Office chair recommendations
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WhoDaresWins
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I have an Aeron chair which is very comfortable. I am sure there are many others.
Rambler
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I loved my Aeron. Facilities changed it on me during a redecoration, wish I could get it back...
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W2R
Moderator Emeritus
I lost my terrific chair in a redecoration, too. When we renovated while repairing the Katrina damage, we went to a modular system and new, identical chairs.
I had "inherited" my previous terrific chair from a scientist who got it by documenting a back problem, and then left a few years later. It was wonderful but I don't remember the brand - - not an Aeron. I don't know what ever became of it.
In my agency, everyone has to have identical chairs unless you can document a health condition that requires something different.
Our standard chair (a Steelcase Leap) causes me all sorts of aches and pains so I wouldn't recommend it. Being 61 doesn't help.
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I looked into the Aeron but I'd like to spend $250 or less. I think the Aerons are $600-$800
W2R
Moderator Emeritus
Why not shop for a chair and sit in various ones? I wouldn't want to buy an office chair that I had never tried out, that's for sure.
At my desk at home, I have a Louis XIV style chair (imitation, obviously) that is upholstered in ivory leather and was meant as a side chair. It isn't really an office chair and doesn't have the wheels or anything, but I like it. I don't spend 9+ hours/day sitting in it, though.
CoolChange
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I have been looking for something that matches the Aeron (definitely comfort, ideally quality) for a reasonable amount of money for at least a couple of years with no luck. I do spend 8-12 hours a day during the week (on the days I am actually at home) in my office chair; so, I'm sure the cost/benefit analysis for the Aeron would work for me. But, I just can't force myself to drop that kind of cash on a chair. (I'm still wishing I had picked one or two up back in the early dot com bust days when they were being auctioned off at a small fraction of retail price. But, I did not realize how nice the chairs nor was I spending as much time in my home office back then.)
freebird5825
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Ah, a subject near and not dear to my upper body. I developed RSI (repetitive strain injury) over 25 years of sitting in chairs at desks that were not "fit" to my physical dimensions.
As W2R said, the best thing to do is document your back (or elsewhere) problems, get the OK to get a different chair for the w*rkplace, then go hit the stores in person. Your employer may even pay for it.
I found that the more adjustments the chair had, the better I could fit it to my body dimensions. Mine had a full back support, not the half ones that are so popular. I removed the short curved rubber arm rests, which were putting pressure on my forearms and elbows. A tilting seat pan (where you sit) is a critical element.
I would definitely recommend the ones that have the adjustable lumbar support (thumbwheel activated). I added some soft eggshell foam (2" thick) to the back of my chair to alleviate upper body (scapular region) aches.
This is very similar to the one I had.
http://www.ergostoreonline.com/np8000.html
I'm going to try before I buy. I think it's kind of tough to test drive a chair and predict how it's going to feel after 8 hours so I really appreciate all the responses. It will definitely give me a few things to look out for.
I feel similar about spending that much on a chair, especially since I'll only be spending about ~15 hours a week in it. I wonder if there are any imitations of the aero that work well?
Thanks for the advice. I'll keep my eye out for one with a thumbwheel activated lumbar support. This chair will be for my home...but my chair at work isn't the best either. If I can find a decent one, maybe I'll put in a request for it or if it's not too expensive pay for it out of my pocket.
freebird5825
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Add my vote to the Aeron club. Never found an imitation-- the screen-mesh seat & back are difficult to assemble, don't last long if done cheaply, and usually don't have warranty support.
We have two Aerons in our house, each with the lumbar support add-on. We bought them from a Craigslist seller who was so eager to leave the islands that I thought she'd broken into her boyfriend's house and was selling all his stuff. Still not sure.
$450 each, but by far the best money I'll ever drop on a chair. Amazing warranty support-- when a bearing finally wore out in one chair, the manufacturer actually sent an office-equipment tech out to our house(!) to fix both of them on our front lanai. They only wanted to know the chair's serial numbers and they could've cared less about who originally bought them or how long ago. I spend up to 12 hours a day at our computer desk, and the Aeron is the only chair I've ever had that has never given me a sore back. And unlike any other chair I've ever owned, during Kona weather I don't end up soaking my clothes and sitting in a puddle of sweat.
I was pretty skeptical when spouse ordered us to drive "all the way to Hawaii Kai" to look at them, but she's spent serious time on the military's PACOM HQ watch floor. Their entire floor (over 120 stations) is equipped with Aerons, and she says it's the only chair she's ever been able to sit in for a 12-hour watch.
After 20 years in the submarine force I'm pretty easy to please with creature comforts and I don't maintain a high standard of living. I certainly don't get passionate about furniture, but I appreciate a finely crafted tool. I have a reputation of being somewhat frugal, perhaps even cheap, but these chairs have been well worth the money. I'd even pay retail.
Craigslist or, if you're near a military base, the Defense Reutilization Management Office (DRMO). Or, heck, ask the retail outlet if they'll let you test-drive it at your desk for a couple days.
I tried out the Aeron today. I was very impressed. I'm surprised they don't make more chairs (especially airline seats) with better lumber support. I'm not sure if I want to spend that much on a chair but if I can find a good deal I might jump on it. I think Herman Miller offers a 10 year warranty so I figure if I keep the chair for 10 years it would be worth it.
mickeyd
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
My current home office chair that I'm in now cost me $8 @ Goodwill. There is a small rub/rip on the leather arm rest. I hardly notice it. It's a regular $4-500 chair that is sold at many office products stores.
LBYM
LBYM
Sarah in SC
Moderator Emeritus
I sit in a Herman Miller. My boss...sigh...has an Aeron. Mine is fine for me, but I'm young and spry. Were I to have any back troubles, then I'd be first in line harping on him every day to get me one of the ones like he has.
I think if you've got troubles, you'd be well advised to really check out the Aeron--it is the difference between pain and no pain for him. Otherwise, the basic Herman Miller secretarial chair (with arms is what I've got) is just fine.
I think if you've got troubles, you'd be well advised to really check out the Aeron--it is the difference between pain and no pain for him. Otherwise, the basic Herman Miller secretarial chair (with arms is what I've got) is just fine.
FinallyRetired
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What is it with Aeron? Where I used to w--k the office got Aeron chairs for everyone, and everyone loved them except me. For some reason it felt confining, too hard, and very uncomfortable. I refused to use it, and was told that there was no other option.
So I put it out in the hallway, went down to Office Max, and brought in one of those cushioned office chairs that swivel, for about $200. Worked fine, and emphasized my non-conformist ways, which is probably another reason I no longer w--k there or anywhere
Midpack
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
I've had an Aeron in my office for about 10 years. As expensive as it was (I bought it when I was younger/stupider), there's nothing else like it. When I retire, the chair is coming home with me (seriously).
WhoDaresWins
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My Aeron chair is at home and was a gift. I sit in a standard issue office chair at work, and it is just fine. I don't have back problems and could sit on a wooden chair all day for what it's worth. I have enough natural padding.
Maybe it's a matter what I've been missing. After years of submarine "VIP seating" and government-rejected office furniture, the Aeron feels great.
FinallyRetired
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You mean you didn't have these bad boys? You were in the wrong service
Chair in the Launch Control Center (LCC) on Flickr - Photo Sharing!
Yeah, I was definitely in the wrong place. My first supervisor's chair was actually a stool, although later we "upgraded" to a model with a back-support cushion. Even then, dozing off was extremely hazardous to your health.You mean you didn't have these bad boys? You were in the wrong service
Chair in the Launch Control Center (LCC) on Flickr - Photo Sharing!
We had a Defense Nuclear Surety Inspection early in my boomer career. An Air Force major was sitting in our missile control center observing the action during a simulated launch. The casualty drill scenario required the Weapons Officer's presence, so he handed the launch key to his Senior Chief Fire Control Technician (Ballistic) MCC supervisor, said "You're in charge here, I'll be at tube 14", and took off for the scene of the problem.
The AF major had been a bit surprised to see a mere Navy lieutenant squeezing off the ICBMs, and he was a lot more surprised to see the launch key go to an E-8. Searching for a way to probe whether this was standard practice (yes) or a monumental screwup (not this time), he ventured a conversation-starting comment: "You know, Senior Chief, in the Air Force the job you're doing now is usually handled by a major."
The Senior Chief deadpanned "Sir, if I'd joined the Air Force I'd be a major."
The inspection was pretty much over at that point. But we passed.
FinallyRetired
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