So for the last 10 months I've been working from home, like a whole lot of office workers in the world. My desk at home isn't ideal, but I've gotten it increasingly set up well for how I need to work. However, early on I found that the chair I've had at my desk for a while- a fairly traditional but not terribly expensive 'desk' chair- was just not working and was uncomfortable for the 9 (now 10 due to our shift to a 4/10 schedule) hours I would spend sitting in it each day. Here's the old chair:
So, I tried something very different- when I had to work at the dining room table on some things a ways back I had grabbed a cheap wooden dining room chair we'd picked up as a prop for one of the Dancer's non-profit's shows and sad in it and found it was surprisingly comfortable compared to the really soft dining table chairs we have.
I brought it up to the office and tried it- and it surprisingly worked much better than my fancier chair- the 'desk' chair would start to hurt my quads (I think that's right) after a while and no adjusting of the chair seemed to fix that. So, I've used the wooden chair since. Unfortunately, I've increasingly had problems with my hips and lower back hurting from sitting in it, which has translated to some sleep issues since with my hips unhappy I can't lie on my side comfortably- and somehow I tend to end up on my side when sleeping (despite the fact I cannot fall asleep that way easily...).
So, I want to find a new chair that will be comfortable. I would prefer to not spend a huge amount- but if I'm going to be spending 10 hours sitting in it at home for the forseeable future, spending a modest bit on it so I can sleep better and my hips and back are happier, it will be worth it. I know a number of others are in a similar situation- what have you found to be good chairs for sitting at a desk for a long time? Thanks!
(note: I do have a standing desk setup that I brought home early on- I just don't use it as much as I should, and doing so is one of the things I'm trying to do more of this year).
Probably way out of your budget, but 20 years ago I bought a Humanscale Freedom chair. I sit in it 8 hours a day and it will last another 20 years easily.
I also have a Humanscale Freedom. I bought it from a place locally that specializes in buying up furniture from defunct startups (there are a lot of those out here) and supplying them to new startups (ditto, mostly full of the same people from the failed ones).
Their business model has shifted to more retail sales now that offices are mostly closed. I'm sure there's something similar nearby. Ours is called Berkeley Office Interiors, and I think I paid ~$500 for two chairs since my wife and I are both home.
One other thing that will probably help - get an ergonomic evaluation. I would be very surprised if your company doesn't have either a group or contracted company to provide them. Getting your workstation set up properly is more important than buying the right furniture - and for my company, if the ergonomist says you need a special desk/chair/whatever, that means the company buys it for you.
Find a used office equipment store in your area, and see if they have any Herman Miller Aeron or Equa chairs available. They're pretty expensive new, but used ones can be had at reasonable prices.
Another thought is to simply change back and forth between the chairs you have every so often - when one gets uncomfortable go back to the other, and so on. It's not a bad idea to vary your seating habits periodically anyway.
Steelcase or Herman miller. I previously alternated between the 2 throughout the day, but now it's just Steelcase. Herman miller aeron is good, but my body likes the Steelcase more. YMMV. I spend money on quality chairs, beds, shoes, and clothes.
Also maybe try setting alarms throughout the day to remind you to stand every 30-45 minutes.
I bought a used Herman Miller Aeron for about $300, and haven't regretted. Comfort is far better than the $70 chair I was previously using.
Another vote for a used or refurbished Aeron. Yes, they're not cheap, but they're really worth the money.
I bought an Aeron back in April when it became apparent that my 20 year old desk chair wasn't going to cut it for the extended work-from-home that I was looking at. I was initially dubious given the price and hype, and when I'd sat in them previously they hadn't felt "all that". I will say that it's been great though, I'm quite pleased with it.
And yes used ones are often available, either on CL or at local used office equipment places. Be aware they come in 3 different sizes with a couple options on which parts are adjustable.
I rock a Herman Miller Aeron and sing its praises. Craigslist, Facebook marketplace and OfferUp. Running price is around $350 used here but I got mine (size B, posture fit) and another non posture fit for significantly less. There were two posted this weekend for free so deals are out there.
I recently picked up a Global Kate 2811 for $40 that is very comfortable but that's more of a task chair with its low back.
Been looking for a Steelcase Leap to try and have seen a couple for $80-100 but they go fast.
I spent a couple of hours in a Staples sitting in every chair in the building. Ours carries 40-50 of them in stock. The chair I bought is awesome. It's 8-9 years old and looks to be good for another 8-9.
No clue who it's made by. They didn't think it was important enough to put their name on it. Off the top of my head it was in the $400 range.
Big initial investment but worth every penny. I use this. Herman Miller Mirra 2. I have this exact chair.
Yes it costs more than many project cars I have purchased over the years but worth it. If you are spending 8-10-12 hours sitting in it you need it to be top quality.
Look at used office furniture places you can probably find it much cheeper than the $1,800 list price.
Something else you may want to try is investing on one of those desks that you push a button and it raises up so you are standing. I have been told by many that this is also a game changer for there over all health.
If you are looking for used chairs, add Steelcase Leap and Leap v2 to the list.
We have these at work, and I know at least one person who picked one up for WFH duties. They are comfortable and robust. 20+ year service life easily.
Used they can be found for $100-400
I'll third, fourth, or fifth the refurb Aeron chair suggestion. When I got sent to WFH on 2 hours notice I had to put something together for an "office". Did some intewebz searching and found one for about $400 shipped. Well worth the cost if one is going to spend all day in it. Used it daily for about 4 months then every other week for the next 2 months. Back in the office now, so I don't use it as much but it was well worth it for the times I was in it all day long.
I have my dads 1950's drafting board and stool for a home office but I don't spend my days there.
Butt killer - how did he sit there and draw prints for 50 years?
Thanks everyone!
Our company is supposed to have the ability for us to request and get ergonomic evaluations- but I've never known exactly how that would work since I'm half a country away from the main office even when I'm not WFH. Going to look more into that and see if I can get one done- though I expect that it's going to require completely reconfiguring my desk (realistically I should probably have 2 desks- one for my work computer and the sit/stand setup and another for my personal setup- but the current configuration works well and with the HDMI switch I have on the weekend I can hit that and use one of my work monitors with the iMac.
I did some quick searches and unfortunately didn't find any of the chairs really very nearby- I need to research more anyway since it looks like they come in different sizes and figure out what would be best for me.
In reply to Ashyukun (Robert) :
FWIW I bought my Aeron from this company: https://www.madisonseating.com/aeron-chair-by-herman-miller-loaded-lumbar-carbon.html
Looks like prices have gone up a tad though, probably because so many people are WFH. Also, if your office has carpet, you want the deep carpet casters, not the regular ones.
Datsun310Guy said:
I have my dads 1950's drafting board and stool for a home office but I don't spend my days there.
Butt killer - how did he sit there and draw prints for 50 years?
I drew prints as a summer job in the 1970s. Sit for few hours, then lift the board and stand for awhile. We each had a stool and an office chair so we could change regularly.
In reply to BoxheadTim (Forum Supporter) :
Thanks! I'm hoping to find someplace local that actually carries the different chairs (even if not new/discounted) just to be able to try them out in person and see what is comfortable even if I end up buying them from someplace else.
Ashyukun (Robert) said:
Our company is supposed to have the ability for us to request and get ergonomic evaluations- but I've never known exactly how that would work since I'm half a country away from the main office even when I'm not WFH. Going to look more into that and see if I can get one done
Probably they'll have you submit a bunch of photographs and measurements. Desk height, chair height, forearm length, stuff like that.
codrus (Forum Supporter) said:
Ashyukun (Robert) said:
Our company is supposed to have the ability for us to request and get ergonomic evaluations- but I've never known exactly how that would work since I'm half a country away from the main office even when I'm not WFH. Going to look more into that and see if I can get one done
Probably they'll have you submit a bunch of photographs and measurements. Desk height, chair height, forearm length, stuff like that.
Yeah, my company does them over Zoom now, plus sending measurements.
I went to buy an Aeron a few years ago and ended up with an X-chair instead. It just fit me better, but like the others, is not cheap. That being said, if I'm in it for hours a day for a few years, is it really worth skimping?
https://www.xchair.com/buildx2.html#331=764
Was in the same situation as you with working from home. Came so close to going into the office and attempt to smuggle my work chair out of the building. Think it would be highly frowned on, those are very expensive chairs. Wife Ok'd the purchase of a Desk Chair from Sam's Club. No real complaints. Tons better than the cheap one I was using but not quite as good as my in-office chair.
Alera Veon Series Executive High-Back Leather Chair.
Item # 27010 Model # ALEVN4119
wlkelley3 said:
Was in the same situation as you with working from home. Came so close to going into the office and attempt to smuggle my work chair out of the building. Think it would be highly frowned on, those are very expensive chairs. Wife Ok'd the purchase of a Desk Chair from Sam's Club. No real complaints. Tons better than the cheap one I was using but not quite as good as my in-office chair.
My company actually had an official "come get your desk chair and take it home" thing, a month or so after I'd bought my Aeron. Yeah, they're expensive chairs (they weren't Aerons but something that competes with them), but not as expensive as the laptop they've already given you to take home, and less likely to get damaged. It's also WAY cheaper than paying workman's comp for repetitive strain injuries.
Hon makes decent office chairs. They are in the $300 to $500 range. They are meant to sit in for 8 hours plus. I weigh 260ish lbs and my 2 chairs have lasted many years (1 at home and the other at work).
BoxheadTim (Forum Supporter) said:
In reply to Ashyukun (Robert) :
FWIW I bought my Aeron from this company: https://www.madisonseating.com/aeron-chair-by-herman-miller-loaded-lumbar-carbon.html
Looks like prices have gone up a tad though, probably because so many people are WFH. Also, if your office has carpet, you want the deep carpet casters, not the regular ones.
I'd go with a hard plastic office mat vs the casters. Constantly rolling around on carpet, like you'd find in a house, eventually ends up stretching it out.
