
Ask YC: Cheap alternatives to Aeron chairs? - ashishk
Graduating from college soon, so I won't be able to make use of the chairs/desks at the library for long coding sessions. That said, I don't want to pay $400 for a used Aeron. What other alternatives are there?
======
sachmanb
Here we go about the chairs again....now I know you said you wanted a cheap
chair, but I am asking you to reconsider. I've done a lot of tech work, I've
started a few companies, they did well (in case your curious), I've done
everything from living off of lintel soup and working out of university
libraries and crashing where I can to having decked out offices.....I will not
surrender my chair. It took me a while to get a good chair of my own, and I'm
a very frugal person, and I've bought things and realized later they weren't
the premium...but the chair is wroth it.

Occasionally I get up and move to another part of the country, sell of all my
furniture, most of my clothes, so that my move is many boxes, mostly filled
with journals and research notebooks, sometimes a few systems, and sometimes
just hard drives. I even give away most of my clothes. My friends find this
amusing. After this last move, I had no bed for many months, perhaps half a
year, and I didn't find it to be all that important until I ran into a cute
girl I liked, got distracted from work, and bought one. However, I got a good
chair and a desk right off the bat, as the first furniture I got.

I have an Aeron and a Freedom chair, depending where I'm at - at home it's the
Freedom chair, and I love it. Last night I saw a ted talk, low and behold,
they are talking about the chair,
[http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/niels_diffrient_rethinks_...](http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/niels_diffrient_rethinks_the_way_we_sit_at_work.html)
I went upstairs and sat in the chair again after the talk, to appreciate how
much I like it. I don't think about it much when I'm sitting in it, and that's
the incredible thing -- I frequently got irritated with my chair years back.
Product link: <http://www.humanscale.com/products/freedom_index.cfm>

a grand on a chair isn't bad...my laptop cost me more, and it gets less use.

------
symptic
Spend the money and get your Aeron, or something of equal quality. I use the
Steelcase Think. Your chair is one of the biggest factors in how many hours
you are able to work, how well or poorly your back is aligned, and how
comfortable you feel. Do -not- skimp on your chair; trim down spending on
building your computer or on that second display if you need to.

If you're serious about your work, spending as much on a good chair as you do
on your computer (usually less; a quarter as much for me) isn't begging too
much. you can make the money back with the longer hours it lets you sit
comfortably for and in the hospital bills you'll avoid from having a properly
aligned back. It's also important to lift weights daily if you're going to be
sitting in a chair all day working. It'll fix any adverse effects sitting from
extended periods has and give you energy.

If you have trouble finding the money to afford the necessities for your work,
I am always asked by clients to refer them to coders, and there are many
freelance gigs floating around out there if you look.

~~~
ashishk
i think you're ultimately right. investing in a good chair is worth it. i just
wanted to make sure i would not be spending money without need (i might end up
getting a used one, if i find a good deal). fortunately im not totally broke,
just cheap =).

~~~
antidaily
it's like buying a mattress. you can go cheap but you probably won't sleep as
well.

------
tcdent
I've had my Aeron for a couple of years now (bought it new for quite a bit
more than $400) and I really don't get all the fuss.

It's not that adjustable: control the armrest height, how far you can recline,
and the tension of the spring that holds you there. Mine has the newer style
lumbar support, which is undeniably a hack. I keep it away from my back; it
does nothing but push me further to the front of the chair. My biggest gripe,
however, is the comfort of the seat. That damn plastic bar running across the
front creates a horrible pressure point and probably increases the likelihood
of DVT.

While I'm no advocate of the Aeron, I'm also unaware of any good alternatives.
Looking forward to seeing what others suggest.

~~~
jseliger
"I really don't get all the fuss."

Let Joel Spolsky speak
([http://www.joelonsoftware.com/articles/FieldGuidetoDeveloper...](http://www.joelonsoftware.com/articles/FieldGuidetoDevelopers.html)):

"Let me, for a moment, talk about the famous Aeron chair, made by Herman
Miller. They cost about $900. This is about $800 more than a cheap office
chair from OfficeDepot or Staples.

They are much more comfortable than cheap chairs. If you get the right size
and adjust it properly, most people can sit in them all day long without
feeling uncomfortable. The back and seat are made out of a kind of mesh that
lets air flow so you don’t get sweaty. The ergonomics, especially of the newer
models with lumbar support, are excellent.

They last longer than cheap chairs. We’ve been in business for six years and
every Aeron is literally in mint condition: I challenge anyone to see the
difference between the chairs we bought in 2000 and the chairs we bought three
months ago. They easily last for ten years. The cheap chairs literally start
falling apart after a matter of months. You’ll need at least four $100 chairs
to last as long as an Aeron."

Re your comment: "That damn plastic bar running across the front creates a
horrible pressure point and probably increases the likelihood of DVT."

The plastic bar on mine seems to create a natural pressure release because it
curves downward. It seems that such a feel should occur if you've got the
right height.

------
grinich
After sitting in a $800 Steelcase chair for over a year, I switched to a
medicine ball and I'm never going back. It's impossible to slouch, and the
constant subtle movements keep the blood in my legs and feet flowing. It's
unbelievably fantastic.

Here's the one I bought from Amazon. It's absurdly durable (gym quality) and
comes with a small pump to inflate it. For less than $20, it completely
changed my desk posture. Even IKEA can't beat that.

<http://bit.ly/n3hQb>

It also fits easily in my backpack when deflated, which is good when one
decides abruptly to move across the country.

~~~
silentbicycle
I tried one of these, and I'm tenacious as heck, but I just couldn't adjust to
it. I'm curious about long-term experiences with them, but most of what I've
read online has been from people still caught up in the novelty. (FWIW, I use
a Haworth Zody chair now. I got a great deal on it.)

FWIW, I'm 6'3", and while I got the largest ball size, that may have been a
factor.

~~~
menloparkbum
Exercise balls don't work very well as chairs if you have long legs.

------
saurabh
Just 2 days ago i watched a TED Talk by Niels Diffrient: Rethinking the way we
sit down. "Design legend Niels Diffrient talks about his life in industrial
design (and the reason he became a designer instead of a jet pilot). He
details his quest to completely rethink the office chair starting from one
fundamental data set: the human body."

Its the Freedom Task Chair by Humanscale.
<http://www.humanscale.com/products/freedom_index.cfm>

I think they are better than Aerons; not sure about the price though.

~~~
mrduncan
Looks like they retail for around $800 based on a quick Google search
(<http://www.google.com/products?q=humanscale+freedom+chair>)

~~~
kareemm
i heard about the humanscale liberty from this slate comparison of office
chairs:

<http://www.slate.com/id/2131646/>

i liked it better than the humanscale freedom, but ymmv. the liberty is
beautifully designed - it uses your own bodyweight to ensure good posture.

drove 1h both ways across LA to sit it in before i bought one online for 1/2
the price that it was selling in the showroom ($700 vs $1400).

it was an awesome purchase - i could sit in it all day. i sold it to go
digital nomad for a while, but when i pick a place to live, it'll be one of
the first things i buy. jason calacanis' "cheap tables, expensive chairs"
advice is bang-on imho: <http://tr.im/k490>

looks like the liberty has come down in price too: <http://tr.im/k48A>

------
drewcrawford
Raynor chairs (quality) are sold under an Office Depot brand.

I own this chair. I believe it is the rebranded version of the Raynor Enjoy
(once sold in Europe):

[http://www.officedepot.com/a/products/277968/Realspace-
PRO-M...](http://www.officedepot.com/a/products/277968/Realspace-PRO-Maverick-
Multifunction-High-Back/)

I looked hard at this chair. It is a rebranded Raynor Ergohuman:

[http://www.officedepot.com/a/products/690690/Realspace-
PRO-9...](http://www.officedepot.com/a/products/690690/Realspace-
PRO-9000-Series-Recycled-Mid/)

------
olefoo
IKEA has the Markus at USD 199

They work fairly well.

<http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/00103102>

~~~
crescendo
I've been very happy with my Markus chair so far. I would also recommend the
Mikael desk (<http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/40079218>) and drawer
unit if you're looking for something cheap, simple, and functional.

~~~
johns
That's the desk I use. It's works fine, but it's very lightweight and
therefore not exceptionally sturdy. But for $80, it's not bad.

------
gyeh
Equa XR: Quality of Herman Miller. Bargain prices of Costco.

[http://www.costco.com/Browse/ProductGroup.aspx?Prodid=113004...](http://www.costco.com/Browse/ProductGroup.aspx?Prodid=11300477&whse=BC&topnav=)

------
jazer
Herman Miller's Mirra chair is more affordable than the Aeron. I have been
sitting on one every day for almost four years and I am very happy with it.

~~~
zackola
Same. I like my Mirra at home much better than the Aeron at work FWIW.

------
pyroman
In addition to this question it would be good to know where to go to try out
all of these chairs that are mentioned. Most places I've been only have the
cheap ones out for trial.

~~~
wehriam
Local high-end furniture stores and commercial furniture dealers often have
Aerons, Leap chairs, Freedom chairs, etc in their showrooms.

------
zenlinux
As a somewhat heavy guy (230 lbs), I've found that some of the knockoff office
chairs you can get cheaply ($100 or less) from Staples/Office Max/etc can fail
in the pneumatic lift system. In fact many chairs at the above retailers have
a tag suggesting a maximum weight limit of 200 lbs.

I bought this one a few years ago and it's still holding up perfectly. It has
plenty of adjustments to it:

<http://www.ergonomichome.com/zmeofch.html>

~~~
randallsquared
They do have suggested weight limits, but as someone who's been over 300 lbs
for years, I've found that these chairs are quite serviceable for about a
year, on average. I've had my current $49 chair (from Office Depot) for about
10 months now, and it's doing fine so far.

------
christofd
My take on high-end vs. cheaper Staples office chair:

I used to think you need the absolute best office chair out there: I had some
German high-end chair and then a Swiss Giroflex 33 (Model 33-7777... below on
that page <http://www.giroflex.com/content/produkte/giroflex_33.php>), both
around a thousand bucks.

Now I'm sitting comfortably in some decent Staples office chair (adjustable
armrests, mesh back, leather seat), that I picked up for 150 bucks.

Not much difference.

The MAIN thing is that your posture is good, and that once in a while you
stretch and exercise!

Advice for founders and small business: buy a decent but cheap Staples office
chair at first (not the comfy big one, but the lean adjustable kind with good
armrests, so you can relax your arms while you're typing). The high-end market
doesn't really improve your experience that much.

OTOH, if you have the spare cash to blow... a high-end office chair IS
marginally better.

------
jseliger
"What other alternatives are there?"

Unfortunately, I'm not sure there is one.

The problem is, as far as I can tell, there aren't any, or at least there
weren't three years ago when I last looked. None of the knockoffs have the
combination of support and breathability that makes the Aeron unusual.

One thing I'll say: if you're looking for Aerons, make sure you get one with
lumbar support, which makes a tremendous difference. I've heard good things
about Steelcase chairs -- see <http://www.steelcase.com> \-- but they're not
cheap either. We talk about them briefly here:
[http://blog.seliger.com/2008/06/15/tools-of-the-
trade—what-a...](http://blog.seliger.com/2008/06/15/tools-of-the-trade—what-a-
grant-writer-should-have) .

~~~
ahpeeyem
We had Steelcase Think
(<http://www.steelcase.com/na/think_products.aspx?f=11845>) where I used to
work. They look fantastic with their mesh back and adjustable armrests, but
they're really not that good. The seat cushion isn't adjustable and lots of
them broke, they were quite flimsy.

The Leap chair does look a lot more adjustable and maybe more solid too.

~~~
cvg
Just ordered a leap. I went into a showroom with a ergonomic pro and got the
30 min lesson on all it's features. With the right adjustments you should be
able to code all day without issue.

------
AndrewO
I started using an Ergohuman about 3 months ago and am quite pleased. IIRC
(and correct me if I'm wrong), the adjustable lumbar support and/or headrest
on the Aeron are extra. They come standard on the Ergohuman.

<http://ergohuman.com/ergohuman-me7erg.htm>

(PS: drewcrawford already linked an Office Depot rebranded version for
cheaper, so please up-mod him too if you found this helpful :)
[http://www.officedepot.com/a/products/690690/Realspace-
PRO-9...](http://www.officedepot.com/a/products/690690/Realspace-
PRO-9000-Series-Recycled-Mid/))

------
lowdown
I've had my $400 used Aeron for 10 years at home and it is as good as new. All
that time I have seen at least 5 lesser chairs crumble underneath me from
normal daily use. Do the math.

------
quellhorst
Used Aeron chair... I love mine, but got it new a few years back, totally
worth the $.

I tried all kinds of chairs before and the Aeron is the best. Exercise balls
popped, cheap ones broke, and standing got old quickly.

You could also try standing up or using a treadmill but the treadmill I have
doesn't have a good enough motor for long sessions at slow speed.

------
kineticac
A lot of offices are moving / closing often these days, you'll probably have a
pretty good chance of finding something on craigslist.

Another alternative just to throw it in there:

The EQ3 Twist chair is interesting. Made out of bungy chords, it flexes but is
extremely supportive. I got mine because I've never felt like sitting straight
up automatically when getting into a chair, other than this one. It's not in
the same realm as the Aeron, in fact it probably leaves funny rope patterns on
your butt after awhile, but ergonomically, it's probably better to stand and
move around once in awhile for circulation.

At the office I sit on one of those super geek inflatable balls =( $25 and you
get used to it after awhile.

I also don't have a horrible back or anything, so take the above two options
with a grain of salt!

goodluck!

------
tvon
On a related note, has anyone had problems with cats and mesh chairs? It just
seems like something they'd have fun poking their claws into and that worries
me a bit about the investment.

------
okeumeni
Just coming out of college in this economy, I don’t think an Aeron chair is a
good choice. I will advice to just get something comfortable; I kea will be a
good place to look.

------
garndt
I would wait until you meet two requirements: 1. Have income where spending
$400 isn't a big deal and 2. have projects that take up so much of your time
where you need a chair to ease the burden of sitting that long

Just getting out of college doesn't fulfill those 2 requirements. Wait until
the amount of work you do demands that you get a chair that costs that much.
It seems you would have a lot bigger things to worry about and focus your time
on than evaluating chairs.

------
jimmybot
I'm not sure what I'm missing, but what's so special about an Aeron chair? It
sounds like it's real comfortable, but what does it have that other chairs
don't?

~~~
jazer
The main advantage of the Aeron is that it is much more adjustable than most
chairs. You can really adjust it to fit your body.

Of course, it's not for everyone, but it's flexible enough to fit most people
very well.

------
mattmaroon
Ebay is a decent source if you live somewhere without an active enough
Craigslist like I do. You're unlikely to get one below $400 there due to
shipping though.

On the other hand, I've used one for 4 years now, and I highly recommend it.
It really is that damn good, and if there are two things in life you shouldn't
cheap out on, it's a bed and your primary work chair, in that order.

------
cpr
The EPRI heavy-duty exercise ball
<http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0016L8Q3A> works pretty well, and is only
$40 or so. It keeps you moving slightly (bouncing, rolling), which is good for
us autistic types who'd otherwise be jiggling a knee, etc.

~~~
tumult
Dude, I _dare_ you to get your sitzfleisch on for 12 hours at a time with an
exercise ball. Get real.

~~~
arebop
I've used it for maybe six hour intervals with no noticeable problems.

------
carterbird1
I purchased this chair from www.coolchairz.com for only $219.99 w/Free
Shipping. Very strong and sturdy chair and I give it about an 8 on the comfort
scale

[http://www.coolchairz.com/solid-metal-mesh-chair--
metallic-t...](http://www.coolchairz.com/solid-metal-mesh-chair--metallic-
trim-amp-frame.html)

------
rodneysanches
I like the herman miller caper, same mesh, low cost, very comfortable and
attractive. well, i like the looks.

------
datums
Go to staples and sit down on a few see which one feels comfortable. Make sure
it has lumbar support.

------
dxjones
ha ha, I am sitting on an Aeron chair while I am reading this. Eat your heart
out! (sorry)

(edit) Wow! You guys can be very sensitive sometimes. Can't we mix a little
humour with out tech talk?

How about a "used" Aeron chair at a low price? They are guaranteed for an
insane time, ... something like 12 years. Seriously, find someone who is
upgrading to the latest generation of Aeron and pick up a classic that is only
5 yrs old and still great!

