Ask HN: Best Office Chair?

[_bxg1]

My home desk-chair is nearly ten years old at this point, and wasn't anything special even when it was new. This is starting to become pretty noticeable now that I'm using it for eight hours every day.

Anybody have recommendations for their favorite office/desk chair? I don't want anything huge or ungainly, and ideally not one of those garish "gamer chairs". Something minimalist but comfy, and durable, and good for your back. I've really enjoyed those mesh-based chairs in the past, though I don't remember any specific brands.

[Someone1234]

Steelcase Leap.

I went and sat in a bunch of high end office chairs including the Herman Miller Aeron, Herman Miller Embody, and Steelcase Gesture. I feel like the HM chairs are a lot more "opinionated" about how you sit, and sitting wrong will be punished with pain (e.g. back of the legs for folding your legs under the chair). I have heard that shorter people find them more comfortable though (6'1" here).

The Steelcase Gesture is a good chair too, but the arms on the Leap are leaps and bounds better (fixed Vs. semi-lock on the Gesture). I just feel like for computer/mouse users, having fixed arms makes a lot more sense than infinitely moveable ones that don't lock as well.

It was absolutely the right decision to spend almost $1K on a chair. I've already owned it longer than any other chair and it remains comfortable after a few initial weeks of tweaking.

[db1]

Love the Steelcase Leap as well, the chair has all the right adjustments for me and feels very sturdy and well built. If shop around you can usually find these available second hand.

I have two and spent 350 each on them.

[moepstar]

I find the not-really-locking arms on the Gesture infuriating - this is my chair, i sit on it each and every day and after some initial adjustment i don't expect it to move, like, at all :/

[kevinherron]

I also have one of these (Leap) and have been pretty happy with it. It's very adjustable so I have no problem getting comfortable in it.

I did not have the luxury of trying other high end chairs, though, so I couldn't offer any comparisons. I bought it secondhand for ~$350 sight unseen.

[b3b0p]

I have a leather Leap, Embody (every option), Aeron (every option; upgrade).

I can agree, it's probably the better of these 3 I have. It's a tank and Steelcase told me it doesn't come apart and it's shipped assembled. My favorite part is that it reclines instead of rocking.

[malyk]

I bought one with my own money for the office after having one for my wife who worked from home for a couple of years.

Then we went WFH due to the pandemic and I took a trip to the office and brought home mine from there.

Great chairs!

[vlokshin]

Just went pretty deep in researching these...

If you're not budget conscious, look at the Herman Miller Aeron, Steelcase Leap V2, Steelcase Gesture, or Humanscale Freedom. Budget, seems to be a serious crapshoot. Lots of people like the top end Ikea chairs and those will cost 1/4 as much, but depends on if they fit your body and if you're ok with rigid arms.

Steelcase Leap V2 seems like the winner to me. Most adjustable, with a soft seat (Aeron has hard edged bottom mesh... and looks like an insect). Humanscale Freedom with headrest looks best IMO but not as comfortable and couldn't find good remanufactured ones.

Lots of refurbished/second hand options.

I ended up going with a remanufactured (starts with refurbished, gets cleaned up nicely, reupholstered and rebuilt). Half price for a chair that I hope feels like new.

BTOD (https://www.btod.com/) and Crandall (https://www.crandalloffice.com/) look like they sell the same product (and Crandall is the "factory" for both). If you go this route, see what price works better for you after promo codes and tax are factored in.

I went with this BTOD Leap V2: https://www.btod.com/steelcase-leap-v2. Ordered yesterday. Fingers crossed that it feels like new.

I can't believe a great $300 or $400 (new) chair that's fully adjustable doesn't exist.

[aggie]

I have a fully-adjustable chair from Office Depot similar to this one for $350: https://www.officedepot.com/a/products/448575/WorkPro-Quantu...

$450 for separate lumbar support: https://www.officedepot.com/a/products/9518879/WorkPro-12000...

[cpr]

+1 Humanscale Freedom. Been using for years in various home offices, and still loving.

I get them from Madison Seating used, with very little (if any) visible wear. $250-350 that way.

[chiefsucker]

If you want something minimalist I can recommend the HÅG Capisco. It looks a little bit weird, but is really comfy once you get used to it. The chair supports active sitting which means you won’t sit in one position for eight hours straight, instead the chair will invite you to move around and try out other seating positions which will inevitably lead to more movement and stronger muscles.

https://store.flokk.com/us/en-gb/products/hag-capisco?store=...

[filleokus]

I would strongly suggest you to try it out. My experience after using it for 8 weeks was basically:

- First week: Oh, interesting chair

- Week 2-4: I can’t really find a comfortable position, constantly fidgeting with table height and chair settings

- Week 4-8: Mild pain in back, rather stand than use the chair

Then I moved office to a super normal supportive chair, which was a relief and all pain disappeared immediately.

I think of it almost like barefoot running/standing desk, you’ll have to gradually get used to it and especially if you have a weak core (I’m guessing), it might provide to little support for you for quite a while.

[hasperdi]

I second this recommendation.

HAG Capisco is not cheap, it is an investment (that will hopefully last for at least 10 years). It fixed my chronic neck pain using regular office chairs.

Before buying it, I suggest you go to a retail shop / showroom to try it.

[freeqaz]

Note that if you go this route, you will need to get a standing desk converter to raise your setup a few inches. I have a 30" desk and, without a converter, my knees touch the edge of my desk. And with this chair you are encouraged to swap heights a lot, which you can't do if you have a static desk.

So the price of the chair isn't the full price, since you need some additional hardware too. But, that said, it has been a transformative change for myself and when I was grinding 12-14 hours every day for months on end this chair ended up fixing my back pain. (I'd been using pretty "meh" chairs for the first few weeks)

The price may feel high but the price of physical therapy for fixing your back muscles is much more expensive. And, in our profession, your only expenses are : Chair, desk, and computer setup.

Do yourself a favor and make a conscious decision to better your health. ;)

[SZJX]

I've had it at home for a few months and it has been great, feels better than the Steelcase chair in my office.

The only imperfection is that I bought the additional headrest later, but was unable to adjust its height for some reason, so I returned it. But I think using the chair without the headrest actually fits its philosophy more, since it's easier to sit in all directions without the obstruction.

[gulbrandr]

Thank you for the recommendation and the link. I've been lucky to test it once, it is a very good chair.

What is the price?

[nextos]

Lots of chairs from the same designer of the Capisco, Peter Opsvik, are sold by Varier. They are really good.

[dejawu]

I know for many of us a chair is a worthwhile long-term investment, but for those of us on a budget, I can recommend the IKEA Markus. It's sturdy, costs less than $200, looks nice, and I routinely sit in it for hours without getting uncomfortable.

I also hear you can get Aerons and other similar chairs for around $300 on Craigslist/FB marketplace when companies are trying to offload them en masse.

[muzani]

I prefer the Malkolm over Markus. But mine is falling apart after 4 years. Great chair, though.

[jonah]

Steelcase Leap. I've had mine for maybe 17 years and it still works perfectly and looks good. I find it far more comfortable that those mesh chars like the Aeron (its main competitor back when I bought it).

They also have fantastic warranties, I had it maybe 12 years when the gas strut failed, the tech drove up from 2 towns away to replace it the next day in my home office.

[_bxg1]

That sounds great, but woof, it is expensive ($1,036 normally, $880 right now for those following along at home). Seeing as I'm hoping to be back in an office a few months from now, I was hoping to ideally spend more in the $100-$300 range.

[eHNTi]

None!

I use a very uncomfy IKEA wooden step to sit on. I've got a standing desk for years and had a treadmill for a while. But those are loud and take up too much space.

You don't WANT to be comfortable. You need to move your body and be forced to stand up as much as you can. Otherwise your body will wither. Every artificial "support" will tell you body it doesn't need to support that part on it's own.

That's true for all walks of life really. Don't be too comfy. Nature will find a way to fuck you over.

[inertiatic]

I don't think being comfortable when you're supposed to be comfortable and be able to focus on other things is a bad thing.

You can be uncomfortable outside of your focus or leisure time and be perfectly healthy.

[yami]

I've been looking for a threadmill for a while to put under my standing desk but yeah I'm afraid they'll be too loud... Do you have a good reference?

[kccqzy]

Previously on HN: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=15733672

[danielbarla]

Some decent options in this thread, I thought I'd add some general advice, which I could have used in the past.

Firstly, figure out if you want / need a neck rest. This turns out to be important for me, and I would not want a chair that doesn't have one (this point could be expanded with exceptions).

Next, adjustability is key. Some things are standard (backrest angle, height), but many are rarer. For me, being able to adjust the height of the armrest was eye-opening. Without this, you will either slouch in the chair, or hold your elbows in the air, neither of which are ideal.

Lastly, a word about sturdiness and durability. Some chairs start to misbehave as they age, e.g. I once had a cheap office chair which started to "list" slightly. I didn't pay much attention until I noticed frequent cramps on one side of my back, and realised it's because I'm sitting at a few degrees angle to the right.

Overall my advice would be: get the right chair (for you), sit correctly in it, and do plenty of exercise. The best chair in the world doesn't help enough if you sit for 14 hours every day, without any of the latter.

[Insanity]

Seconded the last point. For me, starting to work out in the gym was a better improvement than just making changes around my desk.

For OP: Personally I don't have a super fancy chair, cost me about 80-100 euro IIRC but don't even know what "brand" it is. Generic office chair :P

[abinaya_rl]

Proud owner of Steelcase Leap V2

I find the Leap more comfortable for sitting long periods of time. The Leap also allows me to sit on one of my legs (I know, not a good idea), while the Aeron makes this impossible. The Leap also has more adjustments for the arms which I move quite often. Regardless of the chair model, take frequent breaks and our back does not made for long sitting!

[Tepix]

I researched the same thing yesterday. Looking for something that promotes "active sitting". I came up with this list (for the German market). Most are quite pricey (in the 500-1000€ range):

○ Viasit F1 Move

○ Sedus Swing Up

○ Profim Accis Pro

○ Aeris 3Dee

○ Köhl Anteo Up with AirSeat

○ Rovo .. "Ergo Balance" models

YMMV. Bodies are different etc. I'm very interested in hearing about more options as I haven't ordered just yet.

[nextos]

Check out Norwegian chairs made by Håg and Varier.

[evook]

The Haider Bioswing series is missing in this list.

[madjayhawk]

Just ordered a Herman Mill Aeron from Crandall. They have a 10% off sale going on. 2 year warranty. It is taken apart, inspected, damaged parts replaced, steam cleaned, new cylinder, and put back together. Free Shipping (both ways if you do not like the chair).

I got bigger cylinder and better casters. Paid around $530 with discount. Could have gotten a used chair off of CraigsList for $350 and taken a chance. To be sure this chair is expensive. My current chair cost $89 and I hate it. This Aeron is hopefully my last chair. I'm old and spend a lot of time contest programming.

Appreciate all the comments people made. Really helped me to make a decision. Shows we are all in this together especially now. Thanks.

[neilk]

It's an extremely personal choice. Bodies are different.

The following are somewhat pricey options.

In my opinion the Knoll Regeneration is pretty good.

Hermann Miller chairs are also good, but the Aeron is probably the least ergonomic thing they sell now – and definitely not "minimal". The Setu might fit your criteria.

Just remember, the ideal chair for six hours of sitting doesn't exist; your goal should be to keep changing your body position as much as is feasible.

https://www.painscience.com/articles/chair-trouble.php

[hansvs]

I've been using the Swopper (https://www.aeris.de/en/swopper/), a swivel stool which is similar to sitting on an exercise ball. The stool is built on top of a spring fitted shaft, which means you can _bounce_ up and down while sitting. Additionally the shaft is attached to the base with a free swinging joint, meaning that you can rock around 360 degrees.

The whole design rational is about keeping your legs active while you are sitting. In order to sit on the stool, you need to continually balance yourself using your legs and back. I've had a few friend sit down on it, completely unaware of this, and fall off immediately. It can be tiring but really I've gotten use to it and can sit for hours without problems.

The stool has helped a lot with my back pain and improving my posture. I have two versions, one with and without rollers. The one without rollers is nicer to use, as the rollers don't always _lock_ meaning as one is bouncing around the stool base might shift.

Aeris also make a more traditional desk chair based on the same principle, see https://www.aeris.de/en/3dee/.

The price is about $1K for the Swopper, and for me was totally worth it! Also it's built like a tank and weighs 10kg.

[KlaymenDK]

Speaking as a European, do USians have access to HÅG chairs, or some of the other brands designed by Peter Opsvik? They definitely allow varied sitting positions and have a very high ergonomic track record.

See for instance: https://store.flokk.com/global/en-gb/products?type=office%20...

[gwittel]

The best chair varies person to person. There are some good things to try in this thread, but ultimately trying one for a few minutes in a store is not adequate. Buy from somewhere with a good return policy and support.

Years ago I'd tried a Humanscale Freedom. In store it felt great. After a day I was sore. After a week I couldn't sit in it for more than 5 minutes without a fiery pain running up and down my back. Back it went.

I ended up with a Steelcase Think with the mesh back (I liked it was lighter and simpler vs the Leap), and have been using it for 12 years. 7 of those were working from home full time.

In the end what works for me (good chair, fully adjustable thin keyboard tray, height adjustable monitor) may not be right for you. There are no absolutes in ergo. But the guidelines around monitor height, arm angles and positioning, etc are a place to start.

Even with the right chair, take a look at the rest of your setup. Wrist/shoulder pain -- Is your keyboard or mouse position OK? Are you using a wrist rest when you should have none? Shoulder/neck/back pain -- How about your monitor height, do you hunch or lean a lot?

[gulbrandr]

I use the Variable balans chair from Varier [1]. It is particularly useful to keep your back straight and in a good position. It's also important to place your screen at the correct height to avoid neck pains.

[1] https://varierchairs.com/product/variable-balans-quickship/

[shem73]

I've had a Stokke Duo for 23 years. Varier is a new name for the company and the Duo is a milder version of Varier Gravity Balans [1]. It's been so good that I just recently had it reupholstered. I've tried Gravity and find it excellent as well. With a nudge you can change between four different positions. The positions are quite stable, it's not like a rocking chair.

[1] https://varierchairs.com/product/gravity/

[cillian64]

I have two of these for work and home and love them. However I find it best to spend about half my time on this and half on a normal office chair otherwise my back gets tired. Also, the Varier isn't height adjustable and my home desk is a touch too high for it which is annoying.

[drakonka]

We got fancy ergonomic chairs when moving offices a few years ago and immediately after the move I developed back pain. I tried adjusting the chair and we even had trained professionals come to help us adjust them, but it didn't seem to work. A coworker of mine had gotten a kneeling chair for his back issues at the same office, but that didn't work for him, so he let me borrow it. I noticed a positive difference immediately. The chair is a Varier Wing Balans and I have been using it at work for several years now.

When we switched to WFH due to the virus, we were unable to take office equipment home aside from necessary hardware which was securely shipped to us. Because of this and because the switch was too sudden for anyone to really be able to prepare their home environments, we got an allowance to buy some home office equipment and many people opted for chairs. The Wing Balans was a bit expensive for me to justify, so instead I got the Varier Variable Balans. Also a kneeling chair, but no adjustable height. Aside from being much cheaper, one thing I love is that it sits on two rocking rails instead of a wheeled base. I am a fidgeter and it lets me rock back and forth as I work. It lets me have just as much flexibility in my sitting position as the Wing Balans at the same time.

The one negative is that it can be quite fiddly to place properly - the Wing Balans single swivel foot does not get in the way of certain table legs as much as these two rails. I also learned that to take full advantage of this chair a height adjustable desk is recommended (which we have at work, but which I do not have at home). For example, if I want to sit on it by putting one or both feet up on the shin rests, my knees hit the underside of my normal-height desk. I've purchased a height-adjustable laptop stand which should be here this week and look forward to using the chair with that setup.

[pplonski86]

Good for back: https://www.lifespanfitness.com/workplace/treadmill-desks

I have this one with an electric-height desk (custom built) and switch between chair and treadmill. I would recommend it. However, the treadmill, when not used, is taking a lot of place.

[avetisk]

I bought recently from https://www.be-mydesk.com/16-chaise-de-bureau-professionnell...

But unfortunately AFAIK they're only implemented and deliver in France.

I've been using the Polo model https://www.be-mydesk.com/chaise-de-bureau-professionnelle/1...

And it's just heaven :)

Their chairs are extremely configurable and sturdy but most importantly they are amazingly comfortable.

[salt-licker]

Modway Articulate is what we have for everyone in our office: https://www.amazon.com/Modway-Articulate-Ergonomic-Office-Ch...

At $150 I find it comfortable enough to sit in all day without issue, which is rare even among more expensive chairs I’ve tried. One of our employees has ergonomic issues and loves it. I really like having the ability to adjust seat tilt and back tilt separately, as well as initial back height. The only downside is the armrests don’t go low enough to fit under your desk easily, so we generally leave the armrests off when building them