Computer chairs - Recommendations?

  • Thread starter Eric.
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Eric.

Eric.

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I've found that I wear out a computer chair pretty much every 12 months. So instead of finding something near $100 like I usually do, I thought I'd consult GTP. I always manage to wear out the foam.


Prefer a leather/vinyl covering, reclining, adjustable height (I think that's a given), not looking to spend over $200. Usually prefer them to have arms too, but not necessary.

Go.
 
I wish you all the luck. I tried everything from $50 Office Max chairs to $1,200 office grade, ergo mesh chairs. Still haven't found one I like. One that has been the best so far has been a HON brand chair. It was about $280 wholesale, office grade, heavy duty. It's a high back but offers no head support however. I picked up a leather high back chair from Costco a couple years ago. One of the most comfortable chairs I have owned, but after 12 months of use, the foam is breaking down and doesn't offer the support it used to. Going on 2 years with that chair now. It is upstairs where lighter bodies will sit on it. :)

Good luck with your search. I tried to find "the chair" for me and I failed.

This one is very similar in design to the one I have had for over 10 years now.
 
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My office chair is a useless Chinese, generic chair but at home I use an Ikea chair for my desk:

th


Very comfortable, fairly priced.
 
IKEA Markus in black ;)
Great support on the back and adjustability
 
Car seats make really good office chairs. Being free is also a plus ;)

Sorry, old and crappy photo. Please ignore the background.
imgp0019s.jpg
 
The base is off a regular cheapo office chair. Some MDF board joins the two together :) The main issue is probably the car seat being quite high and depending on the table height it may cause problems.
 
And that car seat will last forever. Why are computer chairs such junk? I guess so that we need a new one every year.
 
Eric.
And that car seat will last forever. Why are computer chairs such junk? I guess so that we need a new one every year.
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They're not if you spend what a car seat would cost. A lot of people swear by Herman Millers. You get what you pay for.
 
Eric.
And that car seat will last forever. Why are computer chairs such junk? I guess so that we need a new one every year.
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My parents used to have a fabric one(put a free sign on it and a guy in a truck took it) which lasted 14 years. I'd say by it's 6th year the bottom padding was worn out and you were sitting on the bare surface. My dad is a penny pincher so until a month ago I saw a leather chair(has a reclining function too) in a thrift store for $20 and I bought it. I gave him my old leather chair and I kept the new one since it matches with my unusually tall desk.

I've sat in a full mesh computer chair and that thing was so comfy! It had a adjustable foam back support and the chair just hugs the body. The only problem is that this type of chair is very expensive(Seems like the price range is $200 to $500 for a new one) compared to a cheap leather chair($40 to $200 or even more). The chair that I am referring to is this one. I liked the fact that it did recline a bit and it seemed to comfortably force me into a good upright posture.
 
The lack of arms on the car chair would irritate me...

Perhaps the chair from the front of a Large American Truck/SUV? They have arm rests. But are less comfortable...
 
Casio
They're not if you spend what a car seat would cost. A lot of people swear by Herman Millers. You get what you pay for.
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I miss the Aeron I had at my last job. I got a knock-off mesh office chair at home for a little under half the price (still $300 haha) but it's just not the same.
 
I demo'ed a mesh chair very similar to this one. The local office supply store let me try it over the weekend. While it did offer good ergonomic support, but tailbone started to hurt by day two. That chair might have worked with a Temperpedic cushion to sit on, but for a $700+ chair, I shouldn't have to accessorize it to make it comfy. :)
 
Ah, see I've never really had a problem with the tailbone hurting on any chair I've used. I prefer the mesh because it helps you stay nice and cool when sitting for a long time. Sweating in a padded chair is the main discomfort I try to avoid now haha. For $700 though you should definitely not be dealing with aches and pains.
 
dchPSUone
Ah, see I've never really had a problem with the tailbone hurting on any chair I've used. I prefer the mesh because it helps you stay nice and cool when sitting for a long time. Sweating in a padded chair is the main discomfort I try to avoid now haha. For $700 though you should definitely not be dealing with aches and pains.
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I really wanted that chair to work. It was very cool looking. It was all chromed out and heavy duty. The recliner mode and general ergonomics of the chair was awesome, adjustments everywhere. Besides the hurting, it was great! Maybe I just need some time on the treadmill, and less time in the chair. :)
 
I work from home these days so I put a lot of miles on my office chair.

Just bought a used Herman Miller Aeron for $400 (craigslist). The armrests were fairly loose so I disassembled a bit and tightened... good as new (10 years old). The seat cushion on the Aeron is fairly uncomfortable so I bought a lifeform memory foam seat cushion that goes on top. Looks like this:

http://www.relaxtheback.com/lifeform-travel-lite-seat-cushion.html

Not sure it's exactly that though. It's very similar.

Total cost: $520
How long have I been using it: 2 months
Rating: 5 stars

Best chair I've had. My previous office chair (at the company office) was a steelcase chair. Didn't care for it as much. It was good but not great. If you can afford it, lifeform makes really good high end ($1200) chairs that will last a long time and are super comfortable. I would find a place to test out Herman Miller Aerons though to find what size you are (it matters), buy it used, and then get the seat cushion from life form - just as I did. Works really well.

Also, get a footrest for $30, you will be amazed. I like Safco.
 
I have an Ikea Moses and I love it (sort of).

The cushion is wearing away and the leather has pretty much vanished revealing grey fabric beneath.
 
I have used a Markus (Black) from IKEA since February, 2011. It's okay. It's quite durable (so far) and comfortable, but it took me longer than I thought to sit comfortable in it, mainly because of the support for the lower back, which is a bit too high up for my taste.

It's pretty good value, but you get what you pay for. Simple as that. And stay away from anything that is half the price of Markus. It will break.
Pako
This one is very similar in design to the one I have had for over 10 years now.
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I used to own a chair that looked very similar to that one. It was quite good, but I never really liked because it looked ugly (sorry) and I missed having support for the neck.
 
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Centura
I have used a Markus (Black) from IKEA since February, 2011. It's okay. It's quite durable (so far) and comfortable, but it took me longer than I thought to sit comfortable in it, mainly because of the support for the lower back, which is a bit too high up for my taste.
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I have to agree, you have to get used to the support on the lower back, but imo once you sit back properly and keep the position it's great for the back.
For that money I think it's the best chair you can get.

But a nice bucket seat on a office chair foot would be fun as well ^^
 
If you’re going to sit in it for any length of time the answer is the comfiest one.
Choosing a pretty chair is just stupid. I work at home 3 or 4 days a week 10-12 hrs/day, Pretty chair means back pain so try going for comfy one
 
Jean, i hate the be the bearer of bad news but this thread is 5 and a half years dead....
 
Danoff
I work from home these days so I put a lot of miles on my office chair.

Just bought a used Herman Miller Aeron for $400 (craigslist). The armrests were fairly loose so I disassembled a bit and tightened... good as new (10 years old). The seat cushion on the Aeron is fairly uncomfortable so I bought a lifeform memory foam seat cushion that goes on top. Looks like this:

http://www.relaxtheback.com/lifeform-travel-lite-seat-cushion.html

Not sure it's exactly that though. It's very similar.

Total cost: $520
How long have I been using it: 2 months
Rating: 5 stars

Best chair I've had. My previous office chair (at the company office) was a steelcase chair. Didn't care for it as much. It was good but not great. If you can afford it, lifeform makes really good high end ($1200) chairs that will last a long time and are super comfortable. I would find a place to test out Herman Miller Aerons though to find what size you are (it matters), buy it used, and then get the seat cushion from life form - just as I did. Works really well.

Also, get a footrest for $30, you will be amazed. I like Safco.
Click to expand...

How long have I been using it: ~5.5 years
Rating: 5 stars
 
We have Aerons in the ER and I'm not really a fan. If you can get one that solidly locks upright, then yeah they're quite comfortable. However, the seat won't work unless you are on the left side of the bellcurve size-wise. If you have a model that doesn't have a lock cable, or if your lock breaks, they go from one of the most comfortable to completely unusable.
 
Omnis
We have Aerons in the ER and I'm not really a fan. If you can get one that solidly locks upright, then yeah they're quite comfortable. However, the seat won't work unless you are on the left side of the bellcurve size-wise. If you have a model that doesn't have a lock cable, or if your lock breaks, they go from one of the most comfortable to completely unusable.
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They come in 3 sizes. A, B, and C, so your rear end kinda has to be suited for the particular chair in front of you. You can tell which one it is by how many dots it has on it (3 dots = C, largest). It's braille or something, the dots are inside the lip at the top of the backrest, you have to stick your finger in there and feel for them. I'm not familiar with the upright locking mechanism breaking.
 

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