Home office chair

[holliscx]

What are y'all sitting in at home for work?

I have a €150 Ikea chair that's hemorrhaging foam but probably lasted 15 years.

I just pedaled out to a Steelcase dealer to look at the Series 1 which sells for €500. I wasn't impressed. The seat platform was wobbly and the overall construction plus look and feel didn't seem special. What's more the platform for your bottom whispered wide load.

The saleswoman walked me to the warehouse to show me two Spanish national models which could've been any chair in Office Max in the States. As I were sitting in those plastic jobs I was staring at a yellow forklift on the floor and was talking out loud to myself that I just want a tank. She asked me what I meant and I said I want a simple, well-built chair that will last decades. I'm not into bells and whistles but solid, functional construction that's sturdy.

A British friend suggests the Aeron but I think it might be over designed for my needs. I'm not sure I can drop that coin on a chair unless it has a lifetime warranty. That said I think Steelcase stands behind their chairs though I'm not sure how a warranty would be handled abroad but I think they would service the chairs.

Probably going to ride out to Ikea this afternoon reluctantly to see what they have on the floor. I don't think for the money that I will find better value.

Does anyone work in a hard fixed chair like with a cushion or anything? I'm guessing the inability to adjust height plus the lack of padding would render that impossible for a work from home scenario. Just trying to think of a utilitarian seat ... what's a Hummer, Land Cruiser, or Land Rover in chair form?

Riding back Steelcase reminded me of a croissant. When done right, a croissant is the magical contrast between a light, fluffy interior and a sublime, crunchy paper thin exterior. When you see a croissant with a bunch of shit on top you know it will taste bad and it always does. Because perfection doesn't need accoutrements. If the base Steelcase Series 1 chair impressed me then the myriad customizations and colors available would be the cherry on top. But since the chair itself wasn't impressive the whole package kind of missed the mark.

Open to suggestions ... one data point is that I'm not sure I need armrests. I currently lower the rests on my Ikea chair so that I can slide my chair under the table which renders the rests useless. I type with my elbows on the table so I don't need arm supports. I know chairs without arm supports look lame though but I think it's weird to have a chair with armrests and never use them so I would just as soon not have them.

[AngryScientist]

You could read through this thread, lot of good suggestions put out, but not sure what the availability of some stuff in Europe is tho

https://forums.thepaceline.net/showt...ighlight=chair

[robin3mj]

I have a Herman Miller Setu, bought from Design Within Reach with a 15% coupon and it's been worth it.
In all the offices I've been in, I'd always put the armrests as low as they go for the reason you mentioned- this one has fixed armrests but they're low enough and set far back enough on the seat that that don't interfere with my typing.

[j44ke]

Eames Aluminum Group Chair. Lots of options. Photo below is just one of many. Lasts forever. Repairable, parts available, etc.

[sk_tle]

One from Brooks or Berthoud ?

[johnmdesigner]

Eames Aluminum Group Chair. Lots of options. Photo below is just one of many. Lasts forever. Repairable, parts available, etc.

A million knock offs of this chair in circulation.
$79 from Wayfair in the US (with castors and piston adjustment).
Going strong for 5 years.
Fits my boney back and ass. Throw a beach towel over it in the summer. Just fine.
With or without arns.

[holliscx]

The Land Cruiser of office chairs is Herman Miller. I went by a shop this afternoon and that's indisputable. Just as you don't need a J40 in any color but sand the Aeron only comes in black.

The salespeople were being total douches so I didn't stay long in the store but I was impressed by the materials and construction.

[alexstar]

buy a used Aeron. You can also buy a broken one cheaply and replace the broken parts, if you are so inclined. eBay and craigslist are your friend in this regard.

[echappist]

I started that Across-the-Hall thread on office chairs.

I have to say that I really like the choice I ended up getting (Herman Miller Mirra with quite a few bells and whistles). Key improvements include better back posture and reduced bottock fatigue. While there's no cushion (mesh seating surface), it works for me, and I don't have to worry about the foam losing its resilience over time.

But if there's one take-away, it should be that this is all very personal, and for anything on which one is contemplating plopping down almost $1k, one should at least sit in that damn chair for 30 minutes before making a decision. So much of the initial assessment of comfort (say within the first two minutes) change after 20 minutes or so. Bring a book, tablet, or whatever else you think would replicate your activity at the desk and see if it's actually comfortable performing those activities.

For some of the other models, it became quite clear 10 minutes in that they didn't offer what I was looking for.

ETA: I donno how much premium the OP places on lumbar comfort, but it was definitely high on my list. The Aeron, despite being HM's top-of-the-line offering, just didn't offer much in that department (at least two years ago).

[j44ke]

Factoid: The standard Aeron chair sold in Europe is narrower than the standard Aeron chair in the US. My wife bought hers when we lived in Prague, so she has the narrow one (now 20 years old.) There was a senior colleague at a previous firm of hers who always wanted to sit in her Aeron chair when discussing things in her office, but his fat ass wouldn't fit. +1 for psychological office warfare.

[MarkC]

FWIW, The Aeron comes in three main sizes. On the upper back of the seat, behind the Herman Miller etching, there are raised dots. One dot = size A, two dots = size B and three dots = size C The size B is most common and fits many. Except giants like Toots and midgets like, well, no names. (LOL)

Quick Overview: https://www.crandalloffice.com/blog/...u-should-know/

I recently bought a used Aeron for home. From a vendor called The Furniture Exchange in New Brunswick NJ. They specialize in clearing out office buildings and reselling the cubes, desks and furniture. They have hundreds of high end chairs and all sorts of other stuff and it turns over weekly. If you are in a decent size city good chance of finding a similar outfit if you poke around.

The Aeron is good if you like a firmer seat and the overall look and feel. Steelcase is more plush according to my butt (have at work site). Both are great. My favorite of all is an AllSteel Number 19. Have an early production model a vendor got for me 30 years ago. My wife stole it for her office and I haven't used it since. Fantastic chair and still looks and feels like new.

[Peter Polack]

I participated in the paceline thread but incase you don't bother to visit there, I'll repost it here, with some edits:


"Definintely check out the used office furniture supply shops in your area. The one in my area carries Steelcase and Herman Miller at much less than 50%.

I had a Steelcase Sensor chair for 25 years; it's like an older version of the Leap. Comfortable, customizable, and durable. If I had to choose, I would take a padded chair like the Steelcase over the Aeron, and I've had both.

I picked up (and I'm sitting in now!) a Herman Miller Aeron from a craigslist ad which is definitely not a clone. Paid a mere $100!

The only feature of the Aeron I don't like is, the bottom of the piston assembly sits too close to the carpet, and it inhibits free rolling on the wheels.

There was more clearance with my Steelcase chair so I didn't have that problem. Also, the wheels were specifically made for rolling on carpet. Like I said, it was customizable."

I will say anyone who's come over to my house and sat in either chair, wants to take it home. I can't think of a better testimonial!

[Rich S]

The X-Chair X2 works well for my wonky back. I *really* hesitated due to the ~$1K cost but it's proven to be worth it.

[HorsCat]

Purchased a Aeron in 2005. It is still in use. So that’s what I’d recommend.

[holliscx]

Promising reply from a British friend to my query how much he paid for his Aeron though probably a long shot if this were to work out:

I believe I bought mine for £700 in London and had it shipped to Barcelona for £50. I sold it a while ago to a friend here for €200 but he may be returning to the States soon. I’m not sure if he’s selling it or not. Would you like me to find out?

I emailed Allsteel to see if they have any #19s over this way. Would like to see in person if possible.

I was surprised that Ikea no longer has an offering similar to the €150 chair I've sat in for probably the last 15 years. It's basically a Steelcase (or Herman Miller equivalent) ripoff but I would probably buy it again tbh but the Swedish giant's current offerings didn't interest me at all.

List price I'm seeing for the Aeron B is €1599 although the store I went in yesterday listed theirs on the floor for €2500 which is mental. The Herman Miller Verus caught my eye on the floor though I haven't sat in it yet. I will check out the other offerings from HM as well.

Regarding the no fabric Aeron is that a plus as far as longevity? I don't think I'm a picky type when it comes to chairs but I would love to find the J40 of office chairs if it exists.

Fwiw I emailed the design firm where I used to work in New York to ask them what chair I sat in as a twice intern in 2005. This was Pentagram on 204 Fifth Ave. Interns rocked Power Mac G5 towers with cinema displays so I can assure you that whatever our bottoms touched was the pinnacle of office chairs. The fact that I didn't even notice what chair I was sitting in probably points to it being correct. I'm sure Pentagram did their research and chose wisely. I also asked what their current chairs are out of curiosity.

[davids]

I bought a Herman Miller Sayl with adjustable arms pretty early in the pandemic, new from DWR. Both my 5'2" wife and 5'9" me are very happy with it (I'm sitting in it now.) I think we paid about $600 here in the US.

81+6Xst0EtL._AC_SY355_.jpg

We considered the Aeron too, but the simplicity and price of the Sayl was appealing. We went to the store and sat in a Sayl for a while, liked it and placed our order.

Now don't get me started on my buying experience. It seems like the chair might have disappeared in shipping somewhere near Cincinnati and neither HM or DWR was helpful in figuring out what the hell happened to it. Eventually one showed up at my door. Was it the one that visited southern Ohio? I have no idea.

[kdawg]

I've had one of these at work for a few years now. I first saw them years ago when they were really expensive because they only did a leather one. Came out with this version which is still expensive but reasonable. 10 years warranty and other than a little wear to the fabric (which is replaceable) mine is going strong. It's comfortable and supportive, doesn't have armrests to get in the way - but has something to lean your elbows on if you need it.

hag-capisco-puls_8020_silver-black_angle-r.jpg

https://www.officefurnitureonline.co...air-black.html I've never paid the price on the website for anything either - when you call to order they always find a better deal.

[holliscx]

I don't have air conditioning and read the fabric less Aeron is great for poor souls like me

My British friend who sold his Aeron to an American for €200 has confirmed the American is keeping the chair, so I'm getting shy spending well over €1000 for a chair. Wallapop is like Spain's Craigslist. I see a few listed used but none locally. I'm not that interested in spending north of €600 for a secondhand chair and would have to see it in person first. One downside of the Aeron is less adjustable armrests but a nonissue with me as I never intend to use.

[einreb]

I'll offer up my suggestion of the 'Wau Chair'

https://scandinaviandesigns.com/products/wau-desk-chair


In the US, they are generally $499. I picked one up new on sale for $399 when an employee requested one and I lucked out on the sale. I tried it and liked it so much I paid $499 later to get myself one.

[Mabouya]

The salespeople were being total douches so I didn't stay long in the store

Did they happen to also sell Rolex watches? Idiots.