
Ask HN: Best desk chair, sub-$300? - alanh
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.<p>Recommendations?
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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...](http://www.steelcase.com/en/products/category/seating/task/leap/pages/overview.aspx)

~~~
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...](http://www.haworth.com/en-
us/Products/Furniture/Seating/Desk/Pages/Zody.aspx)

Steelcase Think (~$700):
[http://www.steelcase.com/en/products/category/seating/task/t...](http://www.steelcase.com/en/products/category/seating/task/think/pages/overview.aspx)

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

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

Herman Miller Embody (~$1,200):
[http://www.hermanmiller.com/content/hermanmiller/english/pro...](http://www.hermanmiller.com/content/hermanmiller/english/products/categories/seating/work-
chairs/embody-chairs.html)

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.

------
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.

------
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...](http://officemaster.com/products/index.php?view=family&product_id=25)

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.

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prodigal_erik
After seeing <http://www.gizmag.com/go/1193/> years ago, I went to Ikea and
found a budget version, a lounge chair plus an ergonomic keyboard in my lap.
It's comfortable enough not to knock me out of the zone after many hours,
though I can't get out of it very gracefully.

<http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/categories/series/07472/>

------
roberte3
If you want a decent chair, see you can find a cheap clone of the eames
management chair for $200 at Target and a few others. I used one that I bought
for about $150 for two years. [http://www.target.com/p/Executive-Mid-Back-
Leather-Chair-Bla...](http://www.target.com/p/Executive-Mid-Back-Leather-
Chair-Black/-/A-13556067)

------
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.

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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...](http://www.overstock.com/Office-
Supplies/ECO8.8-All-Mesh-Chair-with-Headrest/5916370/product.html)

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.

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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.

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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 ?

------
alanh
Anyone have any experience with Haworth?

