I have an old mesh chair which I bought used about 3 or 4 years ago for about $100. For whatever reason it is just starting to fall apart.
I’m thinking of replacing it, but I don’t want to spend $600+ for an ergonomic chair if I don’t have to. Does anyone have advice or suggestions on what they like?
I see used Herman Miller Type-B chairs going on eBay and Craigslist for around $400-$450. I am willing to consider that as the top end of my spending range, but wonder if there might be something cheaper that’s just as good.
Staples has a sale on their Hyken chair for around $150. It’s comfortable enough, but I don’t really like the hard plastic arm rests. Still, it may be a decent option for a while, at least until a better option comes up.
Office Depot has their RealSpace 9000 series which are pretty comfortable. I like how the seat slides forward and how the arms are both padded and click inward while you’re working. The medium back chair is on sale now fro $280; I kinda like the one with the headrest. But it’s almost twice as much as the Staples chair, and the headrest version is almost as expensive as the used Aeron.
Anyway, I was just curious if anyone else has an opinion on these things. In general, my attitude is that one spends enough time in a chair like this that it is worth paying for something good, but I’m too cheap to buy the most expensive one and simply assume it’s better.
I have a Steelcase Leap chair in leather, which is the most comfortable work chair I have ever used. You can get one in fabric for under $600. The leather version is $1,400. I bought the same chair for my parents and they are equally pleased with it.
I will also add that I am extremely pleased with the purchase. It may seem like a hefty price tag to swallow but keep in mind you are psending many of your waking hours in it. When it comes to my health, I never cheap out. Plus, if you buy it new, there is frequently a return policy for whatever reason if you change your mind; also, if you ever have a change of heart, you can sell Steelcase easily on a secondary market (e.g. Craigslist).
Aeron is good as well but I think the Steelcase is the most comfortable. It also doesn’t look that “commercial.”
I ended up finding a used Hermann Miller Mirra chair on Craigslist, fully loaded, for $280. It has a few scratches and I would have preferred a different color, but it’s extremely adjustable, super comfortable, and I can live with a few scratches and an ok-but-not-favorite color if it saves me $600.
According to the research I did, the Mirra was supposed to be a slightly smaller and cheaper version of the Aeron, but enough advances in ergonomic design had happened that demand pushed the price more or less back up to Aeron levels. The used Aerons I saw started at around $400-500 unless there was some kind of major damage.
I did see some used Leap chairs for around the same price ($250-300) and some leather ones for a little bit more but they don’t look quite like the one Numi posted and they involved a significant drive to go get them. I wouldn’t mind trying one out just to see what they feel like, though.
I’ll add a pic of the Mirra when I find a suitable link. Today is my first day using it, so let’s see how it goes after a few hours.
Here’s an article that warmed me up to the Mirra. It also talks about the Aeron and the Steelcase Leap, along with a few others. So far I am happy with my purchase.
After one day, I can say I really like the chair, but I still have one set of pains that I had with the other.
I’ve discovered that the reason is because my floor is not perfectly level (I’m in an old building), and so I put slightly more weight on one leg than the other, and it can still reduce circulation. The chair helps, but doesn’t solve the problem.
If I rotate 180 degrees and face away from my desk, I feel pressure on the opposite leg and I’m sure it would get painful after 8 hours there too. If I rotate 90 degrees, things feel balanced. So I guess the solution will be to rotate my desk 90 degrees, but that really is a PITA.
