Do you sit at a desk and keyboard for multiple hours? If yes, please recommend a good chair.

scoops@lemmy.world to Ask Lemmy@lemmy.world – 84 points –

I'm Looking for a good office chair.

Thanks! Found a good price for a Steelcase Amia.

104

Herman Miller Aeron and Steelcase Leap are both good.

Check out Crandall's Office Furniture for good refurbished chairs.

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.

The leap is an excellent “mid range” one since a lot of these chairs can hit $2000 new.

Probably why decent refurbs are such a popular choice as well.

Yeah if you watch the site for sales the Aeron can get decently cheap. Plus, consider that these chairs have a 10 year warranty, unlike the ones you pick up at an office supply store.

The Aeron really changed everything for me.

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.

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 headrest, don't recall it being terribly expensive, but I also don't think it's that great.

The last time I found one it was 200 USD (which is basically what I paid for the entire chair).

Wow, if you got a Steelcase Leap V2 for $200 that's a damn good deal!

That said, I think I paid like, maybe, $70 for mine direct from Crandalls. Might've even been less than that, I'd have to go look for the receipt.

Sorry, to be clear I got it for 275 CDN, which is roughly 200 USD.

But when it comes to the headrests I cannot find anything for under roughly that price. :/

Yeah, that's a good deal IMO. Strange, I can't find headrests for it now though. Maybe they stopped making them or jacked prices up during the pandemic...

My Aeron is nearly 10 years old and still great

I've owned £80 chairs that lasted that long though. Everything except the cheapest nastiest chairs from Amazon should be lasting 10 years.

If I bought a £1000 chair, I'd expect to be leaving it to somebody in my will.

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.

Get an office chair and not one of those "gaming chairs"

Source: I use a "gaming chair" and it sucks ass

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.

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 had a Leap V2 for the last couple of years, and really like it so far.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Steelcase. They make good office chairs that you can get used for decent money.

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/

https://www.shortlist.com/lists/best-office-chairs-401080

I was going to recommend this chair. I have it as well and can confirm it is very comfortable.

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.

Being your phone and headset if you are too busy and keep working if you have to, but make that physical activity a top priority.

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.

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.

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.

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 :)

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

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,

Been using a Branch chair for ~2 years after having a cheap ikea chair for 1. Definitely notice the difference. You're going to want some adjustability, especially with lumbar support and arm height/ width.

Otherwise, the biggest thing to feel better is just getting up every hour or so to move around. I try to go for a walk/ run once a day since leaving retail and losing 10k steps of physical activity.

By that same token, sit-stand desks are nice if you have the spare budget. Otherwise, just get a nice chair and exercise.

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.

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.

I like my Herman Miller cosim by and large... I have experienced tailbone pain though. I'm not sure if it's the chair or just me getting older really.

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 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.

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.

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

If you ever want to give standing desk a try I prefer a setup with a high office chair rather than having a desk that goes up and down. Its cheaper and the higher chair gives you part of benefit of standing which is being able to get up and back to work quickly when grabbing food or such and when its so easy to get up and down you will find yourself standing more and more.

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.

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

In the first month of the pandemic, my employer allowed us to take home our work chairs. They were Herman Miller Aerons. They've been pretty good. The only thing lacking is a headrest, and I can't justify to myself to buy a Herman Miller headrest. Can anyone recommend a cheaper alternative that's compatible with the Aeron?

Whatever chair you end up getting try to swing a standing desk if you can

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 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

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)

big desk and stand up or an ajustable table idk

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 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.

I have the bottom half of an unpleasantly upholstered office chair that I pulled out of a dumpster a quarter century ago. I would not recommend it, but it's better than the loose crap I find every time I go chair shopping.

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

Aeron chairs are grossly overrated. They have been clever in both making a durable kind of chair and marketing like Apple. They aren't that comfortable and are designed to keep you "upright" but not much else. Originally there wasn't much like the Aeron, but now you have many, many choices for a much better price and comfort. It's personal taste, but I prefer a chair with a headrest. Also, your desk is equally as important for long sessions. Size, leg room, height etc. I built my own custom workstation to suit my needs. I ended up using a cheap Corsair gaming chair and my neck and mouse shoulder has never been happier.

The breathable mesh material of the Aeron alone makes it head and shoulders above most other chairs, for anyone who ever gets sweaty while sitting. It's interesting to me how basically no one seems to notice this but me...

Also, buying a $200 chair every 2 years costs more than buying a $1300 chair for life.

Who would buy a $200 chair every two years(!?). There are so many other breathable mesh chairs out there that have more articulation/adjustment. and aren't $850-1300. Aeron's just aren't comfortable after 3-4 hours let alone a marathon work day. They are designed to keep you upright and facing a monitor, not for comfort. I think they get away with it because they have become a corporate status symbol. Especially new production offices/agencies/startups love to populate their workspaces with aerons or mira (another terrible chair). Like the eames lounge chair: Gorgeous and futurist to look at, but nigh impractical and uncomfortable.

This is either a very uninformed statement or a random opinion stated as fact. People buy these chairs because they like them. I spend 50 hours a week in one and I disagree with you heartily.

As far as who would buy a chair every couple of years, people who buy cheap chairs. I used to be one of them and know people who also were. Even a particularly cheap person I know ended up buying a used Aeron, got a great deal, and loves it. It's not that hard to find them used because they are heavy to move cross country and offices upgrade all the time so they are out there.

But sure, your opinion is gospel, they're objectively shit and all their popularity is unearned. /s

Does anyone sell KAB where you live? They are the absolute best, 24h-certified chairs money can buy. I have a Director at home and a K4 at work and I would not trade them for anything.

What is the price range for these?

Director is around €1400 if I remember correctly.

Oof. They look nice but that's hard to justify to me without being able to sit in one. And I'd have to save up for that for a while

I prefer a mesh chair to prevent sweating, with an adjustable headrest. I bought an Office Max branded chair years ago and it has held up perfectly.

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.

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.

Chronic pain often doesn't carry a "something is wrong" signal.

Basic Ikea office chair plus ergonomic butt cushion. No need to spend a ton of money.

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. :-)

I'm using this one and like it. Chairs in a similar price range from Staples just didn't have all the right adjustments that this one has.

https://www.autonomous.ai/office-chairs/ergonomic-chair?utm_term=631224075317&utm_campaign=[P]_US_Search_Standard_Brand_Phrase&utm_source=google&utm_medium=search&utm_content=autonomous%20ergonomic%20chair&gad_source=1

I also use the autonomous ergo pro. Or 2. It’s the green one. I absolutely love how customizable it is, and it’s got some amazing lumbar support. I had a gaming chair at the start of the pandemic, and my back was in so much pain by the end of the day.

It’s much better now.

I don’t think much can compete with the Herman Miller Aeron, but if you can’t find a good used one nearby, the ergo would be my next recommendation for sure.

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 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 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 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.

weird. I'm in Canada and it doesn't show up for me on the Canadian amazon website.

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.

Forget about the usual office chairs. Get an adjustable standing desk and stand. Eventually you’ll get tired, so lower the desk a bit and sit on a saddle chair for a while. Switch between the two positions every time you feel like it.

Get a box, put it on the desk, then your laptop on top and work standing. You’re welcome!

i've been sitting in cheapo office chairs my whole life and i'm still having a blast.

honestly, any office chair will be fine as long as you are comfortable in it.

no armrests; they get in the way and are pointless when your arms are on the desk already. if your arms aren't on the desk, you aren't actively working; i'm not saying get the fuck back to work, i'm saying if your hands aren't busy, stretch your arms and wrists. RSI is a reaper coming for us all but you can at least alleviate it.

the key is to get up and have a walk around any time you feel like it. stretch, get a snack or a water refill, give your eyes a break from the screen while you mull over legacy code or whatever problem is currently stumping you.