Best computer chair for work (gaming chairs work too)

EndersShadow

As title implies, what’s a good computer work chair?

Must:
- Swivel
- Have arms
- Tilt
- Be somewhat ergonomic
- Good lumbar support
- Not cost an arm and a leg

rooftop59

How much does an arm and a leg go for these days?!!

txcoastal1

rooftop59 wrote: »

How much does an arm and a leg go for these days?!!

They're up 30%...

Dan even same brand names are each a little different

The better ones are in the $200-250 range but even the 300-400 ones only last about the same couple years or so

I end up buying 2 every couple years. I choose 2 different ones as I have a couple desks

I pick my favorite for the mancave desk where I sit at most

EndersShadow

Lol let’s put a better number on this.

Lets say under 150 on the low end, 175 on the high end.

This is for my “work from home” chair, so it needs to be comfy lol…

My butt is in it for far longer than it should be .

txcoastal1

I sometimes go to JoAnn's and grab a chair pad or 2 and a pillow cases at target to modify the lower back and me arse

BlueFox

EndersShadow wrote: »

Lets say under 150 on the low end, 175 on the high end.

You probably won’t get anything durable or comfortable for that price. When I was working one day it occurred to me that my office chair had probably been used for years, but was still in good shape and comfortable. So I bought one maybe 6-7 years ago, and it is still great.

Also, as a software engineer I sat in that work chair 8-12 hours a day.

Check out Herman Miller.

https://seatingmind.com/herman-miller-aeron-chair-basic-size-b-black/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIwePag7nO9QIVlT6tBh00WwJNEAQYASABEgKxYfD_BwE

VR3

I'm running the secret lab omega... Easily the best computer chair I've owned. Well built, comfortable, very adjustable

https://secretlab.co/collections/omega-series#omega_2020_softweave-black3

ZLTFUL

VR3 wrote: »

I'm running the secret lab omega... Easily the best computer chair I've owned. Well built, comfortable, very adjustable

https://secretlab.co/collections/omega-series#omega_2020_softweave-black3

Yup. I spent the last few years with a chair I loved that was "cheap" at $280 from a local furniture store. It was nice perforated leather (cheap leather but real leather) and the seat is still the most comfortable office chair I have had. But the back started to really impact my comfort level after I fractured my L2/L3 before the holidays.

My wife was shopping for a new desk chair and found one she loved at Office Depot. Adjustable seat depth, nice adjustment for lumbar and arms. She has been giddy with her new chair.
While we were there, I tried out a few and ended up having her order me the high-backed version of the same chair she got. I like a headrest. I sat in the chair she ordered for me at the store and liked it.
Well, after having it home for a few weeks, I realized that while I loved the backrest of the chair, I absolutely abhorred the seating surface.

Unfortunately, I had already pitched the box and Office Depot would not accept it as a return without the packaging.

Fortunately, I was able to post it up on Facebook Marketplace for $50 less than we paid.

My search for a chair was back on. Long story short, I needed something with the seat surface of my old chair with the backrest of the new chair.

Enter the SecretLab Titan Evo 2022 XL in Cookies & Cream Softweave.
https://secretlab.co/products/titan-evo-2022-series?sku=XL22SW-CnC


This thing is AMAZING. Not too firm, not too soft. Massively adjustable lumbar support, tilt, recline, cruise (only thing I changed is to put a set of "roller blade" style casters on it from Amazon because I like the smoother roll of the softer wheels on my Italian Walnut flooring).
The arms are amazingly adjustable and you can swap out the armrest material for a softer "gel" type by simply pulling the original ones off and popping the new ones on (magnets!).

There is a reason that good chairs cost a lot. It really is an investment especially for those of us in the IT world that spend a lot of time sitting in front of screen.

Even the knock-off Herman Miller styled chairs are more expensive for a reason.

Better materials, proper support firmness (soft, cushy chairs are a death sentence for long term sitting), adjustability, etc.

I will say that the ROG/IKEA collaboration chair gets some good feedback and is relatively cheap in the world of office seating.
https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/matchspel-gaming-chair-bomstad-white-60507614/#content
But you also are giving up adjustability and overall build quality for the lower cost.

Anyway, I don't know if I was much help. I do have a chair that is a Herman Miller Aeron knock-off that I still have in the garage for doing sit down work at the work bench. You can have it but I am not shipping it. It would be a great improvement over a Walmart or cheap Amazon chair.

I would also suggest checking out local office surplus companies. Indy Surplus Liquidators (east side and SE side of the city) or Office Furniture Mart (South side) would be good places to start if you want to go that route.

Nightfall

Herman Miller is creme de la creme.

Maybe someday.

EndersShadow

Whelp you have all made great cases for spending arms, legs, feet and maybe an ear.

Can’t argue with the logic there.

I’m gonna see if I can get work to purchase me one of the standard ones which are Herman Miller IIRC…. Then I can spend THEIR whole body lol…

I’m also going to checkout those surplus places too….

Emlyn

Steelcase are a bit less expensive than Herman Miller but a really good one's still around $1K. Although I used to use Aeron type chairs in the office I never really did like them much. The lumbar support, adjustability, cushion durability, and parts quality on a real office chair is superb.

treitz3

BlueFox wrote: »

EndersShadow wrote: »

Lets say under 150 on the low end, 175 on the high end.

You probably won’t get anything durable or comfortable for that price.

Agreed on that one. I consider those disposable chairs because I go through them too quickly. I finally broke down and got me a nice one with real leather and I've had it about a year now. Still looks and feels new (and this is about the time they normally get replaced).

https://www.zurifurniture.com/office/gates-office-chair?gclid=Cj0KCQiArt6PBhCoARIsAMF5wahVrUuzMO9noCbZ6knWJhR2mzX7U9anPGBIZ_a6FaPX3sZxPLNXE-QaAjF-EALw_wcB

Mine is cream color and I have no complaints. It fits "me" and I haven't had the need to repair or even adjust anything since the day I got it. During certain times of the year, you can catch them on sale and get free shipping. FWIW (I know this is out of your price range)

The sales must go on at Christmas time because my invoice stated I bought it on 1/1 and got it shipped to my door for about $530.

Tom

Willow

2 Milk crates and one of grandma's doilies

VR3

Willow wrote: »

2 Milk crates and one of grandma's doilies

Is what you should use until saved up to get a good one. You will be fifty chairs that cost 100 bucks until you save up for that one 400 to 500 dollar chair

SIHAB

VR3's chair is on sale 40 bucks off.
Hmmm.

pitdogg2

EndersShadow wrote: »

Must:
- Swivel
- Have arms
- Tilt
- Be somewhat ergonomic
- Good lumbar support
- Not cost an arm and a leg

Hmmm, This sounds more like one of those folks you hire for a "good time" ......

WLDock

EndersShadow wrote: »

Lol let’s put a better number on this.

Lets say under 150 on the low end, 175 on the high end.

This is for my “work from home” chair, so it needs to be comfy lol…

My butt is in it for far longer than it should be .

Emlyn wrote: »

Steelcase are a bit less expensive than Herman Miller but a really good one's still around $1K.

Here's my longwinded story about work chairs....

Back in '07-'09 the company I was with had different brands of chairs as they purchased whatever was cheap over the years. I sat on a $65 Ikea chair for at least a couple of years. Then the director talked about getting better chairs and had some office furniture reps drop off some demos. We ended up not getting anything as he didn't like any of them.

Eventually, I got sick of the uncomfortable Ikea and started submitting suggestions about ergonomics and such. I researched Herman Miller, Steelcase, etc. I offered a suggestion to the director to try out the Ergohuman chairs https://ergohuman.com/



The decision makers were dragging their feet so I went to my manager with my ergonomic concerns. I was allotted ~$200-$250 dept. cash to get a chair for myself. I searched high and low and the most sturdy chair I could find with several adjustments was the:

Office Star Pro Grid model 92893 High Back Managers Chair with Adjustable Arms, Multi-Function and Seat Slider .

It can be purchased from different stores but Amazon sells it for $179
https://www.amazon.com/Office-Star-FreeFlex-Adjustable-Multi-Function/dp/B00450P182?ref_=ast_sto_dp
https://youtu.be/Ti7bEDtuhvM

Around that same year the company announced we were moving from MI to IN which happened the Fall of 2012. They sold off all the old furniture to employees and I purchased the Office Star chair for my desk at home.

We moved into the new Indiana office with all new Steelcase furniture.


The pricey Steelcase chairs were fine but some didn't like them. After about a year many were not too happy with the supportiveness. As of 2021, I'm no longer with that company and work in a 100% remote role these days.

My work at home Office Star chair is still going strong after about ten years!

dromunds

Good story, thanks for the info.