good quality chairs and desks?

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Ruahrc

Limp Gawd
Joined
Mar 8, 2009
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So to start off I hope this is the most appropriate forum to post this in: I looked through the list of fora and there is not really one centered on this topic, but this sub-forum seems to be the closest, what with the workstation pics thread, and the idea desk thread, etc. Mods, if this needs moving please re-direct it to the proper location.

Recently I moved into a (much bigger) new place, got a new job, it's time for me to start moving past my current setup in terms of furniture.

First: chairs. I have often read here and elsewhere that it is worth your while to invest in a "good quality" office chair, especially if you will be using it a lot and have the means to do so. Right now I literally have nothing save a camping chair with some pillows on the seat to give it a little more height. My previous chair was a cheap but reasonably comfortable office chair I got for free from a friend- but I gave it away in my move because I did not have enough space to take it with me. I don't use my camping chair setup much at the moment due to other factors but it's gotta get replaced soon.

The gold standard of chairs seems to be the Aeron, and I have also used a Swopper occasionally in the past at a previous job. I would consider eventually picking up a more traditional office type chair and also a swopper as a task chair, since I will have more than one desk/computer. My question is, what else is there? The problem I am having is that chairs are a personal thing and there seem to be so many choices out there that I don't even know where to start. What am I even supposed to look for in a good quality chair? Or basically is it a shop by feel thing where you go to a store, sit in a few, and then say "that one!"? There seem to be so many variables involved that I might have to go find another el cheapo Office Max special simply because it will probably take me months to find a good chair.

Second: desks. Like chairs, desks are very personal in nature and there is no one "best" desk. My question is of a more general nature in terms of what brand(s) to look at and where to buy. I always viewed Ikea desks as good on a budget so I always thought that eventually I would "evolve" past them, but what other desks are there to consider? Basically, for those of you who are more stable in terms of having a steady job and reasonable income, do you still go to Ikea because they make the best or most versatile desks? Or are there options out there similar to Ikea's designs but built of a higher quality?

My main desires for desks are very solid construction, flexibility/modularity in terms of layout and options (including possibly some standing height desks), and massive amounts of surface area. Most furniture stores I have visited so far don't cut it in terms of desks simply because they are either not designed with complex computer setups in mind (i.e. they all are offering writing desks, and not desks designed to accommodate a multi monitor setup), are too complicated with extra and unnecessary shelves, hutches, etc., or simply lack the surface area I desire.

I thoroughly enjoy looking at the threads on [H] with everyone's desks and setups. Great for ideas and inspiration. Hope I can get a little bit of directed advice as to how best to proceed in my journey to locating some good long lasting desks and chairs.

Ruahrc
 
I know I am probably biased but I say if you dont see a desk /desks that suit your needs, then build them yourself. Thats what I have been doing for my workspaces and I am now going to be doing 3 more desk builds cause its fun and you cannot beat what you can build yourself for price, function and how well they fit your specific needs.

Edit: Oh and as for Seats I intend to build something custom out of this http://corbeau.com/products/suspension_seats/baja_ss/
 
That's a great viewpoint but at least at this point in time it simply isn't a reality. I am not a homeowner (yet) so even getting the space let alone the tools and skills to build my own furniture is a little out of my league. If/when in the future I have my own place, I would see more merit in making a custom desk that fits not only exactly my needs but also my room.

Funny you list the corbeau seats though, I have a racing wheel and always intended at some point to pick up one of their basic racing seats (probably the Forza... to play Forza with lol) and also their "gaming base" and using it as the chair for my wheel, and as a gaming chair in general.
 
For chairs there isn't much that compares to the Aeron. You can look at Humanscale.

For desk, look at the Room and Board Portica desk. You can get it in several sizes premade (rectangular or l shaped). Or have one made to your own specs (including height). Available with several different top options, all of which are solid 1.5" wood (walnut, cherry, etc...or even granite).

They are handmade made in the USA (WIsconsin) and it shows.

They can be expensive but its a desk for a lifetime. I paid around $1200 for mine.
 
Honestly hit up Ikea for a desk, they are pretty well made and reasonably priced, I have one going on 6 years now, and it shows minimal wear and tear, big enough for two monitors a computer a laser printer and still a bit of free space for misc devices.

Chairs are a hard deal, you gotta just pick one you like. I don't spend much on chairs, maybe 50 bucks at the most. I always hit up office depot or some such store to check them out. However I have a pretty sweet Hon chair at work, which is making me think I could drop some cash on a nicer chair.
 
Sadly Ikea stopped carrying the reigning king of desks, the Jerker, awhile back now. If you are a lucky person you might find one on craigslist.
 
I'm rocking a Jerker (purchased mid 2005) and a Herman Miller.
The chair is great because it's thin and comfortable, no hot sweaty ass from a leather chair. No leather means my cats say away from it too.

The Jerker is probably the most jerked-off-to piece of Ikea furniture. I am 6'5" and I love that I can have it nearly any height that I want. I have three 24" wide screen monitors and room my forearms and elbows to rest on. It's survived 3 or 4 moves and just needs a few allen head bolts to be assembled. Sadly it's been jerked around with too much by Ikea and there isn't much left of the original. You're better off building your own with their mixed parts to achieve what you want.
 
Honestly, the truly great thing about Ikea is Ikeahacking.

That is, taking things at Ikea, and modding them to be something else.

It is so awesome that there are several websites devoted to the practice, and you can get some great ideas, then adjust to your own requirements.

http://www.ikeahackers.net/


As for a chair, it is SOO worth it to spend the money and get a good one, but you need to try them out until you find one that works for you. The Aeron is a good 'general' choice, but others have advantages and disadvantages, depending on what/where/how you use it. I would suggest looking around for a office furniture supply store, and if you live in a small/medium sized town, I would suggest taking a road trip to the nearest large town to find one (seriously!).



And don't let the haters fool you, a Galant is a damn fine desk. The Jerker was great, but both the Galant and the Fredrick series are good as well. Though I prefer to hack my way into something more specifically designed for my space.

(And broaden your scope if you're ikeahacking, look in kitchens, and bathrooms, etc. You'll be surprised what you find, and where!)
 
best desk i ever had is what im using now. a closet door on two night stands with a few newegg boxes on each. works great. and all kinds of room.
 
Can't help you with desks but with chairs the best ones I've found are from Herman Miller. Many praise the Aeron chair and while it's great I found the Mirra suiting me better, try both of them out as well as their new ones.

Regardless of which one you pick, if you find one that's perfect - get that one. Don't look too much on the price tag.
 
I for one own the Herman Miller Aeron and could not be happier. I live/work/game daily in this chair and have gone thorugh multiple "Office" chairs of all kinds and prices - once I got this Aeron, it was over. No more flat ass hard wood seat cushion feeling after a year like most office chairs. Its realtively light but I can sit comfortably for hours on hours and not have any issues, I forget how long I sit here at times. So hands down, the Herman Miller is the WTG! Now Aeron or Mirra? Thqat is up to you, I probably owuld have gone Mirra but they had just released that chair and put the Aeron on sale the day I bought mine. It may have been worth the extra $3-400 I think it was between the two, but I can say that this Aeron is not a regret, its the most comfortable chair I have ever owned and if you can do it, DO IT!
 
+1 for the Herman Miller Aeron or Embody. Fantastic chairs, just make sure you read up and order the right size that fit's your body.

As for desks, I did a lot of looking around in various furniture galleries, and finally settled on this:

http://www.woodleys.com/Woodley-Bro...rn/MAYVALLEY36RETURN-P36/ItemInformation.aspx

It is very expensive, can be customized, and usually has an 8-10 week build time. However, this is gonna last forever, I absolutely love it!
 
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