
Ask HN: Best office chair for home office work? - vuln
I&#x27;m looking for an office chair that I can spend 6-10 hours a day in. Looking to spend under $500 if possible but I am open to suggestions. I really wish there was a service that I could test out an office chair for two weeks and return if it doesn&#x27;t not perform as expected.
======
pizza234
I'll go against the conventional wisdom and stress on _not_ trusting
recommendations; instead, test chairs on your on as much as you can.

Bodies vary too wildly to work on the basis of other people's experience.
Also, the price is not an indicator of quality _at all_.

I have experience with a "famous high-priced high-recommended" model mentioned
here, and the experience was bad (sadly, the first 10 minutes of testing felt
good). I don't say that it's bad or good; it just doesn't work with my body
shape.

I had another experience with another "recommended last-posture-technology"
chair, and it was exhausting to use.

Ended up on a 250$ chair that feels much better than the 1500$+ one.

~~~
acconrad
> _test chairs on your on as much as you can_

This is the correct answer. I spent 8 hours researching, trying out (i.e.
testing) 25-30 chairs since for over a year I worked completely remote from my
home office. You really need to sit in them for a good 15-20 min before you
can get a real sense of what is comfortable and what will cause your body
issues (and every body is different).

In the end I chose a used Herman Miller Embody off of Craigslist. It was about
75% off, in like-new condition, and fit my body perfectly. The only way I came
to that conclusion was from trying out so many chairs and feeling what was
nice and what wasn't.

In addition, I'd also stress ergonomics and good posture in addition to
comfort. Comfort can't be the only signal or else you could get a chair that
rewards bad posture and make you feel good now, but way worse after years of
poor posture.

------
andrewf
Go second-hand. If you've had a good experience sitting on a particular chair
in the past, consider one of those.

I'd sat in Aerons in workplaces, so I bought a second-hand one on Craiglist
for about 50% of list price. It's still going strong 5 years later.

Be aware of the options. Aerons come with one of two forms of back brace (or
neither) and in three sizes, for instance.

~~~
sorum
I can also second that: a 2nd hand Herman Miller Aeron that you've tested
before making the purchase; one of the damn best investments you can make.

Have had mine for 6+ years now and it's outlived pretty much everything in my
home office, save for a Dell U2713HM, which is still such a nice allrounder
(27" 1440p IPS).

~~~
o-__-o
I would recommend the Dell P2415Q as a great allround monitor today. IPS
panel, 4k, and displayport daisy-chaining support.

~~~
sorum
Oooh, at $429 from Dell, that's a nice 27" 4K at a nice price.

~~~
Rychard
The P2415Q is a 24" monitor.

Also, I would recommend ignoring Dell's dual-monitor stand for these monitors
(Dell MDS14 Dual Monitor Stand). It doesn't allow for the monitors to be
angled inward very much at all, so the monitors are mostly parallel with each
other.

------
ChuckMcM
One of the under appreciated aspects of chair buying, in my opinion of course,
is what you weigh. Generally the materials and construction which expect to
flex and conform do so within a set of limits that the chair designer had but
may not have put into the spec. You can both be too light for a chair and too
heavy. That is why actually sitting in the chair is something you might want
to spend some time doing if you can.

I use a $200 mesh back chair that I got from Wayfair back in the day, it works
well for me. I tried it at a chair retailer in SF and decided to get one. I've
found the Herman Miller chairs too stiff at times, but given the adjustability
I admit I have not sat down on a chair and spent the 30 - 45 minutes of
"tuning" that such an exercise takes using the manual.

When I was at Google I took their "ergo eval" which at the time did an
ergonomics check for chair, mouse, keyboard, and monitor height. They
recommended a Steel Case chair which I used, and it was comfortable, but it
wasn't specially more comfortable than my cheap chair as far as I can tell.

~~~
nextos
I really agree with factoring weight (and size) into the choice, which can
ruin an otherwise great chair.

While I like Herman Miller (especially Embody), I am really opinionated about
chairs. After trying zillions, I think those chairs that are quite firm and
promote active seating and position variety are the best ones.

There is a quite famous Norwegian designer, Peter Opsvik, who has designed a
few great chairs for Håg and Varier: Capisco, Gravity, Actulum, etc. All his
ideas are well explained in a book [1]. Basic models are relatively
affordable.

Aside from the Scandinavian chairs from Opsvik, Aeris produces some nice
active seating chairs and stools. Other alternatives are mentioned in this
mega review [2].

Very recently, Ikea has released a stool that follows the same active seating
principles [3]. Quality and price are superb.

[1] [https://www.aeris.de/en/](https://www.aeris.de/en/)

[2] [https://www.nerdgranny.com/review-ergonomic-
chairs/](https://www.nerdgranny.com/review-ergonomic-chairs/)

[3] [https://www.ikea.com/gb/en/p/trollberget-active-sit-stand-
su...](https://www.ikea.com/gb/en/p/trollberget-active-sit-stand-support-
glose-black-40388259/)

------
tempestn
Steelcase Leap is an amazing chair, but more than $500 (or at least it was
when I bought mine). I tried a bunch when I finally decided to upgrade from
the $200 Staples chairs that wear out in a year and found this one the most
comfortable by far. Have used it for a few years now with absolutely no
complaints.

~~~
dogma1138
Steelcase furniture can be bought at pennies on the dollar at office space
auctions.

In fact in many places companies hold “clearing sales” to clear the office
space from any furniture due to the high costs of disposing of the furnishings
when their tenancy ends or when they sale the building.

I bought a Steelcase workstation desk complex that costs around £3000 in the
UK for £257 at an auction such as that.

~~~
AJRF
How do you find those auctions? Is there a website with a schedule of them?

~~~
dogma1138
Google for your local area, there are like 100's of these sites in the UK in
fact there are sites that charge you money just to send you a list of
bankruptcy, police, customs seizures etc. auctions.

------
seltzered_
Stools. Yes, Backless stools, particularly those made for desk usage. Paired
with a standing mat and sit/stand setup (either via sit/stand desk or some
adjustable desktopper like the ergodesktop Kangaroo) stools can be easily
thrown under the desk and hidden away if your home office doubles for exercise
or breakfast room use.

My bookmarked list of stools:

The Swopper - [http://swopperusa.com/](http://swopperusa.com/) \- Expensive.
Use this regularly and it's been nice.

ErgoErgo - [http://ergoergo.com/](http://ergoergo.com/) \- Usually ~100 and
found at places like The Container Store. Pair with a Muji cushion or any
round cushion.

Topstar Sitness - [https://www.topstar.de/en/swivel-chairs-seating-
furniture/si...](https://www.topstar.de/en/swivel-chairs-seating-
furniture/sitness-office/sitness-20) \- don't own this one but looked neat.
They also sell a simpler ball stool called the Sitness Alpine.

Turnstone Buoy - [https://myturnstone.com/products/chairs-and-
stools/buoy/](https://myturnstone.com/products/chairs-and-stools/buoy/) \-
don't own but looks decent too.

~~~
jppope
I use drum thrones for the same reason: [https://www.guitarcenter.com/ROC-N-
SOC/Nitro-Throne.gc](https://www.guitarcenter.com/ROC-N-SOC/Nitro-Throne.gc)

~~~
dougbrunton
I do the same. For me it’s the DWCP3100.

------
awinder
I have owned / used extensively pretty much what I would say are all the
chairs you would want to sit in if you want to maintain back and neck /
mitigate back pain:

1\. Steelcase leap: my first not-crap chair, bought from an office closing
used for like $300, great chair.

2\. Steelcase Gesture: decided I wanted to “upgrade” after bringing steelcase
to office. Went with a sale online and actually didn’t like it much and
returned it, but some people love it. This was also way worth it — the store I
used had free returns, paid nothing to try the chair for a month.

3\. Herman Miller Embody — went to this after the gesture and use this as at-
home work chair. It’s awesome. I don’t know if I like it more than leap. Leap
makes you sit up right, like it holds you in the position you want to sit in
in order to not screw up your back. Embody is super supportive leaning back
but feel like it’s less so sitting upright, but I also game in it, so as an
all around at home chair i think it works.

4\. Herman Miller Aeron — currently using at work, was super psyched I didn’t
have to be the guy with their special chair at the new job. It’s — also a
great chair! I think it’s similar to the leap, moreso than researching to
death might make it seem. You sit upright in it, if you try to slouch the
chair makes you feel it, so you sit back up right and then it supports you
correctly again.

If you want to get in on cheaper end, I’d check out craigslist / fb
marketplace because you can get a barely-used leap or aeron for 250-350 and
the chair is going to be great for a decade. Unless you’re a savant these
chairs are very equitable with maybe slight preference differences. If you
want more stability with warranty / want to buy new / hit a bonus and want to
have fun with some of it, online shops you can do risk-free, try one for a
month and exchange for a different one if you don’t love it.

~~~
ktsmith
I use the Steelcase Gesture and I would definitely try before buying. The
single thing most of my guests dislike is the tilt of the seat. If I had to do
it again I'd probably go with another Leap or the Humanscale Freedom.

------
electricslpnsld
The Steelcase Leap is my personal favorite office chair of all time, but it
retails for around $1,000.00. You can sometimes find them for cheaper if a
company gets liquidated and is offloading their old equipment.

~~~
narak
I regularly find refurbished liquidated Steelcase Leap v2 chairs in the Bay
Area for between $250-350. Find a set of gel wheels on Amazon for $25 to
replace the plastic casters and you've got a great chair. There's actually a
used chair store right next to YC HQ in Mountain View.

That said, these days I slightly prefer the much cheaper Ikea Markus with the
arm rests removed and angled at approx 135 deg.

~~~
Qub3d
+1 for Markus. I bought it as a chair to tide me over my senior year of
college. Still using it right now.

------
larrywright
Depending on where you live, trying out an office chair for a while might be
an option. I found a local office furniture store that sold Herman Miller (not
a big box retailer, but one who sells to bigger companies), and was able to
give them a credit card number and a drivers license and they let me borrow a
few chairs to try out. I tried the Aeron for a week and then the Embody for a
week. I ended up buying the Embody. I paid a little more than $500, I think it
was more like $750. Totally worth it though, I expect to still be sitting in
it in 20 years.

A note on the Aerons that lots of people have recommended: they come in three
different sizes, something most people don’t realize since corporate buyers
usually just buy the medium size. If your frame is larger or smaller than
average (speaking of height here, not weight) then one of the other sizes
might fit you better.

I can’t recommend the Embody enough though. I can sit in that chair for 10+
hours and not feel it. It’s an amazing chair.

~~~
mturmon
True about the 3 sizes of Aerons. I'm 6'3, and find the vanilla Aeron (size
"B") to work. If I was 6'4, I might feel differently, though, because I use it
at its max adjustment.

~~~
larrywright
Also worth pointing out that height recommendations are just a guideline and
two people who are the same height might fit differently in the same chair.
I’m the same height as you but I’m all leg. The larger Aeron fit me better.

------
jonah
In response to this post I looked to find out when the Steelcase Leap chair
was introduced (1999) and found a few interesting things about it:

It was designed by IDEO.

Bruce Sterling writes about ergo chairs in Wired during the height of the dot
com boom ninteen years ago this month.
[https://www.wired.com/2000/07/chairs/](https://www.wired.com/2000/07/chairs/)

"The chair was developed over four years, cost $35 million to design, and
resulted in 11 academic studies and 23 patents."

David Pogue reviews the Steelcase Gesture in the NY Times and discusses its
predecessor the Leap:
[https://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/12/technology/personaltech/a...](https://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/12/technology/personaltech/a-good-
office-chair-not-so-different-from-others.html)

------
chris_st
The company I work at has Aerons, and so I've sat in a lot of them over the
past twenty years or so. They're moderately comfortable, but ALL of them (yup,
all) have broken in some nigh-impossible-to-repair way. Typically, the control
that controls the angle of the seat breaks, and then it's at some crazy
uncomfortable angle, and I have to find a new one.

I should point out that I'm not heavy at all, nor am I hard on chairs!

Looked this problem up on YouTube, and found that in some cases, it's an easy
fix, but not mine.

~~~
fd111
I had a tilt-mech-ish problem with my Aeron when it was just past its ninth
birthday. I don't know about warranty policies on current sales, but my Aeron
came with a 10 year warranty. My local H-M dealer dispatched a service tech to
my house who replaced the broken bits and a bunch of other worn parts at no
cost to me. The chair is now almost 20 years old and all of the fiddly bits
still work. I replaced the (torn) mid-back brace a year or so ago at a cost of
something like $75. That seemed like a lot until I pondered how long and well
that chair has served me.

------
fauigerzigerk
It has always been very difficult for me to find a chair that isn't a complete
disaster either for my lower back pain or for my shoulder problems.

After trying a very large number of very expensive spaceship shaped chairs
(Herman Miller, etc) I'm now pretty happy with IKEA's Alefjäll swivel chair:

[https://www.ikea.com/gb/en/p/alefjaell-office-chair-glose-
bl...](https://www.ikea.com/gb/en/p/alefjaell-office-chair-glose-
black-30367460/)

What this chair has going for it is that you can lower the backrest so that
you can lean back over it. That takes a bit of weight off the lower back and
leaves the shoulders free.

There are a lot of cheap, flimsy office chairs that can do the same, but they
mostly don't have armrests and are generally too small.

The Alefjäll is very un-IKEA-like in that it has a very solid, even heavy,
feel about it.

------
tobylane
Exercise ball. It's the only thing that makes me sit upright (my idea of
correct is straightish back, relaxed shoulders) and it permits a great deal of
hip fidgeting.

------
bookofjoe
After going through a whole sequence of fancy office chairs, an exercise ball,
a kneeling chair, and their odd ilk, I find my old (purchased in 1983) teak
dining chair with arms and a wooden back and woven natural cord seat is the
most comfortable for long stretches (4-5 hours).

~~~
nathancahill
My body hurts just reading this comment.

------
ken
The best chair I ever used was a kneeling chair. It encourages proper posture
in a way that no other chair I've seen does.

Beware, there's a huge spectrum of quality for this (or any other) type of
chair. Kneeling chairs were also some of the worst chairs I've ever sat on.
"Kneeling" is one feature which chair designers can use to make a great chair,
but it's not a magic feature that makes any chair design great.

~~~
copperx
That leads me to ask ... what's the best kneeling chair that you've used?

~~~
nextos
Varier Balans is very good.

------
lucb1e
Did anyone ever figure out a way to work laid back? I read a while ago some
research concluding that semi laying on your back is better than this typical
ergonomic bolt upright position, but you would probably have to mount your
screen at an angle and attach your keyboard to some tilted surface. If I
remember correctly, a 135 degree angle was mentioned, but it's been a while.
I'm wondering if anyone tried it and what their experience is.

------
lewisl9029
Autonomous has a bunch of ergonomic office chairs that don't cost an arm and
leg: [https://www.autonomous.ai/office-
chairs](https://www.autonomous.ai/office-chairs)

I got the Ergochair 2 from their original kickstarter campaign for around $200
and it's still going strong. It's not perfect (the armrest doesn't lock in
place, headrest isn't as adjustible as I'd like, and the cushion had a weird
smell for a while that has mostly gone away now, but not entirely), but the
small imperfections to me weren't a big enough annoyance to justify upgrading
to some of the alternatives that were generally $500+.

In the time since I got their original Ergochair 2 it looks like they've
introduced a few more, including the Myochair for <$150 that also includes a
legrest. I'd definitely give that a try if I were shopping for a new chair. As
far as I'm concerned these are probably the best deals in office chairs, and
you have very little to lose since they offer a 30-day trial.

------
twodave
I bought a Herman Miller Aeron off eBay a few years ago while I was working
remote. Until then I'd been experiencing pretty regular circulation and back
issues (and I'm a relatively healthy person under 35). Now I have no pain and
no circulation problems.

I ended up taking the Aeron to work when I took another office job, and bought
a second-hand Steelcase Leap V2 for home. I like them both for different
reasons. The Aeron is more comfortable over long sessions (which is why it is
still at the office), but the Leap is still plenty comfortable and, to me, is
more adjustable.

My only complaint about the Aeron is the front lip prevents me from _ever_
folding one of my legs under the other (sitting on my ankle, basically). The
lip makes that particular position painful (and probably I should not be
sitting that way, but not being able to is a bit limiting).

EDIT: Also seriously, go find a dealer near you and try some out. You'll know
pretty quickly whether you want to spend 8 hours in the chair or not.

------
propter_hoc
I'm personally a big fan of the Ikea Markus. Have tried much more expensive
chairs and for some reason I prefer it.

~~~
jimmahoney
I have the Ikea Markus at home and it's been fine, especially for a $200
chair. I use a Herman-Miller Aeron in my work office that I got when I was
having back problems, and like it a lot ... but I've found the Markus to be a
good solution given the cost disparity. I don't feel like I need to spend
$1000 for my home office.

------
maxaf
Standing desk, no chair. Whenever I feel like sitting down, I lock my
workstation and walk away to do other stuff: house chores, manage personal
finances, hang out with my daughter, etc.

By the time I’m done doing the other things and am ready to continue work, my
desire to sit down has passed, and I can resume use of my standing desk.

------
mattferderer
You can get the Aeron's on Ebay for under $500. After owning one for a while
they are nice. Quality is decent but I think they're overrated for their "new"
price. As with many popular things, you can search for the word followed by
"sucks" to find plenty of legit complaints. The pressure under your thighs is
the one I find the most annoying.

That said, I'm overall happy with my used one I own. I appreciate that it's
popular enough that I can replace arm rests when they get worn out.

I have it paired with the Autonomous.ai standing desk frame, a cheap Amazon
desktop & a cheap standing mat. I like this because sitting for 6-10 hours a
day isn't ideal for me, but I understand for some people standing isn't an
option.

I enjoy my setup more than any office one I've ever been in.

~~~
FiReaNG3L
If you have pressure under your thighs, you might need some kind of footrest -
it solved my problem entirely with my Aeron.

------
jpm_sd
After years of back pain and trying tons of different chairs, I've found that
swimming and yoga make more of a difference than chair choice.

------
colluphid
I have a Secret Lab Titan which I'm happy with. It's very comfortable and has
good lower back support.

[https://secretlab.co/collections/titan-
series](https://secretlab.co/collections/titan-series)

~~~
finaliteration
I’ll second this! I bought the Titan about 6 months ago and it’s been amazing.
I can use it for long work and gaming sessions and stay totally comfortable
without any back or leg pain like I used to have with a previous chair. The
lumbar support is also adjustable which is great.

------
villgax
Aerons

But you might also find dining chairs with good cushions & back support which
don't have wheels to be a better choice because your body isn't swaying nor
will you move about your place every now & then & re-center.

------
SethKinast
I have a Laura Davidson chair (clone of the Herman Miller Sayl)

[https://www.lauradavidsondirect.com/products/bowery-
manageme...](https://www.lauradavidsondirect.com/products/bowery-management-
chair-white-grey)

Some things are definitely not to the standard of the original (armrests) but
the lumbar support and adjustments as well as the general fit are excellent
for what I paid (~$200).

I had an armrest break and they sent me a new one the same day. And speaking
to your request, they give you a 60 day trial.

I would buy another if I needed one. I spend 6+ hours in it regularly.

------
kevinflo
Over the years I've tried a leap, gesture, HON exposure, aeron, and embody...
and after all of it still find I vastly prefer a $70 Ikea Millberget to all of
them
[https://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/00331707/](https://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/00331707/)
\- the cheap material starts to flake after about 2 yrs of use so I'll just
buy one every two years I guess.

I guess the lesson is that every body is different and you gotta find what
works for you

------
j2bax
We’ve been using this as our standard issue chair for the past 6 years or so.
We haven’t had any issues at all and no complaints from 40+ people including
myself. I don’t think you can do much better for a new chair under $200.00

Lorell High-Back Chair Mesh Black Fabric Seat
[https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000Q5XTE8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_LH...](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000Q5XTE8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_LHriDbS13Y73J).

------
drewg123
I've worked remotely for 16 years, and I've had the same Aeron chair the
entire time. It has been comfortable, and I like how the mesh is breathable.
My only complaint is that the mesh allows dust through to the pod below the
chair (where the adjustment stuff lives), and it is very difficult to clean
because its hard to access.

------
stargrazer
The high end office chair companies will usually offer a try before buy deal.

The Aeron chairs by Herman Miller are popular in some re-insurance companies.
I have used the Mirra 2 chair, but prefer the Aeron.

The Aeron, unless purchased used, probably won't fit in your budget, but
breaking the budget on such an important item as this will probably be of
value.

~~~
wahnfrieden
Embody is their newer model

~~~
amlozano
+1 for the Embody, I love mine.

Try to get it on sale or something though, its stupid overpriced.

~~~
kasplat
Agreed, I love my embody. Got it for $500 on craigslist in the bay area.

------
petewailes
I like the Humanscale Freedom. Wouldn't swap mine for anything.

~~~
uptown
I've got a Humanscale Freedom as-well. It's a great chair. Bought one for home
after using one at my previous employer. Support has been amazing as-well.
They've swapped out the gel seat once and the arm rests once due to regular
wear-and-tear. This is on what's now a 14 year old chair.

For those recommending the Aeron - I've got one at my current job. What I
don't like is that occasionally I like to sit with my leg folded under my body
- fully acknowledge it's bad form, etc. but with the Aeron this is impossible
due to the rigid plastic sides. For me, it's a deal-breaker for a chair I buy
myself.

------
ericabiz
I had Aerons for years, and finally got rid of my last one for an Embody. I
definitely think the Embody is an upgrade from an Aeron. At least for me, the
mesh was uncomfortable and I prefer the fabric of the Embody. I also really
like the fact that it's taller and supports more of my back.

We picked up 2 Embodys used for less than the price of one new one. The only
negative was we had to drive from Austin to Houston and back (around a 6-hour
round trip.) This was still worth it, because we saved almost $2K vs. buying
new. One of the Embodys had a broken piece that doesn't affect functionality,
so we got a true deal.

The place that we went also had Steelcase Leap chairs, Aerons, and many more
high-end chairs and furniture. We found it via craigslist originally. I would
definitely suggest finding the places like this vs. buying online.

------
tbyehl
> Looking to spend under $500 if possible but I am open to suggestions.

That's a small budget for purchasing a new chair. Around $800 is where you
start finding a better durability and a fuller complement of adjustments than
a mediocre $200 Office Depot chair. If you avoid chairs with foam-cushioned
seat pans it's reasonable to expect a Big Name $800+ chair to effectively last
forever (usually they have 10+ year warranties). I sold my Aeron after at
least 40,000 hours use and after a thorough cleaning it was indistinguishable
from new.

As others have said, try to find an office furniture supply company that will
let you trial a few chairs. Avoid foam if you don't want to be replacing /
refurbishing seat pans every 1-3 years.

------
realshowbiz
I’ve been happy with my Ikea Markus. It was maybe $150 in the as-is section.

I’ve sat in Herman Miller Aerons at work for many years, and sitting on this
all day while working remote has been great. No issues. I’ve had it 4 years
now and still going strong. I’ve been quite happy esp considering the cost
savings compared to the more “pro” brands.

Not specific to this chair, but I unscrewed the arm rests and find that it
helps my posture a lot. With the arm rests attached I tended to lean on one
side or the other and would type from an angle that strained my forearms and
wrists. Took them off and the pain went away shortly after.

Also I keep the recliner disabled/locked (back stays in upright position)
again, to help avoid my common sources of bad posture.

------
ioman
I got a few Aeron chairs in the dot bomb from friends who helped clear out
offices of failed companies. This was in about 2002-2003. I've used one every
day since and it is both perfectly comfortable for full day sitting and has
held up beautifully.

------
mandeepj
I bought this one -
[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01MRZ02TL/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b...](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01MRZ02TL/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1)

It's good. The qualities I look for are - armrests, lumbar support. I also use
a pillow for extra back support.

My next one would be a Herman Miller. Once I stayed at Hilton for few days.
Really enjoyed working from a HM chair.

On a side note - I'd say - get a standing desk. Sitting is one of the main
root causes of a lot of injuries.

I had a co-worker who was using an exercise ball instead of a chair. Give it a
try. It will force you to sit straight.

------
pronoiac
I picked up an Ikea Markus, under $200 at the time, because of its strong
showing on a Lifehacker poll [1] and it was the budget pick on Wirecutter [2],
though it's since been superseded. I still like my Markus, but if we're
shopping, I'd look at Wirecutter for ideas and advice.

[1] [https://lifehacker.com/five-best-office-
chairs-30776066](https://lifehacker.com/five-best-office-chairs-30776066)

[2] [https://thewirecutter.com/reviews/best-office-
chair/](https://thewirecutter.com/reviews/best-office-chair/)

~~~
kevinflo
The hon is pretty good, but the way the back tilts isn't super comfortable to
me, and also the arm rests are a very hard plastic. I put padding on the top
of the arms, but then the height of the padding combined with the fact that
you can't lower the arm rests quite enough means that they sit a bit too high
for me.

Nitpicking, and for the price it's not bad

------
juandazapata
Second handed Aeron. Also, no matter how good the chair is, you'll need to
take breaks, get up and walk around every now and then. We're animals that
require motion. Our bodies have simply not evolved to be sitting for long
periods of time.

Finally, your chair is not the only component in being comfortable. I recently
discovered that my knee pain was because my setup wasn't fined-tuned to my
height. This website[1] helped me to tweak my setup and now the knee pain is
gone.

[1]:
[http://www.computingcomfort.org/create2.asp](http://www.computingcomfort.org/create2.asp)

------
jedberg
Let me throw this out there: When I switched to working from home, I found
that I sat a lot longer at a time than when I was in an office. No trips for
lunch or the "water cooler" or meetings for that matter. It started to affect
my body negatively.

I invested a few hundred dollars in a monitor arm that could allow me to sit
and stand, and then just got an old bed table I could set on my desk when I
was in standing mode. It made a world of difference. Now I can switch around
during the day so I'm not in one position too long.

A good chair is important, but so it standing and walking around.

------
SirensOfTitan
I’ve used an Aeron the past several years, and it has been fine; however, I’ve
found it quite deficient for meditation sits (~1hour at a time): my legs sort
of buckle inward, and the mesh doesn’t give enough support for the alert and
upright posture I want to avoid dullness during sits.

Has anyone tried the Gokhale chair, designed by the woman who wrote “8 steps
to a pain free back”? ([https://shop.gokhalemethod.com/products/gokhale-pain-
free-ch...](https://shop.gokhalemethod.com/products/gokhale-pain-free-chair))

~~~
jdietrich
The only thing that works for me is a zafu, zabuton and the Burmese position.
If you need a chair, I'd suggest sitting on the front edge of the seat, with
the height raised so that your thighs are below the horizontal. A thin
buckwheat cushion on a hard chair will probably provide the best stability.

------
addflip
You cannot go wrong with most Herman Miller chairs. I originally started
researching chairs because I have was having severe back pain. After several
doctors appointments I found the cause, my old Ikea chair. I ended up going
with the Mirra 2 and fell in love with it. It completely solved my back pain
within two months. The price can be off-putting so I recommend checking out
Design Within Reach's outlets (owned by Herman Miller) where you can get
Aeron's and Mirra 2's for half off. Hope this helps.

------
Kimitri
I fell in love with Capisco by HÅG. It’s a tad expensive but it’s very well
made. I have one at home and one at the office and they are both like new
after five years of daily use.

~~~
jacques-noris
The Capisco is great, but I also like the more conventional H04 from HÅG:
classic, timeless look, great build quality, but what I like most is their
concept of balanced movement. The chair allows your body to move a lot and
this helps to reduce strain. I tried an Aeon, but the H4 was much better for
my back. It’s not cheap at 1000 Euro, but you can get them quite cheap used (I
only paid 100 Euro).

------
bdcravens
I have an Aeron at home - great chair. I have very bad lower back issues
(arthritic deterioration due to significant vitamin D and nutritional
deficiency; I have cystic fibrosis) and can't sit on any kind of surface for
long. I can sit in the Aeron for 8 hours plus with no issues. My new one was
$1200 but I bought one at a used furniture store for the office - honestly
can't tell the difference. Pretty sure I spent around $400-500.

------
ktaylor
I bought a $700 chair on Amazon and returned it after a week. Then I found
this and it has been great for the past 3 years:

[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0049UCECE/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b...](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0049UCECE/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1)

It is $200, sturdy and adjustable. I am 6 foot and 200 pounds.

------
duxup
I feel like chairs are like shoes where garbage chairs / shoes ... most
everyone will not like.

However, beyond pure garbage, like shoes, it then depends a great deal on your
body.

I use an Aeron for work, love it. At home (I often work from home) I have a
chair from Ikea that cost less than $100 ... love it.

If you don't want to spend a lot go on the look out for second hand office
furniture. You an save a ton.

------
tcoff91
It’s not in your budget but the best office chair i have ever used is the Hag
Capisco

[https://www.fully.com/hag-capisco-chair.html](https://www.fully.com/hag-
capisco-chair.html)

They have a cheaper version called the capisco puls but I wouldn’t sit in it
for 10 hours that one is meant to be for sitting for shorter stints between
standing.

~~~
coleh
I agree - the capisco is the best chair I’ve ever sat in. However I find the
cheaper capisco puls comfortable enough to sit in for 10 hours when I work
from home. Much more comfortable than the steelcase gesture I use at work, or
the Aeron and Sayl chairs from Herman Miller I’ve used at past jobs.

------
geoblack
A Lazy Boy recliner, a hospital bedside table and a bookcase as a unit, is
perfect if you don't have to get up and down much.

------
davidandgoliath
Standing desk + bicycle underneath for ~4 hours a day is what's working for
me. Biked ~46 hrs since last Sunday.

Standing otherwise.

------
unixhero
A proper Vitra such as the Vitra EA119 is my recommendation. Your future you
will thank you.

Photo: [https://encrypted-
tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSpaUvl...](https://encrypted-
tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSpaUvld_PyxvHukBy9vwYJXL2aMfGszOUzItcvsC9n4fHujkxXXo9XhO1y)

------
mxst
I really enjoy my Swopper ([http://www.swopperusa.com/swopper-
classic-1/](http://www.swopperusa.com/swopper-classic-1/)). Especially because
I tend to take a break if I’m not willing to sit in it any longer. Helped me a
lot with my back pain.

------
collinstevens
I use a DXRacer King series and work remotely. I've tried multiple Herman
Miller models and steelcase models and returned them within the 30 day period.

I thought the $1500 chairs would be more comfortable, but they were awful for
me. The $500 gamer chair is leagues ahead of the others for me.

Try as many as you can.

------
thomasdd
[https://www.neseda.com/en/](https://www.neseda.com/en/)

For me the best! A Chair re-invented by true IT&Health hackers (freaks) for
themselves. I Got one, has tooo many features for me to use :) but I love it.

------
thomasdd
[https://www.neseda.com/en/](https://www.neseda.com/en/)

For me the best! Chair re-invented by true IT&Health hackers (freaks) for
themselves. I Got one, has tooo many features for me to use :) but I love it.

------
swiftcoder
I've always found I prefer a nice dining chair or barstool to any of the
expensive office chairs. I'm guessing this is a very individual thing, though,
so best advice is to try as many different seating arrangements as you can.

------
ethanwillis
I use a steelcase leap v2, great chair. Picked it up for about $250 used a few
years ago.

However, I recently bought 3 aerons, for about $90 each. Figured I'd sell 2 of
the aerons and keep 1 aeron and the leap for myself for two different offices.

------
pier25
I bought my wife an Embody for her home office but I've tried it a couple of
times and didn't like it.

I use a Herman Miller Sayl. Not because it's cheaper, but because I prefer it
over the Embody, but it is way cheaper.

------
rpledge
I have a DX racer that I use when I work from home. I've been satisfied with
it

------
alexibm
Unlike a lot of people on HN, I don't like Herman Miller Aeron that was a gift
from my parents & brother for my birthday few years ago. I find it to be very
unforgettable to sit in it for a long time.

------
ericd
Many areas have office liquidator types of places where you can get almost new
Steelcase Leaps for $200-400. I got one for $250, it retired my Aeron, I find
it to be much much better.

------
dyeje
I recommend going somewhere where you can try them out. You're probably going
to have to go second hand with your budget anyway. I found that I did not like
the popular chairs.

------
zitterbewegung
I'm sitting on a Mira right now and I have a Mira at work. I used to have an
Aeron at work also so I would recommend either one.

I have used Steelcase chairs and those are great too.

------
leashless
Chadwick. By the guy that designed the Aeron. It's less body-encasing than the
Aeron, made to move around a little, your back does a little more work.

It's great.

------
Beefin
I got a Staples Hyken chair and couldn't be happier.

~~~
2bluesc
I second this for home. Great value, but not quite as nice as the Aaeron or
Leap I've used at work.

------
tmaly
I have been using the same Aeron chair since 2005 to program. My back never
hurts.

I would highly recommend getting one, even a used one that is in good
condition

------
skocznymroczny
Perhaps an uncomfortable chair would be actually better, because it will nudge
you in the direction of taking breaks more? I think office chairs are a rabbit
hole just like mechanical keyboards are. Many people will be comfortable with
the cheap option, while others will tell you you're risking your health by not
going for the highend option.

~~~
jspash
I understand what you are saying, but that's optimising for the 10% of time
you aren't using the chair.

In the software world I would have to question the wiseness of that decision.
But I wouldn't erase from the whiteboard without a discussion.

Listening to your body when it tells you to move is a very wise thing to do
indeed, but it should never be relied upon to guide your behaviour. Because
you will eventually just put up with it. And you neck, back, shoulders will
suffer.

------
davidjnelson
herman miller embody. more in the $1,000 range though. herman miller aeron is
a good budget choice, can be in the $500 range.

------
thejerz
> I really wish there was a service that I could test out an office chair for
> two weeks and return if it doesn't not perform as expected.

It's called Amazon.

------
fredsted
Second-hand Aeron. Hands down.

------
riffic
Eames aluminum group

------
sam_lowry_
Aeron

------
normalperson
Herman Miller Aeron, spring for the headrest and soft wheels.

