How do you know that a chair will work for you?

M76

[H]F Junkie
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Jun 12, 2012
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My chair used for the computer which is a frankenstein's monster I put together from multiple office chairs is falling apart.
So I got a new gaming chair, but when it arrived and I sat on it for more than 20 minutes I started to get back pains, and it was mighty uncomfortable.

I got my old chair back and the new one is heading to the garbage pile I guess.

That' why I'm asking how can you be sure that a chair will work for you when ordering one online?
The reviews for the chair I got were all 4 or 5 star too.
Hope for the best or what?
 
Any specific brand recommendations to? I've been told Herman Miller, but the pricing is very high on just about anything. Seems like many of the gaming brands are crap and still in the $200-300 range.

Was in the market and wanted to see some chairs on the floor of some stores but that isn't happening anytime soon. OP, depending on your locality see if there are stores that allow returns on chairs or have floor models. I know the office stores here allow free returns for chairs, no questions asked and have floor models to try out. Problem is selection isn't too great and lots of low end stuff. I assume return policy is different these days due to the ongoing virus situation.
 
You get back pain, maybe because of your posture is not right, as you are used to the Frankenstein chair that you clobbered together. The Frankenstein chair is most likely not ergonomic and you need to be careful not to have caused yourself long term damage. Once you mess up your back the problem may stick with you for life.
 
You get back pain, maybe because of your posture is not right, as you are used to the Frankenstein chair that you clobbered together. The Frankenstein chair is most likely not ergonomic and you need to be careful not to have caused yourself long term damage. Once you mess up your back the problem may stick with you for life.
I've never had this problem with other office chairs, or driving for 10 hours, or even exercising. So I'm pretty sure the new chair is the culprit, and not everything else I ever sat on.
 
You gotta share what the new chair is?
Perhaps you just have too much support? Alot of those gaming chairs use super firm cold rolled foam.
 
I guess you can't know how a chair will feel until you sit in it.

I'll continue doing what I always do regarding chairs: just buy a Herman Miller Aeron. For the vast majority of people it will be the only office chair they need. It comes in 3 sizes for different heights/weights and is fully adjustable (the new lumbar support is amazing on the Aeron Remastered, but for me, not worth the price.... well until they are commonly available used).
If you buy this chair new it's super expensive. Starting at $750 I think. But the reason why I recommend this model in particular is it's bought in bulk all the time for offices. Where I live in LA, I can hop onto Craigslist and essentially see Aeron's getting liquidated all the time as companies go under and all their office furniture gets liquidated. There are even companies that literally specialize in scooping up all of this furniture and flipping it.

Either way, I can more or less find an Aeron for $250 if I'm patient and around $400 if I'm not. And while $250 might sound like a lot, it's not at all a lot for a piece of furniture that you spend all day in and expect to support your back. Just beware of knockoffs, the Aeron is obviously the most copied chair ever (if you can say that about office chairs) since its iconic. With liquidators you likely won't have a problem. With some individuals you might. In the case of buying a chair like this you'd also get the chance to sit in it and make sure it's good and/or fits your needs before you buy it.
 
It's a crap shoot...got an expensive ergonomic one at work. Worst thing for my back ever.
 
Just dropped in this sub. Find out how many hours the chair is rated for. If it matches your usage or exceeds it, try it out. If it feels good, then buy it. I have a Serta memory foam high back and it's awesome, bit it was also a little over $300. You get what you pay for.
 
Serta Hensley = Excellent chair.

Big and Tall form factor for up to 400lbs
Has serta bed coil springs in the seat. Wonderful.

I’m 6’3” and 280 lbs and I love it. Had it for 4 years now.
 
Herman Miller thouh you get like a 13 year warranty, and whne your older you wont be paying for a Chiro or Physio for your back problems :D Most "gaming" chairs are just chairs with "gaming" thrown on em and a purdy design. only a couple are of any actual quality. Also, do not buy those "racing" car shaped chairs, worse thing for you, they are not meant to be sat in upright for long periods.
 
Being 300 pounds, I can't trust any reviews I see online. I'm willing to bet most of the reviews are are not from fat people like me.
I recently spent a couple days researching heavy duty chairs on amazon specifically for this reason. Local stores have some available, but want $200 or more. I'm not willing to spend over $100 (I'm a cheapskate). I definitely didn't want something with wheels. I had a bed frame with wheels once... the wheels removed themselves after a few months. :)
I also killed an office chair within my first month on the job. Damaged the floor too. Glad they didn't say anything. :)
 
I picked up a used Herman Miller Aeron around 5 years ago and I have neck, back, and hip issues and I can sit on this chair for 16 hours a day and have no pain or discomfort.
 
Well I guess you can try and research on different websites. Read a lot of comments and try to ignore obvious spam. But until you receive the chair you never know.
Maybe try and look if you can give the chair back if you are not pleased. A lot of companies allow you to do that (but obviously you have a lot of effort with that).
 
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