Best Gaming / Office chair?

topslop1 said:
Oh I agree with you 90% of it is very sturdy and well made. I am probably 'nit picking' on it for not being super sturdy on the upper back. However.. you pay $400+ for a chair, you should be able to expect the world from it.. no?
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Yeah some of the ergo chairs can rub you like that. I spent $1100 on my Zody and it is amazing, and very well built but my gf has pretty much taken possession of it and I was looking at a Leap V2 at wholesale for ~$700. So if it doesn't work out I am going to have to do the ol` switch-a-roo with the lady and take back my old chair.

The one issue I have with purchasing from Madisonseating is the warranty. When buying through them the warranty becomes void (because Open Box) and is then enforced by Madison (which is pretty cool) but I think a large driving factor for most high end chair purchases is the incredible warranty. My Zody, for example, has a 12 year warranty. Lets just hope Madison holds up to their end of the bargain if an issue ever arises.
 
I currently sit in a custom Humanscale Freedom, bought in around 2003/2004.. but after quite a few moves and over a decade of use, it really needs replacement. I can say with some experience that a really good ergonomic chair makes all the difference, so I started looking at Hermann Miller, Steelcase, Humanscale and a few other high end ergo brands with good reputations. All seemed promising, but a user in a thread like this elsewhere on the [H] pointed me toward what, I believe to be a superior option to them all - Lifeform Chairs.

Particularly, the Lifeform Ultimate Executive. This will very likely be my next chair. Please note that all of their customizations are not listed on the website, nor are they on their VERY few reseller websites (ie RelaxTheBack is their only US chain reseller. You can kind of configure one there, but it may not have all the options on the website. For instance, the headrest on the mid back model etc. There are also some boutique non-chain stores that order them from the manufacturer for you, though. I'll likely be getting mine through one of these). According to those I've spoken with, this is the most comfortable, customizable ergo chair, beating out all the big names. Its also amongst the most healthful as far as materials are concerned - nothing that outgasses etc, and has options like CoreFlex which give the benefits of active seating/core strengthening. The only downsides are the somewhat limited availability and the price.

Depending on how much you're looking to spend, Lifeform Ultimate Executives start at around $1500 and if you want a few of the signature features, upgrades etc... you're looking at $2000 at least. If you want the best and can afford it, I encourage you to take a look at Lifeform. I figured I'd be paying well over $1000 anyway for a Herman Miller Embody and/or even another Humanscale Freedom once they were both customized with all the comfort upgrades, so I figure going a little further is warranted. If you're spending four figures for a chair you're clearly going to do your research, so dive in and get all the info you can. At least so far, I've not found anything to complete with the Lifeform Ultimate Executive in anything close to a similar price range (ie 5-figure "zero gravity" seating/desk/mounting systems for instance are a likely competition, but at that point you're not really buying a desk/gaming chair anymore!)
 
Xaeos said:
I currently sit in a custom Humanscale Freedom, bought in around 2003/2004.. but after quite a few moves and over a decade of use, it really needs replacement. I can say with some experience that a really good ergonomic chair makes all the difference, so I started looking at Hermann Miller, Steelcase, Humanscale and a few other high end ergo brands with good reputations. All seemed promising, but a user in a thread like this elsewhere on the [H] pointed me toward what, I believe to be a superior option to them all - Lifeform Chairs.

Particularly, the Lifeform Ultimate Executive. This will very likely be my next chair. Please note that all of their customizations are not listed on the website, nor are they on their VERY few reseller websites (ie RelaxTheBack is their only US chain reseller. You can kind of configure one there, but it may not have all the options on the website. For instance, the headrest on the mid back model etc. There are also some boutique non-chain stores that order them from the manufacturer for you, though. I'll likely be getting mine through one of these). According to those I've spoken with, this is the most comfortable, customizable ergo chair, beating out all the big names. Its also amongst the most healthful as far as materials are concerned - nothing that outgasses etc, and has options like CoreFlex which give the benefits of active seating/core strengthening. The only downsides are the somewhat limited availability and the price.

Depending on how much you're looking to spend, Lifeform Ultimate Executives start at around $1500 and if you want a few of the signature features, upgrades etc... you're looking at $2000 at least. If you want the best and can afford it, I encourage you to take a look at Lifeform. I figured I'd be paying well over $1000 anyway for a Herman Miller Embody and/or even another Humanscale Freedom once they were both customized with all the comfort upgrades, so I figure going a little further is warranted. If you're spending four figures for a chair you're clearly going to do your research, so dive in and get all the info you can. At least so far, I've not found anything to complete with the Lifeform Ultimate Executive in anything close to a similar price range (ie 5-figure "zero gravity" seating/desk/mounting systems for instance are a likely competition, but at that point you're not really buying a desk/gaming chair anymore!)
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Sorry bud you're getting hooped on with one of those Lifeform chairs. The marketing on there pushes towards style and when I see a sexy woman standing next to a chair.. well I know I'm about to be hooped on. Tell me something functional about them?
 


Dildo not a stabilizer butt helps you focus.

Rocking a $120 Office Max closeout with extra memory foam customized by me. Though I would prefer something larger someday.
 
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topslop1 said:
Sorry bud you're getting hooped on with one of those Lifeform chairs. The marketing on there pushes towards style and when I see a sexy woman standing next to a chair.. well I know I'm about to be hooped on. Tell me something functional about them?
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What are you on about? You mean the handful of autoscrolling images on the homepage that happen to include women? Two of the five include women in what is typical of any luxury product staging; they're tastefully dressed and standing in the background, even! There's a similarly staged shot with a man, and then the final two slides are for movies talking about the manufacturing and features of the chair and one entirely regarding CoreFlex.

The vast majority of the website has few pictures of humans and tons of information on different features of the product. Check out - http://www.lifeformchairs.com/ultimate-executive-chair/ and follow every link and this should give you more than enough information about its features and function.
 
niomosy said:
My next chair will quite likely be one of these.


Herman Miller Aeron chair.
220px-Aeron_chair_JN.jpg
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Rocking one of these bad boys right now. LOVE IT!

Best way to find one if you don't want to drop $1000 for a new one is hit up craigslist in your area. $350-600 usually. More if it's the only chair they've got and it's in good condition. Less if it's an office clearance.
 
fcuk said:
If you live in a hot climate or if you're a hot-natured person, a mesh chair would be best. On the flip side, if you fart much, the mesh won't be your best friend. ;)
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Mesh wins all day any day no matter what.

I have a Leap at work now and to me it's not nearly as good as the Aeron was at my old job. I am especially disappointed how the arm rests on the Leap wiggle and there's some play where the seat connects to the base, so there's slight rocking when changing positions. Big thumbs down for Leap (it's a new chair that was bought when I started there).
 
I still dont understand why so many people think dxracer chairs are so good. IMO they are way overpriced for what you are getting.
 
I like mine... :\

As much as I would've wanted to buy a SteelCase or Herman Miller, I couldn't justify the cost, while a $200 office chair from the office store is still going to be utter crap.

I don't really know what other brands are in the $400-500 range that is better or at least comparable, but I only did limited research when I was shopping for mine.
 
castun said:
I like mine... :\

As much as I would've wanted to buy a SteelCase or Herman Miller, I couldn't justify the cost, while a $200 office chair from the office store is still going to be utter crap.

I don't really know what other brands are in the $400-500 range that is better or at least comparable, but I only did limited research when I was shopping for mine.
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The humanscale chairs are in the $500 range and Aeron's are $700, that pretty much covers everyone.

I hated my dxracer so much that I put it up for grabs to the office (about 150 people) and not a single person liked it.
 
MrWrong said:
I still dont understand why so many people think dxracer chairs are so good. IMO they are way overpriced for what you are getting.
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rsbennett00 said:
I hated my dxracer so much that I put it up for grabs to the office (about 150 people) and not a single person liked it.
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I posted this in a similar thread -- I've had an Aeron, Embody, and DX Racer, and the DX Racer is easily my favorite. The Embody felt like sitting on a rock comparatively, but most people seem to love those. It all boils down to preference and body type.
 
I have the LEAP and I love it. I also like the Herman Miller AERON which we have at work. but the LEAP is awesome.
 
I have an AKR Racing chair, was a little expensive, but it's very comfortable. Comes with a an optional use lumbar support pillow and neck support pillow.
 
Does anyone use pads/cushions? I used to do some type of work for Intelli-gel (not work for them though) way back in the day, and i wish i could afford to license their products for some of my own product designs and ideas. But anyway, at least they used to make some gel seat cushions if they dont anymore (maybe they do still), and i wonder if anyone uses something like them. I have a competitors product but not really the too similar because of patent issues, and also my chair is way too old and definitely not good anymore. I'm looking for a better chair as well, as I think the chair/foundation is most important. But a gel cushion or something similar could be something that helps possibly.
 
Thuleman said:
Mesh wins all day any day no matter what.
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Always thought "ergonomic" chairs like mesh chairs (like the Herman Miller ones) were just popular with folks susceptible to the whole "fanboy mentality". I've never found them more comfortable than "regular" chairs and there aren't any reputable studies stating they are better than traditional chairs.

If mesh was actually more comfortable for most people you'd see them cars. My Mercedes has multi-contoured leather seats with 4-way lumbar support, bolsters, heated and ventilated seat and seat back and incredibly soft leather. No "mesh" seat i've ever sat on has been nearly as comfortable. To each his/her own though.
 
phas3d said:
Always thought "ergonomic" chairs like mesh chairs (like the Herman Miller ones) were just popular with folks susceptible to the whole "fanboy mentality". I've never found them more comfortable than "regular" chairs and there aren't any reputable studies stating they are better than traditional chairs.

If mesh was actually more comfortable for most people you'd see them cars. My Mercedes has multi-contoured leather seats with 4-way lumbar support, bolsters, heated and ventilated seat and seat back and incredibly soft leather. No "mesh" seat i've ever sat on has been nearly as comfortable. To each his/her own though.
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The Aeron's are fantastic and I have never sat in an office chair even comming close.
And I sat in at least 6 chairs that are over 500$ for more than 72 hours each.

Real leather seats are also pretty good, but they don't last as long (our Aeron's are 10 years old, used 10 hours/day and they still look/work great). A leather chair makes you sweat when it's warm in the office and is a lot more work to maintain. A good one is also easily above 1000$.
 
phas3d said:
Always thought "ergonomic" chairs like mesh chairs (like the Herman Miller ones) were just popular with folks susceptible to the whole "fanboy mentality". I've never found them more comfortable than "regular" chairs and there aren't any reputable studies stating they are better than traditional chairs.

If mesh was actually more comfortable for most people you'd see them cars. My Mercedes has multi-contoured leather seats with 4-way lumbar support, bolsters, heated and ventilated seat and seat back and incredibly soft leather. No "mesh" seat i've ever sat on has been nearly as comfortable. To each his/her own though.
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Isn't it hard to set your PC up in the mercedes?
 
phas3d said:
Always thought "ergonomic" chairs like mesh chairs (like the Herman Miller ones) were just popular with folks susceptible to the whole "fanboy mentality". I've never found them more comfortable than "regular" chairs and there aren't any reputable studies stating they are better than traditional chairs.

If mesh was actually more comfortable for most people you'd see them cars. My Mercedes has multi-contoured leather seats with 4-way lumbar support, bolsters, heated and ventilated seat and seat back and incredibly soft leather. No "mesh" seat i've ever sat on has been nearly as comfortable. To each his/her own though.
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Comparing a Task Chair to a vehicle chair? :confused:

My floating pool lounge chair is fantastic but I wouldn't necessarily compare it to my Leap or Zody....

Ryan7968 said:
Isn't it hard to set your PC up in the mercedes?
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lol. :D
 
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phas3d said:
Always thought "ergonomic" chairs like mesh chairs (like the Herman Miller ones) were just popular with folks susceptible to the whole "fanboy mentality". I've never found them more comfortable than "regular" chairs and there aren't any reputable studies stating they are better than traditional chairs.

If mesh was actually more comfortable for most people you'd see them cars. My Mercedes has multi-contoured leather seats with 4-way lumbar support, bolsters, heated and ventilated seat and seat back and incredibly soft leather. No "mesh" seat i've ever sat on has been nearly as comfortable. To each his/her own though.
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Ventilated is the key word there. My ass is hot and I'm not aware of a non-mesh chair with AC.
 
phas3d said:
Always thought "ergonomic" chairs like mesh chairs (like the Herman Miller ones) were just popular with folks susceptible to the whole "fanboy mentality". I've never found them more comfortable than "regular" chairs and there aren't any reputable studies stating they are better than traditional chairs.

If mesh was actually more comfortable for most people you'd see them cars. My Mercedes has multi-contoured leather seats with 4-way lumbar support, bolsters, heated and ventilated seat and seat back and incredibly soft leather. No "mesh" seat i've ever sat on has been nearly as comfortable. To each his/her own though.
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Leather for less than an hour or two and mostly leisure like movie watching.
Mesh for more than 2-3 hours of sitting.
 
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The leap chairs are awesome. I have one at home. It's been heavily used and still keeps on going and feels comfortable. I used to go through "officemax" chairs every year or 2 because the padding would go out. Leap chair is 9 years old now and still going strong. I even got it used off eBay back then. So it's v1 or whatever, I think now they are on v2.

In terms of mesh vs not. I have mesh back chairs and work and it's been fine. I think it might sit a litter cooler than my leap, but it's hard to tell. Work is always MFing cold and my house is MFing hot usually. It's central texas and when I'm paying the AC bill, I cut corners :). A nice mesh chair should hold up well though. Also there are plenty of cars with "mesh" It's call perforated leather and I've had 2 cars with them as it enables cooled seats (a god send in texas). So while somebody's mercedes doesn't have them, they are in numerous luxury and non luxury cars that do.
 
Anyone looking for a new chair should really visit an actual office supply store. Not an officedepot/max/staples but a real store. They have demo chairs you can borrow for a time, like a week, to get a feel for it before making a decision. Obviously they aren't going to have bottom barrel chairs like dxracers but no one should be buying those for serious sitting.
 
The Embody Chair by Herman Miller is one of the most comfortable chair out there .
First, for all the computer users out there, sometimes finding a comfortable sitting position is difficult, but with this chair there are six ergonomic functions that allow you to adjust for the most beneficial and healthy posture for sitting. This function takes pressure off the spine, which is one of the main causes for pain and discomfort when sitting. Also, a specially designed material on the office chair allows it to breathe properly and the air to circulate, keeping you cool no matter how long you sit.

With the pixilated support, you’ll have the sense of floating and remaining perfectly balanced from the moment you sit down, because the Embody seat and back automatically conforms to your micro movements and distributes your weight evenly, relieving pressure, and promotes circulation and oxygen flow to allow you to concentrate and provide an increased thought process.

Other benefits include height adjustment, seat depth adjustment, and the motions of the armrest fit a variety of ranges. By all means, a very comfortable chair.
 
naticus said:
No, those are not good chairs. for the price of a Kings series Dxracer you could get a used Leap/Aeron or some of the newer Officemaster products like the OM5.

Why would you choose this

yj4b.jpg


over this

zj4b.jpg
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IMO, they both look silly. Who wants a yellow chair?

My DXRacer is all black (with red stitching). I do like it. I'm surprised how much I like it, in spite of the way it looks. I like the removable lumbar support (I'm currently using it), and I love the headrest. I really love the adjustability. For some reason, this chair keeps me sitting in a much more upright position than any of the chairs like the other one you showed. I've sat in a lot of those in hotels and conference rooms. I do have one gripe about my DXRacer though. I've got a Max, as it's the perfect size for my height, and the cushion on the seat bottom is too firm. It's fine for a couple of hours, but gets uncomfortable if sitting in it all day. The irony is that the Max is supposed to be an "office chair" as opposed to a gamer chair. It's, by far, the most comfortable desk chair I've sat in.
 
After an exhaustive search through all sorts of ergonomic seating options, from the Hermann Miller Embody, to Steelcase Leap (and others), to Humanscale Freedom - my previous chair - I finally settled on one I feel to be superior to them all: The Lifeform Ultimate Executive. Lifeform Chairs is a boutique Canadian company that makes luxury ergonomic seating - Lifeform Chairs | . For a long time their website wasn't too informative given all the additional features and whatnot, but they recently upgraded. Lifeform chairs are incredibly customizable, and in fact all their customizations are not listed on the website - even the new one. That's why it is imperative to buy one from a really knowledgeable reseller, who will (physically or on the phone) measure you, offer an interview of sorts to help pick what options are best for you, and ultimately get you the best chair for your money, to your specifications. I've tried just about all other major, and a few boutique brands/car seats, and I can easily say Lifeform chairs are by far the best (in the sub $10,000 class anyway.)

Would anyone be interested in a full review? Pictorial or video?
 
MavericK said:
Starts at $2k? Far too rich for my blood.
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Well, they are pricey its true, but I think in this case you're paying for quality. Most other ergonomic seating options, including those like the Hermann Miller Embody / Eames , the Humanscale Freedom (the latter was my previous chair for more than 10 years, and is still one of the better ones out there) and others in the high end ergonomic seating class, you'll easily be paying upward of $1000-1500 especially if you trick it out with all the comfort/feature items (way more if you pay for aesthetic-only like real leather, wood bases etc.. atop the functional features) so by that point I figure its worth it. This is to say nothing for things like these - https://www.relaxtheback.com/office/ergonomic-chairs/vaya-office-chair-standard.html - https://www.relaxtheback.com/office/ergonomic-chairs/vaya-office-chair-special-edition.html - Which are often no better than chairs in the $1000 range but for one reason or another cost astronomically more (and yes, I did sit in one of the Vaya at another vendor, and a $5000 Italian designed aluminum frame ergonomic chair which was more flash than substance).

Lifeform also offers a variety of lower cost chairs, besides their Executive models. The ones tagged "Management" tier are often in the $1000 range and do way more than most others I've found at that range, too, so there are options for those who don't want to go for the Executives. One thing to note, that there are base prices for a variety of different fabric types (and lots of fabrics of each type), but then there are paid upgrades to their chair itself that vary based on the individual model; these are both of the aesthetic only (ie wood or aluminum base etc) or functional (headrest, seat upgrades etc..). So you can build what you seek and what is affordable for you.
 
Perhaps...but the basic model for $2,000 doesn't even come with real leather, that's another $1,000 addon. For the kind of money that the base model costs, I would expect real leather to be honest.

Glad you are happy with your purchase, it does look like a nice chair, I just couldn't see dropping that kind of money on one.
 
I been using the same Pc chair since 1999. Executive, full flat no tilt (seat actually slides forward as back goes back - independent of arm rests so arm rests stay at same height ) Actually found in the dumpster area of the office building i worked in at the time! Actually it was a really expensive type chair. It has a kink noise when it turns and that is the only reason i can think they tossed it. Was basically mint otherwise.

For a long time i could never find or see another chair like it. The padding on the arms is basically flat now after thousands of hours and over 16 years of use. I use two folded throw blankets for padding the arm rests as well as one for sitting on. lol.
For along time i thought maybe i just have it refurbished. But recently looking i found this. This is close to mine though mine is better, this one looks to be much more hard stuffed. And mine is without the useless looking footrest thing that i would probably just remove. Also mine goes basically full flat Amazon.com: 680 Reclining Office Chair: Kitchen & Dining
Shows zero capabilities of the chair. But this dude will uncomfortably show you it's features.


Similar Amazon.com: VIVA OFFICE Reclining Office Chair, High Back Bonded Leather Chair with Footrest- Viva08501: Kitchen & Dining
Arm rests are too high and arched which i do not like, otherwise looks nice built.

These are the only way to go imo for pc at home. Gaming especially.
 
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You know what? I was tested about 7 different chairs. I had a lot of problems with my back because of my work with computer (about 8 hours every day). One time I visited doctor and he said that's because I trying to save on my chair (which is my primary tool in work). And it's true. If you are gamer or work with PC you HAVE TO get good chair for proper price. Not the shitty one for $50 or something. I even decided to create blog for people who have problem with pain because of the chairs: Work With Pleasure - tips, advices, best chairs reviews Some of my reviews about the chairs, tips, etc. Hope it help some people.
 
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