Do you sit at a desk and keyboard for multiple hours? If yes, please recommend a good chair.
Do you sit at a desk and keyboard for multiple hours? If yes, please recommend a good chair.
I'm Looking for a good office chair.
Thanks! Found a good price for a Steelcase Amia.
Herman Miller
Going to go a bit against the grain on this one and recommend SecretLab. It does have that "gaming chair" aesthetic, but it is a great chair IMO.
I work from home, sit on my ass for 8 hours straight, and occasionally game right after work into the evening. I can park my ass in that thing and sit for 16 hours no problem (obviously getting up to take short breaks etc). It is super comfortable. I own the mesh one, instead of the leather/pleather, and I think it's the way to go.
Furthermore, the customer service is excellent. I needed to replace the armrest after 4 years as it was beginning to crack. My model didn't come with the snap on/snap off armrests, so I had to send an email to customer support to see if there was something they could do. Not only did they inform me it was actually easily replaceable, they sent me instructions, and gave me 50% of the replacement cost, which was only $20CAD, as I was just over the warranty at that point. It might be a 3 year warranty, but I can't quite remember, possibly 4.
My circle of friends largely work from home as well, and many of them have SecretLab chairs, and they also love them. No back problems, super comfy, breathable.
The only downside I can really think of is that it is a fairly heavy chair, as the base uses a large amount of metal, and the price tag can be expensive, at around $500-$700CAD if you purchase new.
They are also sized to fit your height and weight. I own the Titan 2020 model, and I love it.
Hope this helps!
Had a Marcus from IKEA for years, switched out to a Herman Miller Embody and I can sit in it for hours without any butt or back pain. I do wish I had a headrest on the Embody but its not the end of the world.
The HM range is expensive but with the 12 year warranty they're well worth the cost compared to cheap ones you'll likely replace.
I work for a company that specializes in ergonomic work setups and the OTs recommend Ergocentric chairs at least 90% of the time.
They're expensive, but if you are having health issues due to sitting then your employer has a "duty to accommodate" to get you a better setup.
We also often recommend sit-stand desks because too comfy of a chair can just cause different problems from lack of movement.
I have had a Herman Miller Sayl chair for 7 years. I work from home.and game in it, it's plenty comfortable for 10+ hours if you need to sit that long.
Only downside is no headrest. Upside is more affordable and less weird looking than the Aeron.
The most important thing, no chair can solve the problem of uninterrupted sitting for 8+ hours. No matter what you spend or what materials they use. Sitting for 8+ hours will slowly do permanent damage to your body. No matter what chair you sit in, stand up occasionally, take little walks, do exercises or calisthenics or something, whatever feels right for you.
I'm Autistic and when I play videogames I can get so hyperfocused that I don't realise the outside world has moved forward a whole day. Until something physically interrupts my gameplay. So I set timers now, and I strictly obey them. Nothing short of surgery will ever heal my tailbone issue, but I can at least prevent it from getting worse.
I also have a standing desk, so I will swap it between standing and sitting every 2 hours if I don't want to take breaks. And I have a VR headset for using my computer from different chairs; a recliner, a kitchen chair, anything different from my computer chair. I also use the VR headset for most of my non-computer gaming. It has become my current console gaming platform.
VR games are a great way to spend 8+ hours uninterrupted in a game without causing body problems, lol. Plus, if it's mixed reality, you can still do real life stuff while playing, like walking over and getting a glass of water or talking to and interacting with the other people in the room. In full Virtual reality it's still a good idea to have timers set, just as a check-in, if you have been standing still in the game, your knees could need some exercise, if you are hungry or thirsty or have to go to the bathroom... you know, the kinds of things you might not notice while the game is running, hehe.
Surprisingly this chair has come out highly in reviews when compared to 4 figure chairs. I have it and can say it is very comfortable. It’s not going to be the best of the best, however if your budget doesn’t stretch to more than mid-3 figures this could be a good alternative.
https://www.ikea.com/gb/en/p/markus-office-chair-vissle-dark-grey-30261152/
I sit all day and have a degenerative disc condition. I've been sitting in the same Herman Miller Embody for
2217 years. HM had to come refresh it once, but otherwise its been fantastic for SO long now. It's the same model that LG now sells as a gaming chair.Edit: I mathed wrong first thing in the morning, and added 5 years to how long I've had the chair.
I've been working from home about 90% of the time since the pandemic lockdown era. I had a cheap office chair and had noticed my back starting to hurt after a few hours in it per day. I eventually wound up getting a Humanscale Freedom headrest chair, which has been awesome. These chairs are stupid expensive, but I bought mine used, and reeking of the previous owner's perfume. It took months for the smell to completely go away, but I saved about $1,000 over buying one new, and it is otherwise in mint condition.
Use an office chair instead of a gaming chair..
I'd suggest spending money on an adjustable standing desk and get regilar (as in off the shelf, not crappy) office chair not something super fancy. Being able to switch from sitting to standing a lot is more beneficial than a good chair.
I can't recommend steelcase enough. I bought my wife and I a couple chairs from them at the start of covid, and the clip on the lumbar support for my chair broke recently. They shipped me an entirely new chair and told me to keep or donate the other one.
The secret to not having back pain or other health problems due to office work is very simple:
Move!
Furniture that enables you to move throughout the day:
A standing desk. Use it to alternate between standing and sitting throughout the day.
Get one of these to seamlessly transition between sitting, near standing and standing: https://www.varierfurniture.com/en/move
Or these, they will make you maintain good posture: https://www.varierfurniture.com/en/variable
Using these will also train your core muscles ever so gently, giving you better posture and preventing back pain. Good posture will also make you more attractive to your preferred gender, so that's a plus.
If you are not in a healthy range as far as the BMI is concerned, obviously fix that first. No furniture can compensate for overloaded joints.
When the pandemic started I went to Staples and bought a new chair for home. I spent around $120 and 3 months later I was looking for a new chair. I asked some friends and the top recommendation was SecretLab chairs. I ordered one for around $550 and it's pretty good, however sitting in it for 8 hours is a bit much (it's wonderful for a few hours of gaming though). Then last year I started a new job that required me to be in-office and the chair I have is an Affirm series by Om (https://www.omseating.com/series/affirm-series/). I can sit in this chair all day without any issues.
Standing desk and a standing desk chair. I got work to buy me a tall Herman Miller. way more expensive than I would ever buy for myself but it is great.
You got good replies already, so here is a related lifehack: set a timer to sound an alarm every hour during your sitting time, and when it rings, always go for a 10 minute walk/stretching session.
Bring your phone and headset if you are too busy and keep working if you have to, but make that physical activity a top priority.
We have what I believe to be Steelcase Leap at my work, and they've been outstanding for 12 hour shifts and 24/7 use for years now. Best office chair I've ever sat in.
Some desireable things to look out for are a back that pivots separately from the seat (major deal-breaker if not), a tensioner on the backrest so that you can lean forward and back naturally without using a lever, adjustable armrests (the more adjustment options the better), the shape of the armrest (convex is better than concave), correct height, correct seat depth, and correct backrest height.
I have a sit/stand desk and so I spend about half the day in my chair. I use a Steelcase Think; I like how it's relatively simple but still has a lot of articulation in its armrests, which makes it easy to get decent arm support where you need it. It's very sturdy and of nice quality. my only complaint is that I wish its back didn't have an inch of give before it hits the lock point at the furthest forward point, but this is really very minor.
if you live somewhere that you can go to an office surplus store, I'd super recommend doing that. I picked out this chair after trying a bunch out, and it was much cheaper than MSRP since it was used. they had like 20 different models and perhaps 5 of this one, and I picked out the nicest of the bunch.
There are lots of recommendations for Herman Miller - just wanted to point out this is their CEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HpYln4ZD0gk
I have a Herman Miller Aeron and kind of wish I had gotten SteelCase instead. Either a SteelCase Leap (any version), Gesture, or AMIA, they all seem nice.
Steelcase or Herman Miller, find them used from local offices going out of business. Offer $50 and see if you get lucky.
I have the Haworth Fern chair below and love it. It is expensive, but worth it in my opinion. You don't want to skimp on something you sit in all day- and I could sit in this chair all day without pain.
My only other piece of advice is to schedule breaks to stand and stretch. I had a standing desk for a while and I did not care for it. I never got used to standing and working- maybe I am just not coordinated enough. But taking standing breaks helped with my back pain and improved my focus.
Good luck!
https://store.haworth.com/products/fern-office-chair?sku=SFTE-U0-7S01A6,4H_FT,MB_SL,TR_7,PM_P
Herman Miller Aeron. Tested reliable and proven.
I have a Hayworth Zody but would also recommend steelcase gesture, knoll generation, and Herman miller aeron. I got mine from the used office furniture store in town for 200. Ordered new arm rest caps to replace the old ones and it is going strong several years later. Also second those that suggest standing desks, used office furniture place again for that, I have a $1200 steelcase that was 200ish but like new.
Don't think they used to be called this but I've been using a decent Staples mesh chair for 4 years now and it's AMAZING without having to spend 300 dollars. It's either this one or a slightly more expensive one made out of nicer materials
I have a steelcase chair I like a lot. Not sure of the exact model but it’s got great back support. I paired it with an autonomous standing desk to stretch my legs here and there when I’ve been sitting too long.
I have the aeron, it's nice but a bit uncomfortable if you sit in it in any sort of non standard way, I sit with my legs crossed and my cat in my lap and unless I pad the heck out of the bottom with extra pillow or blanket the hard plastic digs into my feet and legs.
For me a far more comfortable approach is a monitor on a stand and a comfortable easy chair, along with a split ergonomic bluetooth keyboard. Embrace our wall-e future
It really depends on how tall you are, your body type, and your budget. I'm small, so I hate the older Aerons (which is almost all my office had when I started), but the newer ones are a lot more adjustable so it might be better. I have a Steelcase Amia at home that I liked enough to order for work, too. Both of those chairs are pretty expensive though, so they may not be realistic recommendations.
I've lobbied for standing desks since I got mine and not about to stop ! If you're able, consider getting one. Mine changed my life. I alternate between standing and sitting throughout the day. And it's not just a matter of comfort or back pain (which btw is completely gone): I'm generally more awake, active and productive now. Before that I worked standing up for about a year and a half, and while the change was good, that was excessive, and my knees started to hurt after some time. That's when I understood that what really matters for long-term comfort and health at a desk job is movement. All the best,
For mid-tier chairs I can recommend both the Markus from Ikea and the Ergonomic Chair from Branch. The Markus is generally more relaxing and feels really nice to lean back into. Whereas the Ergo feels more like it wants you to sit proper (and it's adjustable). The Ergo def takes an adjustment period do to it's "proper" posture, but after having it for a couple months now I don't even notice
Either should run you ~300 USD
I stand most of the time. Use the chair when I get tired.
My HM Aeron is 20 years old. It has seen an embarrassing amount of use, as I've worked from home for over that length of time. It's served me well but it's not without its issues.
What I found at the start, and continue to find, is that it rolls the pelvis and c-curves the spine at the lower back. This loads the lumbar with a lot of force.
What I'm looking for now is a true tilter - not a mere recliner - that keeps the hip angle closed as it tilts. The rolling action on the hips is reduced, and lumbar support won't drift around. This is proving a challenge.
My physio and I disagree on headrests. so I look for one without his blessing or support. The force on the neck due is ideally reduced as well with one.
If I was required to sit in a chair for hours, I would insist my supervisors allow me to sit on this:
And of course these are made in actual chair models too, with a stable base and a backrest and everything, but I would prefer the actual ball. Very healthy for your spine and core muscles, if you're required to sit, this is the healthiest method.
I actually am comfortable enough in a dining room chair at home (I sit forward not back) so no equipment rec but I am going to recommend yoga and, well, not sitting for hours at a time. Get up and get water. Get up and go pee. Get up and get coffee. Get up up and go pee again. Get up and stretch. It's very risky to your health to sit for too long.
I know this might sound stupid but for several years, I was using a regular kitchen chair with a towel to sit on and a cloth blanket to make the back more comfortable to lean against. Even though I have a different, much more expensive gaming chair, I am still using a towel because the leather sticks to my skin.
Don't stop with just the chair. Make sure you keyboard and monitors are at the right heights. Consider getting an ergonomic keyboard and mouse (or trackball). The positions of your shoulders arms and wrists have a significant impact on overall comfort. They will also keep you from developing an RSI.
What is your budget?
Once upon a time, I was fairly strong but I couldn't touch my toes. That full deep stretch was just a little beyond me. It always had been, as long as I could remember in my adult life. Throughout years of martial arts and parkour that moderately normal level of flexibility eluded me.
Then I quit my job at Amazon. I was so burned out I ended up taking 6 months off. During that time I mostly hung out around the house. Played with my kid. ... played a ton of Minecraft.
The point is, I wasn't doing any new exercise. I was just doing things other than hunching in a chair all day. And just before I started a new job I discovered that I could touch my toes again!
I asked my new job for a standing desk - and I've kept that practice up at every job since. I alternate between standing and sitting on a tall office chair. I estimate that I stand a little more than half the day all in, but being able to transition has made a huge difference for me.
I'm in my forties now and I can grab my feets no problem. I don't do any dedicated stretching - I'm just not hunching all day.
Maybe not for everyone, but I really enjoy my Swopper stool. Mostly because I can't sit still and it allows me to bounce around all day. It takes some time to get used to, but it's great for keeping your core active during the day.
One downside is that I caused sea sickness with a colleague during a conference call due to all the bouncing :)
Herman Miller Embody.
Adjustable armrests make a huge difference. Fixed armrests are better than none but really you need to be able to raise them to the right height for you, so your shoulders and back can properly relax. Without supportive armrests your shoulders need to carry the weight of your arms all day.
Been using a Branch chair for ~2 years after having a cheap ikea chair for 1. Definitely notice the difference. You're going to want some adjustability, especially with lumbar support and arm height/ width.
Otherwise, the biggest thing to feel better is just getting up every hour or so to move around. I try to go for a walk/ run once a day since leaving retail and losing 10k steps of physical activity.
By that same token, sit-stand desks are nice if you have the spare budget. Otherwise, just get a nice chair and exercise.
I got a "Actiu Tnk Flex" 2 years ago and so far so good.
Whatever chair you end up getting try to swing a standing desk if you can
Yoga ball office chair. They're silly looking, but it's more convenient than a giant yoga ball.
I have the GABRYLLY Ergonomic Mesh Office Chair from Amazon and I love it.
I have upper back pain due to minor scoliosis. I'm also 6'1" so it's more challenging to find chairs that support my upper back well.
I bought this one because it has a lot of the features of the $1,000+ Herman Miller type chairs, but for less than $300. I bought it during the pandemic and figured if it lasted a year or two it would justify me forking out the money for the real expensive ones. Well 4 years later I'm still loving it.
The only complaint I had was the wheels are kind of crap, but I replaced them with some $30 rubber ones that look like rollerblade wheels. They are smooth fast and don't destroy my laminate floors.
If you sit at a keyboard for multiple hours every day you should consider getting one of these: https://kinesis-ergo.com/shop/freestyle2-for-pc-us/
Scroll right in the picture carousel to the photo showing the two monitors. That is the configuration I use mine in.
I was developing ulnar neuropathy from typing something like twelve hours a day while working for a startup. I got this keyboard and started using it with the 15 degree tilt configuration, and the ulnar neuropathy cleared up in about a month.
Before that, typing for a couple hours would result in tingling and numbness along the pinkie side of both hands. After about a month, that stopped and never came back.
I’ve since left tech and no longer have crazy long time on the keyboard, and now I just use the keyboard on my macbook, without any issue.
For reference, I was in my late twenties when this occurred. I’m now in my 40s and I will say that the ulnar neuropathy never came back.
The one thing about that keyboard to be aware of: it’s BIG. Each half is nearly the size of a macbook air. So it can be a bit much to carry in a messenger bag. A decent backpack, doable. But it’s really best as a permanent desk fixture.
Sideways mouse is great too.
Late to the party but we use these
I'm a 5 axis CNC programmer and can sometimes be glued to this baby for 12 hours excluding breaks. Cant complain at all, super comfortable. Would definitely recommend.
Mine does have an additional lumbar support but I cant seem to find the exact version with google. Pretty sure our company orders via a different distributor than amazon. If you're interested send me a DM and i will find out the exact model and distro.
Happy hunting.
My husband and I both have been using Tempur-Pedic office chairs for about 15 years. Starting in 2004, we both worked desk jobs from home (he still does, I only recently shifted careers) and both play video games so we have used the shit out of our chairs, and they are still good. I like that the seat is wide enough so I can fold my legs up under me if I want to.
I use a flexispot standing desk converter (it's like a big tray that goes on top of a fixed desk). I highly recommend doing so if you're going to be at a desk for hours every day.
My chair is nice af, and was provided by my workplace. If you can afford to go Herman-Miller (we're talking $1300+ for a new chair), do so. Your spine and butt and entire skeleton will thank you. Mine's an Aeron model
I got this at the start of the pandemic and it has worked out perfect for me. I would have gone for a normal Herman miller but there’s not much of used market in my location and I’m not paying HM prices.
I have an oversized "gamer chair" with a "footrest" that extends the front of the chair that allows me to sit cross legged on it. I replaced the base with a metal one and got rollerskate wheels. It's now quite sturdy and works well for me the last several years.
I like Hercules office chairs. They're meant to hold 300lb people for 8 hours a day. I'm not that big, and I don't sit that long, but the chair has lasted me a lot longer than cheap or even moderately priced office chairs.
I've never tried those expensive Herman Miller ones though. That's just too outside my budget and mesh doesn't look very comfortable to me. Not too mention my cats would shred that up.
I have a standing desk thus I just use an IKEA foldable barstool https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/franklin-bar-stool-with-backrest-foldable-black-black-50406465/
It’s a makeshift standing desk that can’t be lowered and using such a stool forces me to stand. But even if I just sit in it all day I don’t have any back pain or anything like I did when I used a normal office chair at a normal desk.
I'm using this one and like it. Chairs in a similar price range from Staples just didn't have all the right adjustments that this one has.
Basic Ikea office chair plus ergonomic butt cushion. No need to spend a ton of money.
My desk is in front of my bed
I've lobbied for standing desk since I got mine and not about to stop ! If you're able, consider getting one. Mine changed my life. I alternate between standing and sitting throughout the day. And it's not just a matter of comfort or back pain (which btw is completely gone): I'm generally more awake, active and productive now. Before that I worked standing up for about a year and a half, and while the change was good, that was excessive, and my knees started to hurt after some time. That's when I understood that what really matters for long-term comfort and health at a desk job is movement. All the best,
I like my Herman Miller cosim by and large... I have experienced tailbone pain though. I'm not sure if it's the chair or just me getting older really.
I found a yoga ball good for my butt and back. It forced me to keep sitting up right. Not good for relaxing though.
big desk and stand up or an ajustable table idk
I prefer a mesh chair to prevent sweating, with an adjustable headrest. I bought an Office Max branded chair years ago and it has held up perfectly.
Refurbished Ahrend 220. I bought 2 of them for about 50 Euro a piece on our local marketplace. Best chairs for home office I ever had. Ergonomic, comfortable and sturdy.
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If you ever want to give standing desk a try I prefer a setup with a high office chair rather than having a desk that goes up and down. Its cheaper and the higher chair gives you part of benefit of standing which is being able to get up and back to work quickly when grabbing food or such and when its so easy to get up and down you will find yourself standing more and more.
I'm a fan of the Alera ALEEL42ME10B Elusion Series Mesh Mid-Back Multifunction Chair ($180 at time of posting). I use it both at home and work
I bought it in November 2021 and it's still going strong
The one at work has been there since before i was hired (5 1/2 years ago)In the first month of the pandemic, my employer allowed us to take home our work chairs. They were Herman Miller Aerons. They've been pretty good. The only thing lacking is a headrest, and I can't justify to myself to buy a Herman Miller headrest. Can anyone recommend a cheaper alternative that's compatible with the Aeron?
I have the bottom half of an unpleasantly upholstered office chair that I pulled out of a dumpster a quarter century ago. I would not recommend it, but it's better than the loose crap I find every time I go chair shopping.
Get a box, put it on the desk, then your laptop on top and work standing. You’re welcome!
Forget about the usual office chairs. Get an adjustable standing desk and stand. Eventually you’ll get tired, so lower the desk a bit and sit on a saddle chair for a while. Switch between the two positions every time you feel like it.
Aeron chairs are grossly overrated. They have been clever in both making a durable kind of chair and marketing like Apple. They aren't that comfortable and are designed to keep you "upright" but not much else. Originally there wasn't much like the Aeron, but now you have many, many choices for a much better price and comfort. It's personal taste, but I prefer a chair with a headrest. Also, your desk is equally as important for long sessions. Size, leg room, height etc. I built my own custom workstation to suit my needs. I ended up using a cheap Corsair gaming chair and my neck and mouse shoulder has never been happier.
Kneeling chairs. They take some getting used to and you won't be able to use it for extended periods of time at first. But they allow you to engage core muscles that would otherwise become atrophied and eliminates a lot of the health issues associated with sitting for long periods of time. I have found that using mine makes me less hungry for snacks while sitting at the desk as well.
i've been sitting in cheapo office chairs my whole life and i'm still having a blast.
honestly, any office chair will be fine as long as you are comfortable in it.
no armrests; they get in the way and are pointless when your arms are on the desk already. if your arms aren't on the desk, you aren't actively working; i'm not saying get the fuck back to work, i'm saying if your hands aren't busy, stretch your arms and wrists. RSI is a reaper coming for us all but you can at least alleviate it.
the key is to get up and have a walk around any time you feel like it. stretch, get a snack or a water refill, give your eyes a break from the screen while you mull over legacy code or whatever problem is currently stumping you.