Best Sub $200 Computer Chair?

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Macadami

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Oct 21, 2004
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Yesterday was a horrible day, the unthinkable, unfathomable, and just plain unbelievable occurred....my Ak Designs Octane chair had 2 wheels break off with seemingly no way to repair it. This chair is simply the best I have ever owned in comfort and build quality, lasted 5 years and there isn't a tear, a scuff in the arm rests or anything.....except that i flip over when i try to sit in it now :[

I'm afraid if i go by simply 'office chair' reviews I will be let down, because a chair used for gaming isn't the same. I lean back in, i prop my feet up sometimes, and even more importantly it's on carpet right now (it had those huge nice rubber rollers, not the cheap looking black kind)

So as popular as this chair was (company is out of business and none on amazon or ebay) I'm hoping some [H]ard member has went through the same trouble or atleast knows of a good chair to direct me to.

I paid around $80 brand new for this chair, and like i've said it's just been wonderful. I just got a new headset and a 5770 yesterday to play BC2 with so I'd really like to keep a new chair under $200. Looking for similar chairs in design and with the roller's I'm used to seem to put me way over budget...$1200 for one I saw that'd look like a decent replacement, and i simply cannot spend that much.

Any advice will be much appreciated.
 
BobyTT said:
I just got this one

http://www.officedepot.com/a/products/416538/NASCAR-High-Back-Bonded-Leather-Chair/

Its pretty comfortable and there is a coupon for another 30$ off.
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I'm afraid leather would get too hot, maybe I'm not a typical gamer but some days I spend 5-6 hours in the chair just killing bitches in BC2. My old chair had some kinda mesh over padding. I'm never owned a leather computer chair, so it may indeed work fine though.


And the above guy who told me to break off the other three....well I've got it propped up ontop of an old altec lansing computer subwoofer atm.
 
Wait, people actually buy gaming chairs? :p Just go to your local shop and buy a good office chair. The good ones are designed to be used for many hours on end, coz, ya know, some people actually work all day ;)
 
Check craigslist and see if you can get an Aeron chair for that price. Usually they resell for $300-$500, but sometimes you see them in the $200. It's a fantastic chair.
 
a leather chair wont' get you hot . . . i lol'd

i had a nice nice nice!! leather chair, it worn out over time though which is unfortunate.

What's funny was when it broke I had to put it out on my lawn, like a few hours later as I leave for work, it was gone, someone literally decided to drive by and take my broken chair LOL

probably someone who knew how to fix it up very well.

if you really love that chair, i'd see a professional about repairing it, it might be cheaper in the long run.
 
I've been using a microfiber chair by Lane for the past few years and it's been great.
 
Tolyngee said:
Break off the remaining three...

Yes, I'm serious, and have done it before...
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Exactly what I thought. That or see if there's a way to order new ones.

OP: If you only paid $80 for it 5 years ago, you got your money's worth and just go to Office Depot. You'll find SOMETHING there.
 
Macadami said:
Yesterday was a horrible day, the unthinkable, unfathomable, and just plain unbelievable occurred....my Ak Designs Octane chair had 2 wheels break off with seemingly no way to repair it. This chair is simply the best I have ever owned in comfort and build quality, lasted 5 years and there isn't a tear, a scuff in the arm rests or anything.....except that i flip over when i try to sit in it now :[

I'm afraid if i go by simply 'office chair' reviews I will be let down, because a chair used for gaming isn't the same. I lean back in, i prop my feet up sometimes, and even more importantly it's on carpet right now (it had those huge nice rubber rollers, not the cheap looking black kind)

So as popular as this chair was (company is out of business and none on amazon or ebay) I'm hoping some [H]ard member has went through the same trouble or atleast knows of a good chair to direct me to.

I paid around $80 brand new for this chair, and like i've said it's just been wonderful. I just got a new headset and a 5770 yesterday to play BC2 with so I'd really like to keep a new chair under $200. Looking for similar chairs in design and with the roller's I'm used to seem to put me way over budget...$1200 for one I saw that'd look like a decent replacement, and i simply cannot spend that much.

Any advice will be much appreciated.
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Appears to be a common issue with the AK chairs. I own 2 of them, and the one that had the plastic cover on the floor started breaking the housing where the wheels were inserted. The one directly on carpet, no problem.
I was able to get a hold of the customer service person (company was aquired by another and the only original person left) around November, they still had some spare parts on hand, and sent me a replacement leg housing. Keep in mind it was a PITA to get off. I ended up using a dremel and it wasn't fun.
Let me know if you want the contact information. Personally I'm looking to replace the chair in the next year or two. When it originally broke, and was having trouble finding a replacement, I tested out a few chairs and most if not all of them were more comfortable. Can't blame the AK, but mine is also 5 years old and I'm sure the padding is shot by now.
 
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Fail said:
a leather chair wont' get you hot . . . i lol'd
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Haven't had a leather chair before but how different is it from a normal cloth padded one? It's the middle of summer now and i actually went back to my monoblock coz the padded highback one was too hot.:(


As for the OP, couldn't you buy a used chair and screw those legs as replacements?
 
Let's see some pics of the damage, maybe I can think of a way to McGyver those puppies back on.
 
A good chair means a lot, especially to PC enthusiasts!

I went out to Best Buy a few years ago and bought a really nice sub $200 chair. I do not remember the brand, but when i get home I can get it.

As many of the other members have said, just go to any of the office stores. They should have something your rear likes :)
 
I have a nice chair I bought at Office Depot for around $100 or less. Go there in person or any place you want to buy a chair from, check them out, sit in the chairs and feel them and you should be able to make a good choice for yourself.
 
Currently I'm using Herman Miller Mirra. Got it on sale for $600.I think it has like 12 year warranty.

Considering that my previous chairs bought for ~150 from office depot and the like did not last more than few years each, I consider my new chair a good investment.

Mirra has a mesh seat and back, so there are no more sweaty balls or itchy back. :D
 
Have you looked at a thrift store? I got my executive chair for 7$ and I love it to death.
 
ashmelev75 said:
Currently I'm using Herman Miller Mirra. Got it on sale for $600.I think it has like 12 year warranty.

Considering that my previous chairs bought for ~150 from office depot and the like did not last more than few years each, I consider my new chair a good investment.

Mirra has a mesh seat and back, so there are no more sweaty balls or itchy back. :D
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OMG I laughed hard...so true though
 
Fantasysage said:
Let's see some pics of the damage, maybe I can think of a way to McGyver those puppies back on.
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Being completely honest i tried some of that Magic Putty stuff you see on TV (girlfriend sells it at CVS) and it did hold for about an hour til i tried to roll back with it.

I may do what a lot of you are saying and just go try out a few...I just hate to sit in Office depot for 5 hours rolling back and forth and tilting it back to test it out, because the last thing i want is to come home with a chair that sucks.

Gaming chairs = serious business.
 
I read this post and it got me thinking... I run 4 PC's at home and have my own leather office chair.. it was like $50 I bought years ago and it's more or less junk. So I find staples actually has a sale right now on office chairs.. I go on there and find this chair-

http://www.staples.com/Staples-Haydn-Black-Fabric-Task-Chair/product-nr_725508

I use this exact chair at my work and sit in it everyday for about 8 hours, some days back a couple years ago 10 hours when we had 4 day work weeks! I just ordered this and two of the $40 chairs for my friends.. nice replacement over the folding chairs with padding I currently have.. came to $170 after tax + free shipping.
 
Aehs01 said:
I read this post and it got me thinking... I run 4 PC's at home and have my own leather office chair.. it was like $50 I bought years ago and it's more or less junk. So I find staples actually has a sale right now on office chairs.. I go on there and find this chair-

http://www.staples.com/Staples-Haydn-Black-Fabric-Task-Chair/product-nr_725508

I use this exact chair at my work and sit in it everyday for about 8 hours, some days back a couple years ago 10 hours when we had 4 day work weeks! I just ordered this and two of the $40 chairs for my friends.. nice replacement over the folding chairs with padding I currently have.. came to $170 after tax + free shipping.
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See i'm afraid of the rollers on chairs like that on carpet, i could get one of those gigantic clear plastic things, but the rollers on the Ak moved smooth and caused no damage.
 
The plastic mats are well worth the extra $15-20 if you have to deal with carpet.

I got my last chair at Costco. They usually only have 1 or 2 to chose from at any given time, but I've always liked the choices (and can't beat their return policy).
 
Yeah, that's an option.. I didn't even think about the carpet.. to me all it does is slow down my movement rolling the chair around the room. The one I have at home uses similar rollers. It has been in the same spot for years and I don't notice any real 'damage' to the carpet.
 
Aehs01 said:
Yeah, that's an option.. I didn't even think about the carpet.. to me all it does is slow down my movement rolling the chair around the room. The one I have at home uses similar rollers. It has been in the same spot for years and I don't notice any real 'damage' to the carpet.
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Same here. I don't like the look of the plastic mats or how they feel on my feet.

I too am in the market for a mesh style desk chair. My fo leather one has seen better days and gets way to hot in the summer.
 
zoom99 said:
Have you looked at a thrift store? I got my executive chair for 7$ and I love it to death.
Click to expand...

Would you buy a used toothbrush?

No? Then don't buy a used chair that's had someone's sweaty, naked ass planted on it for the last few years...

Fail said:
What's funny was when it broke I had to put it out on my lawn, like a few hours later as I leave for work, it was gone, someone literally decided to drive by and take my broken chair LOL

probably someone who knew how to fix it up very well.
Click to expand...

I know where my furniture's been. I don't discard furniture unless it's in a state where it's now unusable.

I do this to save someone else from themselves. I know where my furniture's been, and believe me, you don't want it, and I certainly don't want you to be in my filth.


Put a white cloth over your furniture. Don't wash it for a year. At year's end, you'll want to burn it...
 
I am getting tired of having to replace my chair every year or more. It always seem the foam padding disapears after a while and they get really uncomfortable. Granted I been buying sub $100 Wal-Mart specials.
I am currently in the market for an afordable chair for my fat ass (6ft. 285lbs) that will last longer then a year, and I will gladly pay more if it will last me.
 
Tolyngee said:
Would you buy a used toothbrush?

No? Then don't buy a used chair that's had someone's sweaty, naked ass planted on it for the last few years...



I know where my furniture's been. I don't discard furniture unless it's in a state where it's now unusable.

I do this to save someone else from themselves. I know where my furniture's been, and believe me, you don't want it, and I certainly don't want you to be in my filth.


Put a white cloth over your furniture. Don't wash it for a year. At year's end, you'll want to burn it...
Click to expand...

Do you do the dirty on every piece of furniture you own? Dining room table?
 
Tolyngee said:
Would you buy a used toothbrush?

No? Then don't buy a used chair that's had someone's sweaty, naked ass planted on it for the last few years...



I know where my furniture's been. I don't discard furniture unless it's in a state where it's now unusable.

I do this to save someone else from themselves. I know where my furniture's been, and believe me, you don't want it, and I certainly don't want you to be in my filth.


Put a white cloth over your furniture. Don't wash it for a year. At year's end, you'll want to burn it...
Click to expand...


Wow, i'm flabbergasted here, I have no idea how to respond to your post, I will only say that I'm pretty sure myself and everyone else here does NOT want to know exactly how you dirty your furniture.
 
Tolyngee said:
Would you buy a used toothbrush?

No? Then don't buy a used chair that's had someone's sweaty, naked ass planted on it for the last few years...



I know where my furniture's been. I don't discard furniture unless it's in a state where it's now unusable.

I do this to save someone else from themselves. I know where my furniture's been, and believe me, you don't want it, and I certainly don't want you to be in my filth.


Put a white cloth over your furniture. Don't wash it for a year. At year's end, you'll want to burn it...
Click to expand...

You CAN wash your chair! Knock of all the Taco Bell too!
 
Disposed said:
http://www.officemax.com/catalog/sku.jsp?productId=prod2480004

Its what i have, its not normal foam its that tempur stuff and its really compfortable.
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Chair looks like it'd be comfortable. I had a chair that looked a lot like it but was cloth. Problem with it was that the bottom plate that connects the chair to the wheels.....it would slowly fracture along a bend in the metal. Then eventually break. Brothers had chairs just like em, all of them did it. You couldn't fix it because the plastic pieces of the chair near the metal piece would melt if you applied heat to weld it...and they'd break if you tried to remove em. So basically had a pretty comfortable chair with no base to use to connect it to wheels.

I actually flip em over and look to see if they look any sturdier built than that chair now...can't always be sure but one test is if they wiggle when you sit in them. IE, sit down and lean side to side. If it moves/flexes/anything besides look like it does with no one in the chair, the base is weak. And OP wants a chair that he can lay back in and stuff, having the wheels break is one thing, having the base plate break...means the wheels are still standing when that plate goes sliding off...with a nice pneumatic impalement device connected.
 
veterator said:
Chair looks like it'd be comfortable. I had a chair that looked a lot like it but was cloth. Problem with it was that the bottom plate that connects the chair to the wheels.....it would slowly fracture along a bend in the metal. Then eventually break. Brothers had chairs just like em, all of them did it. You couldn't fix it because the plastic pieces of the chair near the metal piece would melt if you applied heat to weld it...and they'd break if you tried to remove em. So basically had a pretty comfortable chair with no base to use to connect it to wheels.

I actually flip em over and look to see if they look any sturdier built than that chair now...can't always be sure but one test is if they wiggle when you sit in them. IE, sit down and lean side to side. If it moves/flexes/anything besides look like it does with no one in the chair, the base is weak. And OP wants a chair that he can lay back in and stuff, having the wheels break is one thing, having the base plate break...means the wheels are still standing when that plate goes sliding off...with a nice pneumatic impalement device connected.
Click to expand...

He is also looking to spend under $200 greatly limiting his options.
 
After pondering on my current chair, and why it is/was just so perfect for my setup I've decided on a few things.

Must have a wide wheel base (i'm thinking this is what prevented me from flipping over for so many years of elated yawns and stretches)

Must be low enough, or have adjustable arm rests to fit under 27" (i go from sitting up right to laid back with the chair's arm wrests partially under the lip of the desk, with my feet propped up on aforementioned altec lansing subwoofer aka current wheel replacement)

Must breathe, so no leather....BTW how comfortable are those mesh only chairs? and would my fat ass 5'10 230lbs rip through one?

And i suppose i'm going to have to go with the plain ole cheap black rollers since after 2 hrs of searching, i've yet to see a chair with the solid rubber single wheel rollerblade style that the Ak has for under $1000....i mean the profit margin on these chairs must be slim as hell if no one else can afford to put a decent caster on their chair for less than that.

I'm looking at this no named one on ebay currently, anyone know anything about them?


EDIT: If this thing had adjustable armrests or height, i would be tempted to take out one of those short term loans Old World Gaming Chair
 
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Disposed said:
He is also looking to spend under $200 greatly limiting his options.
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My current chair was like 100 bucks after tax and everything..had it a few years and I've checked it for breakdown on the plate. Haven't found any. Chair portion of it is ok..not as good as the broken plate chair.

Just warning of what to look out for..because that plate breaks and there is nothing you can do to fix it. Although if you're wheel base broke, most chairs you can pop out the pneumatic from the wheel base...if it fit another wheel base ....might be in business.

Could also look into the wheel base thing and using your caster wheels in another wheel base...unless they the pin that plugs in is broken from the wheel itself.
 
if it's metal, use jbweld

if it's plastic, use jbweld for plastic

that stuff is super strong
 
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