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Ask HN: Best office chair for home office work?

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Re: Ask HN: Best office chair for home office work?

#61

Post by fauigerzigerk »

It has always been very difficult for me to find a chair that isn't a complete disaster either for my lower back pain or for my shoulder problems.

After trying a very large number of very expensive spaceship shaped chairs (Herman Miller, etc) I'm now pretty happy with IKEA's Alefjäll swivel chair:

https://www.ikea.com/gb/en/p/alefjaell-office-chair-glose-bl...

What this chair has going for it is that you can lower the backrest so that you can lean back over it. That takes a bit of weight off the lower back and leaves the shoulders free.

There are a lot of cheap, flimsy office chairs that can do the same, but they mostly don't have armrests and are generally too small.

The Alefjäll is very un-IKEA-like in that it has a very solid, even heavy, feel about it.

Re: Ask HN: Best office chair for home office work?

#62

Post by joegahona »

seltzered_ wrote: post #49

Stools. Yes, Backless stools, particularly those made for desk usage. Paired with a standing mat and sit/stand setup (either via sit/stand desk or some adjustable desktopper like the ergodesktop Kangaroo) stools can be easily thrown under the desk and hidden away if your home office doubles for exercise or breakfast room use. My bookmarked list of stools: The Swopper - http://swopperusa.com/ - Expensive. Use this reg…

Have you used the ErgoErgo? I find that one affordable but the reviews are mixed because of its durability.

Re: Ask HN: Best office chair for home office work?

#63

Post by mandeepj »

I bought this one - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01MRZ02TL/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b...

It's good. The qualities I look for are - armrests, lumbar support. I also use a pillow for extra back support.

My next one would be a Herman Miller. Once I stayed at Hilton for few days. Really enjoyed working from a HM chair.

On a side note - I'd say - get a standing desk. Sitting is one of the main root causes of a lot of injuries.

I had a co-worker who was using an exercise ball instead of a chair. Give it a try. It will force you to sit straight.

Re: Ask HN: Best office chair for home office work?

#64

Post by mturmon »

andrewf wrote: post #16

Go second-hand. If you've had a good experience sitting on a particular chair in the past, consider one of those. I'd sat in Aerons in workplaces, so I bought a second-hand one on Craiglist for about 50% of list price. It's still going strong 5 years later. Be aware of the options. Aerons come with one of two forms of back brace (or neither) and in three sizes, for instance.

Ditto. I got a second-hand Aeron on CL - UCLA area seller, who at the time had a sideline in reconditioning Aerons. It was about $450. I've used it for ~10 years at home. The Aeron is good and I'd recommend this method of purchase.

In my case, I spent some time trying to optimize the price - finding that one desperate Aeron seller who'll let it go for $250. This turned out to be a waste of time. When I got a second one (rarely used) for another room, I just paid what appeared to be the going CL rate.

I had to replace the seat after a few years, but that's a standard part that you can order from Herman-Miller. I also replaced the casters last year for gel wheels that don't leave little marks on my floor (third party part in that case). I use the chair a lot and I have no complaints.

I sit on a Steelcase Leap at work (ordered new), and for me, it's not quite as good. But it's a small difference.

Re: Ask HN: Best office chair for home office work?

#65

Post by maxaf »

Standing desk, no chair. Whenever I feel like sitting down, I lock my workstation and walk away to do other stuff: house chores, manage personal finances, hang out with my daughter, etc.

By the time I’m done doing the other things and am ready to continue work, my desire to sit down has passed, and I can resume use of my standing desk.

Re: Ask HN: Best office chair for home office work?

#66

Post by uptown »

petewailes wrote: post #5

I like the Humanscale Freedom. Wouldn't swap mine for anything.

I've got a Humanscale Freedom as-well. It's a great chair. Bought one for home after using one at my previous employer. Support has been amazing as-well. They've swapped out the gel seat once and the arm rests once due to regular wear-and-tear. This is on what's now a 14 year old chair.

For those recommending the Aeron - I've got one at my current job. What I don't like is that occasionally I like to sit with my leg folded under my body - fully acknowledge it's bad form, etc. but with the Aeron this is impossible due to the rigid plastic sides. For me, it's a deal-breaker for a chair I buy myself.

Re: Ask HN: Best office chair for home office work?

#67

Post by mturmon »

larrywright wrote: post #27

Depending on where you live, trying out an office chair for a while might be an option. I found a local office furniture store that sold Herman Miller (not a big box retailer, but one who sells to bigger companies), and was able to give them a credit card number and a drivers license and they let me borrow a few chairs to try out. I tried the Aeron for a week and then the Embody for a week. I ended up buying the Embo…

True about the 3 sizes of Aerons. I'm 6'3, and find the vanilla Aeron (size "B") to work. If I was 6'4, I might feel differently, though, because I use it at its max adjustment.

Re: Ask HN: Best office chair for home office work?

#70

Post by davidjnelson »

larrywright wrote: post #27

Depending on where you live, trying out an office chair for a while might be an option. I found a local office furniture store that sold Herman Miller (not a big box retailer, but one who sells to bigger companies), and was able to give them a credit card number and a drivers license and they let me borrow a few chairs to try out. I tried the Aeron for a week and then the Embody for a week. I ended up buying the Embo…

I've had an embody for 8 years now. Best chair I've ever sat in, especially for coding. Second the recommendation!
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