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Ask HN: Best desk chair, sub-$300?

• rtrocc 15y ago
  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 ?
• smacktoward 15y ago
  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/leap/pages/overview.aspx http://www.steelcase.com/en/products/category/seating/task/l...
  • alanh 15y ago
    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 15y ago
      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/Pages/Zody.aspx http://www.haworth.com/en-us/Products/Furniture/Seating/Desk... Steelcase Think (~$700): http://www.steelcase.com/en/products/category/seating/task/think/pages/overview.aspx http://www.steelcase.com/en/products/category/seating/task/t... Herman Miller Aeron (~$800): http://hermanmiller.com/products/seating/work-chairs/aeron-chairs.html http://hermanmiller.com/products/seating/work-chairs/aeron-c... Humanscale Freedom (~$1,000): http://humanscale.com/products/product_detail.cfm?group=FreedomTaskChairWithHeadrest http://humanscale.com/products/product_detail.cfm?group=Free... Herman Miller Embody (~$1,200): http://www.hermanmiller.com/content/hermanmiller/english/products/categories/seating/work-chairs/embody-chairs.html http://www.hermanmiller.com/content/hermanmiller/english/pro... If you're open to less traditional seating styles, there's also: Swopper (~$650): http://swopper.com 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/ http://www.healthyback.com/) was a huge help in my decision-making process.
      • caw 15y ago
        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.
  • j45 15y ago
    In case anyone's curious, the leap v2 chair can be found new on ebay for $450-600 instead of the usual $900 to 1200.
  • reuser 15y ago
    If you leapt directly from $50 to $900, how should I know that there aren't sweet spots between those two points? I have never had a $900 chair and I have managed to avoid injury, but perhaps I am just especially robust?
    • smacktoward 15y ago
      But that was my point, I didn't leap directly from $50 to $900. I spent a lot of time looking at the space in between. What I came away with was the impression that pretty much everything under $600 was basically interchangeable junk -- the more expensive chairs in that range were just the cheaper chairs, tarted up with memory foam and the like to justify the higher price.
• mjs00 15y ago
  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.
• alexgodin 15y ago
  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/ http://officecomforts.com/. I got great deals from these guys in NY wbofficefurniture.com Best of luck.
• alanh 15y ago
  Anyone have any experience with Haworth?
• deleted 15y ago
  [deleted]
• roberte3 15y ago
  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-Black/-/A-13556067 http://www.target.com/p/Executive-Mid-Back-Leather-Chair-Bla...
• Benares 15y ago
  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&product_id=25 http://officemaster.com/products/index.php?view=family&p... 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.
• zem 15y ago
  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-Chair-with-Headrest/5916370/product.html http://www.overstock.com/Office-Supplies/ECO8.8-All-Mesh-Cha... 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.
• calbear81 15y ago
  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.
• prodigal_erik 15y ago
  After seeing http://www.gizmag.com/go/1193/ 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/ http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/categories/series/07472/