6 ms·

I read a blog post on Coding Horror back in the mid 2000s about the importance of a good chair. It really opened my eyes and convinced me that, regardless of t

I read a blog post on Coding Horror back in the mid 2000s about the importance of a good chair. It really opened my eyes and convinced me that, regardless of the cost, an ergonomic working environment is worth every penny. So fast forward about two decades ... and I finally bought my first ergonomic chair... It's stunning how stubborn we can be, even when we know for certain that something is good for us. I don't even know why I put it off for so long. All I can really say is, don't be me. Listen to comments like the one I'm replying to. Get good equipment. Your body will thank you later. P.S. Self Rant: I was gonna write that the reason I put it off so long is that $1000 for a chair is a big number no matter how much I may believe in its benefit ... but then, the chair I ended up buying was like $500, delivered, with all the upgrades, because it was remanufactured and on a black friday sale. Why didn't I buy one sooner!? The hell is wrong with me?

__mharrison__ 6y ago
Sorry about that. When I'm not standing I am in a pretty retro chair... I get a lot of flak on Twitter but it works for me... (I have another ergo/padded chair but my back/hind isn't giving me signals) https://mobile.twitter.com/__mharrison__/status/1346323337287405568 https://mobile.twitter.com/__mharrison__/status/134632333728...
- tomcam 6y ago
  Not sure why? That design has been solid for like 150 years...
johnsoft 6y ago
I'm in the market for a new chair. Which one did you buy? (Or if you'd rather teach me to fish, how did you decide on one?)
- fpgaminer 6y ago
  There are a couple of HN threads specifically about chairs. I looked for those using the search feature and just tabulated what was most commonly recommended. That ended up being the Steelcase Leap, which is the one I got (or rather, the Leap V2). Most importantly, I bought from a reputable place that did free returns. Not much to it, really. The price tag is what really made it hard for me to pull the trigger. But after the fact I can say that, while this chair may or may not be "perfect", it's 10x better than the cheap one it replaced. So yeah, worth every penny.
  - biztos 6y ago
    I bought my first serious chair about 10 years ago, a Vitra model they don’t make anymore. It was over 1000 EUR here in Berlin. The first day of working in it, I felt like an idiot for not having made that investment ten years earlier. Now I’m starting a period of voluntary digital vagabondage and will need to explore ergonomics options other than “nice chair.” But I will probably keep that beast in storage. If you can try them out at a showroom that’s best but in any case I 100% agree, buy from a reputable dealer, it will save you the headache of thinking about returns even if everything is perfect.
- the_pwner224 6y ago
  I got the Leap v2 last summer, also from Crandall/BTOD, but ended up giving it to my brother and getting a HermanMiller Embody. It's much more expensive and harder to find used, but when you buy direct from HermanMiller you get a free return period so it's a risk free trial. To me the Leap was comfortable and wasn't bad, but just didn't feel 100% right. The Embody is just perfect. 100% worth the cost. And the materials/construction also feel much more premium. There are plenty of reviews on YouTube as well as https://blog.szynalski.com/ https://blog.szynalski.com/, but ultimately you can't be sure unless you sit in one yourself - every person will find the fit and comfort to be different. SteelCase Leap v2 & SteelCase Gesture and HM Embody seem to be the top three. HM has a 15% off sale in the summer and end of year.
flor1s 6y ago
For buying ergonomic chairs on a budget, you should check out used office supply stores. You can often save hundreds of dollars for a good quality chair.
- baylessj 6y ago
  Seconded, bought a used Steelcase for only about $100 at the beginning of the pandemic. It has been worth every penny with working from home.
neuronexmachina 6y ago
> the chair I ended up buying was like $500, delivered, with all the upgrades, because it was remanufactured Did you order your remanufactured chair from Crandall or BOTD? I just ordered a remanufactured Steelcase Leap V2 yesterday, looking forward to its arrival!
- fpgaminer 6y ago
  Yup, Crandall. Took awhile to ship, but otherwise went smoothly. Looks and feels good as new. Word of advice: don't assemble it on carpet unless you want black grease stains...
  - neuronexmachina 6y ago
    Thanks for the tip! I'll lay out a sheet before assembly.

__mharrison__ 6y ago

Sorry about that. When I'm not standing I am in a pretty retro chair... I get a lot of flak on Twitter but it works for me... (I have another ergo/padded chair but my back/hind isn't giving me signals) https://mobile.twitter.com/__mharrison__/status/1346323337287405568 https://mobile.twitter.com/__mharrison__/status/134632333728...

tomcam 6y ago
Not sure why? That design has been solid for like 150 years...

johnsoft 6y ago

I'm in the market for a new chair. Which one did you buy? (Or if you'd rather teach me to fish, how did you decide on one?)

fpgaminer 6y ago
There are a couple of HN threads specifically about chairs. I looked for those using the search feature and just tabulated what was most commonly recommended. That ended up being the Steelcase Leap, which is the one I got (or rather, the Leap V2). Most importantly, I bought from a reputable place that did free returns. Not much to it, really. The price tag is what really made it hard for me to pull the trigger. But after the fact I can say that, while this chair may or may not be "perfect", it's 10x better than the cheap one it replaced. So yeah, worth every penny.
- biztos 6y ago
  I bought my first serious chair about 10 years ago, a Vitra model they don’t make anymore. It was over 1000 EUR here in Berlin. The first day of working in it, I felt like an idiot for not having made that investment ten years earlier. Now I’m starting a period of voluntary digital vagabondage and will need to explore ergonomics options other than “nice chair.” But I will probably keep that beast in storage. If you can try them out at a showroom that’s best but in any case I 100% agree, buy from a reputable dealer, it will save you the headache of thinking about returns even if everything is perfect.
the_pwner224 6y ago
I got the Leap v2 last summer, also from Crandall/BTOD, but ended up giving it to my brother and getting a HermanMiller Embody. It's much more expensive and harder to find used, but when you buy direct from HermanMiller you get a free return period so it's a risk free trial. To me the Leap was comfortable and wasn't bad, but just didn't feel 100% right. The Embody is just perfect. 100% worth the cost. And the materials/construction also feel much more premium. There are plenty of reviews on YouTube as well as https://blog.szynalski.com/ https://blog.szynalski.com/, but ultimately you can't be sure unless you sit in one yourself - every person will find the fit and comfort to be different. SteelCase Leap v2 & SteelCase Gesture and HM Embody seem to be the top three. HM has a 15% off sale in the summer and end of year.

flor1s 6y ago

For buying ergonomic chairs on a budget, you should check out used office supply stores. You can often save hundreds of dollars for a good quality chair.

baylessj 6y ago
Seconded, bought a used Steelcase for only about $100 at the beginning of the pandemic. It has been worth every penny with working from home.

neuronexmachina 6y ago

> the chair I ended up buying was like $500, delivered, with all the upgrades, because it was remanufactured Did you order your remanufactured chair from Crandall or BOTD? I just ordered a remanufactured Steelcase Leap V2 yesterday, looking forward to its arrival!

fpgaminer 6y ago
Yup, Crandall. Took awhile to ship, but otherwise went smoothly. Looks and feels good as new. Word of advice: don't assemble it on carpet unless you want black grease stains...
- neuronexmachina 6y ago
  Thanks for the tip! I'll lay out a sheet before assembly.