Home office needs a new chair...

[YetAnotherDeveloper]

I work at home and sit in front of a computer all day, so i'm looking to replace my officemax special with something nice.  I used to have an Aeron (at my old job) and it was nice but i just didnt love it.  I have a friend that has the humanscale freedom and he says good things about it all the time.

Current chairs in the running:
   Humanscale
Steelcase Leap


any input or feedback on these or other chairs?

[bionicroach]

I didn't care for the Herman Miller chairs I tried, either.  The front lip of the seat on both the Aeron and the Mirra tended to dig into the back of my leg after a while.  Either I have odd length thighs or I tend to lean forward a lot, not sure.

From your list, I'd go with the Leap.  Very comfy.

My personal favorite is the Zody by Haworth:

http://www.haworth.com/en-us/Products/Furniture/Seating/Desk/Pages/Zody.aspx

Similar to the Leap, but I like the tilt mechanism and armrests a little bit better.  The Zody is great if you tend to lean forward a lot because it moves with your back really well.  The two chairs really are very close, though.  I'd be happy with either.

[YetAnotherDeveloper]

Leap.  You can adjust the front lip location of the chair bottom.

yeah, this is really one of the main reasons i'm getting rid of my current chair.. the bottom is really just to long for my legs and it forces me to be a couple of inches from the back of the chair. that or my legs fall asleep because they are pressed against the chair.

[YetAnotherDeveloper]

I didn't care for the Herman Miller chairs I tried, either.  The front lip of the seat on both the Aeron and the Mirra tended to dig into the back of my leg after a while.  Either I have odd length thighs or I tend to lean forward a lot, not sure.

From your list, I'd go with the Leap.  Very comfy.

My personal favorite is the Zody by Haworth:

http://www.haworth.com/en-us/Products/Furniture/Seating/Desk/Pages/Zody.aspx

Similar to the Leap, but I like the tilt mechanism and armrests a little bit better.  The Zody is great if you tend to lean forward a lot because it moves with your back really well.  The two chairs really are very close, though.  I'd be happy with either.

Nice, i havent seen this one before; I will take a look at it.  thanks!

[Salash]

I picked this up off of amazon http://www.amazon.com/DUOREST-Leaders-Ergonomic-Adjustable-Headrest/dp/B003NYQYRS

It is the most comfortable thing I have ever sat in and I think it is a good price too. I can't really compare to any of those other chairs because I have never sat in them, but that humanscale one with the headrest looks rad.

[phillip]

Expensive

[YetAnotherDeveloper]

Expensive

yeah but necessary when you have to sit on something for ~15 hours a day.

[cometbus]

You could always go classic(and wallet-breaking), with one of these:

I want.

A studio I did some work at for a few months had some of these... There's a reason they've been around since '58.

[kill will]

i have realized 1 thing about chairs. and that is.  

when you sit in a chair, it hurts your butt.

now that butt hurting may end up hurting your legs, your junk, or other parts of your body.  i dont think a chair can really hurt your back unless you sit in it like an idiot.  

anyways try a drum throne with a back.  it alleviates a lot of pain in the butt lol

and expensive chairs are USUALLY just hype.

[db_Iodine]

I must have a butt made of steel. I've never experienced any butthurt from sitting on my chair for long periods of time. And my chair is one of the cheaper Ikea Markus chair.

[mike]

Try and find a place you can try them out. Herman Millers are fine for some people and don't suit others.

As for expense, $2,000 every 10 to 15 years is a cheap price to pay to reduce the chances of a bad back. Waking up every couple of hours every night for a week through pain ain't much fun.

And as for those who believe a chair can't cause back problems, well I hope you don't find out the hard way.

[Lethal Squirrel]

I got this beauty off the side of the road for free. Not a single rip or tear, and its real leather

[Grimey]

I have a hard on for suspended mesh chairs myself.  I generate a massive amount of heat all times of the year, and it is great to have a cool but when I sit.  I also have a fairly poor back at the age of 28, so I don't screw around with chairs anymore.

I have the Office Depot "Aeron" chair at home.  The price was reasonable on sale, and it has lasted 6+ months at this point.  

At work I have a Herman Miller Aeron chair.  That chair is comfortable for long hours every day, and not having to pay for it was a plus.

Sorry to bring up the mesh clones when this isn't in the OP list, I just really like these chairs.

[YetAnotherDeveloper]

I have a hard on for suspended mesh chairs myself.  I generate a massive amount of heat all times of the year, and it is great to have a cool but when I sit.  I also have a fairly poor back at the age of 28, so I don't screw around with chairs anymore.

I have the Office Depot "Aeron" chair at home.  The price was reasonable on sale, and it has lasted 6+ months at this point.  

At work I have a Herman Miller Aeron chair.  That chair is comfortable for long hours every day, and not having to pay for it was a plus.

Sorry to bring up the mesh clones when this isn't in the OP list, I just really like these chairs.

no way... don't be sorry. I was asking for feedback and other options.  The thing i don't like about most mesh chairs is the hard edge that a lot of them have.  This is really only an issue on the back of your legs/knees but can really ruin a chair.  have any links to the chair you're talking about?

[gilgam]

i have the Liberty Conference/Task Chair from humanscale at home, very nice one, very confortable; it was my office daily chair for 8 hours a day and i was very pleased.

[Grimey]

no way... don't be sorry. I was asking for feedback and other options.  The thing i don't like about most mesh chairs is the hard edge that a lot of them have.  This is really only an issue on the back of your legs/knees but can really ruin a chair.  have any links to the chair you're talking about?

http://www.officedepot.com/a/products/234750/Realspace-PRO-Quantum-60percent-Recycled-Mesh/?cm_cat=

Your comment about the sides being hard is correct.  My wife likes to sit on a let or two when she is at her desk, and has not taken my offer to purchase her one of these chairs.

I sit fairly upright so the front edge of the seat base doesn't affect me negatively (it is padded fairly well).  But if you wanted to put your feet or sit no traditionally, you may want to demo one of these before making the purchase.

Just to clarify, my HM Aeron chair at work is better, but for less than half the price the OD chair isn't bad at all.

[instantkamera]

Im currently looking as well, and the since there is a humanscale dealer near me, Im leaning toward that. Going to check chairs out soon, I'll fill you in.

[jbl]

I sit on Steelcase Think chairs all day (one at work, one at home). I generally like them. The tension settings are simple and discrete. I can always find one that I like. The mesh back breathes well. It's a light chair, so it's easy to move around. The back is always supportive no matter what posture I'm in. The adjustable armrests are also pretty great.

The things I don't like are the lumbar adjustment (feels cheap and janky) and the front edge of the seat. Seat depth is easily adjustable, but I think the front of the seat edge is not as flexible as Steelcase claims. Part of this might be that I'm short and should get a footrest. :-P

[Jerri]

My Chair broke yesterday in two pieces. The first third of the seating surface broke apart. So the chair was absoloutely unusable.
I sat on about 150 chairs until i got a comfortable one. The one i bought is a leather chair which was available in white and black and with a high or low rise Chairback.
Got a white low rise Chairback version, think this thing is quite beautiful, hope that would last a long time (the last was 8 Years old). First i wanted to choose black, but with that much polished aluminum, it didn't look fine to my eyes.

Jerri

[CynBella]

My favorite from Ikea @ $149.  Have one for home.. wish I could bring it to the office to replace the Steelcase one

Markus Office chair


Product description
Armrest frame/ Back bar/ Back frame: Steel, Epoxy/polyester powder coating
Armrest pad: Polypropylene, Synthetic rubber
Back cover/ Seat cover/ Total composition: 100 % wool
Seat frame: Molded eucalyptus plywood
Star base: Aluminum, Epoxy/polyester powder coating
Foam: High resilient polyurethane foam (cold foam).

Key features
- Approved for office use; comfortable to sit on during long working periods.
- Height adjustable for a comfortable sitting posture.
- Adjustable and lockable tilt function for increased stability and control in different sitting positions.
- Built-in lumbar support; provides extra relief and support for your back.
- The headrest provides extra support for your head and neck.
- The mesh material of the backrest lets air through to your back during long sitting periods.

[YetAnotherDeveloper]

My favorite from Ikea @ $149.  Have one for home.. wish I could bring it to the office to replace the Steelcase one

Markus Office chair


Product description
Armrest frame/ Back bar/ Back frame: Steel, Epoxy/polyester powder coating
Armrest pad: Polypropylene, Synthetic rubber
Back cover/ Seat cover/ Total composition: 100 % wool
Seat frame: Molded eucalyptus plywood
Star base: Aluminum, Epoxy/polyester powder coating
Foam: High resilient polyurethane foam (cold foam).

Key features
- Approved for office use; comfortable to sit on during long working periods.
- Height adjustable for a comfortable sitting posture.
- Adjustable and lockable tilt function for increased stability and control in different sitting positions.
- Built-in lumbar support; provides extra relief and support for your back.
- The headrest provides extra support for your head and neck.
- The mesh material of the backrest lets air through to your back during long sitting periods.

Really?!  you are comparing this to a leap?  i'm only a about a 20 min walk from ikea, maybe i should go check it out.

edit:  I never thought about looking at ikea for an office chair.  i will have to go sit on a couple of them.

[YetAnotherDeveloper]

My Chair broke yesterday in two pieces. The first third of the seating surface broke apart. So the chair was absoloutely unusable.
I sat on about 150 chairs until i got a comfortable one. The one i bought is a leather chair which was available in white and black and with a high or low rise Chairback.
Got a white low rise Chairback version, think this thing is quite beautiful, hope that would last a long time (the last was 8 Years old). First i wanted to choose black, but with that much polished aluminum, it didn't look fine to my eyes.

Jerri

what is the make/model? where did you get it?

[Jerri]

Hi there, i don't know if that thing is available in the USA.
The Company is "Topstar" and the Model is "Chairman 55". i bought it at a furniture Store called Höffner. It wasn't cheap, because it's real leather and looks like good quality. It was 399 Euros, which is about 540$ US.
The highrise chairback version is called "Chairman 50".

Jerri

[YetAnotherDeveloper]

I just went and tried out the Humanscale freedom with headrest;  i have to say that it is the best chair i have ever used, its unreal.  I'm 90% sure that is what i'm going to get but when spending 1000$ on a chair i figure i better at least go and sit in a Leap just to make sure.  i'm going to try to find a place here in brooklyn tomorrow that i can sit in a leap and i might even make a run to ikea just to see what they have to offer.


thanks everyone, i update with more info soon.

[Findecanor]

Show Image

I use a variation of this chair at work. I find that the back rest does not give me sufficient support for my lower back. It encourages slouching.
It is also prone to break in various ways. The bolts need to be tightened regularly.

[bugfix]

I got me a Hag 05 last year and I can absolutely recommend it.

[db_Iodine]

I got me a Hag 05 last year and I can absolutely recommend it.

Show Image

How much did you pay for that?

[Ekaros]

My favorite from Ikea @ $149.  Have one for home.. wish I could bring it to the office to replace the Steelcase one

Markus Office chair

Show Image

Product description
Armrest frame/ Back bar/ Back frame: Steel, Epoxy/polyester powder coating
Armrest pad: Polypropylene, Synthetic rubber
Back cover/ Seat cover/ Total composition: 100 % wool
Seat frame: Molded eucalyptus plywood
Star base: Aluminum, Epoxy/polyester powder coating
Foam: High resilient polyurethane foam (cold foam).

Key features
- Approved for office use; comfortable to sit on during long working periods.
- Height adjustable for a comfortable sitting posture.
- Adjustable and lockable tilt function for increased stability and control in different sitting positions.
- Built-in lumbar support; provides extra relief and support for your back.
- The headrest provides extra support for your head and neck.
- The mesh material of the backrest lets air through to your back during long sitting periods.

Just(1h ago ;D) got one of these "Markus", 179€ in "leather", quite solid construction weight is 23kg?!?
Also, the part which connects the seat and back together is one cm thick steel...

Have to get used to it first mainly as secondary chair if I don't find one realy good for primary use...

[bugfix]

how much did you pay for that?

900€

[Z Overlord]

These prices makes me :jaw: But I want :sad:

[YetAnotherDeveloper]

Over the weekend i went and tested out a ton of chairs...  so now i'm just shopping around and seeing what prices i can find.  

Herman Miller

• Aeron - I like this chair except the the fact that it has a hard plastic rim that digs into the back of my legs.
• Embody - My favorite of the HM chairs, but i dont like the armrests and how they move in and out when you raise and lower them.
• Mirra - Not a fan, cant really tell ya why just didnt like it.
• Sayl - Ok chair but just not very adjustable

Humanscale

• Freedom w/ headrest - The best chair i have ever used and if money doesnt factor in then this is the chair i would get hands down.
• Freedom w/o headrest - very nice but hard to swallow after sitting in the one with the headrest.
• Liberty (meshback) - Very nice chair and would be in the running if i couldnt get the Freedom with headrest for 1 or 2 hundred more.

Steelcase i sat in a few different models but really was only looking into the Leap V2

• Leap V2 - Great chair and in the price range is in my top two or three (liberty, freedom w/o headrest).

[bugfix]

These prices makes me :jaw: But I want :sad:

Well, the Hag 05 comes with a life long guarantee and I it expect to last years.

I rather pay 900€ for a really good chair that will last me years and in the end will be cheaper than paying 200€ every now and then.

[YetAnotherDeveloper]

Just found that if you apply the coupon code Friends&Fam15 on steelcase's website you get 15% off.  this ends on 02.28.2011

[NimbleRabit]

Over the weekend i went and tested out a ton of chairs...  so now i'm just shopping around and seeing what prices i can find.  

Herman Miller

• Aeron - I like this chair except the the fact that it has a hard plastic rim that digs into the back of my legs.
• Embody - My favorite of the HM chairs, but i dont like the armrests and how they move in and out when you raise and lower them.
• Mirra - Not a fan, cant really tell ya why just didnt like it.
• Sayl - Ok chair but just not very adjustable

Humanscale

• Freedom w/ headrest - The best chair i have ever used and if money doesnt factor in then this is the chair i would get hands down.
• Freedom w/o headrest - very nice but hard to swallow after sitting in the one with the headrest.
• Liberty (meshback) - Very nice chair and would be in the running if i couldnt get the Freedom with headrest for 1 or 2 hundred more.

Steelcase i sat in a few different models but really was only looking into the Leap V2

• Leap V2 - Great chair and in the price range is in my top two or three (liberty, freedom w/o headrest).

So, what did you decide to go with?

[Lpb45]

should checkout the knoll - generation

decently priced

[qvindtar]

This is my  chair:

http://www.overstock.com/Office-Furniture/Ergo-Mesh-Back-Task-Chair/3082639/product.html

Pros: Price, insanely adjustable, sturdy construction, comfortable.

Cons: After owning one for close to a year, the mesh back has a slight amount of "give". Pretty minor, probably wouldn't notice it unless you could compare it to a new one OOTB. Some other people have also mentioned that they've had issues with the seat pad wearing out. I'm 6'5" 225# and I haven't noticed any problems yet.

I spent quite awhile doing the office chair research thing, and while I really liked the Aerons and Steelcases, they were out of my price range. In my opinion, this was a good runner up. Also managed to find one through Amazon which meant free shipping.

[Input Nirvana]

I have an Aeron, the fully adjustable model. I enjoy the chair as it's basic functionality is excellent. I'm 6'0'' 190 athletic. I lean back a lot, move a lot, and like the mesh for keeping the junk cool. I demand a headrest, so the headrest option was a must for me. Although there is the 'hard lip' some people mention, the fully adjustable model has a 'forward tilt' feature that tilts the seat pan forward, so I'm guessing if that and the height adjustments are appropriate, the 'hard lip' would not be much of an issue.

I'm a huge fan of MEGA-adjustability, as I don't like to sit conformed in the same position all the time.

There are so many chairs to choose from, many 'better' than the Aeron, I have my eye on a few.

[ironman31]

Anyone else want to chime in on what they have?

[suprsmo]

Am needing a new chair..

Have had aerons @ work.. loved em.. cant afford em..

Thought that Markus looked decent, and a good price..

Checked on the aussie Ikea site..

$399 AUD

:/

get farked..

http://www.ikea.com/au/en/catalog/products/50137208/

[TacticalCoder]

Anyone else want to chime in on what they have?

Sure...  After some research I ended up getting an Aeron a few months ago: I was used to the "old" ones at work (with the old back support) and really like their new "posture fit" setting for the back.  The mesh was a "must have" for me, I wouldn't consider anything else.  I did try the other, more recent and more fancy, Miller seats and they're great for the back.  But sadly no mesh so it was out of the equation for me.

Like "input nirvana" I do have the fully adjustable Aeron and was a bit surprised by this discussion : english is not my native language and I wouldn't understand what people meant by the hard lip.  No I see what you mean but I've never "felt it": it's the stuff that circles the mesh right?  It's weird that people can feel it because it's curved downwards the ground.  I simply sit in the chair, making sure my back is helped by the "posture fit" thing (meaning I'm correctly sat "far" at the back of the chair) and then I don't feel the lip (neither on the side nor on the front), my legs aren't even touching it (either with my feet flags or feets crossed): and I mean "literally not touching the lip".  It maybe because of the setting available on the fully adjustable model that "input nirvana" told about or simply because I've got a correct height setting, but all I can tell is my legs are literally not touching the lip.  It may be related to my weight/size (1m79, 70 kg, metric FTW!) being a good match with my B-sized Aeron.  Don't know.

All I know is I spent easily one hour reading the manual, watching the videos and configuring the chair to my liking: I very often saw people (at the office) sit in an Aeron, not liking it and saying "I don't get it, why do so many people like that chair?".  But you should first really adjust it before you can tell if you like or not.

I'll probably be adding an headrest for I think I could really like it when I lean back.

Funny sidenote: another GeekHacker warned me that the Aeron could become "dirty" if not taken care of.  And indeed: it's amazing the amount of dust that gets through the mesh and accumulates on the black piece under the seat.  You want to make sure to vacuum clean regularly both the mesh and the piece below it.

I know some people don't like the Aeron but many do like it, including quite some GeekHackers : )

[whiskerBox]

Yes spend as much money as you can on this, it is completely necessary I spent a month trying out different chairs before I pulled the trigger!

[ironman31]

Sure...  After some research I ended up getting an Aeron a few months ago: I was used to the "old" ones at work (with the old back support) and really like their new "posture fit" setting for the back.  The mesh was a "must have" for me, I wouldn't consider anything else.  I did try the other, more recent and more fancy, Miller seats and they're great for the back.  But sadly no mesh so it was out of the equation for me.

Like "input nirvana" I do have the fully adjustable Aeron and was a bit surprised by this discussion : english is not my native language and I wouldn't understand what people meant by the hard lip.  No I see what you mean but I've never "felt it": it's the stuff that circles the mesh right?  It's weird that people can feel it because it's curved downwards the ground.  I simply sit in the chair, making sure my back is helped by the "posture fit" thing (meaning I'm correctly sat "far" at the back of the chair) and then I don't feel the lip (neither on the side nor on the front), my legs aren't even touching it (either with my feet flags or feets crossed): and I mean "literally not touching the lip".  It maybe because of the setting available on the fully adjustable model that "input nirvana" told about or simply because I've got a correct height setting, but all I can tell is my legs are literally not touching the lip.  It may be related to my weight/size (1m79, 70 kg, metric FTW!) being a good match with my B-sized Aeron.  Don't know.

All I know is I spent easily one hour reading the manual, watching the videos and configuring the chair to my liking: I very often saw people (at the office) sit in an Aeron, not liking it and saying "I don't get it, why do so many people like that chair?".  But you should first really adjust it before you can tell if you like or not.

I'll probably be adding an headrest for I think I could really like it when I lean back.

Funny sidenote: another GeekHacker warned me that the Aeron could become "dirty" if not taken care of.  And indeed: it's amazing the amount of dust that gets through the mesh and accumulates on the black piece under the seat.  You want to make sure to vacuum clean regularly both the mesh and the piece below it.

I know some people don't like the Aeron but many do like it, including quite some GeekHackers : )

I've never actually sat in an Aeron, but I have tried out mesh chair and did not like them very much. The Aeron might be different, but I felt like they did not support enough for me. I'm seriously looking into getting a Steelcase Leap, and I have tried one out and love it.

[ironman31]

ripster, how long have you had your leap?

[ironman31]

2 years at least.

Works great - Steelseries aren't all that elegant looking but built to last.

They look like it. I don't like the big enter key on some though

[ironman31]

Speaking of, guess what was waiting for me at home? Yeah, a Leap. *****es. Sweet 21st birthday gift

[TheProfosist]

i dont have anything special but I upgraded from the basic leather OfficeMax chair to this and man is there a difference since nothing was adjustable before now I can adjust most of it to fit me.

[arplod]

I've never actually sat in an Aeron, but I have tried out mesh chair and did not like them very much. The Aeron might be different, but I felt like they did not support enough for me. I'm seriously looking into getting a Steelcase Leap, and I have tried one out and love it.

A bunch of Aerons was almost literally all I walked away with from one dot bomb. I think they're really badly dated in terms of looks these days.

Support (from the mesh at least) isn't the problem. The real issue is that they aren't actually all that ergonomic, even with all the doodads installed. I can see why a lot of Mac types buy it - it looks plausible for people who don't know what they actually want.

Recently finally tossed out all the Aerons I've collected over the last 10 years at work, and have started taking delivery of Humanscale Freedoms. I decided to forego a boss chair for now and just use one of those.

I have a CTO Embody at home which replaced a HAG - an impulse purchase based mainly on looks - and I'm keeping it, but not the greatest fan. Ergonomics are slightly improved over the Aeron but still not great, and it creaks (I got an OTS one to see if that creaked. It did, so sent it back). Still, looks great. I think I might be shopping for something different in a couple of years time though.

[ironman31]

My Leap is doing great.

[YetAnotherDeveloper]

I noticed that i never updated this post...

I did end up with the Steelcase leap v2 and its a great chair that i would recommend it to anyone looking for something new; I would also heavily consider the Humanscale and with a only a minor difference in price its really a tough call.  I assume for the price(~$800 USD) and the warranty that these will last for years.

[TheProfosist]

Can anyone recommend a good drafting chair preferably $300 or under?