I sometimes sit in my computer chair for some hours so I need something more comfortable than what I currently have. I presume that gaming chairs tend to be designed for long term comfort, correct?
Anything I should know? Anything to look out for?
I’ve been thinking along the lines of this: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B075PRGT71/?coliid=I3TILBNEWWWWB0&colid=2VAW6GHURYDY0&psc=0&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it although I’m open to other possibilities.
I found a used office equipment place near me. They had some very nice used high end office chairs.
I bought a used/refurbished Herman Miller Aeron chair for less than half of the new price. It’s been great.
So, what’s a $1000 chair like?
I recommend actually trying out a bunch of office chairs before you choose the next one, particularly if you’re considering a high-end chair. And when you test the chair (and definitely when you buy it) adjust it to fit your dimensions and preferences. (I worked at one company where the marketing VP wanted to sit in the lotus position in his office chair.) My mother worked for the phone company for a long time and I heard a story (perhaps apocryphal) that after the company brought in hundreds of expensive new chair, that some large percentage of the staff never changed the adjustments from what they were when the chairs arrived.
There are stores, like Relax the Back, that specialize in things like ergonomic office chairs. They may be able to advise you.
Make sure that you don’t just sit in the position to which the chair invites you, and that it really can be adjusted to fit your behavior, not just your size. For example, I like to sit very close to the table, so if there are armrests I want to be able to have them below the tabletop: otherwise I end up smacking the front of the armrests against the edge of the table all the time, sitting on the edge, and then sitting back means either going into a position that’s not good for my back or scooting my ass to the back of the chair. And I’ve got very short legs: I’ve had non-adjustable office chairs which were great for my leggy, 6’4" and above male coworkers but caused actual hip pain to duckbutt, short-legged, the back of the chair is 4" behind my back, 5’5" me.
I’m a fairly heavy guy. It’s been great to have a sturdy chair that is up to my weight. The old cheapo chairs I bought at the Office Max, kept failing too quickly. The Aeron chair is sturdy, and has held up great. It really is comfortable too. I like the mesh seat for the airflow, and it is infinitely adjustable. It took me a few weeks of trying out all the adjustments to get it right, but once I did, it was really comfortable. I think it was worth it.
I’ve had a gaming chair before. Nice enough but the lifting mechanism didn’t last very long; within a year, the chair wouldn’t stay in a raised position. I now have a drafting chair with extra cushions, now it doesn’t matter how long the lifting mechanism lasts. No need to raise it!
Something to consider if you’re a big guy like myself (6’2", 280).
All of the above but don’t neglect the rest of your work space.
Monitor should be at eye level so you are not constantly looking down at it.
More importantly, make sure your work space is arranged so that your forearm is resting on the table top when using the mouse. Use your wrist and elbow to move it. I have seen too many folks pressing down on the device, often without realizing it. This leads to multiple physical issues, which often take a long time to to develop and which can be very difficult to treat.
Good luck with your search. I am a large guy and once upon a time the self appointed “safety gurus” decided I needed a new chair. In their wisdom I was allowed to pick my own. Wound up with a $1000 chair.
That was a sweet chair.
One thing I don’t like about chairs such as in the op are the tiny armrests. I want “full size” ones. E.g., the “loop” style ones that meet up with the back.
I’ve never understood those gaming chairs. See the “harness holes” in the backrest? Gaming chairs like that were borne out of a surplus of really crappy racing seats that Chinese manufacturers started churning out in the Fast & Furious days. Prior to the commercial offerings, some PC modders would buy a $100 “racing seat” on eBay and bolt it to an old office chair base, and then the manufacturers caught on, and somehow it became a thing. But they’re not good chairs, IMHO. They’re not well made.
I’ve run the gamut on office chairs over the years. For a long time I had an Aeron chair, which is nice in theory because there’s not padding to wear out. Eventually even that became miserable. Now I have a few rules of thumb:
Butt padding is paramount. While it was nice that the Aeron didn’t wear out, the spring mesh wasn’t all that forgiving. Unfortunately this means that chairs have a limited life span as the foam collapses.
Commercial chairs are way better than consumer grade chairs. Even if it’s not a Herman Miller or a Steelcase, your average used task chair from a corporate auction is going to hold up a lot better than anything from Staples.
Don’t let your body get complacent. I’ve learned over the years that no matter how nice the chair, my body will eventually hate it. I try to switch up chairs every 2-3 years now, and I’ve got a standing desk that I can use a couple hours a day to trying and mix things up. Some of my chairs have arms, some don’t. Most have been low back but not all. Change is good.
I have a hard time with computer chairs. I had just a regular, armless computer chair for years. I thought I’d like to try something plusher since I’m in it 8+ hours per day. I went to the office supply store and tried one out - it seemed perfect. I set it up and it was the worst chair (for me) ever. I’m 5’4" which I think is kind of average for a woman maybe on the short end of the spectrum, but for me to sit in the chair and have the proper back support my legs wouldn’t hit the floor. If I adjusted it lower, then it was too low for my monitor. I had to scoot forward and then my back had no support. And the arms were always banging into my desk. I gave it to one of my male co-workers and went back to my old trusty chair. It curves into my back perfectly, there are no arms to get in the way of my desk and the height is perfect.
I’ve been searching for ergonomic chairs in general and a lot of the results I got were for gaming chairs. I could certainly do without the pimping add-ons some of those chair have.
When you say “commercial chair”, you mean office chairs? I’m not all that familiar with the different kinds of office chairs one can apparently have.
I’m 5’8’’ and 150lbs so I think I’m pretty much in the middle in terms of size and weight.
If you sit in it for and hour or two a day a $200 chair might last a while but if you spend eight or more hours a day in it the $200 chair is unlikely to be whole in six months.
When I was playing online poker 10 to 14 hours a day I researched high-end chairs.
My scrawny butt didn’t like the Herman Miller Aeron at all; it seemed to be very popular with heavier people, though – and people who tend to sit ‘hot’.
The Humanscale Freedom chair was very comfortable but my cat clawed into the seat cushion and armrests and the blue goo gel kept oozing out of the holes.
I am now sitting in a Steelcase Leap (in the lotus position); I’ve had this chair for about 14 years now. Very adjustable and very comfortable. After some fiddling with the adjustments when I first got it I really never fiddle with them anymore, but I just now tried them and all the adjustments still work. It’s the chair of choice for rocket scientists – they’re the chairs you see in the NASA control room.
As for those “gaming chairs”, I’ve asked two popular Twitch streamers if they would comment on the chairs they sit in (which they got for free from the sponsoring chair company – and probably payments for showing the logo). They both just said “No.”
If you spend a lot of time in the chair a good one makes a big difference in comfort and the big initial outlay turns out to be cheaper in the long-run than buying a new cheap chair every six months (or sitting in one with a crushed flat cushion, cracked / broken or fallen off arms, and adjustments that no longer work.)
If you spend a lot of time in the chair I’d say it’s worth a trip to a place that sells the high-end chairs to try them out and see what works for you. Some models come in different sizes, too.
I have a Steelcase Leap chair at home as well (bought after having used them in the office). I can definitely recommend it, but it’s not at all cheap.
I came in to mention the Leap chair but see I’ve been beaten to the point several times. I’ve bought two of them both used and they are worth every penny.
The Version 2 is more adjustable and user friendly.
So, if I understand correctly, gaming chairs are the equivalent of rice coooker cars and PC components with RGB lighting?
The point about seeing the price of a high-end chair as something that’s amortized over several years is a good one. I think I’ll up my budget to 500 - 1000 dollars.
Similar experience here.
My office provided Aeron chairs for everyone many years ago. Always loved it. In that time, I’ve gone through several Staples/Office Depot chairs at home. Never comfortable for very long at all, not worth the money. Finally gave in about a year ago and bought an Aeron from an authorized Herman Miller online reseller, and I have not regretted the investment.
Aeron chairs are fabulous. I had one two jobs ago that I sat in for 10 years. It was still going strong when I left. At my last job we had “good” office chairs that weren’t Aeron, and it was noticeable. I now have an Aeron for home because my husband’s company was renovating and the Aerons they had weren’t compatible with the new color scheme and the employees got to take their previous chair home if they wanted.
Aeron chairs are very very very adjustable. Every little thing is adjustable. Seat pitch, seat height, seat pan depth, seat back tension, arm height, arm angle, and on and on.
And they are sturdy. (which also means they are heavy - try carrying one up a flight of stairs :D)
My current employer has Aeron chairs for some people but not all. I have only been here a few months, and they gave me an Aeron when I arrived. I didn’t complain. As someone who works at a computer all day, and has for 20 years, I need a lot of ergonomic adjustability.
As a shorter person the type of high back chair you linked to would probably be uncomfortable for me. The countouring of chairs like those always seem to be optimized for someone around 6 feet tall
I have one at home (we actually own three of them - one for me, one for my husband, and one my mother in law has) - I got it when my kids were little, they are both adults now, and it is still holding up (although the dog chewed on one of the setting knobs) - probably 15 years. Prior to the Aeron, we were buying new office chairs at $200 every other year - so its paid for itself - plus, its way better for our backs.
