I have an Aeron chair which is very comfortable. I am sure there are many others.
I loved my Aeron. Facilities changed it on me during a redecoration, wish I could get it back...
I looked into the Aeron but I'd like to spend $250 or less. I think the Aerons are $600-$800
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.)
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?
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.