I tried out an Aeron and didn’t like it. Not a fan of mesh chairs. Maybe I’m just an oddball, but I recommend you at least sit in one before you shell out the big bucks.
I have the chair in the picture, the Steelcase, but I don’t love it. It is great for working, ensures good posture, sturdy, adjustable arms, etc. Almost everything is adjustable, which is nice. But its not a sit back and relax kind of chair. Sometimes I just want a big comfy chair, and even with all its adjustments, it’s just a little too firm for that. I would kill for this chair at work though where I sit at a monitor all day.
I had the Ikea chair that everyone seems to love, but I hated that chair. Hardly any adjustments, its very narrow and the seat is too short. Felt like I was sitting on the edge of a table with my legs hanging off the end.
Yeah I trust Wirecutter and Sweethome for almost every one of my big purchases. I really did not want to budget $1k for my home office chair but the Gesture probably would be the best thing for me. I need to find a local store to check one out tho.
Just another perspective on Aerons. I love the concept of the mesh fabric used on the back and seat as they don’t collect dust… or um, farts as noted above. Probably good for allergies. But I tried one for a while and found that the rim of the seat tended to put pressure on my legs in such a way that affected my circulation so I switched to padded seats and that resolved the problem. This also happened to me with the Staples version of a mesh chair called the Hyken chair that they have on sale a lot. Maybe I needed to adjust the chair differently but I don’t have these problems with the traditional seat.
I have the Embody too, and while I like it for office work, I don’t like it for gaming when I tend to kick back a bit (or even put my feet up). I know that’s not ergonomic, but I like that option in my chairs. Thinking about getting a Mirra 2 or maybe a Leap as a replacement.
Here’s a different perspective. As a fellow big man, I too looked for a worthy office/PC gaming chair for a while. A few years ago I stumbled upon a Bosworth 20204 while shopping in Staples. I loved how it felt, and thought it was one of the more comfortable chairs I’ve tried in a long time. I figured it wouldn’t last too long, but at $300ish I was ok with it. I hoped it would last at least a couple of years. So far it’s been 4 years, and I’m just now starting to get the “slide” issue where it no longer holds up at the tallest height. (a common problem for big people with these adjustable chairs). I used the hell out of it too over these 4 years.
So I was just looking to replace it, and just now saw that Staples has them on sale for $200.
If you’re looking for a cheaper alternative that’s still a really good chair, and lasts about 4 years, you should at least go try it out at your local store.
Oh and don’t worry about it not being mesh. Just lean a little and farts escape just fine.
Linkage: https://www.staples.com/bosworth+big+and+tall+chair/directory_bosworth+big+and+tall+chair
Would you believe that is the exact model I’ve destroyed in 22 months???
Or not. Looked similar to start:
https://www.amazon.com/Serta-Layers-Tranquility-Executive-Technology/dp/B00T07KHGQ/ref=redir_mobile_desktop?encoding=UTF8&psc=1&ref=ya_aw_od_pi
I’m sure if you look around you can find used or open box like so.
That’s what I’ll be doing once I get around to budgeting for a new one.
I’ve got an Embody at work. It is amazing and I really kinda wanna steal it. . .
That is an excellent deal, the Leap is a very very good chair.
Anyone heard of this Uplift company?
Or autonomous?
Company I work for sells fancy chairs, and I have an Allsteel Acuity. Really comfortable and excellent support. I see open box sales on ebay for $400, which is an awesome deal.
My freedom chair has rounded armrests like that first chair does. They suck and I will never buy a chair with arms like that again.
Freedom chair? When you sit down on it, does it make this sound?
I recently picked up a used Steelcase v.1 for $275 from a local store that had a huge selection of new and used office furniture. I tried several chairs including the Herman Miller Aeron, but that thing felt far too rigid and had fewer comfort adjustment options than the Steelcase. The mesh seat on the HMA would be nice on those swamp ass days though.
Interestingly I didn’t find the Steelcase v2 to be an improvement over version 1. Version 2 had a different lumbar support adjustment but it didn’t feel like an improvement over v1 and it was more expensive to boot. My Steelcase is the most comfortable office chair I’ve had for home use and I can’t recommend it enough. It’s a joy to sit in and most importantly I noticed an improvement in my posture because I never feel the urge to slouch in it like I used to with previous shitty chairs. I will never go back to generic chairs from Staples or Office Depot again.
2 shit bonerz up for the Steelcase.
I have an uplift desk, so they are legit. Can’t comment on anything else they have.
I’ve always been an Aeron guy almost by default. Have thought about an Embody, but am more curious about the Steelcase Leap/Gesture but they are basically not available in Canada except at about 3x the cost they are in the US (aside from exchange rate issues) - just not paying $2500 for a chair.
Can confirm that the wirecutter discount pick - the IKEA Markus - is actually an excellent chair. I picked up one as an extra office chair for visitors and sometimes I’m tempted to use it instead of my $1200 Aeron professional. Great buy at a couple hundred bucks.
So as OP I should post an update. Snagged two old Steelcases from a corporate shutdown. They aren’t super comfy for my heavy frame but the price was right. Dream chair deferred.
you can buy anyone
sounds legit!
I got a Steelcase adjustable task chair with armrests over twenty years ago through a hookup an ex-GF had back then (she was working in Interior Design). The thing is still my “daily driver” and IMHO the only things it needs are new padding under the upholstery and a new pneumatic spring (sometimes it starts to lose height). I wonder if I’d be better off getting it reconditioned if getting the new shiny is gonna cost a grand-- back in the day ('95) I got this one lightly used for a mere 125 or something.