Rotten Red Rod posted:

What's your city? Look for used furniture warehouses where you can go in and try out chairs.

And if you're in the USA, I could recommend you a chair from the line I work for that would come in around $300, depending on your height/weight/bodytype, and show you where to buy it online. It's not ideal, since you wouldn't be able to try before buying, but it'd be better than used poo poo.

Rotten Red Rod posted:

Ouch. Not every chair works for everyone, especially if you're outside of the 85th percentile on body types, or have medical issues. Keep trying other chairs til you find one that fits you.

I wish there were better resources for people to try out more chairs before buying. You wouldn't buy a car without a test drive - why do we all buy chairs, which we generally sit in for LONGER than our cars, sight unseen?

The good thing is that the Embody has a crazy high used resale value. Hell, even the Aeron still does.


Consider a Mirra. It's basically an updated version of the Aeron (the Aeron is incredibly outdated, ergonomically). See if anyone else at your work has one that you can try out.

More Fun Industry Facts about Herman Miller! The Embody has, sadly, been a bit of a flop, commercially. They were pushing it hard when it first came out, but everyone was scared off by the high price. But they spent SO much on development and it's such a complex chair that they can't charge any less and make money. The one they're pushing hard now is the Mirra (and to a lesser extent, the glorfied side chair that is the Sayl) - but despite literally NO advertising, the Aeron is still their #1 seller.

I was at a trade show last month. At Herman Miller's main booth, they entirely filled it up with Mirras and a few Sayls. There were no Aerons in sight, and a SINGLE Embody hidden away in their secondary healthcare-focused booth.

Docjowles posted:

Thanks! I live outside of Denver (Fort Collins, specifically).

Saxophone posted:

http://stlouis.craigslist.org/bfs/3916029930.html

I was considering calling them. What questions should I ask? By all counts if they actually have these at this price, it's a damned steal. Just figured I'd run it by the thread.

Hamelekim posted:

Yeah, but I can get the Embody for 52% off, so if it really is one of the best chairs, which reviews say it is, then why not? The biggest complaint seems to be price, so if that isn't an issue, might as well buy one. With a 12 year warranty and replaceable parts beyond that it's probably a good buy.

I think we have Mirra chairs in meetings rooms actually, but I haven't been too fond of those compared to the Aeron. They do not seem to be as comfortable but I haven't sat in one for anything beyond an hour so I can't say.

Basically I'm kind of considering the Embody simply for the huge discount and to say I've tried the best and I can say it is the best, worst or just meh.

whatever it is it's better than this current chair I have, which I paid $250 for and now won't sit properly on the post, always leans to either side. Worst money spent on a chair, and it's only a year old. I will go with name brands from now on.

Rotten Red Rod posted:

Yeah, I don't really know that area well. Like I said, I could make a suggestion based on your body type.

Ask how old they are. If they're more than ~7 years old... Well, it's likely they are at that price, but it's good to know. And you should try them out before buying to see how wobbly they are.

It's just something else to consider if you like the Aeron. Again, if at all possible, try out any chair before you buy it. See if someone else at your company has an Embody and borrow if for a few minutes. Like the previous poster, you might end up hating it. Not every chair is for everyone.

Either way it'll be an improvement over your current chair for sure.

Rotten Red Rod posted:

You don't actually NEED to have a very soft chair. I have tailbone pain issues, so I prefer soft seats, but for most people the "butt hammock" of the Aeron, Mirra, and Embody is just fine. Any chair will get uncomfortable if you sit too long, so make sure to sit-stand and/or take walking breaks often.

Rotten Red Rod posted:

Ouch. Not every chair works for everyone, especially if you're outside of the 85th percentile on body types, or have medical issues. Keep trying other chairs til you find one that fits you.

I wish there were better resources for people to try out more chairs before buying. You wouldn't buy a car without a test drive - why do we all buy chairs, which we generally sit in for LONGER than our cars, sight unseen?

The good thing is that the Embody has a crazy high used resale value. Hell, even the Aeron still does.

Hamelekim posted:

That is one thing I have learned from sitting in an Aeron chair, I prefer chairs without foam as over time it compresses and you lose the support.

dox posted:

Is there a proper desks thread? I am interested in looking at sit down / stand up desk solutions for a friend who needs the desk to have mobility- this seems like as good a place as any to ask knowledgeable ergos.

Meow Tse-tung posted:

Any opinions on this?

http://www.amazon.com/Alera-Ravino-Series-High-Back-Leather/dp/B001PMJZGW/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

It seems to review pretty well. I'm 6'5" 290, can't find a leap/aeron/mirra on CL, and basically just want something more comfortable for my home TV/PC desk station than the $150 officemax piece of poo poo I have that's been falling apart as of late. I really don't want to exceed $300. I'm pretty leery about buying something without trying, but I don't seem to have many options here other than hitting up a few furniture warehouses on my day off.

Rotten Red Rod posted:

I know you don't want to exceed $300 but you should really consider budgeting at least $500 for this (especially if you need a specialty chair, being over 6'4"). Keep in mind this is something you sit in potentially 8+ hours a day, and you're expecting it to last 10+ years. Why would you go cheap on that?

Meow Tse-tung posted:

I'm really not sure what to look for in the $500 range. I really don't want to spend that much (and over 500 is definitely out of the picture), but is there any recommendation for the 300-500 range? I'll definitely consider it. It just feels like the tiers I'm seeing is "200 and under crappy officemax chairs" and "$800 specialty chairs" and I figured the one I posted might be a passable compromise between the two.

Rotten Red Rod posted:

molotoveverything posted:

Does anyone have any experience with these sort of chairs? I've seen this style of chair a dozen times beforehand and I like the appearance, I was just wondering how ergonomic they are.

Rotten Red Rod posted:

My company has actually started doing height adjustable desks recently, so I can address this. There's a few companies that sell all-in-one stations, but for the most part you may have to buy the base and laminate/wood top separately and have them installed. Like office chairs, resources to get these can be limited if you're not a big company buying 300+ at a time.

There's a few different options:

Crank - will run you $300+. Annoying to adjust, takes forever for it to move up and down, which discourages people from actually, you know, standing.

Counterweight - will run you $500+. Faster to adjust than crank tables, but much harder, especially if you are a petite person - you need a bit of upper body strength. Will lose height over time so you have to keep re-adjusting them.

Electric - your best option, the way most companies are going now. Will run you $800+. Adjusts quickly and easily. Drawback is that service on a faulty part can be hard to get if the manufacturer isn't very responsive. Thankfully the designs have been refined lately due to increased sales, so they're getting better in quality and lower in price.

Sit-stand is really, REALLY popular in Europe. It's just now catching on in the US, and mostly with high-tech companies. It's hard for me to recommend a place to get one if you want one for a home office, though (unless you're in the SF bay area).

blacksun posted:

I really want a sit / stand desk, anyone have any experience in ordering these from China? I've seen prices as low as $350 ordering single FOB, seems much better than the $1000 people want to charge me for one without shipping in Australia.

Rotten Red Rod posted:

Good luck. The ones from China are poo poo from what I hear. All the best sit-stand tables are manufactured in Europe (particularly Germany and Denmark).

Got Haggis? posted:

I'm looking for a computer table but can't find anything I'm happy with. I have an Ikea nearby, but I just feel like I'm paying for crap - something that will probably fall apart in a year. Also don't want anything fancy with bookshelves, what have you. Really just need it to be large enough for 2 monitors, a printer, and maybe some extra room. L shaped desk OK but not required. Any suggestions on where to look? I can't seem to find anything I like.

Maneki Neko posted:

I've been using an ikea galant for almost 10 years:

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/categories/departments/workspaces/18960/

ErikTheRed posted:

I recently ended up picking up the Ikea Gerton tabletop and some legs: http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/50106773/

It's been working out pretty well so far. The tabletop is solid wood so I doubt it will deteriorate as badly as the usual particleboard stuff.

Rotten Red Rod posted:

Yeah, it's one I've recommended in this thread before, although it didn't work for that guy since it's sadly only rated up to 300 lbs. I also work for the company that makes it so understand I'm biased. It's the PTYM: http://officemaster.com/products/index.php?view=product&sid=159

That's the manufacturer website, so you can't buy it direct through them. Here it is on some of our favored dealers sites (they're in the bay area but ship nationwide:

Meow Tse-tung posted:

The problem I have there is I'm 280ish now but I would say 300-310 is probably my norm. I never see myself getting past that point, but would like a bit of wiggle room. I've had a few office max specials have their levers break in ~2 years, so I'm wondering if that's super likely with stuff like the yao ming you linked, or stuff like the leap. Without shoes on I'm probably closer to 6'4", and I never use shoes at home, so I think I might be able to get by without the tall requirement.

Also: I'm kind of interested in the leap v1, and see a used one in "like brand new" condition with a warranty at $400 shipped. 300 pounds seems to be the standard for pretty much all of these chairs. Is being slightly over that a huge risk? I feel like the officemax specials may have been rated at 200-250 pounds, so that may have been an issue.

I'm just kind of irritated because nowhere I went today had much to test out, so I really feel like I'm forced to make a blind internet purchase or go with something from officemax.

The shifty madison website has an armless leap for 350ish too. I never use my armrests, so that's tempting. You're pretty knowledgeable about this stuff, so I'm curious if you have any feedback or suggestions. I just really want something better than the officemax special but it's really hard for me to spend over $400-500 right now.

titaniumone posted:

It's a normal non-gouging price. I got my upgraded Embody with chromed base and stuff for $950 in Canada from a local business supplier.

hooah posted:

I finally got my desk and new chair all set up. Thanks to all the experts here for giving me some information. Now, where can I go for some information on how to best adjust my chair and computer screen for the most comfort/ergonomics?

Rotten Red Rod posted:

If you don't think you need the tall chair, check out the 7878 - it's one step down in size. But if you're 6'4" or above I still advise you to go with the PTYM. It'll certainly bring down the price if you opt to go without arms. Either one will be miles better than an officemax special.

Meow Tse-tung posted:

After another unfruitful day searching brick and mortar, I'm taking a serious look at the PTYM and 7878. I know it's your company and you don't want to seem biased, but what's your sales pitch for these over something like the leap or other stuff I could find at 400-500 used?

Meow Tse-tung posted:

Appreciate all the input, because this seems like a really hard thing to research/buy/be knowledgeable about. I feel like thats why officemax and places sell so much, because people have no idea what else is out there, are overwhelmed trying to find information or can't easily test alternatives depending on location. It's so much easier to just buy a piece of garbage at officemax every 2 years.