Hell yes. Aeron all the way. Why are other people even still talking?
So my current office chair is on the verge of collapse and it’s time for me to look for a new one. Apart from what’s already been recommended - Aeron, Steelcase Leap, Ergohuman - are there any others I should consider? EDIT: in particular, any chairs which provide particularly good neck support?
For what it’s worth I think the HM Mirra is WAY better than the HM Aeron. And that’s after an ass-to-ass direct comparison at Design Within Reach.
I like Aeron, but go and try out deent chairs, find out which one suits you best, then try and get 2nd hand.
Take your fucking wallet out of your pocket before you sit down, you masochist.
Ergohuman, with the head-rest. Check ebay.
Another vote for Aeron. I bought a secondhand dot-com leftover and have been nothing but happy with it. And it compared in price to the nicer chairs in Office Depot and the like.
If you have not sat in a mesh fabric chair, please try one out beforehand. It’s a very different sitting experience. Not hot, sweaty, and pre-formed, but light, cool, and conforms to your shape. Some folks love it, some do not.
I used to work in a furnture store. The very best was the HÅG (HAG) Capisco with a saddle-type seat. Absolutely fabulous comfort when working at a desk, a bit less so when leaning back with your set up. And terribly expensive.
Respectfully
krise madsen
Man, for a moment there I misread it as you guys wanting to sit on Helen Mirren.
I’ve been sitting on one of these hag capisco’s for years. I hates it. The seat pan is firm, but the back and headrest piss me off. It also takes up a huge amount of space which I don’t have.
I keep putting this purchase off. I hate my current “top of the line” officemax/whatever chair. I know it’s going to cost me probably a grand or more, but I am fine with that if it lasts for 10 years. The chair at the top of my list to check out is the Humanscale freedom and liberty lines. Anybody sat in them? I keep forgetting to stop in at a local store that has them.
Is it one with a conventional back? I didn’t find them particularly comfortable, and certainly not at that cost. However, the ones with a low back that looks a bit like the saddle-seat are absolutely brilliant. They’re at their best when working at a desk/computer, and you can lean back on your elbows for relief. But they’re certainly not made for putting your feet up or anything like that.
Respectfully
krise madsen
Do you recommend the mesh or leather ones?
I moved to using an ergo-sit chair topper a while back. It basically turns any chair into a ball chair, so its not for everyone…
That said, I’ve been looking for a good stool, but always ended up finding drum thrones instead…
bloo has unlocked the google magic with the term “drafting stool”.
Arise!
Ok, My last officemax $100 2 desk chairs have destroyed themselves, usually when I’m sitting in them. Quite surprising, actually.
I need a new one. I have an Aeron at work, but, watching craigslist, the supply of used Aerons is much lower than it used to be.
Any suggestions for chairs, or good ways to find them? Sitting in demos doesn’t seem to provide much of a review for how good the chair will be after a year.
I used to use an Aeron, but I got a nice deal from a furniture supply place on the floor model of a Freedom chair with the headrest. I like it more than the Aeron, which became less comfortable after a few years (developed a looseness in the base, so it was kind of wiggly). The Freedom is really easy to adjust, IMO, more so than the Aeron was (the arms on the Aeron are a royal pain, in particular. ) I found the Freedom more comfortable than the Leap when I tried it, but that was only briefly.
I have a Freedom chair as well, (it’s by Humanscale, BTW: http://humanscale.com/products/freedom_index.cfm). I didn’t get the headrest, but then again, I didn’t pay for the chair. I do IT for a furniture business and they gave it to me a showroom extra lying around. Wrong color for them, great for me. Very comfortable, and solidly built.
Wow, over $1000 for the cheaper freedom chair on Amazon. Almost $1700 for the more expensive version. Herman Miller Aeron chairs are cheap by comparison!
I was such an idiot when I moved from Seattle to Kansas City. I’d received an Aeron chair as a gift from a friend, which I sold for $50 on Craigslist when I was moving out of there because I didn’t have room for it in my car. I didn’t even realize that they were so expensive. I would have found some way to make it fit. It was definitely the best computer chair I’ve ever had. Still not as comfortable as a couch, but close.
Wow. $50. That guy got the deal of the fuckin’ century.
Anyways, my recommendations are here:
http://www.codinghorror.com/blog/2008/07/investing-in-a-quality-programming-chair.html
Short version: If you spend all day on your ass like I do, you’re a fool not to invest ~$800 in a chair that will last you 10+ years. You need to try these things out, and back stores (THE LUMBAR YARD!) and Design Within Reach are your friends.