So… I’ve been considering getting a new desk/office chair for a little while. I haven’t been using my pc at home lately (due to work burnout as a software engineer), but I’ve realized that I just actually hate my chair. I have the option to stand at work, so it’s not much of an issue there, but at home I’m sitting on an awful ikea office chair that I got a couple of years ago, and I think it’s time for an upgrade.
Does anyone have any strong opinions about chairs? I guess I mainly want to know if anyone thinks it’s worth it/not worth it to get one of the ridiculous racing chairs, or what your experience with those is (I’d realistically like to try sitting in the chair I’m buying, but I guess I can probably return something if I don’t like it).
Anyway, do you have a chair you really like? What should I avoid?
As someone who just got a new chair: I’m missing the width of my old one. Or maybe not even the width, but just the ability to open my legs a bit without pushing against the armrests., I’d take armrests that let me go underneath them a little. Also these armrests are kind of rubberish which makes them not very comfortable for my big hairy arms. It’s also taller than my old one, I can’t lean my head over the back of it to relax like I used to, though maybe that’s better for my posture? Who knows. Someone, probably. Learn from me, I guess; go wide and get material on those armrests.
One of the best purchases I ever made was getting a good chair in my first year of university. I went to every store in the city and sat in every chair available. I narrowed it down to two options; a $200 good chair that was tall enough for my long legs, or a $400 chair that was maybe 2 inches too short but way more comfortable. I went with the $400 one. I figured, if I’m gonna sit 8 hours a day everyday then get the more comfortable one no matter the price.
It came with a 5 year warranty on fabrics and 15 year warranty on the other materials. This is now the 13th year and I need to get it replaced because the metal braces for the arm rests are warped. I kind of feel like an asshole for getting something replaced 13 years after the fact though. Like I got my moneys worth years ago and should just buy a new one (though I think this model was discontinued a decade ago).
I used to get pretty bad leg pain if I sat ‘normally’ for too long. The pain became way less frequent when I started doing part of my day standing. I usually do 4 hours standing and 4 sitting, I played around with alternating ever 2 hours but found it hard to remember to stand up again.
I also recently got a Herman Miller Embody for home because it lets you lean back to 135 degrees. I combined it with a foot hammock that hangs under my desk allowing me to keep my legs straight. If you live in a city I would suggest calling around to office furniture stores to see if the have used chairs. I was able to get the Embody for half off which is a huge discount. They often have chairs in very good condition on deep discounts.
I also have a foot hammock at work for while I’m sitting, I highly recommend them. I also have started walking the perimeter of my office every hour or so to stretch my legs.
About six months ago I got a Tempur Pedic chair from staples. It was called the TP9000 or something along those lines, and it’s completrly wonderful.
Very soft seat.
Mesh backing keeps me cool and comfortable.
Better at keeping my back straight than any other chair I’ve had.
Biggest problem is that the leaning back is a bit noisy and makes creaking noises and such, which can be annoying.
It doesn’t lean back very far but it’s my opninion that you shouldn’t lean back much in these chairs.
In Canada they are available at staples, but it’s in a different store in the US, so I’m not sure where you’d find it.
By and large I’d avoid the “gamer chair.” My girlfriend got one that some YouTuber uses and she regrets it immensely. She likes my chair a lot more.
Look for a used/discount/consignment office-furniture shop that you can get to, especially maybe in some office-park kind of area. Sometimes they will have rafts of basically unused chairs from companies that have moved or gone out of business. Often they’ll also have a pretty big variety of chairs around that you can test-drive.
As for a particular chair model I like, currently I’d say the Steelcase Gesture or Leap. They’re expensive but you can find them at 50% off or more at a store like that. But in any case it’s a lot about your personal taste and body.
Since the thread has already been revived, I’ll just also note that office chairs are fantastic. My company was ditching a bunch of chairs that had busted vinyl armrests but were otherwise fine. I snagged one to replace my ageing $200 chair from Officeworks. The difference it made was huge. Being able to sit for an hour or two without causing immense back/neck/shoulder pain is a huge deal. Office chairs are pretty much designed for this and so even though they’re pretty bland to look at, if you can get one on the cheap as jlaw suggests, it’s well worth it.
Wow, general update on my chair I guess since we’re in it: still have the same one at home . It’s a bad ikea office chair that the bottom is starting to wear off of. Having been laid off from my job where my employer got me a standing desk, I haven’t had one since. With the current state of the world I’m considering ordering one (probably one of the wirecutter recommended ones).
Working in the office I had just an ordinary office chair and it was ok.
But as soon as we were moved from the office to work at home, I realized that I need a chair that would be comfortable to spend a whole day in. I bought a huge one but now I have to fight with my cat to get a right to sit in it.
So as a Steelcase Leap man, I’ll agree with jlaw and say that any major metropolitan area probably has used Leaps in perfectly fine condition on Craigslist or somewhere. Why pay $300 for a new chair that you can still feel the ways that it’s just not right while sitting in when you can spend that on a used $1000 chair that feels oh so good.
Yes I will second the Leap and used chairs! It feels somewhat morbid to say but a lot of smaller companies right now that are having money trouble are selling off furniture. Someone in my area was selling some decently used ones for $120 but most are going for $300. I’m not sure what transfer of warranty is like but these higher end office chairs often have incredibly long warranties.
Also check if your employer has any deals in place with companies for buying wfh furniture at a discount.
I actually went to a surplus/discount office furniture store that had a WHOLE ROOM full of steelcase leaps over the summer… got it for $150, was very pleased haha.
I literally just got a refurbished Leap for I think ~$300ish back in September when I moved. Found a local company that refurbs office furniture and drove over to pick it up the next day. As someone who has never had anything better than some $50 AmazonBasics chair before (which, honestly, was still a godsend when I was a broke undergrad), it definitely makes 3 hour-straight Zoom classes a lot more manageable.
Just sitting here, in my Leap I payed $350 for, cursing your name.
Watch, this threads gonna end with someone saying they got one of those super rare Coach leather Leaps for $250.
Right? Right!? You see anyone streaming from one of those gaudy gamer faux race car seat chairs, pretending that’s the height of comfort, and think, seated as you are with a perfectly adjusted seat, “you sir, are a peasant.”
Oh! And that very charming design choice that braille is printed on the knobs and whatnot you can’t see.
