Computer chairs: the backbone of a good sit up.

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Rotten Red Rod: Mar 5, 2002

8-bit Miniboss posted:

Anyone here ever replace their pneumatic cylinder on Aerons?

I'm mid-replacement dealing with a portion of it stuck into the tilt mechanism. It actually separated on me so I had that plus the column of the cylinder stuck in the base which I was able to remove earlier today. The last few hours however have been unsuccessful in removing the cylinder from the chair itself. I've been hammering with a rubber mallet the chair's bottom while pulling the cylinder firmly or hammering from the top with 3/8 drive bit since that's all I have that comes close to the diameter and using a plumber wrench to try twisting it out and of course WD-40 in between it all but of course nothing to show for it except gnarled steel.

I'm probably done for today because hands are beat even with wearing work gloves and I live in an apartment and I doubt the neighbors would appreciate the noise any further.

Edit: Awesome! Picked up a proper pipe wrench today and with a bit of elbow grease and more WD-40, I was able to get the cylinder out finally. 14 years of loosened gunk on there:

Now my Aeron is almost good as new (seat frame was replaced 2 weeks ago and I'm considering getting the posture-fit thing)

You can do it with a hammer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jxy9Obkso_s

Although on some older chairs, the cylinder may be so impacted that it's incredibly difficult to remove it. I've had to actually break the cylinder on several chairs to get it out.

~Coxy posted:

Does anyone else's Leap gas cylinder rub against the ground?
It's almost as low as the caster wheels, and they sink slightly into carpet obviously, so mine brushes the carpet. It's bad because it makes a black stain on the carpet as I move around.

Usually that means it's worn through the base (the 5-pointed piece that the wheels connect to). Remove it with a hammer (see the video above) and put in a "shim" - some layers of duct tape or newspaper should work. It's not a perfect fix but it's a good stopgap until you can get a new chair.

# ? Sep 15, 2014 06:07

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# ? Apr 25, 2024 01:40

8-bit Miniboss: May 24, 2005; CORPO COPS CAME FOR MY

Rotten Red Rod posted:

You can do it with a hammer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jxy9Obkso_s

Although on some older chairs, the cylinder may be so impacted that it's incredibly difficult to remove it. I've had to actually break the cylinder on several chairs to get it out.

That was actually one of the methods I tried for a brief time, but I didn't have much luck with it and I really didn't like banging a regular hammer on the metal frame. Maybe when I swap it again in the future and it not with 14 years of press fit. :unsmith:

# ? Sep 15, 2014 07:33

loungeroo252: Jan 16, 2011

Seems like there's a lot of great advice on this thread, and I could really use some. At work, we have Mirra chairs. I do like the adjustability features on them, but I find the seat too hard to sit in for long periods of time.

In particular, I have long legs and like to sit on one while I type periodically (so, like crossing one leg over the other except the crossed leg goes under the other leg). This is very uncomfortable to do on the Mirra, because my foot and knee are resting on the hard frame of the seat.

I requested to bring in a padded office chair to get around this, but apparently outside chairs aren't allowed and I can only bring in a seat cushion. I am willing to spend a significant amount on a cushion, but want to try to get a good one for leg resting. I'm 6'3" and about 285. I would greatly appreciate reading any reviews of seat cushions--especially from anyone that has experience using them on a Mirra.

By the way, does anyone else find sitting on one leg comfortable? I find it is a good way of relieving pressure on my leg and hip without having it hitting the underside of the desk surface. The issue is, mesh chair seats in general do not accommodate this well.

Incidentally, I came across a set of seat and back cushions especially designed for the Aeron. I haven't tried it, but I think it's a great idea. Here is the link if anyone is interested: http://www.u-fo.com/ I'm not sure if they're thick enough to permit the leg sitting but I hope more products are made to cushion mesh chair seats.

I'd be interested in hearing about any good seat cushions people have tried. Anyway, thanks for reading.

loungeroo252 fucked around with this message at 01:48 on Sep 20, 2014

# ? Sep 20, 2014 00:33

Hed: Mar 31, 2004; Fun Shoe

Have you thought of getting a foot rest to relieve hip / leg pressure? I'm not quite as tall as you but it helped my legs tremendously. Personally I think it works better than a seat cushion because the backs of your legs can still get airflow.

# ? Sep 20, 2014 17:38

EAT THE EGGS RICOLA: May 29, 2008

Does anyone have a recommendation of where I can buy an aeron chair in Canada (Ottawa)?

# ? Sep 21, 2014 22:30

titaniumone: Jun 10, 2001

EAT THE EGGS RICOLA posted:

Does anyone have a recommendation of where I can buy an aeron chair in Canada (Ottawa)?

Ottawa Business Interiors on Colonnade gave me a very good price on my Embody.

I would strongly recommend checking out the Embody, Mirra, and some of the other chairs they have. The Aeron is really not that great. (I used to own one, and I am sitting in one at work as I type this).

# ? Sep 23, 2014 17:48

~Coxy: Dec 9, 2003; R.I.P. Inter-OS Sass - b.2000AD d.2003AD

Rotten Red Rod posted:

Usually that means it's worn through the base (the 5-pointed piece that the wheels connect to). Remove it with a hammer (see the video above) and put in a "shim" - some layers of duct tape or newspaper should work. It's not a perfect fix but it's a good stopgap until you can get a new chair.

I'm not sure that's it; it's fairly new and has always been this way.

Here's a side view where you can see the wheels sinking into the carpet slightly and the central part skimming the surface of the carpet:

And bottom view of the central piece:

If I was to take it apart, would I be able to raise the central column physically higher?

# ? Sep 24, 2014 04:23

Rotten Red Rod: Mar 5, 2002

~Coxy posted:

I'm not sure that's it; it's fairly new and has always been this way.

Here's a side view where you can see the wheels sinking into the carpet slightly and the central part skimming the surface of the carpet:

And bottom view of the central piece:

If I was to take it apart, would I be able to raise the central column physically higher?

Unless there was some severe manufacturing error, or it's just a badly designed chair, I'm fairly sure what I described IS the issue. That's the only thing that would cause the cylinder to drop further than it should through the base.

Think about it. The cylinder is made of metal. The base is made of nylon or plastic. The cylinder rubs against the base, wears it down, warps it. That pushes the cylinder further through the base than it should go, and it starts dragging on the floor. I've seen it dozens of times and this is ALWAYS the cause.

So to answer your question, yes, if you took it apart, you would be able to raise the central column physically higher - by making a shim out of tape/newspaper/whatever like I described.

Here's how to take it apart - you don't need to take the cylinder off the mechanism, just the base, so stop the video at 30 seconds: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jxy9Obkso_s

Rotten Red Rod fucked around with this message at 16:48 on Sep 24, 2014

# ? Sep 24, 2014 16:45

Thanks Ants: May 21, 2004; #essereFerrari

What's it do on a hard floor? The base of my Steelcase Think doesn't have much clearance between the floor and the bottom of the gas lift by design, I'm sure I'd have the same problem as you in deep carpet.

# ? Sep 24, 2014 18:27

~Coxy: Dec 9, 2003; R.I.P. Inter-OS Sass - b.2000AD d.2003AD

Yeah, on the tile there is perhaps a 1cm gap, enough to get a finger pad under.
Maybe I will try that shim idea.

# ? Sep 28, 2014 03:33

Mo_Steel: Mar 7, 2008; Let's Clock Into The Sunset Together; Fun Shoe

As this thread is about chairs and this is really a chair accessory, anyone have recommendations for chair mats for carpeted floors? I bought one of these about six months ago and the polycarbonate is already cracked to hell. I weigh 140 lbs. so it's not like I'm tipping the scales in weight distribution on this thing from me and my chair. It says "Guaranteed not to curl, crack, discolor or smell" but it cracked a bunch and the edges flex when I step on the center, making it a tripping hazard.

# ? Sep 28, 2014 05:30

Cojawfee: May 31, 2006; I think the US is dumb for not using Celsius

Just don't use one. A mat is guaranteed to smash all the carpet under it. Your chair will only smash some of the carpet some of the time. Unless you're rolling back and forth all day, you aren't going to ruin your carpet.

# ? Sep 28, 2014 06:40

Rawrbomb: Mar 11, 2011; rawrrrrr

Cojawfee posted:

Just don't use one. A mat is guaranteed to smash all the carpet under it. Your chair will only smash some of the carpet some of the time. Unless you're rolling back and forth all day, you aren't going to ruin your carpet.

Uhh, no, the chair mat will help disperse the weight of the chair over the mat and not destroy the carpet. Coming from someone who has destroyed the carpeting in their house from not using a mat. And compared to the other spot on the floor where a mat was used, it was like night and day.

Whatever mat is large enough to use for your rolling area.

# ? Sep 28, 2014 15:22

Cojawfee: May 31, 2006; I think the US is dumb for not using Celsius

How long did you use the chair on the carpet? I'm on some sort of wood laminate now, but I've never had a problem with a chair on carpet. Any mat I've ever used hasn't so much distributed the weight of the chair as it has just become indented where the chair wheels are and smash the entire area of carpet anyway.

# ? Sep 28, 2014 15:31

Rotten Red Rod: Mar 5, 2002

Mo_Steel posted:

As this thread is about chairs and this is really a chair accessory, anyone have recommendations for chair mats for carpeted floors? I bought one of these about six months ago and the polycarbonate is already cracked to hell. I weigh 140 lbs. so it's not like I'm tipping the scales in weight distribution on this thing from me and my chair. It says "Guaranteed not to curl, crack, discolor or smell" but it cracked a bunch and the edges flex when I step on the center, making it a tripping hazard.

Those plastic things destroy carpet. Get a little area rug instead.

# ? Sep 28, 2014 18:48

Last King: Sep 29, 2007; In corporate R'lyeh, Cthulhu works you.; Fun Shoe

:edit:

after a few beers, i made it threw almost all of the thread. interesting feedback on the humanscale freedom chair...i just wish i could try it out somewhere. i feel like the headrest would be useful for me at home, as i sometimes do work, watch tv, movies, etc. and having the option to recline and rest my head would be worth it. too bad the return policy is nonexistent...

any nyc goons know if there's any place in the area that you can actually test one of these out?

Last King fucked around with this message at 07:47 on Sep 30, 2014

# ? Sep 30, 2014 05:26

Vaz: Feb 15, 2002; Vurt Refugee

And what about Humanscales Liberty chair? How does it compare to Freedom, as I see that Liberty doesn't have any back or lumbar adjustments, just seat height and depth.

# ? Sep 30, 2014 05:59

Last King: Sep 29, 2007; In corporate R'lyeh, Cthulhu works you.; Fun Shoe

Duck and Cover posted:

I thought the freedom was alright but everyone else in my family who have tried it didn't care for it. If you live in/near CT I could probably let mine go for less since it's presently just taking up room.

duck, i'm arriving a few months too late (potentially), but i'm in nyc and while i don't have a car, i'd be interested in looking at purchasing your humanscale freedom chair from you? do you have some pics / details of the chair (if it's still available)? maybe we can come to an arrangement... let me know.

# ? Sep 30, 2014 08:01

FlapYoJacks: Feb 12, 2009

I just ordered a Steelcase Gesture. :woop:

I will give a full review when it gets here.

# ? Oct 1, 2014 15:11

Duck and Cover: Apr 6, 2007

Last King posted:

duck, i'm arriving a few months too late (potentially), but i'm in nyc and while i don't have a car, i'd be interested in looking at purchasing your humanscale freedom chair from you? do you have some pics / details of the chair (if it's still available)? maybe we can come to an arrangement... let me know.

Not late. It's a black chair and uh it's got a gel seat and uh it's black? It's got a headrest. I did take a picture but I can't be bothered to transfer it over to my computer right now. Tomorrow I suppose.

Duck and Cover fucked around with this message at 07:12 on Oct 2, 2014

# ? Oct 2, 2014 07:06

Last King: Sep 29, 2007; In corporate R'lyeh, Cthulhu works you.; Fun Shoe

cool, post / pm me the pics, i'd like to see the condition it's in, what you're asking for it, and would be interested in trying to figure out a way to get the chair from you...

# ? Oct 3, 2014 05:20

Duck and Cover: Apr 6, 2007

Last King posted:

cool, post / pm me the pics, i'd like to see the condition it's in, what you're asking for it, and would be interested in trying to figure out a way to get the chair from you...

Money? I haven't really put much thought into it. Beside the seats fabric sort of bunching up as photoed the chairs in good shape. Not only that I'm not fat so the mechanisms aren't in bad shape huzzah for not being fat!

# ? Oct 3, 2014 07:54

FlapYoJacks: Feb 12, 2009

Steelcase is amazing. :allears:

They took an extra day to make the chair I ordered so they are going to one day ship the thing for free.

# ? Oct 8, 2014 21:35

Gwyrgyn Blood: Dec 17, 2002

Any recommendations on some padding I can buy if the back of my seat is not padded well enough? The lumbar support particularly really digs into my back, I'd like something a bit softer because my back ends up irritated at the end of the day due because of it.

# ? Oct 8, 2014 22:42

Knifegrab: Jul 30, 2014; Gadzooks! I'm terrified of this little child who is going to stab me with a knife. I must wrest the knife away from his control and therefore gain the upperhand.

Does anyone have any comments on dx racers?

http://www.dxracer.com/

I see them posted all the time but I feel like its a scam.

Or similarly: http://www.needforseatusa.com/computer_office_gaming_chairs

Knifegrab fucked around with this message at 08:31 on Oct 9, 2014

# ? Oct 9, 2014 08:26

Cactus Jack: Nov 16, 2005; If you even try to throw to my side of the field in a dream, you better wake up and apologize.

Knifegrab posted:

Does anyone have any comments on dx racers?

http://www.dxracer.com/

I see them posted all the time but I feel like its a scam.

Or similarly: http://www.needforseatusa.com/computer_office_gaming_chairs

Pretty much anything with a neckrest is considered bad for you, so yeah most likely junk.

# ? Oct 9, 2014 09:31

Knifegrab: Jul 30, 2014; Gadzooks! I'm terrified of this little child who is going to stab me with a knife. I must wrest the knife away from his control and therefore gain the upperhand.

Cactus Jack posted:

Pretty much anything with a neckrest is considered bad for you, so yeah most likely junk.

Can I ask why? I really don't know much about chairs...

# ? Oct 9, 2014 18:34

TenementFunster: Feb 20, 2003; Can't post for 23 minutes!

~Coxy posted:

I'm not sure that's it; it's fairly new and has always been this way.

Here's a side view where you can see the wheels sinking into the carpet slightly and the central part skimming the surface of the carpet:

And bottom view of the central piece:

If I was to take it apart, would I be able to raise the central column physically higher?

try taller casters: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0058OKO2W

I have them on my aeron and embody because i'm tall and need a smidge of extra height, but they should also get your chair's dick out of the dirt too.

also they make your chair look like a sweet lunar rover, which is itself worth the price of admission.

# ? Oct 9, 2014 21:56

~Coxy: Dec 9, 2003; R.I.P. Inter-OS Sass - b.2000AD d.2003AD

Thanks, I should have thought of that! Unfortunately Amazon won't ship casters to me for some weird reason but I'm sure I can find an equivalent.

# ? Oct 10, 2014 04:26

Cactus Jack: Nov 16, 2005; If you even try to throw to my side of the field in a dream, you better wake up and apologize.

Knifegrab posted:

Can I ask why? I really don't know much about chairs...

From what I remember it weakens the neck muscles.

# ? Oct 10, 2014 07:11

pmchem: Jan 22, 2010

Great info in this thread. I've decided to go with a Mirra 2 because of it, probably ordered via sit4life.com. What options do you guys prefer on your Mirra (2)? Fixed/adjustable arms, lumbar support (optional), tilt and caster options? I didn't expect to have so many options when ordering a chair.

I'll be sitting at a normal desk on carpet, but hope to eventually upgrade the desk to a fully height-adjustable standing desk (stand/sit options). My current chair is a kitchen table chair.

# ? Oct 13, 2014 17:32

bull3964: Nov 18, 2000; DO YOU HEAR THAT? THAT'S THE SOUND OF ME PATTING MYSELF ON THE BACK.

When I got mine, I just went with all the adjustable options. I figure if I was already going to spend that much on a new office chair, I wasn't going to skimp on a couple extra hundred dollars and nerf it. If it was going to be the last office chair I was going to by for my home, it was going to be definitive.

As a side note, anyone have any feedback on SitOnIt seating?

http://www.sitonit.net/productcatalog/wit_taskchair.html

They are building out a new office expansion at work that my team will be moving to, and they are equipping them with "Wit" midback office chairs. There's really not any choice involved in getting this seating (they are contractually bound to it through various reasons), but I was wondering if anyone has dealt with it before.

I have no idea at this point what option level they are getting them with and I've requested that we get a few with the "higher" cylinder option because I'm 6'3" and one of my greatest issues with chairs is them not being high enough. The fact that they have a 300lb weight limit gives me some hope that they aren't completely junk.

# ? Oct 13, 2014 17:58

pmchem: Jan 22, 2010

bull3964 posted:

When I got mine, I just went with all the adjustable options. I figure if I was already going to spend that much on a new office chair, I wasn't going to skimp on a couple extra hundred dollars and nerf it. If it was going to be the last office chair I was going to by for my home, it was going to be definitive.

Any options you don't use? Like, I have no idea what the lumbar option will look like or if it will help. I'm a thin dude and 6 feet tall if it matters.

# ? Oct 13, 2014 18:04

Alder: Sep 24, 2013

Anyone have recommendations for a foot rest? Right now I'm using old boxes so ideally something better than misc items found in the apartment.

# ? Oct 13, 2014 18:36

Tacier: Jul 22, 2003

Alder posted:

Anyone have recommendations for a foot rest? Right now I'm using old boxes so ideally something better than misc items found in the apartment.

I bought this one for work and I'm very happy with it: http://www.amazon.com/Safco-Foot-Rocker-Rest/dp/B001T9QPFA

# ? Oct 13, 2014 19:22

Thanks Ants: May 21, 2004; #essereFerrari

pmchem posted:

Any options you don't use? Like, I have no idea what the lumbar option will look like or if it will help. I'm a thin dude and 6 feet tall if it matters.

I'd take a lumbar adjustment every time. Forward tilt I'm not so sold on, but I have no idea if that's even optional on the Mirra 2.

# ? Oct 13, 2014 20:01

bull3964: Nov 18, 2000; DO YOU HEAR THAT? THAT'S THE SOUND OF ME PATTING MYSELF ON THE BACK.

pmchem posted:

Any options you don't use? Like, I have no idea what the lumbar option will look like or if it will help. I'm a thin dude and 6 feet tall if it matters.

The lumbar option is a strip that you can move up and down the back with two levers, one on each side, that controls how much puressure it puts on your back. I think it's worthwhile.

Forward tilt is a $30 option. It's the "Tilt limiter with seat angle" option. The seat angle part is what inidcates forward tilt. I like it because sometimes I'll lean in to take a closer look at the screen and it moves with me.

If there's one option that I don't use much, it's the $50 adjustable seat depth. It basically lets you 'curl' the front lip of the seat up or down which essentially changes the depth. I haven't noticed much difference in the various settings, but I could see how it could matter depending on your legs.

The most expensive option are the adjustable arms which 100% are worth it without question. In all, between all of the egronomic extras, you are only looking at $180 additional expense (as long as you aren't comparing it to an armless and tiltless chair) for all of them which isn't a ton on an already $750 chair.

bull3964 fucked around with this message at 22:33 on Oct 13, 2014

# ? Oct 13, 2014 22:30

Alder: Sep 24, 2013

Tacier posted:

I bought this one for work and I'm very happy with it: http://www.amazon.com/Safco-Foot-Rocker-Rest/dp/B001T9QPFA

Thanks, will check it and shop around for prices.

# ? Oct 14, 2014 01:52

FlapYoJacks: Feb 12, 2009

Trip report with the gesture:

First impressions with the chair are really positive! The chair is insanely overbuilt, and heavy. The casters are amazingly smooth, the chair is gorgeous, and the build quality is fantastic (I expect that out of a chair with a 12 year warranty.)

The back is... interesting to say the least. The entire back seems to pivot a good 15 - 20 degrees in all directions and hugs your back no matter what position you are in. This chair also has a insane amount of degrees it can recline if you so choose, more than any other chair I have ever owned.

The fabric is soft and not scratchy as well, and the foam is comfortable but doesn't sag. The arm rests are a bit tough to move, however once they are moving the movement is smooth and doesn't feel like it's not working in the way it was intended.

The entire chair has absolutely no creeks squeaks or any other noise when moving it around, and doesn't flex at all when shifting your body weight. It stays perfectly still and only the back moves with you. To say the least, I am very impressed with the chair so far.

Sitting in it for the last day has been great, I have sat in the leap v2 and now the gesture, and I would put the gesture at about a 20% improvement over the leap v2.

Hope that helps anybody who was looking at a gesture!

# ? Oct 14, 2014 18:22

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# ? Apr 25, 2024 01:40

Zorilla: Mar 23, 2005; GOING APE SPIT

I just picked up an Aeron (size B) on Craigslist and...it's definitely not what I remember it being the last time I sat in one 10 years ago. The seat bottom is not comfortable at all and digs into my pelvic bone a bit in the rear. The back has a little too much lumbar support, even with the pad removed. With the pad in place, the top edge digs into my back because it's pitched too far downward. Even if I sit extremely upright like a kid in one of those 1950s films about posture, it still doesn't line up with my back. I'm 6"1' 160lbs and the Aeron sizing chart just barely puts me into size "B/C" territory. Unfortunately, size C chairs hardly ever come up on Craigslist.

Additionally, I'm trying to figure out if my chair has issues, or if these are normal:

The seat bottom incline seems to have a bit of play. You can wiggle it up and down by hand while not sitting in it. This seems to be caused by the linkages connecting it to the spring box also having a lot of play, but the bushings inside them don't look cracked or otherwise perished.
This may be related to the above, but when I first sat in it, the seat bottom had a distinct "clunking" sensation when going from upright to a slight incline. Loosening the bolts that hold the seat bottom and re-tightening them seems to have dramatically reduced this. One of the hip bolts was way over-torqued and I almost didn't get it out.
The gas strut sticks so far out of the bottom of the leg assembly that it only clears the floor by a 1/4 inch. I'd be in trouble if I were on high-pile carpet and a chair mat with enough flex. ~Coxy mentioned that his Leap had the same problem earlier in the thread. I vaguely remember other Aerons in my office being the same way 10 years ago, but that's a distant memory. Photos of other people's Aerons seems to confirm this is normal.
The gas strut seems to have a bit of play where attaches to the legs, which allows me to rock the chair from side to side or front to back a tiny bit. It makes a soft creaking noise when it does this. It's way better than just about every cheap office chair I've tried, but I kind of expect no play at all from an Aeron. As you would expect, the higher the chair is raised, the more pronounced the play is.

One thing I'm annoyed about is that the lumbar pad (which I admit I'm probably not going to use anyway) was ripped and I didn't notice it until I brought the chair home and took it off. I can't be too mad though, I got the whole thing for $300. However, I have no idea whether it's because of the potential issues above or simply because nobody wants blue mesh. Cosmetically, it's in pretty great condition, so it's not all bad.

Zorilla fucked around with this message at 09:57 on Oct 17, 2014

# ? Oct 17, 2014 08:38

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

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