Good office chairs

StoleMyOwnCar

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I'm looking for a nice computer chair. It needs to be comfortable for very long sessions, not cut leg blood flow, plenty of support, etc. Also, I absolutely hate leather. So no leather seats. Everything else is fine. I'm leaving budget totally vague because I simply want to see what's out there, and I don't really have a budget. This is something I will use a lot, so I'm prepared to spend if necessary (the cheaper the better though...).

If you need some body specifics, I'm about 5'11 and ~175-180 pounds (varies). In other words, pretty much normal weight. I don't need something massive. My height is pretty much average, too.

Thanks.
 
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... So in a community generally full of people that often do nothing but sit on their butts, there's no one that has an opinion? I guess I'll just have to experiment around...
 
Well, since leather is out of the question, you can do no better than a Herman Miller Aeron chair: Aeron
They are expensive, but look on Craigslist for used Aerons and you can get them for a good price (at least here in NYC, where they are going for around $200-400 on average).

If Aerons aren't your thing, try the DXRacer lineup: DXRacer
They have quite a wide selection, so choose carefully!
Hope that helps.
 
Tried the DX Racer gaming king and it was pretty comfy with the pillows. But really want to try the Dx Racer Office.

My current chair has served well but keeps breaking, don't know what brand.
 
I had a Steelcase Leap at a previous job that was pretty comfortable. If I could justify it I'd buy one for home. They look more like a classic office chair that the Aeron, but are very adjustable.
 
I've owned this chair for 3 years now, and while it's not my ultimate dream chair, it's comfy for long hours, and built like a tank. The memory foam seat is thicker than most and doesn't break down in a week. I'm a 46yr old 300 pound guy, and while i'm still a big gamer, i don't want my office(chairs)looking like a 13yr old's with racing stripes..

It really is a pain in the ass(haha)finding a quality, well built chair that works for you personally without resorting to Herman Miller's which are ridonkulously overpriced. This is my opinion only. GL in your search.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000WJVB1Q?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpage
 
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Well, since leather is out of the question, you can do no better than a Herman Miller Aeron chair: Aeron
They are expensive, but look on Craigslist for used Aerons and you can get them for a good price (at least here in NYC, where they are going for around $200-400 on average).

If Aerons aren't your thing, try the DXRacer lineup: DXRacer
They have quite a wide selection, so choose carefully!
Hope that helps.

Okay, so I looked up the Aeron. Obviously I said no budget, but I'm not paying nearly 1k$ for an office chair. But I did find a few on Craigslist for 300-400$. Do these look legitimate? I've never really used Craigslist.
http://atlanta.craigslist.org/eat/fuo/5417299670.html
http://atlanta.craigslist.org/nat/fuo/5377283846.html
http://atlanta.craigslist.org/nat/fuo/5429251546.html
Do I click the "reply" button at the top if there is no contact listed, and are these at a good size? I'm not sure what "B" is.

There's also this place:
http://www.madisonseating.com/aeron...hwyxEmWb_-CULMtvJAS-kRc5olxPNgToXTRoCGmvw_wcB

Regarding the DXRacer... Honestly they have so many lines, I'm not even sure what to choose. Based on my requirements and body type, do you have any recommendations?

I had a Steelcase Leap at a previous job that was pretty comfortable. If I could justify it I'd buy one for home. They look more like a classic office chair that the Aeron, but are very adjustable.

I looked at that. Pretty expensive at the default retailer. I see a few resellers offering it for ~300-400$.
http://www.madisonseating.com/leap-...DHcruHbu72ptk1j1Xpp3CLRokGNplOIcpihoCC7Hw_wcB
Is this place a legit seller?

I've owned this chair for 3 years now, and while it's not my ultimate dream chair, it's comfy for long hours, and built like a tank. The memory foam seat is thicker than most and doesn't break down in a week. I'm a 46yr old 300 pound guy, and while i'm still a big gamer, i don't want my office(chairs)looking like a 13yr old's with racing stripes..

It really is a pain in the ass(haha)finding a quality, well built chair that works for you personally without resorting to Herman Miller's which are ridonkulously overpriced. This is my opinion only. GL in your search.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000WJVB1Q?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpage

I've looked through Amazon's chairs. I'll keep this one in mind, thanks. Though... I'm not nearly 300 lbs lol.
 
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Personally I find the Aeron very uncomfortable. Also watch out for fakes being sold on CL. Yes people make knockoffs of this chair.

The Herman Miller Embody chair is way better than the Aeron.
 
That's a good point about differing tastes, at least... it's true that even highly regarded chairs can be found uncomfortable by some.

Hmm....Does anyone know whether that madisonseating site is legitimate? I'm thinking I might just order from them, since they have a 30 day return policy.
 
That's a good point about differing tastes, at least... it's true that even highly regarded chairs can be found uncomfortable by some.

Hmm....Does anyone know whether that madisonseating site is legitimate? I'm thinking I might just order from them, since they have a 30 day return policy.

They are "legit", but have up and down ratings -- looks like they are either 5 star, or 1-2 star. Some have said that they issue used/refurb items as "new". Proceed with caution. IMO you are better off with a more reliable store.

Try these reliable used places (via Amazon) as a starting point:

Amazon used link

Also, a review link on the 3 major Herman Miller models: Link

Never used Steelcase Leap, although I've heard they are pretty good.
 
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I've used/owned a few high end chairs so here's a few notes on them.

Disclaimer: I have terrible posture and don't sit properly/as intended in any chair haha. I spend more time at the computer watching anime than I do playing games or doing work these days. I am about the same height and weight as you.


Raynor Eurotech Fuzion (high back): Pretty sure this had a different name back when I bought it several years ago. Pretty quickly the pad under the front lip of the seating area came out which left that area of mesh loose and floppy. There was apparently a recall on these chairs where the screws holding the backrest on would shear off. The recall repair kit was just some new screws...which also sheared in half. My backrest sheared through about 4 sets of screws before I tossed the chair (I went tumbling over backwards which was the last straw). That being said I rather liked the chair. I loved the true recline function and the adjustable headrest. If I could get confirmation that the issues were fixed in newer revisions, I'd consider buying another.

Herman Miller Mirra: The whole office at my last job had these chairs. No comfort issues sitting in them for 8+ hours every day. I did notice that many of the chairs had stress marks (like those white stress marks you see after bending plastic) on the plastic backrests. None of the backrests cracked while I was working there, but it just seemed like it would happen eventually.

Herman Miller Embody: This is my current chair, I've been using it for a couple years now. To be completely honest, I am kind of disappointed with it. It's just not my cup of tea. The narrow backrest is nice as it gives your arms more freedom, but the flexible nature of the backrest means it doesn't really provide support. The chair tilts, but doesn't recline which would have been nice. My armrests are also starting to crack.

As I've grown tired of the lack of a headrest and the ability to recline, I have a DX Racer chair coming next week. We'll see how that goes.
 
Honestly when it comes to chairs the best bet is to find a store you can sit in them and get a feel for. Check reviews for the ones you like and purchase from a storwide with a liberal return policy.
 
I've used/owned a few high end chairs so here's a few notes on them.

Disclaimer: I have terrible posture and don't sit properly/as intended in any chair haha. I spend more time at the computer watching anime than I do playing games or doing work these days. I am about the same height and weight as you.


Raynor Eurotech Fuzion (high back): Pretty sure this had a different name back when I bought it several years ago. Pretty quickly the pad under the front lip of the seating area came out which left that area of mesh loose and floppy. There was apparently a recall on these chairs where the screws holding the backrest on would shear off. The recall repair kit was just some new screws...which also sheared in half. My backrest sheared through about 4 sets of screws before I tossed the chair (I went tumbling over backwards which was the last straw). That being said I rather liked the chair. I loved the true recline function and the adjustable headrest. If I could get confirmation that the issues were fixed in newer revisions, I'd consider buying another.

Herman Miller Mirra: The whole office at my last job had these chairs. No comfort issues sitting in them for 8+ hours every day. I did notice that many of the chairs had stress marks (like those white stress marks you see after bending plastic) on the plastic backrests. None of the backrests cracked while I was working there, but it just seemed like it would happen eventually.

Herman Miller Embody: This is my current chair, I've been using it for a couple years now. To be completely honest, I am kind of disappointed with it. It's just not my cup of tea. The narrow backrest is nice as it gives your arms more freedom, but the flexible nature of the backrest means it doesn't really provide support. The chair tilts, but doesn't recline which would have been nice. My armrests are also starting to crack.

As I've grown tired of the lack of a headrest and the ability to recline, I have a DX Racer chair coming next week. We'll see how that goes.

Do let me know how the DX Racer goes, and thanks for your opinions. It's nice to hear from someone that has a similar build (...and similar interests, I might PM you about that). I'm kind of interested in researching the Raynor now. Unfortunately finding the Mirra is a bit difficult... Definitely not on CL nearby... hmm...

Honestly when it comes to chairs the best bet is to find a store you can sit in them and get a feel for. Check reviews for the ones you like and purchase from a storwide with a liberal return policy.

Very true... the problem is, I don't know where to find these expensive chairs for a not horribly expensive price, and there is nowhere nearby where I can even test them. Well maybe some of these Craigslist sellers will let me sit in them. Honestly still rather apprehensive about even using CL, though I'm sure that most of these sellers probably aren't looking to mug anyone.
 
Okay so based on how sayu commented that he/she could sit on the Mirra for several hours at a time without issues (and being of similar builds), I personally decided to purchase a Mirra from Ebay. At least with Ebay I can make sure I get what I ordered (and strong arm the seller if something goes wrong, like I did with a projector screen), and the price seemed to be better than Aerons.

This is the one I decided to purchase:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/131709442022?_trksid=p2060353.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT

I picked this specific one out because while it was a little higher price than the other options with the shipping, I noticed that it included practically all of the extra options. I went and decked the chair out at the Herman Miller web site and this seems like it has the lumbar support and such. It's fully loaded, aside from the wheel base (but who cares). Plus the seller has good feedback, and has sold one of these already to someone that seems to have liked what they got.

It's a bit of a gamble, but 390$ for great chair isn't that big of a gamble. Worst case, I can just sell it on Ebay for a bit of a loss. I made sure to use a credit card for absolute worst case scenarios.
 
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Well done -- Mirras are very nice chairs. Let us know how it's like (I am thinking of going Herman Miller for my next chair purchase -- haven't used them in the last 10 years). Good luck with your purchase :)
 
Just got the DXRacer.

With a whopping 30mins of seat time, I'll say so far so good.

The headrest pillow seems pretty much required and I doubt that will last as long as the chair. Luckily I have a stash of similar size/shaped pillows with similar elastic bands that I picked up for a dollar while I was in Japan (seemed like it would come in handy one day...). I'm not using the lumbar support right now as it seems overly large making it uncomfortable.

Padding wise...its not a very padded chair, but it's padded enough. Who knows how much it'll flatten over the years though.

I bought the KING model simply because it's all that was available at the time, but I feel I made a good choice. From my understanding, the differences are in the width of the side supports. With the way I sit/move around in my chair, I think the extra space is welcome.
 
The Mirra I got off of Ebay just came in. It was pretty much in perfect condition; doesn't look like it's been used much.. There aren't any tears in either the back rest or seat. everything works as expected. Kind of a steal compared to its retail price. That being said...

I don't know if it's my cup of tea, though. The backrest is pretty comfortable. I was surprised at how comfortable the backseat is.. The problem is the seat.I've read about this before, but this seat tends to kind of have a firm section towards the front. I'm not sure if it's cutting off my blood flow, but it's not the most comfortable thing in the world either way. I'm going to give it more time, but I'm kind of worried about it cutting off blood flow in my legs. Not sure whether I'll keep it or not. It's a pity, the chair is great, aside from the seat section. =\
 
Yep, I'm just not a fan of this Mirra. I was setting a new record with my WD in Diablo 3 (I succeeded either way) and the entire time I could not take my mind off of how uncomfortable my butt was. My back and thighs are still aching from trying to set in that thing. I guess I'm just not a fan of these type of chairs, because the one I'm used to sitting in for the longest time was one of these that I got from the thrift store for about 30 bucks:
http://www.haworth.com/home/seating/task/improv-h-e-
And in actuality this thing has adjustable tilt as well, along with a bunch of other misc settings. I felt that I was more comfortable sitting in that thing, even with its tiny back, compared to the Mirra with its full range of support. On the other hand, I'm facepalming pretty hard at the moment because after I came into the office today (where I'm at now), I realized that there were a metric crapton of all kinds of chairs just sitting around in other peoples' cubicles! In fact, I just went around and saw several Steelcase Leaps, and HM Aerons just sitting around.

The Aeron chair pretty much had a similar problem to the Mirra for me. The chair was uncomfortable towards the front, and was just too firm and uncomfortable in general.

On the other hand, the Leap was extremely comfortable to me. I'll have to snoop around and try it a little longer, but I think I know what I'll be buying pretty soon. Possibly before I even sell the Mirra back off again. It'll set me back a bit, but I don't think this Mirra will be too difficult to get rid of in its current condition. It has just a few cosmetic defects and is otherwise in perfect condition. I'll probably just sell it off for some loss to get rid of it.

Edit: Nope, someone else at another cubicle even had the Mirra. ... I legit feel like an idiot right now. I work for a huge corporation and I didn't even think of just coming into the office. This is what happens when you work from home so much.
 
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http://www.amazon.com/ITALMODERN-Bungie-Office-Bungies-Graphite/dp/B001OW7JKM/

I prefer to not get leather also... too hot in summer. A couple years ago I decided to try bungee chairs, and I have found them to be durable and comfortable even for long periods. No problems at all. I purchased the one in the link above, but I'm sure there are some cheaper ones out now that are just as good. I see you made a choice already, but in case anyone else reads this looking for ideas... bungee chairs!
 
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I've owned this chair for 3 years now, and while it's not my ultimate dream chair, it's comfy for long hours, and built like a tank. The memory foam seat is thicker than most and doesn't break down in a week. I'm a 46yr old 300 pound guy, and while i'm still a big gamer, i don't want my office(chairs)looking like a 13yr old's with racing stripes..

It really is a pain in the ass(haha)finding a quality, well built chair that works for you personally without resorting to Herman Miller's which are ridonkulously overpriced. This is my opinion only. GL in your search.

Amazon.com: Office Star 7537A773 Space Air Grid Executive Big and Tall Chair, Air Grid Back/Mesh Seat: Furniture & Decor
Ive seen those chairs in a lot of offices, and they are fantastic
 
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