Register a SA Forums Account here!
JOINING THE SA FORUMS WILL REMOVE THIS BIG AD, THE ANNOYING UNDERLINED ADS, AND STUPID INTERSTITIAL ADS!!!

You can: log in, read the tech support FAQ, or request your lost password. This dumb message (and those ads) will appear on every screen until you register! Get rid of this crap by registering your own SA Forums Account and joining roughly 150,000 Goons, for the one-time price of $9.95! We charge money because it costs us money per month for bills, and since we don't believe in showing ads to our users, we try to make the money back through forum registrations.
 
  • Post
  • Reply
Thanks Ants
May 21, 2004

#essereFerrari


Humanscale Freedom Headrest

Adbot
ADBOT LOVES YOU

Back Alley Borks
Oct 22, 2017

Awoo.


Thanks to all the previous posters for thoughts & recommendations on chairs. I read through a chunk of the thread and eventually decided on getting a chair from the local university campus surplus warehouse- since it's a large university, they have a ton of stuff for really cheap. They didn't have any HM models, but lots of Steelcase chairs. I found a Leap v2 made in 2010 that, from what I could tell, was barely used and a bit dusty for $250, so I grabbed it.

joe944
Jan 31, 2004

What does not destroy me makes me stronger.

Thanks Ants posted:

Humanscale Freedom Headrest

This could fit the bill perfectly, thanks! I found a reseller nearby that sells basically all the chairs so I'll be stopping by to check it out and compare with the new leap and embody.

ILikeVoltron
May 17, 2003

I <3 spyderbyte!

Codeacious posted:

Thanks to all the previous posters for thoughts & recommendations on chairs. I read through a chunk of the thread and eventually decided on getting a chair from the local university campus surplus warehouse- since it's a large university, they have a ton of stuff for really cheap. They didn't have any HM models, but lots of Steelcase chairs. I found a Leap v2 made in 2010 that, from what I could tell, was barely used and a bit dusty for $250, so I grabbed it.

Just as a FYI, steelcase has a pretty good warranty: https://www.steelcase.com/warranty/

quote:

SEATING
12 years
Mechanisms, pneumatic cylinders, arm caps, foam, casters and glides,
Max-Stacker®II, Max-Stacker® III, wood frame side chairs, tablet arms,
Node™ personal worksurface, Steelcase Health recliner components and
optional accessories other than internal structure, Coalesse lounge wood,
bent-ply or steel frames

Thanks Ants
May 21, 2004

#essereFerrari


joe944 posted:

This could fit the bill perfectly, thanks! I found a reseller nearby that sells basically all the chairs so I'll be stopping by to check it out and compare with the new leap and embody.

Humanscale don't tend to put as many adjusters on their chairs vs. somebody like Herman Miller, but a showroom should be able to help you out.

Edit: ^^ aren't all these decent chair warranties non-transferable? Maybe it varies by state/country.

8-bit Miniboss
May 24, 2005

CORPO COPS CAME FOR MY :filez:

ILikeVoltron posted:

Just as a FYI, steelcase has a pretty good warranty: https://www.steelcase.com/warranty/

Those are normally non-transferable. Used chairs wouldn’t be that cheap if they were.

Nyaa
Jan 7, 2010
Like, Nyaa.

:colbert:
Is seatingmind.com legit? I found this deal

Knowlue
Nov 11, 2012

I could eat a sea cucumber
Just received my fully decked out embody with all the fixings. Changing the seat depth was a bit funky but everything else was pretty intuitive. It's suuuuper comfy. I didn't get the spine molding tech until I went into a store and leaned back and shifted side to side. God bless

Blackfyre
Jul 8, 2012

I want wings.
I’ve decided I’m not a giant Aeron lover as much as I should be looking at the steelcase Gesture or Humanscale Freedom instead (really not sure about embody) any thoughts? I’m really keen on the gesture but there’s no where near here to try em, steelcase aren’t big in the UK it seems

8-bit Miniboss
May 24, 2005

CORPO COPS CAME FOR MY :filez:
Anyone use rollerblade style casters on medium pile carpet? Wondering if there's any alternatives for polycarbonate and vinyl chair mats.

~Coxy
Dec 9, 2003

R.I.P. Inter-OS Sass - b.2000AD d.2003AD
I like my bigwheel casters well enough.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001H96YRG/

The Lord Bude
May 23, 2007

ASK ME ABOUT MY SHITTY, BOUGIE INTERIOR DECORATING ADVICE

EpicCodeMonkey posted:

Update: just ordered a Steelcase Gesture from Arki over in Brisbane, as they were the only online retailer with an actual "buy" button. Hopefully it doesn't suck, since I couldn't try before I bought and had to go solely off online reviews.

Side note: screw Steelcase for their bullshit unobtanium products.

EpicCodeMonkey posted:

I'm sitting in my new Steelcase Gesture chair and holy moley, this thing was worth every damned cent. It's built like the proverbial brick outhouse (and weighs a ton) but feels quality, nothing squeaks, and it's the comfiest chair I've ever owned. I've only had it a few hours but man, it's lightyears ahead of the Ergohuman I tried in a local store.

Hey there Brisbane goon! I was contemplating buying a Gesture from Arki myself, were you satisfied with them?

I rather foolishly bought a DX racer chair 3 or so years ago and it has now fallen apart - The tilt lock mechanism is broken; the gas lift is broken, etc. Spending any length of time in it gives me a numb, sore arse now. My dad also complains bitterly that my chair keeps him up all night because of the squeaking and whatnot when I shift around.

I've more or less narrowed it down to either the Gesture or an Ergohuman Luxury Leather - when you say you tried an Ergohuman in a store did you try the leather Ergohuman or one of the mesh ones?

I spend most of my free time in front of my PC; and I use my PC for all my tv/movie watching as well as gaming, so I need something that will be equally comfortable for sitting upright when I'm typing/gaming; and also lounging back in a more reclined position for watching tv. I was previously kinda leaning towards the ergohuman because it has a higher back with a headrest and seems to be a more recliney oriented chair. Also it's leather and Arki only sells the gesture in fabric. Your post makes me reconsider though. (And although I like the idea of Leather I'm not sure if Leather is actually better than fabric in Brisbane's climate.)

I'm curious what the thread thinks about which of the two would be more suitable for my needs? It pisses me off that neither of these chairs are sold in stores where I can actually walk in and test them.

EpicCodeMonkey
Feb 19, 2011

The Lord Bude posted:

Hey there Brisbane goon! I was contemplating buying a Gesture from Arki myself, were you satisfied with them?

I rather foolishly bought a DX racer chair 3 or so years ago and it has now fallen apart - The tilt lock mechanism is broken; the gas lift is broken, etc. Spending any length of time in it gives me a numb, sore arse now. My dad also complains bitterly that my chair keeps him up all night because of the squeaking and whatnot when I shift around.

I've more or less narrowed it down to either the Gesture or an Ergohuman Luxury Leather - when you say you tried an Ergohuman in a store did you try the leather Ergohuman or one of the mesh ones?

I spend most of my free time in front of my PC; and I use my PC for all my tv/movie watching as well as gaming, so I need something that will be equally comfortable for sitting upright when I'm typing/gaming; and also lounging back in a more reclined position for watching tv. I was previously kinda leaning towards the ergohuman because it has a higher back with a headrest and seems to be a more recliney oriented chair. Also it's leather and Arki only sells the gesture in fabric. Your post makes me reconsider though. (And although I like the idea of Leather I'm not sure if Leather is actually better than fabric in Brisbane's climate.)

I'm curious what the thread thinks about which of the two would be more suitable for my needs? It pisses me off that neither of these chairs are sold in stores where I can actually walk in and test them.

I'm from Melbourne - Arki is literally the only place that was willing to sell me a single Gesture, much to my chagrin due to the shipping cost.

I tried both versions of the Ergohunan in store. I'm not a big fan of mesh but personally I didn't like it all that much. The leather one felt a lot better to me, although I'm a bit dubious to its longevity since it felt fairly thin. Overall both felt comfortable but the armrests on them are completely balls and slide all over the place. The headrest was nice, but it just felt like a slightly better chair from Officeworks rather than something built to last.

I still love my gesture. I do wish the armrest forward/backward locked into place vs sliding (I keep pushing them back in when I push the chair against the table) but it's very comfortable, looks nice and everything about it screams durable. The far back recline mode is useful for watching movies, check YouTube for videos of people demoing the range of motion if offers.

One downside to the gesture of sorts is that it weights an absolute ton and the castors are widely spaced, so you need a wide carpet mat to protect it against being destroyed by the chair.

Overall I don't regret paying extra for the Gesture at all vs the Ergohunan. It's just a pity Arki doesn't stock the variants with an inbuilt headrest.

The Lord Bude
May 23, 2007

ASK ME ABOUT MY SHITTY, BOUGIE INTERIOR DECORATING ADVICE

EpicCodeMonkey posted:

I'm from Melbourne - Arki is literally the only place that was willing to sell me a single Gesture, much to my chagrin due to the shipping cost.

I tried both versions of the Ergohunan in store. I'm not a big fan of mesh but personally I didn't like it all that much. The leather one felt a lot better to me, although I'm a bit dubious to its longevity since it felt fairly thin. Overall both felt comfortable but the armrests on them are completely balls and slide all over the place. The headrest was nice, but it just felt like a slightly better chair from Officeworks rather than something built to last.

I still love my gesture. I do wish the armrest forward/backward locked into place vs sliding (I keep pushing them back in when I push the chair against the table) but it's very comfortable, looks nice and everything about it screams durable. The far back recline mode is useful for watching movies, check YouTube for videos of people demoing the range of motion if offers.

One downside to the gesture of sorts is that it weights an absolute ton and the castors are widely spaced, so you need a wide carpet mat to protect it against being destroyed by the chair.

Overall I don't regret paying extra for the Gesture at all vs the Ergohunan. It's just a pity Arki doesn't stock the variants with an inbuilt headrest.

Thanks for the info. I’m on carpet (45 year old carpet at that) so I don’t mind about the castors. I’ll check out these videos. I think I am leaning back towards the gesture.

isndl
May 2, 2012
I WON A CONTEST IN TG AND ALL I GOT WAS THIS CUSTOM TITLE
Leather looks nice and feels nice when you run your hand over it, but your rear end isn't going to notice a difference with pants on. The price premium for leather and the extra maintenance required (unless you don't care how terrible it looks a few years later when it starts cracking) makes it an poor investment in my opinion.

Rosalind
Apr 30, 2013

When we hit our lowest point, we are open to the greatest change.

Ok just so I'm not getting myself scammed here. I want to make sure this is legit. I'm in NYC. I found someone selling a Herman Miller Aeron Size B for $250 (which seems to be about the going rate in NYC on Craigslist). It has scratches in the legs but from the photos I see no other issues and the seller said there were no other issues. According to the seller, he is getting rid of the chair because he got a new Steelcase and it is from a non-smoking household. He offered to deliver it to me for an extra $30.

The photos posted on Craigslist do not come up anywhere else when I reverse image search them. The buyer has been communicative but not like pushy. Does this sound good?

Etrips
Nov 9, 2004

Having Teemo Problems?
I Feel Bad For You, Son.
I Got 99 Shrooms
And You Just Hit One.
Are you sure that is the chair you want/size you need? Huge emphasis on the size. It is not unusual for people to buy liquidated chairs, and sounds like they are just upgrading. Would definitely sit on it and make sure the gas lift cylinder works properly and all that jazz.

Rosalind
Apr 30, 2013

When we hit our lowest point, we are open to the greatest change.

Etrips posted:

Are you sure that is the chair you want/size you need? Huge emphasis on the size. It is not unusual for people to buy liquidated chairs, and sounds like they are just upgrading. Would definitely sit on it and make sure the gas lift cylinder works properly and all that jazz.

Yep. I'm tall but skinny so according to size charts I've seen online, B is fine for me. Also pretty sure the chair I had at my last job was a B.

How do I know if the gas lift cylinder works?

AVeryLargeRadish
Aug 19, 2011

I LITERALLY DON'T KNOW HOW TO NOT BE A WEIRD SEXUAL CREEP ABOUT PREPUBESCENT ANIME GIRLS, READ ALL ABOUT IT HERE!!!

Rosalind posted:

Yep. I'm tall but skinny so according to size charts I've seen online, B is fine for me. Also pretty sure the chair I had at my last job was a B.

How do I know if the gas lift cylinder works?

Adjust the height up, if it stays when you sit in it then it works, if it sinks down to the lowest level while making a hissing sound it's busted.

IdealFlaws
Aug 23, 2005
Is there a thread consensus on what's a better deal between a used aeron chair or a new racing style chair? I'm looking to spend around $400 and the racing chairs at my local Fry's electronics feels super nice but nothing beats aeron. I'm a little worried of how much life expectancy some of the used aeron chairs on Craigslist has

AVeryLargeRadish
Aug 19, 2011

I LITERALLY DON'T KNOW HOW TO NOT BE A WEIRD SEXUAL CREEP ABOUT PREPUBESCENT ANIME GIRLS, READ ALL ABOUT IT HERE!!!

IdealFlaws posted:

Is there a thread consensus on what's a better deal between a used aeron chair or a new racing style chair? I'm looking to spend around $400 and the racing chairs at my local Fry's electronics feels super nice but nothing beats aeron. I'm a little worried of how much life expectancy some of the used aeron chairs on Craigslist has

Lots of things beat Aeron's, the first generation Aerons were not even designed to be sat in for extended periods of time. Anyway, an Aeron will almost certainly outlast one of those racing style chairs unless it has been abused to hell and back. You'll get 2-3 years out of a racing style chair, tops, sometimes less than 2 years.

8-bit Miniboss
May 24, 2005

CORPO COPS CAME FOR MY :filez:
For reference, I still use my Aeron that was manufactured in 2000. Longevity extended through easily purchasable parts for repairs. So far, I’ve replaced the piston, 2 seat pans and replaced the arm chair bolts with aftermarket bolts that some guy in ebay machines himself.

IdealFlaws
Aug 23, 2005

8-bit Miniboss posted:

For reference, I still use my Aeron that was manufactured in 2000. Longevity extended through easily purchasable parts for repairs. So far, I’ve replaced the piston, 2 seat pans and replaced the arm chair bolts with aftermarket bolts that some guy in ebay machines himself.

Ahhh I see, the easily replaceable parts makes me worry less about buying it used. I've decided to find a used aeron chair. Thanks for the input guys

Thanks Ants
May 21, 2004

#essereFerrari


Replacing parts is reasonably simple on most name-brand chairs, but getting a gas strut out after 10+ years of someone sitting on it is quite tricky.

8-bit Miniboss
May 24, 2005

CORPO COPS CAME FOR MY :filez:

Thanks Ants posted:

Replacing parts is reasonably simple on most name-brand chairs, but getting a gas strut out after 10+ years of someone sitting on it is quite tricky.

Holy poo poo was it a loving adventure:

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)


Thanks Ants
May 21, 2004

#essereFerrari


I reckon a bearing puller and some custom bits of welded steel bracketry would do a great job of getting them out, but it's not something people generally have access to.

8-bit Miniboss
May 24, 2005

CORPO COPS CAME FOR MY :filez:

Thanks Ants posted:

I reckon a bearing puller and some custom bits of welded steel bracketry would do a great job of getting them out, but it's not something people generally have access to.

Pipe wrench was 8 bucks at my local Harbor Freight, can't complain. Learned after the fact, that it's more or less the de facto tool for this sort of thing and cheap enough.

Thanks Ants
May 21, 2004

#essereFerrari


I guess loving the strut up that's already broken is hardly an issue.

Budgie
Mar 9, 2007
Yeah, like the bird.

Rosalind posted:

Ok just so I'm not getting myself scammed here. I want to make sure this is legit. I'm in NYC. I found someone selling a Herman Miller Aeron Size B for $250 (which seems to be about the going rate in NYC on Craigslist). It has scratches in the legs but from the photos I see no other issues and the seller said there were no other issues. According to the seller, he is getting rid of the chair because he got a new Steelcase and it is from a non-smoking household. He offered to deliver it to me for an extra $30.

The photos posted on Craigslist do not come up anywhere else when I reverse image search them. The buyer has been communicative but not like pushy. Does this sound good?

I know I bash on about IKEA but you can buy a used aeron for that price or get your butt down to IKEA and buy their brand new office chair offering with arms and headrest for like $400 and have a 10 year warranty http://www.ikea.com/ms/en_US/img/customer_service_new/Work_chairs_Warranty.pdf

10 years!

I'm not even from the USA but I know it's worth having a long warranty because your laws on such things are so terrible, some people are getting 90 day warranties on new headphones. That's crazy for something subject to so much wear and more than a little unfair. At least while I'm still in the EU I can say I expected my headphones to last more than a year and they have to give me an equivalent pair for nothing after mine fail...

Budgie fucked around with this message at 23:56 on Jan 24, 2018

Thanks Ants
May 21, 2004

#essereFerrari


Pretty shameful that they position chairs without adjustable arms as being "work chairs". Maybe the Volmar is OK as it has adjustable seat depth, but it's the same price that I paid for two used Steelcase Think chairs a few years back.

Budgie
Mar 9, 2007
Yeah, like the bird.

Thanks Ants posted:

Pretty shameful that they position chairs without adjustable arms as being "work chairs". Maybe the Volmar is OK as it has adjustable seat depth, but it's the same price that I paid for two used Steelcase Think chairs a few years back.

The Volmar has adjustable arms, lumbar height and depth, that's the one I would recommend because the others are pretty rubbish. It is the best of the chairs that aren't otherwise brand-named. It does 99% of the things you need a chair to do and doesn't cost an arm and a leg and it has a 10 year warranty. I'd buy this instead of ANY racing-style chair, and frankly it has been very comfortable for nearly 2 years, the fabric cover hasn't disintegrated like PU leather did on my last chair that cost £120 and lasted only 2 years, and I would buy it again in 8 years if I didn't already get a warranty replacement for it. (and since I'm on a budget and can't afford a Steelcase or Aeron etc.)

Also if your racing chair clicks and pops as you spin and/or ascend/descend on it, just return it because my cheap IKEA Volmar chair doesn't do any of that, and would be covered under warranty, while my old piece of poo poo (PU) leather "Executive" chair did not cover it, in fact after I bought it they wanted nothing to do with me and had no interest in fixing how creaky (and poo poo the covering was) it was. So I returned it for a full refund eventually and spent an extra £40 on the Volmar and it was money well spent.

Rosalind
Apr 30, 2013

When we hit our lowest point, we are open to the greatest change.

Budgie posted:

I know I bash on about IKEA but you can buy a used aeron for that price or get your butt down to IKEA and buy their brand new office chair offering with arms and headrest for like $400 and have a 10 year warranty http://www.ikea.com/ms/en_US/img/customer_service_new/Work_chairs_Warranty.pdf

10 years!

I'm not even from the USA but I know it's worth having a long warranty because your laws on such things are so terrible, some people are getting 90 day warranties on new headphones. That's crazy for something subject to so much wear and more than a little unfair. At least while I'm still in the EU I can say I expected my headphones to last more than a year and they have to give me an equivalent pair for nothing after mine fail...

Just to clarify you're talking about the Ikea Markus or the Volmar?

I mean if buying new makes such a big difference I'm willing to spend more for something really good. I just figured used would be fine as long as it's in good condition.

isndl
May 2, 2012
I WON A CONTEST IN TG AND ALL I GOT WAS THIS CUSTOM TITLE
Markus has been the standard budget pick in this thread for years, as long as you don't need extra features it should be more than adequate. The Volmar is newer and has more customization options than the Markus, I've used it myself and it's alright though not to my tastes. I'd take either over an old Aeron though.

Rosalind
Apr 30, 2013

When we hit our lowest point, we are open to the greatest change.

Ok canceled the used Aeron. I'm going to go to Ikea this weekend and try out the Markus and Volmar.

Thanks Ants
May 21, 2004

#essereFerrari


Looks like Steelcase have a spiritual successor to the Think

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hu8M5n8YhdA

knox_harrington
Feb 18, 2011

Running no point.

Not as elaborate as some of the options recommended here but I have bought a used Vitra Eames aluminium office chair, which will hopefully end the constant discomfort from the pretty but uncomfortable mid-century Danich dining chair I am sitting on. I sat on a new one in the shop the other day it was super comfortable - and £1600 instead of the £140 I paid. Hopefully the condition will be OK.

Very stoked to not be a cripple!

e: it arrived and is so much better

knox_harrington fucked around with this message at 15:17 on Feb 6, 2018

logikv9
Mar 5, 2009


Ham Wrangler
my chair is murdering me and i've decided to spend money that i don't have (thank you ebay) on a Good Chair. i'm planning to go visit the herman miller showroom in NYC to check out the embody, and i want to see the leap as well since i can find more leaps more cheaply than anywhere else. is the leap vs embody thing a matter of preference? because with how difficult it is to find somebody nearby with a showroom and leaps i might go with the embody if i find it comfortable

e: actually now having said that i might have no choice but to go with a leap sight unseen, the price is really in my range whilst the embody is really expensive even when used. the leap probably won't kill me even if it wasn't the best most comfortable thing available

logikv9 fucked around with this message at 01:07 on Feb 22, 2018

Etrips
Nov 9, 2004

Having Teemo Problems?
I Feel Bad For You, Son.
I Got 99 Shrooms
And You Just Hit One.
Depending on how much you use your chair, I would advocate for just splurging for the Embody. Kinda like a mattress in the sense if you spend a lot of time in it, spend some good money on quality.

ILikeVoltron
May 17, 2003

I <3 spyderbyte!

Etrips posted:

Depending on how much you use your chair, I would advocate for just splurging for the Embody. Kinda like a mattress in the sense if you spend a lot of time in it, spend some good money on quality.

That and if you go with something direct, you get a lifetime warranty. Which I intend to use should my chair ever break.

Adbot
ADBOT LOVES YOU

Deviant
Sep 26, 2003

i've forgotten all of your names.


What's the best upgrade if I'm sick of my old Aeron and spend most of my work/play time at the same desk/chair setup?

Was eyeing an embody, but $1500 is a lot.

Deviant fucked around with this message at 22:49 on Feb 27, 2018

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • Post
  • Reply