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Ask HN: Best desk chair, sub-$300?

14 points by alanh ↗ HN
I notice that I feel uncomfortable after sitting in my home office $50 Target chair for more than an hour, whereas at some office spaces I have worked in, I was much more comfortable.

Recommendations?

17 comments

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rtrocc
I actually was about to ask the same thing ... +1 for someone who relates to my own personal issue.

As far as I know, we need to look into ergonomics. But I'm sure the other pros here have mastered that by now, right? Help ?

smacktoward
I would challenge the "sub-$300" qualifier.

I had one of those $50 task chairs when I started my business. After nine months I had incredible lower back pain. It felt like I was seventy years old.

I'm the cheapest bastard in the world, so I looked long and hard to find a replacement that wasn't that much more expensive, but eventually I ended up biting the bullet and buying a Steelcase Leap [1]. It was expensive -- $900. But looking back on the decision a year and a half later, it was totally worth it. The back pain went away nearly overnight.

In other words: on this, don't cheap out. If you're looking for a chair that's going to be your primary work chair, you're going to be spending a significant chunk of your life sitting in it. It's worth spending the money to get something good. It doesn't have to be a Leap, there are lots of options, but resist the temptation to be penny wise and pound foolish.

[1] http://www.steelcase.com/en/products/category/seating/task/l...

alanh
Fair enough! My thought process was, if I just said “affordable,” then to some people that would mean “under $100” and perhaps “under $2k” to others.

$300 is not a hard limit, and a discussion of all price points would be helpful to the community.

smacktoward
Beyond the Leap (which I recommend unreservedly), here are some other well-regarded options I came across in my search:

Haworth Zody (~$700): http://www.haworth.com/en-us/Products/Furniture/Seating/Desk...

Steelcase Think (~$700): http://www.steelcase.com/en/products/category/seating/task/t...

Herman Miller Aeron (~$800): http://hermanmiller.com/products/seating/work-chairs/aeron-c...

Humanscale Freedom (~$1,000): http://humanscale.com/products/product_detail.cfm?group=Free...

Herman Miller Embody (~$1,200): http://www.hermanmiller.com/content/hermanmiller/english/pro...

If you're open to less traditional seating styles, there's also:

Swopper (~$650): http://swopper.com

I had a Humanscale Freedom at a previous job and found it kind of stiff and awkward to sit in. YMMV, of course.

The most important thing I learned is that it's a huge help if you can find a local store that has several of these so you can sit in each of them and see how they feel. It's a very subjective thing. I'm in the DC area, and a visit to the Healthy Back Store (http://www.healthyback.com/) was a huge help in my decision-making process.

caw
I second the "sitting in it." When I bought my chair I got a chair I hadn't even considered previously.

I went with an Embody. I was considering an Aeron and Humanscale but they just didn't jive with me. The Steelcase Leap is what I have at work, and after several weeks of sitting in it I already feel like it's not as comfortable as the Embody (and I had the chance of snagging the Leap at 40% off new).

If you do buy a Herman Miller (any) they run a semi-annual sale of 15% off; one of those sales starts around Thanksgiving. You might be able to get the discount by haggling or otherwise waiting for the sale.

j45
In case anyone's curious, the leap v2 chair can be found new on ebay for $450-600 instead of the usual $900 to 1200.
reuser
If you leapt directly from $50 to $900, how should I know that there aren't sweet spots between those two points?

I have never had a $900 chair and I have managed to avoid injury, but perhaps I am just especially robust?

smacktoward
But that was my point, I didn't leap directly from $50 to $900. I spent a lot of time looking at the space in between. What I came away with was the impression that pretty much everything under $600 was basically interchangeable junk -- the more expensive chairs in that range were just the cheaper chairs, tarted up with memory foam and the like to justify the higher price.
mjs00
Craigslist a used Humanscale Freedom chair - not as well known/desired as Aeron to keep used prices up, so folks closing out an office will often sell cheaply to unload (I've picked up several in great shape @ $100-200). BTW, I personally prefer the Freedom over Aeron, but am very happy with either.
alexgodin
Find a chair liquidator. They buy supplies in bulk from companies moving or going out of business. You should be able to get a steelcase leap v1 for $250. A quick google search finds these guys in SF http://officecomforts.com/. I got great deals from these guys in NY wbofficefurniture.com

Best of luck.

alanh
Anyone have any experience with Haworth?
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Benares
I don't know of anything good for under $300.

I would recommend looking at the Discovery Back family of OfficeMaster task chairs: http://officemaster.com/products/index.php?view=family&p...

I especially recommend one with the "DCS" feature (extra memory foam.) I have had an OM chair for a year now (from a different family; the "Yes" line), and the seat foam is still as cushiony as when it was new. Beats my old Aeron hands down. I miss the scapular impedance feature that is in the Discovery Back line, though.

P.S.: whatever you choose, be careful. Mesh chairs are nice for light/medium duty use, but they're just too hard for extended duty use. That's my experience, anyways.

zem
coincidentally, i have just been researching desk chairs, and this is the best-looking one i've found: http://www.overstock.com/Office-Supplies/ECO8.8-All-Mesh-Cha...

it's $430, but as other people have said, i would strongly advise you to give up on the sub-$300 goal. think of how many years you're going to be amortising the cost of that chair over, and how many hours you'll spend in it

i have not got one (and likely will not) because i am very reluctant to buy a chair i haven't actually sat in, and i cannot find a local store that stocks it, but i figured i'd at least share the benefits of my research if you don't have that issue.

calbear81
We outfitted our office with pre-owned Knoll Life chairs for under $300 each (retail $900+) by going to a local liquidator. If you're in the Bay Area, talk to Rudy at officefurnituredude.com and go check out their warehouse in Santa Clara.