My Ikea chair isn't doing it for me any more and I'm suffering with a sore back.
I have a raising stand and one of those wobbly stool things, but I need a new better office chair.
What do you lot recommend? New or refurb. Probably in the £500 to £1,500 price range.
I sat on a few, including an Aeron. Ended up choosing a HumanScale Diffrient World. Have ordered a refurbished one - should arrive soon.
The HM Mirra is just as comfortable as an Aeron but slightly less eye-wateringly expensive. I've had mine for over 10 years and it's still like new.
****ing stupid forum lost my lengthy post… 🙄
These look nice, and not hugely expensive.
Recommend what you bought:
https://secretlab.co.uk/collections/gaming-chairs
There's been a couple of lengthy threads on STW, might be worth a search.
I have an Aeron in my home office. Not sure it's all that as I need a supplemental cushion for lower back support.
I have an HM Embody and it's very nice, used to have a Secretlab Titan and it was OK but not as supportive or adjustable.
Gaming chairs just scream incel/neck beard/surrounded by bottles of own urine to me, but YMMV. Refurbished Aeron for around £500 would be my recommendation.
Hinomi here, couldn't bring myself to spend HM money. Very comfy and adjustable. Wearing well after 3 years
I have a Giroflex G64, picked up for not much around lockdown. It's dull but very comfy and functional.
I'd suggest getting one second hand, loads of ex-office stuff out there that are slightly used but much cheaper than buying new.
The correct unhelpful answer is whatever fits you best. I have a Humanscale Freedom, very comfortable (for me), doesn’t look remotely like a gaming chair, and various offers currently available, e.g. at John Lewis, which fall within your price range.
Had an Aeron at home for about a decade. Was planning to upsize it to a large size one but ended up buying a HM Cosm (via https://recycledbusinessfurniture.co.uk/). I got lucky - it was 2 days before the first lockdown in 2020 and they had a few unused ones at 60% off rrp
the Aeron is a classic chair that you're always going to be able to sell for good money. It's way ahead of most other chairs but has a few weaknesses IMO. The mesh means it's cool and comfortable, but I could always feel the hard plastic front edge of the base on the underside of my legs (note design is different on the Cosm and Mirra) and found the lower back support lacking (see another comment above). The original lumbar support thing is overly firm and splits (a lot of used ones come without it), the 2nd gen version looks fussy and I see they've changed it again on the newest ones so I guess that didn't fix it either.
Herman Miller have 25% off everything in their own store for another week.
The correct unhelpful answer is whatever fits you best. I have a Humanscale Freedom, very comfortable (for me), doesn’t look remotely like a gaming chair, and various offers currently available, e.g. at John Lewis, which fall within your price range.
I kind of agree, but how do you know if it fits by sitting in it in a showroom? Most chairs fit most people. Obviously HM do different sizes of the Aeron and there are height and weight charts around, but I'd say it's impossible to determine if the fit is going to help with back pain for example just by sitting on one.
Because this is STW, I'll not answer the question, are you sure its the chair and not sitting per se that's the issue? My answer to this problem was to simply stop sitting while I work.
I could always feel the hard plastic front edge of the base
Yes, on the Mirra this is adjustable which I always thought was a really neat bit of design. And a bit weird that the Mirra has it but the top-end Aeron doesn't.
I kind of agree, but how do you know if it fits by sitting in it in a showroom? Most chairs fit most people. Obviously HM do different sizes of the Aeron and there are height and weight charts around, but I'd say it's impossible to determine if the fit is going to help with back pain for example just by sitting on one.
That is an issue. But I suspect the reality is that most decent chairs are ergonomic enough (as long as you're in their upper and lower size/weight design limits). A poor chair and desk set up might give you a bad back but a good one probably won't solve it by itself either.
Go try some out, buy what you like the look of and seems to fit you in a showroom. Take breaks, do stretches/yoga/pilates etc
When I had a bad back at work and managed to get an assessment they provided one of these. Just as expensive as an Aeron, but none of the cachet. Is it better or worse? It was Yoga that sorted out my back issues in the end, not a seat.
Hmm, as a desk-based worker with a wrecked back, the only safe response that I can give is that you should try to sit on a few.
I have never tried an Aeron, but based on its reputation bought a Mirra a couple of years ago when the Hag chair that I had bought secondhand a decade and a bit before was rather worn out and needed a replacement. I shifted the Mirra on within 6 months, I just couldn't get comfortable, the seat depth was not enough (I', 6'3) but it was the tension in seat fabric that undid me.. too slack for me, and I'm not a lardarse at 13st and a bit, but it created an unpleasant sideways pressure on my pelvis and hips.
Living in the Cairngorms did not make this easy to replace, coupled with the introduction of a sit-stand desk, but I pegged a visit to a showroom on to a work trip to London. I now have a Hag Capisco, which is quite niche and odd-looking, but very comfortable.. no chance to try it out in Scotland but well worth the extra time in London
How long do you spend in bed? How long sat at an office desk? Invest appropriately. I like HM chairs but have a comfortable Vitra Eames chair at home. As said, try a few. I'm sensitive to the seat base (no ar*e padding), so like the Aerons we had in the old office. The new HMs are not comfortable for me but I'm in the office less.
And buy used. Office clearouts are common.
I love my secret lab titan evo... I don't feel I need anything more expensive.
Sure it has more a 'gaming chair' aesthetic but it's a bit more subtle and refined look IMO, and it's a high quality very adjustable chair.
It's gaming chairs 'done right' if you like.
Sure a lot of 'gaming' style chairs are cheap junk and all style over substance but secret lab chairs don't fall into that catagory, In my experience.
I'd go beyond trying them in a showroom; if you are buying new then buy something with a good return policy. I find there is a difference between "feels comfy" on first sit and what results is pain free after a more extended period of sitting.
I tried an embody, which felt great initially but returned it after a couple of weeks as my back really didn't get on with how it pushes your upper back forwards. I ended up with an aeron, which doesn't give me that initial "aah" feeling of comfort, but I can sit on all day for days with no issues.
I'd go beyond trying them in a showroom; if you are buying new then buy something with a good return policy. I find there is a difference between "feels comfy" on first sit and what results is pain free after a more extended period of sitting.
I tried an embody, which felt great initially but returned it after a couple of weeks as my back really didn't get on with how it pushes your upper back forwards. I ended up with an aeron, which doesn't give me that initial "aah" feeling of comfort, but I can sit on all day for days with no issues.
That's interestingly one thing I initially was a bit unsure of on my secret lab chair... The first week or so I thought the cushioning was way too firm and not 'plush' enough.
Fast forward a few years and the padding hasn't compressed over time, it still feels and looks brand new really and it's really comfy for long sessions as long as you take the time to get to know the adjustments and set it up correctly for your physical requirements.
When I broke my back, work bought me a humanscale freedom. I made my new workplace buy me another and I bought a refurbished one at the start of lockdown and a sit stand desk. I hardly ever use it standing up.
I'd probably be fine sitting on a pile of bricks, if I did my physio regularly, but I like sitting very reclined these days.
Secret labs for me after a recommendation here. My days at my desk at home aren’t spent sitting up typing into the keyboard in a single upright position - I’m mostly just talking to people on teams so I move around a lot. The secret labs chair gives me loads of room to do that yet is still pretty supportive when I need to do some actual work.
I was a bit self conscious about it at first as I’m absolutely not a gamer (it’s replacing a reproduction EA117 which was beautiful but ultimately not so comfortable long term) but I’ve actually noticed a lot of non-nerd people have them now - I assume they’re marketing in the cool corners of social media I don’t see!
Gaming chairs just scream incel/neck beard/surrounded by bottles of own urine to me, but YMMV. Refurbished Aeron for around £500 would be my recommendation.
Not played a game since Super Mario Land on a borrowed game boy in hospital 1991, not an incel, have daily shaved head/face, as for urine?…….quite possibly as I haven’t any control over my bladder or bowels since multiple spinal fractures 35 yrs ago when a teenager and obviously i dgaf if I leak piss everywhere, I’m sorta like a rat
Bought a small Secretlab charcoal soft weave fabric omega in 2020 for £260 in their sale, still comfortable and looks as good as new as the day I bought it.
Since bought a Titan for my mates kids 16th as he’s 6ft 5” (1ft taller than myself) and a normal Titan for my bro, he’s 5ft 9”.
Both very happy and chuffed with them but I’d really like to try those expensive chairs mentioned above as I spend all day/every day sat on my arse due to SPMS but I don’t have any money nor can travel anywhere to try them so I’ll stick with my gamer chair
Gaming chairs just scream incel/neck beard/surrounded by bottles of own urine to me, but YMMV. Refurbished Aeron for around £500 would be my recommendation.
Not played a game since Super Mario Land on a borrowed game boy in hospital 1991, not an incel, have daily shaved head/face, as for urine?…….quite possibly as I haven’t any control over my bladder or bowels since multiple spinal fractures 35 yrs ago when a teenager and obviously i dgaf if I leak piss everywhere, I’m sorta like a rat
Bought a small Secretlab charcoal soft weave fabric omega in 2020 for £260 in their sale, still comfortable and looks as good as new as the day I bought it.
Since bought a Titan for my mates kids 16th as he’s 6ft 5” (1ft taller than myself) and a normal Titan for my bro, he’s 5ft 9”.
Both very happy and chuffed with them but I’d really like to try those expensive chairs mentioned above as I spend all day/every day sat on my arse due to SPMS but I don’t have any money nor can travel anywhere to try them so I’ll stick with my gamer chair
Buying desk chairs is a bit like matresses.. if you're gonna be sat on them/sleeping on them 6hrs+ per day, it's worth buying not just a good one, but one that works for you - not all chairs work for all people so that's the highly subjective, difficult part.
Saying 'gaming chairs' "scream incel/neck beard/surrounded by bottles of own urine" is no different to saying all black people are thieves, really.
It's not, it just means you watch too much GB news.
A big give away with crap gaming chairs is if they try to look too much like a racing car seat, such as pointless slots in the head rest for non-existant 5 point harness straps and other such insanity 🤣
Racing car seats for example, are not really built for comfort, they are designed first and formost to prevent you snapping your neck and braking your spine in several places when you roll the car into a ditch and smash into into a tree..
I mean, I dunno how violent your MS teams meetings get, but you shouldn't be pulling too many g's when your trying to explain your spreadsheet to dave from sales.
double post
I started a chair thread a few months ago and ended up down a long and deep YT review rabbit hole. We bought some Refurb'd Human "World LM" chairs during Covid. I was never that impressed with them, and we've had issues with the arms/fabric and the piston on mine died.
I was happy* to spend money on a comfy, long lasting chair preferably sustainable and with as few adjustments as possible. I appreciate you can tweak the chair to fit you better, but I'm a fairly standard sized 6ft bloke and I reckon the chair should mostly fit me! Ended up with https://slouchonline.com/product/task-one-grey-frame-with-arms-charcoal/ and so far very impressed. 5 mins to put together, can adjust height, rake, seat cushion position and arms. After 10 mins, I was sorted and it's been super comfy since.
I do have an extra requirement that sometimes I like a proper reclined slouch/feet on desk to watch some YT and it definitely supports that laid back approach to not working. It is *Cheap* when compared to a lot of the stuff ^^^ but so far feels pretty high quality. We'll see how it lasts.
*ish. I mean it's not like it's an interesting bike part or something.
Like people say it’s personal what fits well and what doesn’t.
I bulged some discs in my back many years ago and it flared up during / after covid where I was working from home on a budget chair.
Luckily my work supplied a sit / stand thing for home as well as a chair. In that case I had to take measurements of myself and they then picked out an Orangebox Spira and supplied me with a new one of those for home. It’s been by far the most comfortable office chair I’ve ever sat on / used. Quite a few on sites secondhand - mines the one without the extra headrest on the top. After a number of years use the fabric is still holding up well and the padding doesn’t seem to have materially compressed.
Wife has a Herman Miller chair she bought that she loves, but I really don’t like it / find it that comfortable. Which just proves the point you need to try and either get some time trying out a few or find some way of measuring your dimensions and linking that to a specific brand / model of chair like our HR team did for me.
I think this is the model I’ve got:
I really wanted a Herman Miller a few years ago (maybe 6-7). Ended up with a HumanScale Diffrient World at less than half the price I was looking to spend. Went to John Lewis and tried a whole load and it just felt right. It's lasted really well, one of the arms is now falling apart but I can get a replacement for sub £100 IIRC.
My refurbished Diffrient World arrived today. I got a blue one from ORS. Was £201 including VAT and delivery. Condition is damn near perfect. So far, I like it (but it's only day one).
https://ors-recycle.co.uk/product/blue-humanscale-diffrient-world-mesh-operator-chair-u-mo-hs-b-01/