do wish I had a headrest on the Embody but its not the end of the world.
The HM range is expensive but with the 12 year warranty they're well worth the cost compared to cheap ones you'll likely replace.
I believe Atlas Headrests makes one for the embody. The one they have for the Aeron is a really nice match for that chair (colors, design and material)
Herman Miller Aeron
Hadn't heard of this and looked it up because numerous people in this thread mentioned it. Is it really that good? Looks like a mesh back chair. I typically strongly prefer padded back when possible.
Idk, I have one at work, and it's fine. But nothing special. I don't know why everyone loves them. I have an Ikea chair at home and it honestly feels about the same.
I've used it a lot and hate it, padded back is better especially in high back
I hate mesh chairs. They're always freezing and never have enough support.
I have two ergoCentric Executive chairs, one in my office that work purchased after having me try out chairs and one at home that I bought myself because that chair is fucking comfy as hell. Fabric, padded, and comfy.
It's very good
It's not just how comfortable it is (that's a bit of a personal preference), but office chairs like the HM Aeron and competing models come with a good warranty, very long availability of parts, ... HM offers a 12 year warranty on the complete chair, even when used 24h a day. Those are made to last and stay comfortable.
The Aeron is also known for having a great reclining mechanism.
I've had a refurb one for 8 years now and like it. I sit in it every day for multiple hours but it's meant to force you into an ergonomic position. The mesh feels good but the added benefit is that it is much much easier to clean than a pad.
It’s not a mindblowing difference, but there’s infinite ways to adjust it and once you get it dialed in to your body, you’ll sit in the same position for half’a day and not realize you’ve been sitting in an office chair. It’s the complete opposite of GAMER CHAIRZ where not only are they uncomfy after a while, but after you’ve used it for a year or two, you’re sitting on a plank of shitty wood.
Other mesh office chairs are good, but the mesh sags after a few years. Herman Miller chairs can last for 20+ years without sagging.
The embody is much better and is actually their more popular chair. We have two of them. One I just bought brand new for my wife and she loves it. The other I’ve had for several years and I got it for free from an old boss.
I have had a Herman Miller Sayl chair for 7 years. I work from home.and game in it, it's plenty comfortable for 10+ hours if you need to sit that long.
Only downside is no headrest. Upside is more affordable and less weird looking than the Aeron.
The most important thing, no chair can solve the problem of uninterrupted sitting for 8+ hours. No matter what you spend or what materials they use. Sitting for 8+ hours will slowly do permanent damage to your body. No matter what chair you sit in, stand up occasionally, take little walks, do exercises or calisthenics or something, whatever feels right for you.
I'm Autistic and when I play videogames I can get so hyperfocused that I don't realise the outside world has moved forward a whole day. Until something physically interrupts my gameplay. So I set timers now, and I strictly obey them. Nothing short of surgery will ever heal my tailbone issue, but I can at least prevent it from getting worse.
I also have a standing desk, so I will swap it between standing and sitting every 2 hours if I don't want to take breaks. And I have a VR headset for using my computer from different chairs; a recliner, a kitchen chair, anything different from my computer chair. I also use the VR headset for most of my non-computer gaming. It has become my current console gaming platform.
VR games are a great way to spend 8+ hours uninterrupted in a game without causing body problems, lol. Plus, if it's mixed reality, you can still do real life stuff while playing, like walking over and getting a glass of water or talking to and interacting with the other people in the room. In full Virtual reality it's still a good idea to have timers set, just as a check-in, if you have been standing still in the game, your knees could need some exercise, if you are hungry or thirsty or have to go to the bathroom... you know, the kinds of things you might not notice while the game is running, hehe.
For your tailbone, have you had a ganglion impar nerve block? It may help. A pain management facility can do it.
I would prefer to feel pain when something is supposed to be painful. The whole point of pain is to avoid doing things that are causing you damage. The reason I'm in this mess is my unnatural ability to ignore pain. Not feeling pain isn't a solution to a problem, it's a cause of further problems in the future.
Steelcase leap v2 from Crandall online.
They're an official remanufacturee, so they put new cylinders, new casters and other parts like fresh foam and fabric on them.
Mine was a grade B and honestly, I couldn't find a single mark or scratch on it.
I got the same brand from Madison seating out of new Jersey. Slightly used at less than half the cost.
I second the Steelcase Leap if only for cost reasons, since it's an office staple and could be found all day for around $200 in decent shape (vs. $1000 new) and unlike the Herman Miller competition, the Steelcase Leap v2 is one size fits all with fewer if any optional accessories, making buying one used incredibly simple.
I have a leap v1 I got about 5 or 6 years ago that was reupholstered by a local used office furniture place. I keep using cheap cylinders, so I've changed that out a couple of times, and I changed out the original armests about two years ago (bought from Crandall for that). All in, including the original purchase, I'm at maybe $350 over the entire time I've owned it, and the structural parts and new upholstery are holding up perfectly. The tag on the bottom says it is 22 years old.
The other side of my home office has a HM Mirra v1 I got for free when they shut down my employer's local office, and my wife uses a Steelcase Gesture in the "study," which is to say the nice home office that doesn't have two 3D printers, a soldering station, half a dozen keyboards, a dog crate, and an elderly cockatiel. My 10yo uses a godawful "gaming chair," but it's pink and she's ten, so ergonomics are barely a blip on her radar. She has a standing offer to take the Mirra.
I sit all day and have a degenerative disc condition. I've been sitting in the same Herman Miller Embody for 22 17 years. HM had to come refresh it once, but otherwise its been fantastic for SO long now. It's the same model that LG now sells as a gaming chair.
Edit: I mathed wrong first thing in the morning, and added 5 years to how long I've had the chair.
Surprisingly this chair has come out highly in reviews when compared to 4 figure chairs. I have it and can say it is very comfortable. It’s not going to be the best of the best, however if your budget doesn’t stretch to more than mid-3 figures this could be a good alternative.
https://www.ikea.com/gb/en/p/markus-office-chair-vissle-dark-grey-30261152/
I was going to recommend this chair. I have it as well and can confirm it is very comfortable.
Markus is good for 2 hours max due to the non adjustable poor lumbar support. Also, the non adjustable arm rests are a deal breaker.
This is the one
I bought a used Herman Miller about 12 years ago for around $700. Worth every penny. It still feels the same as the day I got it. I would have spent more on cheaper chairs over the same period of time.
I've got a used Embody and my wife has a used Leap v2 (steelcase). Picked em up via office liquidations.
I've had a Leap V2 for the last couple of years, and really like it so far.
That’s how I got mine. It’s the best way to buy good office furniture. I’ve heard good things about Steelcase.
I've been working from home about 90% of the time since the pandemic lockdown era. I had a cheap office chair and had noticed my back starting to hurt after a few hours in it per day. I eventually wound up getting a Humanscale Freedom headrest chair, which has been awesome. These chairs are stupid expensive, but I bought mine used, and reeking of the previous owner's perfume. It took months for the smell to completely go away, but I saved about $1,000 over buying one new, and it is otherwise in mint condition.
humanscale makes lovely stuff. I have some of their monitor arms and cable management and they're top notch.
Use an office chair instead of a gaming chair..
I can't recommend steelcase enough. I bought my wife and I a couple chairs from them at the start of covid, and the clip on the lumbar support for my chair broke recently. They shipped me an entirely new chair and told me to keep or donate the other one.
I'd suggest spending money on an adjustable standing desk and get regilar (as in off the shelf, not crappy) office chair not something super fancy. Being able to switch from sitting to standing a lot is more beneficial than a good chair.
Standing desk and a standing desk chair. I got work to buy me a tall Herman Miller. way more expensive than I would ever buy for myself but it is great.
When the pandemic started I went to Staples and bought a new chair for home. I spent around $120 and 3 months later I was looking for a new chair. I asked some friends and the top recommendation was SecretLab chairs. I ordered one for around $550 and it's pretty good, however sitting in it for 8 hours is a bit much (it's wonderful for a few hours of gaming though). Then last year I started a new job that required me to be in-office and the chair I have is an Affirm series by Om (https://www.omseating.com/series/affirm-series/). I can sit in this chair all day without any issues.
The secret to not having back pain or other health problems due to office work is very simple:
Move!
Furniture that enables you to move throughout the day:
A standing desk. Use it to alternate between standing and sitting throughout the day.
Get one of these to seamlessly transition between sitting, near standing and standing: https://www.varierfurniture.com/en/move
Or these, they will make you maintain good posture: https://www.varierfurniture.com/en/variable
Using these will also train your core muscles ever so gently, giving you better posture and preventing back pain. Good posture will also make you more attractive to your preferred gender, so that's a plus.
If you are not in a healthy range as far as the BMI is concerned, obviously fix that first. No furniture can compensate for overloaded joints.
This chair is completely insane, every time I researched about ergonomics it said your knees should be at a 90º angle.
Yea, the stool thing I can understand but the instant I saw the second one my knees were like "nope, fuck that"
You got good replies already, so here is a related lifehack: set a timer to sound an alarm every hour during your sitting time, and when it rings, always go for a 10 minute walk/stretching session.
Bring your phone and headset if you are too busy and keep working if you have to, but make that physical activity a top priority.
Herman miller aeron. they are outrageously expensive but totally worth it. You can get them used from resellers but honestly just get one new from the store. I got a used one and have no complaints other than I didnt get a brand new one to my specifications.
I didn't find it comfortable at all.
Agreed they are crazy overrated
Come back after sitting in one for a literal decade and report.
I'll also recommend the type c.
This is the only answer. All office chair purchases eventually converge towards an Aeron because it's the only thing that'll last a decade and fix your posture while doing it. I bought one just after the start of covid and is easily the least regret i've ever had spending almost a grand.
We have what I believe to be Steelcase Leap at my work, and they've been outstanding for 12 hour shifts and 24/7 use for years now. Best office chair I've ever sat in.
Some desireable things to look out for are a back that pivots separately from the seat (major deal-breaker if not), a tensioner on the backrest so that you can lean forward and back naturally without using a lever, adjustable armrests (the more adjustment options the better), the shape of the armrest (convex is better than concave), correct height, correct seat depth, and correct backrest height.
...a back that pivots separately from the seat...
Is that a personal preference or something backed up by science? I ask because I typically really dislike chairs where the seat and back aren't at a set angle. I don't like leaning back and feeling like I'm just laying down.
It's adjustable and lockable on the Leap v2 that I have.
I really like that I can set it at the angle I prefer and like you said, keep it from going back every time I want to sit back in the chair.
Definitely personal preference but not sure if backed by science. Though having to lean the base of the seat back with the backrest can't be good for your legs. With the Leap V2, the backrest has an adjustable tensioner and a lock to limit how easily and how far back the backrest leans.
Herman Miller Aeron. Tested reliable and proven.
Steelcase or Herman Miller, find them used from local offices going out of business. Offer $50 and see if you get lucky.
There are lots of recommendations for Herman Miller - just wanted to point out this is their CEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HpYln4ZD0gk
I have a Herman Miller Aeron and kind of wish I had gotten SteelCase instead. Either a SteelCase Leap (any version), Gesture, or AMIA, they all seem nice.
Sheesh.. 20% of me was like "I've had to whoop the team into shape"... "If you don't hit revenue why would you get a bonus?".. "okay... I mean I guess I've done this... Maybe?" .... "Umm I mean I've had to say that and it been accurate .. But also acknowledged my employees' feelings, empathized and shared similar experiences, let them know their feelings matter but we still need to stay on target.." and then she escalated which.. okay.. we gonna switch to some positive encouraging words? That's cool, get pumped.. oh.. still getting more aggro but talking down to her people.. and getting meaner and louder... And a mic drop and a boom .. she's droppin it on them, instead of leading them?! Ugh oh my... That was gross. I want to say some holier than thou shit about boycott but the used chair of theirs I bought years ago is still on track to outlive me.
I have the Haworth Fern chair below and love it. It is expensive, but worth it in my opinion. You don't want to skimp on something you sit in all day- and I could sit in this chair all day without pain.
My only other piece of advice is to schedule breaks to stand and stretch. I had a standing desk for a while and I did not care for it. I never got used to standing and working- maybe I am just not coordinated enough. But taking standing breaks helped with my back pain and improved my focus.
Good luck!
https://store.haworth.com/products/fern-office-chair?sku=SFTE-U0-7S01A6,4H_FT,MB_SL,TR_7,PM_P
I have a sit/stand desk and so I spend about half the day in my chair. I use a Steelcase Think; I like how it's relatively simple but still has a lot of articulation in its armrests, which makes it easy to get decent arm support where you need it. It's very sturdy and of nice quality. my only complaint is that I wish its back didn't have an inch of give before it hits the lock point at the furthest forward point, but this is really very minor.
if you live somewhere that you can go to an office surplus store, I'd super recommend doing that. I picked out this chair after trying a bunch out, and it was much cheaper than MSRP since it was used. they had like 20 different models and perhaps 5 of this one, and I picked out the nicest of the bunch.
Thanks. I'd never thought of an office surplus store.
Edit: The office surplus store here had 2 identical unremarkable shoddy used chairs for new shoddy chair price.
lol, that's a huge bummer though. when I picked up this chair I lived in a fairly major city, and it was during the "we're not doing return-to-office" times so I might've gotten lucky with what was being liquidated.
Don't think they used to be called this but I've been using a decent Staples mesh chair for 4 years now and it's AMAZING without having to spend 300 dollars. It's either this one or a slightly more expensive one made out of nicer materials
Do you tend to sit upright with your feet flat on the floor? I went with a wide flat chair so I could sit cross legged. I’ve tried and disliked the ergonomic chairs that lean slightly forward
"Ergonomic" chairs in my experience force you into one position and don't accomodate people who shift and shuffle a lot throughout the day. Which IMO is much worse since changing things up is important.
Get a chair that is made for moving!
Good ergonomic chairs are certified by government health and safety inspection service in our country to prevent ilness and injuries to workers and come with certifications like NPR 1813 and NEN 1335. My ergonomic chairs are fully adjustable to NEN 1335 specifications. I would not buy any office chair without these certifications.
I've lobbied for standing desks since I got mine and not about to stop ! If you're able, consider getting one. Mine changed my life. I alternate between standing and sitting throughout the day. And it's not just a matter of comfort or back pain (which btw is completely gone): I'm generally more awake, active and productive now. Before that I worked standing up for about a year and a half, and while the change was good, that was excessive, and my knees started to hurt after some time. That's when I understood that what really matters for long-term comfort and health at a desk job is movement. All the best,
I have a steelcase chair I like a lot. Not sure of the exact model but it’s got great back support. I paired it with an autonomous standing desk to stretch my legs here and there when I’ve been sitting too long.
It really depends on how tall you are, your body type, and your budget. I'm small, so I hate the older Aerons (which is almost all my office had when I started), but the newer ones are a lot more adjustable so it might be better. I have a Steelcase Amia at home that I liked enough to order for work, too. Both of those chairs are pretty expensive though, so they may not be realistic recommendations.
I have a Hayworth Zody but would also recommend steelcase gesture, knoll generation, and Herman miller aeron. I got mine from the used office furniture store in town for 200. Ordered new arm rest caps to replace the old ones and it is going strong several years later. Also second those that suggest standing desks, used office furniture place again for that, I have a $1200 steelcase that was 200ish but like new.
Steelcase Karman. All the comfort and ergonomics of an Aeron, but far lighter, and better materials.
It's one of those, "if you spend a third of your life in it, it's worth a little extra" things.
For mid-tier chairs I can recommend both the Markus from Ikea and the Ergonomic Chair from Branch. The Markus is generally more relaxing and feels really nice to lean back into. Whereas the Ergo feels more like it wants you to sit proper (and it's adjustable). The Ergo def takes an adjustment period do to it's "proper" posture, but after having it for a couple months now I don't even notice
Either should run you ~300 USD
I have the aeron, it's nice but a bit uncomfortable if you sit in it in any sort of non standard way, I sit with my legs crossed and my cat in my lap and unless I pad the heck out of the bottom with extra pillow or blanket the hard plastic digs into my feet and legs.
For me a far more comfortable approach is a monitor on a stand and a comfortable easy chair, along with a split ergonomic bluetooth keyboard. Embrace our wall-e future
These things are sitting machines. If you're going to spend money on one of them, read the manual, set it up properly for your body (seat height, depth and tilt, backrest tension if it's not autoregulated, lumbar support, armrest width, height, angle, and/or depth...), and learn to use it as intended. If you do, it's money well spent (orthopedists and chiropractors are way more expensive); if you don't, it's a waste of money and intervertebral discs.
Maybe not for everyone, but I really enjoy my Swopper stool. Mostly because I can't sit still and it allows me to bounce around all day. It takes some time to get used to, but it's great for keeping your core active during the day.
One downside is that I caused sea sickness with a colleague during a conference call due to all the bouncing :)
If I was required to sit in a chair for hours, I would insist my supervisors allow me to sit on this:
And of course these are made in actual chair models too, with a stable base and a backrest and everything, but I would prefer the actual ball. Very healthy for your spine and core muscles, if you're required to sit, this is the healthiest method.
What is your budget?
I actually am comfortable enough in a dining room chair at home (I sit forward not back) so no equipment rec but I am going to recommend yoga and, well, not sitting for hours at a time. Get up and get water. Get up and go pee. Get up and get coffee. Get up up and go pee again. Get up and stretch. It's very risky to your health to sit for too long.
I use a flexispot standing desk converter (it's like a big tray that goes on top of a fixed desk). I highly recommend doing so if you're going to be at a desk for hours every day.
My chair is nice af, and was provided by my workplace. If you can afford to go Herman-Miller (we're talking $1300+ for a new chair), do so. Your spine and butt and entire skeleton will thank you. Mine's an Aeron model
Got a refurbished Aeron for Christmas and love it.
No headrest though :( I’m not too happy with mine, maybe because it’s too large (got the extra size as recommended by sales guy)
Don't stop with just the chair. Make sure you keyboard and monitors are at the right heights. Consider getting an ergonomic keyboard and mouse (or trackball). The positions of your shoulders arms and wrists have a significant impact on overall comfort. They will also keep you from developing an RSI.
I have an oversized "gamer chair" with a "footrest" that extends the front of the chair that allows me to sit cross legged on it. I replaced the base with a metal one and got rollerskate wheels. It's now quite sturdy and works well for me the last several years.
My husband and I both have been using Tempur-Pedic office chairs for about 15 years. Starting in 2004, we both worked desk jobs from home (he still does, I only recently shifted careers) and both play video games so we have used the shit out of our chairs, and they are still good. I like that the seat is wide enough so I can fold my legs up under me if I want to.
I got this at the start of the pandemic and it has worked out perfect for me. I would have gone for a normal Herman miller but there’s not much of used market in my location and I’m not paying HM prices.
Whatever chair you end up getting try to swing a standing desk if you can
My HM Aeron is 20 years old. It has seen an embarrassing amount of use, as I've worked from home for over that length of time. It's served me well but it's not without its issues.
What I found at the start, and continue to find, is that it rolls the pelvis and c-curves the spine at the lower back. This loads the lumbar with a lot of force.
What I'm looking for now is a true tilter - not a mere recliner - that keeps the hip angle closed as it tilts. The rolling action on the hips is reduced, and lumbar support won't drift around. This is proving a challenge.
My physio and I disagree on headrests. so I look for one without his blessing or support. The force on the neck due is ideally reduced as well with one.
I also never found the Aeron comfortable on my back, though I also saw tons of them break in our office which seems weird and not a common experience. The most comfortable office chair I've owned was from HON. It was their "pillow soft" high back executive chair. I still have mine after several years, but I had to transition to a mostly standing desk recently, so I'm not using it currently.
If you sit at a keyboard for multiple hours every day you should consider getting one of these: https://kinesis-ergo.com/shop/freestyle2-for-pc-us/
Scroll right in the picture carousel to the photo showing the two monitors. That is the configuration I use mine in.
I was developing ulnar neuropathy from typing something like twelve hours a day while working for a startup. I got this keyboard and started using it with the 15 degree tilt configuration, and the ulnar neuropathy cleared up in about a month.
Before that, typing for a couple hours would result in tingling and numbness along the pinkie side of both hands. After about a month, that stopped and never came back.
I’ve since left tech and no longer have crazy long time on the keyboard, and now I just use the keyboard on my macbook, without any issue.
For reference, I was in my late twenties when this occurred. I’m now in my 40s and I will say that the ulnar neuropathy never came back.
The one thing about that keyboard to be aware of: it’s BIG. Each half is nearly the size of a macbook air. So it can be a bit much to carry in a messenger bag. A decent backpack, doable. But it’s really best as a permanent desk fixture.
Sideways mouse is great too.
They are asking about chairs tho.
I like Hercules office chairs. They're meant to hold 300lb people for 8 hours a day. I'm not that big, and I don't sit that long, but the chair has lasted me a lot longer than cheap or even moderately priced office chairs.
I've never tried those expensive Herman Miller ones though. That's just too outside my budget and mesh doesn't look very comfortable to me. Not too mention my cats would shred that up.
The mesh of a HM Aeron is the best part. Never getting sweaty is something I never considered before, but its a game changer
I have the GABRYLLY Ergonomic Mesh Office Chair from Amazon and I love it.
I have upper back pain due to minor scoliosis. I'm also 6'1" so it's more challenging to find chairs that support my upper back well.
I bought this one because it has a lot of the features of the $1,000+ Herman Miller type chairs, but for less than $300. I bought it during the pandemic and figured if it lasted a year or two it would justify me forking out the money for the real expensive ones. Well 4 years later I'm still loving it.
The only complaint I had was the wheels are kind of crap, but I replaced them with some $30 rubber ones that look like rollerblade wheels. They are smooth fast and don't destroy my laminate floors.
I have one with mesh like that and I'm not a fan. Maybe it's because I'm a bony mfer but I feel like my back and ass are punching through it it all the time.
weird. I'm in Canada and it doesn't show up for me on the Canadian amazon website.