I need a quality chair for sitting long hours in front of my computer at home.
It seems most of the cheap chairs at places like Staples have really poor padding that breaks down after a couple of months, then I'm sitting on the metal base.
I know you can order Herman Miller chairs through EQ3, but that takes 6 weeks. I'd rather find a quality chair that I can sit in and test out, then walk out of the store with it.
Also looking into this, and I'll probably end up getting a Herman Miller Aeron unless someone convinces me otherwise.
I used to work for an Industrial Design magazine, and we tested out all sorts of high end design items/furniture, so my ass has sat in its fair share of chairs. The Herman Miller Embody was by far the most comfortable chair Ive sat it. If you can find one to test out, I would recommend it. The Aeron is definitely a nice chair though.
If you sit in a chair all day, a good one is absolutely worth the price. The ones from Staples/Ikea etc are junk.
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Ok…I will write a bit of a review. I’ve been a designer in the office furniture industry for 21 years….I’ve been around the block a few times. Here are my opinions:
Herman Miller:
I know these chairs well because I used to be the design director at COI. Their three most popular chairs are The Aeron, Mirra (Mirra2) and Embody to some degree. Aeron: Everybody loves the Aeron....mainly because how it looks. The chair came out in 1992 and besides the update to the newer posture fit lumbar support there is nothing new in this chair. It sits ok but there are far better chairs ergonomically speaking on the market now. COI always stocks these chairs….never buy these things retail! Ever! Even when Costco was selling them in the US, Herman Miller dealerships would not support the warranty. I know the chair well. I have two of these at home.
The Mirra is an interesting chair with a lot of flex in the back support. I like the chair but what I found was that people either loved the chair or hated it. Very polarizing. Usually women liked it better than men. It costs quite a bit less than the Aeron.
Embody…hate the chair. Think it is way over priced. The Embody’s mechanism drops users significantly away from their monitor and the arms pull away from the work surface when reclining. It is an awkward set up for the back vs seat mechanism. For a chair this expensive you would expect the arms to have both pivot and depth adjustment.
Zody: This is their premium task chair. It sits really nice and there is a lot of adjustment in the lumbar support. (side note – most people tend to set their lumbar support way to high on their back) It’s the only chair to be endorsed by the American Physical Therapy Association. (Take that with a grain of salt). Like I said, with ergonomic chairs the right chair is different for everybody. That said, I prefer this over the Aeron for comfort.
The local dealers are Heritage Business Interiors (HBI) and Office Concepts.
Humanscale: Freedom Chair: It is more a personal thing but I really like this chair. Gel filled seat is very comfortable. I like the headrest option too because I recline quite a bit. Designed by Niels Diffirient. This guy has had a hand in many of the top chairs out there.
Steelcase: Leap: This is what I presently sit in at work. It is a higher end chair with a lot of adjustablity. I find the chair good but not my favorite. That said I would pick this chair and the Zody over the Aeron. Price can vary quite a bit depending on options. They also have Leap + for people up to 500lbs. Tough chair!
Think: This is a good ergonomic chair at a more reasonable price range for some. 3D knit back or fully uphgolstered. Adjustable and removeable head rest available.
Gesture: You can’t really get this one yet. The pre-order sales for Steelcase are sold out till January I think. This will be the best chair on the market. We have a couple here at work that we have been sending out on demo. If you move around a lot in your chair, this one is the chair for you. I’m not going to go into all the details. If this sort of thing interests you, go to the web page to read about the research that went into the chair. Basicly, this is the first chair to be design specificly for all new postures that come with using tablets, cell phones and other portable devices.
Allsteel #19: Not the most ergonomic chair but cool looking. You see this thing in movies all the time. Rather expensive though. I call this the Bat-chair.
Acuity: This is the chair I sit in at home. It has a very nice seat/back mechanisim that opens you up as you recline. Many chairs don’t do that. It has a passive lumbar support that you feel lower in your back where it is generally needed. Price can vary greatly in how you dress it up.
Scout: This is mid market ergonomic chair. When I once had an Alsteel dealership I sold these my the truck load. Looks better with the mesh back than the upholstered back. One feature I forgot to mention that you should look for in all chairs is a seat slider. This is especially important for people with longer legs. This chair is priced just below the Mirra chair. That said I know where you can get some of these for around $200.
Not sure who the dealer is now. The Allsteel website will have that information.
Other manufactuers: Global: Unless you know your chairs well, stay away from them. They do make some very nice higher end chairs but also make a sh*t load of crap chairs that you typically see at the budget stores. Knoll: Don’t like therir chairs. I just never found one that I felt comfortable in.
The bottom like for any of these chairs is to sit in one! If possible have someone give you a demo so you know the features. Spend a bit of money. It will be worth it. The task chair is the most import part of your workstation set up. It is the part you are in contact with the most. Spend less on the desk and more on the chair.
Last edited by rotten42; 08-08-2013 at 01:24 PM.
Reason: my typing sucks
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Ok…I will write a bit of a review. I’ve been a designer in the office furniture industry for 21 years….I’ve been around the block a few times. Here are my opinions:
Herman Miller:
I know these chairs well because I used to be the design director at COI. Their three most popular chairs are The Aeron, Mirra (Mirra2) and Embody to some degree. Aeron: Everybody loves the Aeron....mainly because how it looks. The chair came out in 1992 and besides the update to the newer posture fir lumbar support there is nothing new in this chair. It sits ok but there are far better chairs ergonomically speaking on the market now. COI always stocks these chairs….never buy these things retail! Ever! Even when Costco was selling them in the US, Herman Miller dealerships would not support the warranty. I know the chair well. I have two of these at home.
The Mirra is an interesting chair with a lot of flex in the back support. I like the chair but what I found was that people either loved the chair or hated it. Very polarizing. Usually women liked it better than men. It costs quite a bit less than the Aeron.
Embody…hate the chair. Think it is way over priced. The Embody’s mechanism drops users significantly away from their monitor and the arms pull away from the work surface when reclining. It is an awkward set up for the back vs seat mechanism. For a chair this expensive you would expect the arms to have both pivot and depth adjustment.
Zody: This is their premium task chair. It sits really nice and there is a lot of adjustment in the lumbar support. (side note – most people tend to set their lumbar support way to high on their back) It’s the only chair to be endorsed by the American Physical Therapy Association. (Take that with a grain of salt). Like I said, with ergonomic chairs the right chair is different for everybody. That said, I prefer this over the Aeron for comfort.
The local dealers are Heritage Business Interiors (HBI) and Office Concepts.
Humanscale: Freedom Chair: It is more a personal thing but I really like this chair. Gel filled seat is very comfortable. I like the headrest option too because I recline quite a bit. Designed by Niels Diffirient. This guy has had a hand in many of the top chairs out there.
Steelcase: Leap: This is what I presently sit in at work. It is a higher end chair with a lot of adjustablity. I find the chair good but not my favorite. That said I would pick this chair and the Zody over the Aeron. Price can vary quite a bit depending on options. They also have Leap + for people up to 500lbs. Tought chair!
Think: This is a good ergonomic chair at a more reasonable price range for some. 3D knit back or fully uphgolstered. Adjustable and removeable head rest available.
Gesture: You can’t really get this one yet. The pre-order sales for Steelcase are sold out till January I think. This will be the best chair on the market. We have a couple here at work that we have been sending out on demo. If you move around a lot in your chair, this one is the chair for you. I’m not going to go into all the details. If this sort of thing interests you, go to the web page to read about the research that went into the chair. Basicly, this is the first chait to be design specificly for all new postures that come with using tablets, cell phones and other portable devices.
Allsteel #19: Not the most ergonomic chair but cool looking. You see this thing in movies all the time. Rather expensive though. I call this the Bat-chair.
Acuity: This is the chair I sit in at home. It has a very nice seat/back mechanisim that opens you up as you recline. Many chairs don’t do that. It has a passive lumbar support that you feel lower in your back where it is generally needed. Price can vary greatly in how you dress it up.
Scout: This is mid market ergonomic chair. When I once had an Alsteel dealership I sold these my the truck load. Looks better with the mesh back than the upholstered back. One feature I forgot to mention that you should look for in all chairs is a seat slider. This is especially important for people with longer legs. This chair is priced just below the Mirra chair. That said I know where you can get some of these for around $200.
Not sure who the dealer is now. The Allsteel website will have that information.
Other manufactuers: Global: Unless you know your chairs well, stay away from there. They do make somevery nice higher end chairs but also make a sh*t load of crap chairs that you typically see at the budget stores. Knoll: Don’t like therir chairs. I just never found one that I felt comfortable in.
The bottom like for any of these chairs is to sit in one! If possible have someone give you a demo so you know the features. Spend a bit of money. It will be worth it. The task chair is the most import part of your workstation set up. It is the part you are in contact with the most. Spend less on the desk and more on the chair.
Wow, quite a write up!
Perhaps you can answer my question, Mr. Rotten. I have a Global Nucas that I bought many years ago, and at the time it was a higher-end chair but over the years many things are now broken. Many of the hydraulic adjustment buttons no longer function, the height-adjustable back won't hold it's position anymore (gravity always wins), and the chair post that sits in the legs no longer locks in place.
Can you recommend a place that can fix a chair like this? Preferably someone with a Vancouver office? TIA.
I think at the end of the day, you need to get your ass in as many chairs as possible to see what works best for you. All of the main manufacturers, HM, Steelcase, Humanscale etc make some good chairs, but we are all built a little differently, so it's imperative you try it out.
Personally, I have a HM Management Chair....not really the most ergonomic task chair (it's more of a meeting type chair than a work chair), but it works quite nicely for me.
Perhaps you can answer my question, Mr. Rotten. I have a Global Nucas that I bought many years ago, and at the time it was a higher-end chair but over the years many things are now broken. Many of the hydraulic adjustment buttons no longer function, the height-adjustable back won't hold it's position anymore (gravity always wins), and the chair post that sits in the legs no longer locks in place.
Can you recommend a place that can fix a chair like this? Preferably someone with a Vancouver office? TIA.
For Vancouver Global dealers try either Brooks Corning or Heritage Office Furniture Vancouver. They are larger dealerships out there. It won't be cheap.
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Wow that write up was great. What kind of information can you provide for purchasing a chair? If I wanted a Herman Miller do I just go to COI and get one? What about a designer/industry discount?
Wow that write up was great. What kind of information can you provide for purchasing a chair? If I wanted a Herman Miller do I just go to COI and get one? What about a designer/industry discount?
If you want an Aeron COI does stock them. I'm not sure about the other chairs. If they know you as a designer,you can get A DISCOUNT. They also sometimes have used ones they buy back from companies that are in financial trouble or ordered wrong. Kind of hit or miss on that.
Last edited by rotten42; 08-08-2013 at 09:46 AM.
Reason: still can't type woorth sh*t
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What would one typically spend on one of these chairs?
A good task chair will usually cost anywhere from $500-1500 (or more if you really want). Definitely not a cheap endeavor, but like a mattress, it's one of those things that you spend a ton of time in, so it's worth the investment.
Awesome info, much more than I expected. I'll have a look and see what interests me. I'm OK with spending the money for a decent chair. Just weary of getting a $500 okay chair. Would rather have a $900 quality chair. Thanks.
Where to buy a good office/desk chair?
