I’m looking for a chair for my home office. I spend a lot of hours there in front of the computer (sometimes, even doing things other than reading the SDMB) so it has to be comfortable and provide good back support.
I’ve heard a lot about Herman Miller chairs, but they cost around $1,000 for the better models :eek: Does anyone think they’re worth it? Would I do just as well with a $200 from Office Depot?
I love my Herman Miller Aeron, but I didn’t pay for it… Would love to know of similar but cheaper alternatives for my home office.
I use a plastic chair for a picnic table. More than being ‘good enough,’ I actively like it. It is soft, yet firm. Its back bends, so it reclines in a non-mechanical way.
My current, favorite, chair was bought on sale for $87 at Staples, another big-box stationers.
And it’s perfect in every way.
What you have to do is sit in each one. Brands mean nothing, and visual appeal is misleading.
The things to notice most are where the padding hits your back.
No chair can fit everyone. Find one where the posture pad is not so high or so firm that it actually becomes uncomfortable, or you will quickly rue the purchase.
Another thing that you can’t tell from catalogs, or even viewing in the store, is ho deep the chair really is in use. Many have seat cushions that are simply too shallow for people with long (or even average) legs. If there is no support past mid-thigh, it will be quickly tiring to sit on. You want your full legs supported, not all the weight on your tailbone and spine.
There are a lot of high quality used office chairs available, at half the cost (or less) of new, so that’s where you focus your attention.
These are some companies with reputations for making solid, durable office chairs:
Steelcase
Haworth
HON
Herman Miller
When I was shopping for a cheap, but very good, chair I checked the Yellow Pages and called 4 or 5 stores specializing in used office equipment. My standard question was if they had any office chairs with “adjustable arm rests”. That filters out 90% of the chairs. Then you can ask what brand/model/pricel those chairs are. If something sounds interesting visit the manufacturer’s Web site to see what it looks like.
Everyone has heard of Herman Miller, so you’re not going to get any huge discounts on Aerons.
I found a store selling a Haworth Improv for under $150, about one-third the retail price. Compared to the chairs at Office Depot it’s built like a tank. When I got it home, I was disappointed to discover that the seat angle wasn’t adjustable. On high end chairs there are lots of “optional” adjustments that add to the price of the basic chair.
Because the seat didn’t tilt it took my back a little time to get used to the chair. For the first 2 weeks it was uncomfortable after 5 or 6 hours, but the chair and I have long since worked out our little differences.
Here’s a link to ConsumerSearch.com
Overview of online review of office chairs
Excellent info - thanks everyone. I am going to shop around and try sitting in a bunch of them.
You actually might want to reconsider the notion of “good back support”; if you need back support, it means you should work on your posture.
If you’re looking for an inexpensive approach, you might want to think about using an exercise ball as a seat. If you’re willing to spend big bucks, something like a Bambach Saddle Seat is another possibility.