Computer chairs: the backbone of a good sit up.

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Serious Hardware/Software Crap > Computer chairs: the backbone of a good sit up.

«‹›5 »

Rotten Red Rod: Mar 5, 2002

Just noticed this thread - I work for a factory rep for a mid-market office chair manufacturer. If anyone needs suggestions on chairs for specific ergonomic issues, like extra tall or oversized chairs, I can make some.

What's interesting in my industry is I see a LOT of people giving up their Aerons now. Many ergonomists hate it since it's so ergonomically out of date, and there's just no need to spend ~700 on a chair when you can get one just as good for $300-400 if you shop around.

If you have your heart set on a Aeron, go for it, but you can find another chair just as good for a lower price, since there's really nothing special about it other than its look (and the Herman Miller name) that can't be replicated in any other chair. (If you do want to spend a lot, get an Embody - it is genuinely an amazing chair, although still overpriced.)

That said, the Aeron was a great thing for the chair industry. It completely changed the way people thought about employee seating. All those other companies wouldn't be selling the way they are now if it hadn't become the symbol of the modern office.

# ¿ Sep 17, 2011 20:00

Adbot: ADBOT LOVES YOU

# ¿ Apr 26, 2024 18:02

Rotten Red Rod: Mar 5, 2002

tripsevens posted:

Care to suggest some Aeron alternatives? I'm all for ergonomic bliss at half the price!

It's hard to recommend specific ones, especially because manufacturers and contract dealers vary from place to place in the USA, and you really have to try out a bunch of different chairs before you find one just right for you. There's really no one-size fits all.

The brand I work for - Office Master - is really drat good (in my biased opinion, obviously) for great prices, but outside of certain cricles in California they're not well known. And they don't do direct selling, so you'd have to buy online or find a local dealer. I'm not as familiar with other brands, and I hesitate to pimp them since it would come off as self-serving.

I can, however, make recommendations on what you should look for in a chair. Adjustment-wise, make sure it has:

Seat height adjustment
Seat depth adjustment (seat slider)
Back height adjustment (adjusts the position of the lumbar)
Back angle adjustment
Seat angle adjustment (independent of the back angle)

Something like the PT78 has all these, or the YS84 if you like mesh backs.

My advice: see if you can find an office furniture dealer in your area - not Office Max or Office Depot, but a smaller, specialty dealer that mostly services businesses. Many will have showrooms where you can go in and try out new and used chairs. Try some for a few minutes each, figuring out the adjustments, until you find one that fits you well. You don't need to spend more than $400, but be wary of anything that costs $200 or less - it might just be one of those crappy Office Max no-name-brand chairs.

Rotten Red Rod fucked around with this message at 20:12 on Sep 19, 2011

# ¿ Sep 17, 2011 22:59

Rotten Red Rod: Mar 5, 2002

Twiin posted:

Any suggestions for a dealer in the Toronto area would be welcomed warmly!

Can't help you with Canada. :/ Check local listings, Yelp and such for furniture warehouses. It's a pain, but buying a computer chair is not something you should rush into - you're parked in that thing for hours everyday, after all.

# ¿ Sep 19, 2011 21:28

Rotten Red Rod: Mar 5, 2002

PlasticSpoon posted:

I am looking for a new chair, this 8 year old Office Max is starting to do a number on my back, and I am far too young to have back issues from sitting in a chair.

Like I said we don't sell direct. You'd have to go through a dealer. PM me with your location and I'll send you more info.

None of our chairs actually come with armrests by default - the picture for the CLS line is misleading (I wish they would change it, but I don't control that). But ANY of the chairs you see there can have arms. You just have to specify which arms you want at time of sale.

Sorry if this seems like I'm selling chairs on the forum. Just so you guys know, my company only makes money on chairs sold in Northern CA, and it's only a tiny commission (we make our real money on big contract sales to businesses), and since I'm hourly I don't actually see any of that. It just happens that I know this brand the best and I wanted to help you guys out, so it's the one I'm recommending.

Rotten Red Rod fucked around with this message at 16:46 on Sep 23, 2011

# ¿ Sep 23, 2011 15:41

Rotten Red Rod: Mar 5, 2002

SMLJ posted:

I remember seeing that weird lung chair once, along with some crazy price tag around $1200 or somewhere in that range. So did you get it in the end? How do the lung-like back cushions work out?

What bugs me about that chair is I only see an up-down mechanism. That's pretty crappy, there's no seat or back tilt, let alone a seat depth slider.

Maybe there are on the $1200 models? Not that you should ever pay that much for a chair...

# ¿ Sep 27, 2011 19:39

Rotten Red Rod: Mar 5, 2002

Sadly a lot of those dealers aren't really interested in talking with you if you only are buying one chair. You really aren't worth their time - their profit margins on a single chair are pretty small, so they have to sell 100s of chairs at a time to make a profit. Keep calling around until you find someone who will let you come in and try one out.

That said, I don't really see what sets that chair apart from other $100-range chairs. It's nice that the back height adjusts, but there's no tilt or seat slider, which I consider key adjustments for ergonomic support. If you're looking for a chair in that price range there's really no need to lock on to one particular brand, they're all pretty much going to be the same. So I would suggest hitting up the nearest used furniture warehouse and picking up whatever fits you best there.

# ¿ Sep 27, 2011 20:59

Rotten Red Rod: Mar 5, 2002

hbf posted:

So I am confused by this. It seems like the chair does do those things. and they both retail for around 700. The chairs I have seen for around 100 at furniture warehouses don't seem to be close in quality to these and are more like office depot type stuff.

I'm looking at this PDF: http://asint2.ki.com/PROD/PKB/cstmr...20Sellsheet.pdf

I see it does have seat depth, I missed that before. I still don't see a seat tilt or back tilt however, where are you seeing that?

I wasn't talking about the Criterion however. It's a good chair, but hilariously overpriced at $700-1200. If you can get it for a lot less than that, go for it.

Stabby McDamage posted:

It actually has all those adjustments, including the seat depth slider, and was quite comfortable in the store.

I was looking at the ones on the eBay page. They must be an older model or something because they only have the one paddle in the picture. I was thrown off because there are knobs instead of levers that controls those functions. If that is a good chair, then I guess it's a pretty good deal.

Rotten Red Rod fucked around with this message at 02:56 on Sep 28, 2011

# ¿ Sep 28, 2011 02:51

Rotten Red Rod: Mar 5, 2002

The Aphasian posted:

Going to a Herman Miller showroom at lunch to check out some seats, specifically Embody, Mira and Sayl. They don't sell to individuals, but they are happy to let me to test drive some so I can order from a reseller (nearby store sells them and offers free delivery, but doesn't have these on hand to try out). I'm excited, and then I want to cry because of the prices and then the prices + options. With random telecommuting and side work, I'm going to ask my accountant if I can claim it as a business expense though, which would be swell.

Yeah, that's the dilemma with office chairs. Most manufacturers (like the one I work for) don't sell direct, so you have to go through resellers who often aren't interested in selling to individuals, since they make their real money through selling to large companies who order hundreds of chairs at a time. So you have to do the legwork of picking out the right chair yourself, and often even if you find a chair that's comfortable, you might be messing yourself up ergonomically without knowing it, or overpaying by a huge margin. This is why companies employ ergonomists, and you're expected to do that on your own? It's asking a bit much of someone with no expertise.

That said, the Embody is an amazing chair - but you'll pay a lot for it. Same with the Mirra, it's drat good, although not really unique. The Sayl is nothing special, it's really just made to hit a certain price point, not to address any ergonomic issues - I'd avoid it. And while many people swear by their Aerons, they're very ergonomically out of date.

# ¿ Dec 15, 2011 20:35

Rotten Red Rod: Mar 5, 2002

TOOT BOOT posted:

I sit in a recliner half the time, can't get much more comfortable than that.

Be really careful using a recliner or sofa when working on a computer/laptop - as tempting as it sounds, it's a surefire way to give yourself RSI because of the way it pulls you away from the work surface and forces you to extend your arms. At the very least, change positions often - if you have a laptop, try working at a different area of the house every few hours, like standing at a kitchen counter, sitting at a traditional office desk/chair, etc. And if you need to do some serious typing on a long email or anything, for sure don't do it from a recliner.

The Aphasian posted:

While I don't think a loaded Mira would cost as much as an Embody, with the latter I'd be less likely to forgo something I see as extraneous only to wish I had it a week/month/year from now.

None of the extra adjustments are extraneous. They're vital to fitting a chair to you. Whatever you do, get a chair that has these:

Seat height adjustment
Seat depth adjustment (seat slider)
Back height adjustment (adjusts the position of the lumbar)
Back angle adjustment
Seat angle adjustment (independent of the back angle)
(Optional) Lumbar strength adjustment

Don't settle for anything less.

Rotten Red Rod fucked around with this message at 00:13 on Dec 17, 2011

# ¿ Dec 16, 2011 23:28

Rotten Red Rod: Mar 5, 2002

Splizwarf posted:

Turns out I should have listened to myself and everyone else and done... I don't know, something. Should I have just quit?

I still can't afford a decent chair and work's still not buying anyone anything special, but I have a slipped disc now; please advise.

Just checked on your previous posts... This is a chair made for people 6'7": http://www.ergocomfortwest.com/Office-Master/Paramount-Value/PTYM-TALL-(Yao-Ming)-p85.html

No, it's not cheap. No specialty ergonomic chairs are. But you NEED a specialty chair or you'll continue to have severe medical issues.

# ¿ Jan 9, 2012 16:22

Rotten Red Rod: Mar 5, 2002

The weight capacities have a little leeway in them - they generally exceed the durability needed to accommodate 300 lbs. As long as you're within about 25 lbs it should be fine.

# ¿ Jan 9, 2012 18:21

Rotten Red Rod: Mar 5, 2002

I think you should be alright. I've seen ~375 lb people using 300 lb capacity chairs and they seem to hold up. It just technically breaks the 12 year warranty, but you don't have to tell anyone that.

# ¿ Jan 9, 2012 18:32

Rotten Red Rod: Mar 5, 2002

grady posted:

To those wondering about the long term durability of Steelcase chairs, particularly Think, my pneumatic cylinder finally started to give out last week. I purchased the chair brand new in 2005. I picked up a $30 replacement on Ebay, changed it out myself, and ignoring the shoe marks I leave on the base legs, it's back to like new.

If it's still within the warranty (might be 7, 10, or 12 year) Steelcase should replace the cylinder free of charge. Find a local rep and give them a call.

# ¿ Jan 11, 2012 00:24

Rotten Red Rod: Mar 5, 2002

vacuity posted:

I tried to buy one, but the dealers around me are just not equipped to sell to an individual and they made me jump through 20 hoops before just deciding to stop returning my calls. If you can find a dealer near you who isn't a sleazy old man I can't recommend this chair enough.

That's pretty much par for the course in the furniture industry, yeah (I work for a chair manufacturer if you didn't see my other posts in this thread). Why would a dealer give you the time of day when they're working on 100+ chair orders - which they're barely making margin on anyway? It gets worse as the manufacturers get bigger, and Allsteel is pretty big.

betterinsodapop posted:

I had no idea that the work chair I sit in for several hours a day is so highly regarded (and kinda pricey.) All we have in this office is the Aeron chair. Pearls before swine, I guess. It is pretty comfortable, but I can't see paying even $300 for this thing.

Pretty much. The Aeron was a revolution in ergonomics when it came out, and now it's out of date. But they won't change it because people still buy them by the truckload on name alone.

# ¿ Feb 10, 2012 21:52

Rotten Red Rod: Mar 5, 2002

mindphlux posted:

edit goddamnit why can't the embody be like 600 bucks instead of 1200

No clue. I like it because it leaves the market wide open for mid market competitors like my company. Herman-Miller basically priced themselves out of competition for a lot of customers - they just don't have anything to offer at the $300-400 range except the Sayl, which is probably not really worth $400.

# ¿ Feb 14, 2012 21:24

Rotten Red Rod: Mar 5, 2002

Taima posted:

Well personally I kind of want the best for my back. Not to be a douchey Prof. Moneybags about it (I'm not wealthy) but the numbers just check out. We spend so much time in our chairs, getting the best seems like a good investment to me when spread over the useful life of the chair. I could easily see using this chair for 10 years, no problem- it's built like a tank. Even at retail price, that's like $120 a year.

Hey, if it works for you, and you can afford that, great. But Herman Miller could have priced it a lot less than $1200 and still made a profit. They just did that because they knew people would buy it on the name alone, price be damned.

And as for using the chair 10 years, there are far, far cheaper chairs that have 10-12 year warranties and hold up just fine during that time.

Edit: To clarify, I'm not saying the chair is crap. I think the Embody is one of the best ergonomic chairs on the market, possibly the best. But Herman Miller made a mistake by making it so absurdly expensive, to the point that I don't even consider them competition in the market my company goes after (which includes Google, Facebook, Twitter, etc.). We're generally competing against Knoll and Steelcase now.

Rotten Red Rod fucked around with this message at 01:12 on Feb 15, 2012

# ¿ Feb 15, 2012 01:02

Rotten Red Rod: Mar 5, 2002

Magic Underwear posted:

The Freedom seems to have an unusual way of adjusting, but as far as I can tell it has all the usual suspects: seat pan depth, back height, arm height, chair height. It doesn't have tilt tension or tilt limit, as far as I can tell, so I don't know how that works.

It's a "self-weighing" tension chair - you don't need to adjust the tilt tension because the tension is based on the weight of the person sitting in it.

I don't like the Freedom personally, I think when you lean back in it it throws you waaaaaay too far back from the keyboard/screen. It feels more like an easy chair than a work chair in that aspect. Which may be a plus or a minus, depending on what you like. Many people swear by them.

Also every ergonomist I know seems to agree headrests are a horrible idea ergonomically, unless you have a medical issue that requires one. But that's your personal preference.

Rotten Red Rod fucked around with this message at 05:50 on Feb 15, 2012

# ¿ Feb 15, 2012 05:47

Rotten Red Rod: Mar 5, 2002

Zorak posted:

Pardon me if this has been asked recently, but what's considered the best option for bargain-priced chairs in the ~$100 range? Obviously you're very limited in the quality you can get, but surely there's some leaders in the bargain market.

There really aren't, basically all budget chairs are the same. If you can find a nice namebrand chair used, that's probably the best route, but even then I doubt you'd be paying $100.

# ¿ Feb 16, 2012 00:57

Rotten Red Rod: Mar 5, 2002

DaRealAce posted:

I have found a Herman Miller used on craigslist for $200.00. But it has a broken seat frame. I have found I can get a whole new seat for $169 which will fix the issue.

So is $369.00 worth it for a Herman Miller?

Herman Miller what? They're the brand name, not the chair model.

# ¿ Feb 18, 2012 01:27

Rotten Red Rod: Mar 5, 2002

DaRealAce posted:

It is the Herman Miller Aaron.

It's a pretty good deal... If nothing else is broken/worn out on the chair. Buyer beware with used furniture.

# ¿ Feb 18, 2012 13:09

Rotten Red Rod: Mar 5, 2002

LeftistMuslimObama posted:

This worries me. I'm 6'4" and fluxuate from between 230-280lb and I want to start saving for a chair that doesn't hurt my back/break constantly. What's out there for people who are genuinely large rather than corpulent midgets?

This one: http://www.ergocomfortwest.com/Office-Master/Paramount-Value/PTYM-TALL-(Yao-Ming)-p85.html

Made for people 6'4" and above, up to 300 lbs.

# ¿ Feb 27, 2012 19:51

Rotten Red Rod: Mar 5, 2002

Splizwarf posted:

That one makes me laugh every time, they named it after Yao Ming but he's over the weight limit.

Yeah, I agree. It's still a great chair for tall people, and you do have some leeway over the 300 lb limit, you're just technically breaking the warranty. I've been trying to get them to design one with a 350 lb limit at least.

get out posted:

If I'm getting lower left back pain after an hour of sitting in this thing, should I just take it back or does it take time to break in?

Is there any way to adjust the back height or lumbar strength? If you've tried every adjustment, and it's still not comfortable, get rid of it. There's no "breaking it it" with office chairs. If it's not capable of being adjusted to your body, and it's uncomfortable now, it will just get worse later.

EnergizerFellow posted:

You probably have the seat bottom set too high, which is pulling down your legs down enough against the forward edge to cause circulation problems. Lower the chair a bit, maybe so if almost feels a bit too low, and see if you still have the same problem.

Does the Aeron have a seat depth adjustment (seat slider)? If so, try messing with that. You should be able to fit 2 fingers in between your legs and the front of the seat, no more, no less.

Rotten Red Rod fucked around with this message at 00:36 on Feb 28, 2012

# ¿ Feb 28, 2012 00:28

Rotten Red Rod: Mar 5, 2002

Sadly there's no real location for individual users to find and try out ergonomic chairs, other than maybe Relax the Back stores - and even they have a limited selection. I think your best bet is to look up furniture warehouses with a showroom that sells to the public, and try out chairs there until you find one you like. Don't expect the staff to help you at all however.

Rotten Red Rod fucked around with this message at 01:03 on Feb 28, 2012

# ¿ Feb 28, 2012 00:45

Rotten Red Rod: Mar 5, 2002

Yeah the lumbar is in the wrong spot for you. You need a chair with adjustable lumbar/back height. You'll injure yourself before you get used to it.

I've posted this before, but here's a list of adjustments I think are essential in an office chair:

Seat height adjustment
Seat depth adjustment (seat slider)
Back height adjustment (adjusts the position of the lumbar)
Back angle adjustment
Seat angle adjustment (independent of the back angle)

Rotten Red Rod fucked around with this message at 01:03 on Feb 28, 2012

# ¿ Feb 28, 2012 00:47

Rotten Red Rod: Mar 5, 2002

Splizwarf posted:

gently caress, really? I can fit 2 fingers between my legs and the front of the seat... plus my entire other hand.

Yeah, that puts a lot of pressure on your legs and cuts off your circulation. You need more seat depth.

# ¿ Feb 28, 2012 17:11

Rotten Red Rod: Mar 5, 2002

Yeahhh that's pretty bad too. Get a new chair.

# ¿ Feb 28, 2012 17:36

Rotten Red Rod: Mar 5, 2002

Steelcase is really a company that sells paneling, desks, and other related furniture. The seating is more or less included as an afterthought in large bundle sales to keep other seating lines out, regardless of ergonomics.

# ¿ Mar 2, 2012 05:27

Rotten Red Rod: Mar 5, 2002

Splizwarf posted:

The company's probably long gone, but it was a classy office chair once; are there universal fitment gas cylinders or am I screwed on finding a replacement?

They generally are universal - none of the manufacturers make cylinders themselves, they all order them from a few overseas companies. But for a really old chair, it's hard to say if it'll work unless you measure the cylinder against others. Then there's the issue of who you order the cylinder from.

I'd check the brand of your chair, there's a possibility that the company is still active. If not, well, if the chair is that old, it's likely other things are breaking down in the chair. I'd look into a new one.

# ¿ Mar 6, 2012 17:27

Rotten Red Rod: Mar 5, 2002

Check to see if there's some kind of a sticker on the underside of the seat.

Also: Just because the chair looks pristine doesn't mean it isn't breaking down. You can't see inside the chair's mechanism. My company had someone file a lawsuit when a customer's seat broke and they injured themselves on the cylinder as they fell through - but nothing came of it because the chair was 6 years out of warranty, and they bought it used anyway.

I'd say if your chair is 7-10+ years old, replace it because it's A) unsafe and B) there have been advances in chair quality and ergonomic research that means chairs today are better.

Rotten Red Rod fucked around with this message at 18:18 on Mar 6, 2012

# ¿ Mar 6, 2012 18:12

Rotten Red Rod: Mar 5, 2002

LeftistMuslimObama posted:

I posted earlier about needing a chair that was friendly for a 6'4" 250lb+ person, and people suggested a chair called the "Yao Ming".

I've been working with my company's HR department, and they'll reimburse me for a chair if I get a doctor's note, but only up to $331. Do you guys have any recommendations for a chair that would cost me that or less with shipping/taxes/etc, or at that point should I just go to Staples and just sit in every chair until I find one that isn't painful.

I'm equal parts long leg and torso, and I have fairly wide hips, so I need a chair with a longer lumbar support on the back, and a relatively deep and wide seat.

$300 is how much they should be spending on their STANDARD chairs - ergonomic specialty chairs will not be anywhere that cheap. Maybe you should buy the chair and foot the difference yourself?

That said, if the PTYM is too expensive, you could get the PT78 and put a higher cylinder on it (6" cylinder). It's still going to be over $331, and it won't have as deep a seat as the PTYM, but it will be a lot better than whatever piece of crap you're sitting in now.

# ¿ Mar 9, 2012 17:08

Rotten Red Rod: Mar 5, 2002

Some of the shittiest chairs I've ever seen have been leather. Definitely doesn't mean it's high end.

Really, the chair market is a racket that always ends up screwing the end user. It's really sad to see companies not willing to spend the money to outfit their employees correctly - like LeftistMuslimObama, if they don't spend more than that $331 on getting you a decent chair, they will end up paying thousands worker's comp bill. You WILL injure yourself sitting in the chair you're in now. No one wants that, but everyone's just looking at the piddling cents they're saving getting the lowest-end chair possible. It's maddening.

And even if they are willing to pay more, the resources to pick out the right chair just aren't there. The customers I have here in the Bay Area are lucky to have us because of everything I can offer them, but I feel bad for the rest of the country...

# ¿ Mar 9, 2012 20:46

Rotten Red Rod: Mar 5, 2002

I found a price book for the reaction: http://www.hermanmiller.com/hm/content/pricing_information/shared_assets/files/PB_REA.pdf

No mention of its weight rating, but there's plenty of people sitting in chairs above their weight rating - it just means the chair wears down faster, you shouldn't be hurt.

Edit: There it is. Under Notes on page 5: "Chair is tested and warranted for use by persons 300 pounds and under."

The height is a whole different matter. I see that the seat height is 16-20.5" on the Reaction. That's much too short for you. You need a higher cylinder on there. Unfortunately that's not an easy thing. Try looking for independent dealers in your area that sell herman miller and ask if you can order a higher cylinder for a Reaction chair. Some will blow you off but you may find one that will sell it to you - then to switch it out all you should need is a hammer, look on youtube for instructions.

Edit: I'm actually surprised by how low the seat height is on this chair. My company, most of our standard chairs go 17-22", and even they are too short for someone 6'7". The Reaction is practically a petite chair when it comes to height. You need a minimum height of 22-23", I'd say.

As for the back, the important part isn't that it covers your whole back - it's that it gives adequate support in the lumbar region (the small of your back). It looks like the Reaction has a back height adjustment - try playing with that until you find a more comfortable spot. If you have the back at its highest height and it's still below your lumbar, you need a different chair.

Rotten Red Rod fucked around with this message at 22:25 on Mar 13, 2012

# ¿ Mar 13, 2012 22:08

Rotten Red Rod: Mar 5, 2002

Moggie posted:

I think option A looks better... I also a fat bastard that weighs 260 lbs and option B has a weight limit of 250...

If you're 260 you should be fine in a chair with a 250 weight limit. I can't speak to the quality of the chair without trying it, but option B has all the necessary adjustment options - you could do a lot worse than that one.

Option A isn't suited to computer use at all. It's more of a conference or executive chair (and a cheap one at that). Nice for lounging but an ergonomic nightmare for work/gaming.

# ¿ Mar 17, 2012 00:30

Rotten Red Rod: Mar 5, 2002

Ugh, that's awful. But I wouldn't blame the company that sold it to you completely - FedEx and UPS are loving brutal to chairs, they're responsible for about 75% of the warranty issues I deal with on my company's chairs.

That's actually another reason furniture dealers are so hesitant to deal with single-chair orders - the big orders of 100s of chairs at a time, where they make their real money, are shipped fully assembled on a freight truck instead of being bounced around in a box on a FedEx truck.

Not that that justifies anything. Both Kim Jong III and LeftistMuslimObama, call, email, bitch, complain, to anyone you can, and don't stop until you have tracking info for the part/new chair coming straight to you. If they have a warranty, by law, they have to get that stuff to you.

# ¿ Apr 5, 2012 20:29

Rotten Red Rod: Mar 5, 2002

Very good price for a Leap, but drat if that's not a loving ugly fabric on it. That's probably why they're trying to unload 150 of them.

I would check the sticker on the bottom of the chair to see its sold-on date. If it's more than 7 years old I'd be wary. Other than that just make sure all the adjustments work and it doesn't feel overly wobbly.

As for additional models, according to this this page, no -there's just the basic, a stool version, and a 500 pound fatty version.

I really doubt the warranty is transferable, don't bank on that at all.

# ¿ Apr 30, 2012 00:12

Rotten Red Rod: Mar 5, 2002

chronofx posted:

Hmm, apparently they are from 2005, so just about 7 years old on the dot. According to the company selling them, "They are in good original condition. 2005 . We clean them up and test them."

Warranties usually last 10 or 12 years, which are a good indication of the life of the chair. I'm not saying it'll be busted up and fall apart on you immediately, but just be aware you're getting a chair that may give out a lot sooner than a new one - 3-5 years maybe. It's like buying a 10+ year old used car over a new one.

Still a good deal for $200. Go for it.

Rotten Red Rod fucked around with this message at 23:01 on May 1, 2012

# ¿ May 1, 2012 22:59

Rotten Red Rod: Mar 5, 2002

Kim Jong III posted:

rawrr - I'm not sure if this really correlates, but I wonder if a platinum frame implies the base is aluminum & a black frame means the base is plastic. This might be something else to think about, durability-wise.

My only complaint now is the armrests. Does anyone have a suggestion for something I can put over the armrests to keep them from peeling any worse than they already are? Any gel armrest covers that don't suck & actually fit?

On the plastic base - most "plastic" bases are actually hard nylon, which is very, very durable. The only time I've seen one break is when a chair is directly dropped on a caster (wheel) and the hole where the caster goes in broke. The rest of your chair should fall apart long before the nylon base does. Not that aluminum is bad - it's also very, very durable - but if you're going for durability, one over the other isn't a crucial choice.

As for armrests, you may be able to order replacement arm pads from someone who sells the brand of chair you own. Some companies sell them cheaply, but others gouge you for them. Either way, worth looking into at least.

# ¿ May 2, 2012 17:57

Rotten Red Rod: Mar 5, 2002

titaniumone posted:

If you're considering between a Leap and an Embody, try them both first. I switched from an Aeron to an Embody and I find the Embody to be way better in every way. I've also tried one of the Leaps at work, and while it's a decent chair, I much prefer the Embody.

It's definitely personal preference, so try them both.

Well, the Embody is also around double the price. Keep that in mind.

# ¿ May 3, 2012 19:30

Rotten Red Rod: Mar 5, 2002

Mu Zeta posted:

The Leaps go for around $900 while the Embody is $1200

rawrr posted:

To be fair, it's quite easy to find refurbished Leaps at roughly half price, whereas with embody you pretty much have to buy new.

What rawrr said - I was confusing the refurbished price with the new price of a Leap. Still quite a bit more expensive.

icehewk posted:

Just picked up a Highmark Sprint Plush, minus the arms, at Goodwill. $7. Goodbye rocking chair!

Nice find! I've never seen a decent office chair at goodwill, much less one for $7.

# ¿ May 3, 2012 20:32

Adbot: ADBOT LOVES YOU

# ¿ Apr 26, 2024 18:02

Rotten Red Rod: Mar 5, 2002

Raukowath posted:

I kept seeing that the Aeron does not have as many of the good adjustments as newer designed chairs, is that true of the Mirra as well? I really like the idea of the mesh seats as opposed pleather/bonded leather especially during the summer in this hot as hell upstairs I am currenyl living in.

Many people swear by their Aerons, but most ergonomists pan it now as out of date. Herman Miller still sells it because tons of people buy it on name alone. The Mirra is Herman Miller's attempt to revamp the Aeron with current ergonomic design without hurting the still-strong sales of the Aeron. I'd really, REALLY recommend the Mirra over the Aeron given the choice between the two.

It's definitely preferable to try them out first, but if that's not an option and you have to buy sight unseen, go with the Mirra. Look for nearby Herman Miller showrooms and/or high-end seating stores like Relax The Back, it's likely they would have some samples to try out (just don't buy them there).

# ¿ May 14, 2012 17:16

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Serious Hardware/Software Crap > Computer chairs: the backbone of a good sit up.

«‹›5 »