View Full Version : Computer chair needed
** EDIT ** I ordered a refurb Steelcase Leap V2 **
OK, I'm having trouble finding a suitable computer chair and looking for recommendations.
I spend all day most days glued to a chair working IT or doing useless crap on the internet (when not taking breaks) and the current chair is well past its useful life and has been a bit of a problem child for a long time (randomly loses height). The pleather is worn to the point of being messy. Can't seem to find many good choices.
Has to be under $500
Has to be high back
Has to have adjustable arms
No mesh chairs (I know it's another bonded leather choice.)
Microcenter has an "Executive version of their gaming chairs for $330 that looks promising.
https://i.imgur.com/lpYgRNr.png
There's also a less loud gaming chair for a bit more.
https://i.imgur.com/qnEp6Zs.png
There's also one on Amazon but it's more for probably the same/similar thing.
https://i.imgur.com/ZZ9HWXr.png
TIA but please keep the weird chair ergo stuff, get off your ass, standing desk comments to yourself, none are options.
JohnnyEgo
04-02-2021, 19:38
I would skip all these options and go to a used office furniture store, personally. You want a chair designed for all day computer work, where the ergonomics are likely to be very different from a gaming chair, even an executive one. I am using a Steelcase Leap they let us take from work when they closed our office down. These are $1200+ chairs designed to last 10 years or more in an office setting in use for 8 hours a day, and much better than the $150 chair I threw out when I brought this one home. My ass no longer hurts when I get up at the end of the day, nor does my back. I'd take your $500 budget to a used office furniture store and look at a used Steelcase Leap, Silq, or Jaku in good condition, all of which have high-back versions.
When it comes to a chair, I think sitting in it matters. I would do as Johnny says, and go sit in a bunch of chairs.
emiller35
04-02-2021, 20:02
I would skip all these options and go to a used office furniture store, personally. You want a chair designed for all day computer work, where the ergonomics are likely to be very different from a gaming chair, even an executive one. I am using a Steelcase Leap they let us take from work when they closed our office down. These are $1200+ chairs designed to last 10 years or more in an office setting in use for 8 hours a day, and much better than the $150 chair I threw out when I brought this one home. My ass no longer hurts when I get up at the end of the day, nor does my back. I'd take your $500 budget to a used office furniture store and look at a used Steelcase Leap, Silq, or Jaku in good condition, all of which have high-back versions.
Couldn?t agree more with this statement. At the kick off the ?pandemic?, our office let us take ours home since we are to be working from home.
While I cannot speak to Johnny?s brands mine is a Herman Miller and I have grown to love it even more than I did in the office setting.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I got a cheap on from AFW and so far so good, don't see it lasting in the long run but it was $120 so I can't complain.
I got a sealy $200 option from office depot. Never again. What a POS
I would skip all these options and go to a used office furniture store, personally. You want a chair designed for all day computer work, where the ergonomics are likely to be very different from a gaming chair, even an executive one. I am using a Steelcase Leap they let us take from work when they closed our office down. These are $1200+ chairs designed to last 10 years or more in an office setting in use for 8 hours a day, and much better than the $150 chair I threw out when I brought this one home. My ass no longer hurts when I get up at the end of the day, nor does my back. I'd take your $500 budget to a used office furniture store and look at a used Steelcase Leap, Silq, or Jaku in good condition, all of which have high-back versions.
Thanks, I looked at Steelcase but new seemed out of my budget. I like the features of that Leap if I can find one. You've given me a quest.
I got a sealy $200 option from office depot. Never again. What a POS
I probably paid around that for this POS (Star?) chair from Office Depot. I want to chuck this thing out the window every time the cylinder drops without warning.
I probably paid around that for this POS (Star?) chair from Office Depot. I want to chuck this thing out the window every time the cylinder drops without warning.
I've been waiting since December 11 for a warranty cushion replacement since the bonded leather started comming apart on a 3 month old chair. It was supposed to take 10-12 weeks.
They even remove my review if I say anything bad about the product or service.
Great-Kazoo
04-02-2021, 22:23
Thanks, I looked at Steelcase but new seemed out of my budget. I like the features of that Leap if I can find one. You've given me a quest.
Think of it as it's something, for your camper. ;)
Think of it as it's something, for your dumper. ;)
FIFY.
I would skip all these options and go to a used office furniture store, personally. You want a chair designed for all day computer work, where the ergonomics are likely to be very different from a gaming chair, even an executive one. I am using a Steelcase Leap they let us take from work when they closed our office down. These are $1200+ chairs designed to last 10 years or more in an office setting in use for 8 hours a day, and much better than the $150 chair I threw out when I brought this one home. My ass no longer hurts when I get up at the end of the day, nor does my back. I'd take your $500 budget to a used office furniture store and look at a used Steelcase Leap, Silq, or Jaku in good condition, all of which have high-back versions.
Agree with this 100% and would add another chair to the list to check out used: Herman Miller Aeron.
Skip anything with the word "gaming" in the description and avoid anything with fake leather like the plague. Mesh or that heavier fabric is the ONLY way to go.
Since having to work from home, I too was tired of the cheap office chair I had. I ordered a Steelcase Leap from these guys: https://www.crandalloffice.com. It was remanufactured with new seat cushion, fabric, wheels and gas piston. No more butt pain. The chair is very well built.
whitewalrus
04-03-2021, 21:27
Agree with this 100% and would add another chair to the list to check out used: Herman Miller Aeron.
Skip anything with the word "gaming" in the description and avoid anything with fake leather like the plague. Mesh or that heavier fabric is the ONLY way to go.
I as well recommend Herman Miller?s chairs. Getting them used under $500 shouldn?t be too hard. Make sure you get the models with all the adjustments - this makes a huge difference if you are not whatever normal sized they think people are when they make the chair.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Good stuff all.
After some more research, watching reviews, etc., I'm going to shop the best price with warranty on a Leap V2 with the 4-way arms.
@enfield, thanks for that link, that might be the best source.
I want to strap a couple cans of Tannerite to this chair I'm using now and put it out of its misery.
gnihcraes
04-04-2021, 07:10
If you roll much, get a wheel upgrade, these are awesome.
Office owl on amazonhttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20210404/a58289aef0a59fc2872d245a1125aee5.jpg
Little Dutch
04-04-2021, 08:05
Agree with this 100% and would add another chair to the list to check out used: Herman Miller Aeron.
Skip anything with the word "gaming" in the description and avoid anything with fake leather like the plague. Mesh or that heavier fabric is the ONLY way to go.
The Aeron is the only computer chair I’ve found worth having. OP said no mesh though, so I didn’t have anything else to offer.
The Aeron is the only computer chair I’ve found worth having. OP said no mesh though, so I didn’t have anything else to offer.
I must have missed that. There's a reason almost all respected higher end office chairs use mesh or fabric and not that gross fake bonded leather BS. I'll never make that mistake again. Landfills are overflowing with "leather" office chairs. I wouldn't recommend buying a chair that's made to last 2-years but that's just me.
The wheel upgrade looks like it might help protect a nice home floor as well.
JohnnyEgo
04-04-2021, 12:54
I remember when the Aeron first came out in the late 90s / early 00s. I was an Equities Analyst for Merrill Lynch's New York Nasdaq trading floor. The first ones showed up as a bonus for traders who made a lot of money for the firm. Within a week, traders started buying their own. Then the chair theft wars started, and caused so much havoc on the floor that the following Monday, we came in and every single chair had been replaced by an Aeron. I thought they were hideously uncomfortable at the time, so I swapped my assigned chair with a guy down in technical support on the floor below.
I like them a lot better now, and I think there is a lot of positive about the ventilation they provide. Had our office not given away the Steelcases, I probably would have bought a used one for myself. But since the OP wanted to avoid mesh, the Leap is what I recommended. And it is a great chair. I snagged three of them when we closed the office. My son has no idea how spoiled he is.
Thanks all. I ordered a refurb Leap v2 from crandall last night.
Never liked the mesh chairs with the plastic rim and I'm usually wearing shorts all day WFH.
After having the final infuriating cylinder drop battle session with my broke ass chair at 0200 this morning and finding a temporary stand in, I realized every other chair in the house sits 2" lower than mine @22" seat height. I'm suffering through the next few days until the new chair arrives.
Checking the Leap V2, it also appears to be lower (20")... but it's unclear where that measurement is taken. So they offer taller cylinders, chair to stool conversions, etc... I called to see if we could substitute the 7" for the 5" (I already paid an upcharge for the "heavy duty" cylinder) and the chair's already been released to shipping so she just charged me the upcharge price for the taller cylinder.
Anyone with the Leap care to measure the TOP of the seat height and post it?
Not that it matters much at this point, but curious minds want to know.
Well. I had no idea what chair model I have from the office, apparently it's a Leap V2. Gimme a few to locate the elusive tape measure.
Looks like at the front center of the cushion, unloaded, it is about 21 1/4. It does slope down a bit from the front. I would say that dead center over the cylinder is about 20 3/4.
I emailed the people about my POS chair they never sent the parts for, they are sending a refund. I like the Leap chair much better anyway.
Walker2970
04-06-2021, 20:03
dont cheap out on a good chair 85787
Looks like at the front center of the cushion, unloaded, it is about 21 1/4. It does slope down a bit from the front. I would say that dead center over the cylinder is about 20 3/4.
I emailed the people about my POS chair they never sent the parts for, they are sending a refund. I like the Leap chair much better anyway.
Thanks!
It may have barely passed muster at that, so I'm glad I ordered the taller cylinder afterall.
While my secondary keyboard (home system) is on a tray on the left hand L that's at the right height for most 20" seat height chairs, my primary (work setup) sits on top of the desk on the right hand L and I need to be level or above the keyboard or it's extremely uncomfortable, and that's where I'm at now with this temporary chair. I'm no lightweight, but I've got a Texan's body, all gut, no ass, so I need the taller chair to gain the height. I REALLY like that the Leap has that soft bendy front edge and look forward to a comfy chair that stays put and is tall enough. The old one, except for the cylinder (which I could replace) and the peeling "leather" was never uncomfortable although it always felt like it leaned ever so slightly to the left.
BladesNBarrels
04-07-2021, 08:46
Time for an adjustable height work table.
Yep, yep, yep.
Time for an adjustable height work table.
Yep, yep, yep.
One of the best moves I ever made was shit-canning my gigantic corner L-shaped desk for an motorized adjustable height desk. The chair isn't as important if you can sit or stand whenever you want. Turns out the "crappy" chair wasn't trying to tell me to get a new chair all along it was trying to tell me to stop sitting so damn much. Problem solved.
Time for an adjustable height work table.
Yep, yep, yep.
One of the best moves I ever made was shit-canning my gigantic corner L-shaped desk for an motorized adjustable height desk. The chair isn't as important if you can sit or stand whenever you want. Turns out the "crappy" chair wasn't trying to tell me to get a new chair all along it was trying to tell me to stop sitting so damn much. Problem solved.
Thanks for the reply but I guess you missed the part where I said, "TIA but please keep the weird chair ergo stuff, get off your ass, standing desk comments to yourself, none are options."
Not trying to be rude, just level set the recommendation request.
[Beer]
FWIW, I have 3 large monitors, a minimum of 3 laptops at any one time (2 docked), and 2 keyboards on my L-desk... My space doesn't really accommodate one of those work tables AND a desk, which I would still need. when I travel for work, I'm often on my feet for 12+ hours a day standing/working in a data center, so I get more than enough time on these poor old dogs.
Frankly, I'd rather not be tied to a computer keyboard all day (and night), but that's the career I chose and I'm in it (full time) for (hopefully) only another 18 months.
In closing, chair will be here tomorrow and the taller cylinder Friday. Woohoo!
If you roll much, get a wheel upgrade, these are awesome.
Office owl on amazonhttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20210404/a58289aef0a59fc2872d245a1125aee5.jpg
I'm looking at something like that along with a glass chair mat. I keep wrecking these cheap PVC mats and I'm stuck with a carpeted room.
mmmm, glass chair mat. That seems to me to be a lot of the solution. A floor, that can stand up to the chair.
gnihcraes
04-07-2021, 22:12
Careful, those wheels work awesome. They should roll just right on carpet.
I have a set on my garage chair and it rolls over all kinds of crap.
I'd try the wheels alone first, then a better mat.
Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk
Careful, those wheels work awesome. They should roll just right on carpet.
I have a set on my garage chair and it rolls over all kinds of crap.
I'd try the wheels alone first, then a better mat.
Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk
Roger, I'd hate to punch a brutal sized hole in the wall from an aggressive push off.
Thanks for the reply but I guess you missed the part where I said, "TIA but please keep the weird chair ergo stuff, get off your ass, standing desk comments to yourself, none are options."
Not trying to be rude, just level set the recommendation request.
[Beer]
FWIW, I have 3 large monitors, a minimum of 3 laptops at any one time (2 docked), and 2 keyboards on my L-desk... My space doesn't really accommodate one of those work tables AND a desk, which I would still need. when I travel for work, I'm often on my feet for 12+ hours a day standing/working in a data center, so I get more than enough time on these poor old dogs.
Frankly, I'd rather not be tied to a computer keyboard all day (and night), but that's the career I chose and I'm in it (full time) for (hopefully) only another 18 months.
In closing, chair will be here tomorrow and the taller cylinder Friday. Woohoo!
I wasn't making any assumptions about your situation at all. I just know that I tried working around a boat anchor (my massive L-Shaped desk) for many many years and my only regret is that I didn't drop said anchor sooner. I now have a much more effective setup and I've freed up a boat load of space that was once occupied by a static piece of furniture. I'm not sure what you're picturing when you say one of "those" work tables but I assure you that I don't have a single 15" computer monitor sitting on it.
Based on the list you gave I wouldn't rule one out necessarily. I have six 27" monitors ,two keyboard/mouse sets, speakers x4 plus all sort of things. I knew that my situation was probably unique and no cookie-cutter solution would work for me so I made my own sit/stand desk that met my needs. You can literally make it any size you want. The electric motorized frame that met my specifications was like $220ish shipped from Amazon. Then I used a butcher block from Home Depot for the surface that's about 6-feet wide (I actually cut this down from 8-feet) but you can pretty much do any size you want or any surface you want. I then used a 4-foot stair tread ($20) attached via a computer tray bracket/mount ($20) that I also got from Amazon. All of the above was relatively inexpensive and easy to install and customize however I wanted it. I also have a matching set of cabinets to the left where my previous "L" portion was with the same items it once contained. This is just a 2nd butcher block sitting on top of some cheaper cabinets from Amazon. It's a fixed top but you can just order up another adjustable frame if you need that one to also raise and lower for some reason.
What I found was that whenever I get a little bit antsy or fatigued from the chair I simply stand for a bit and then I'm good to go. I really thought that my chair budget was going to have to grow to four figures after trying several at the fixed desk all day but what I've found is that my $150ish chair now more than fits the bill. It's also nice for cabling to be able to raise it or wheel it out from the wall to easily add or remove cables or access the back or underneath easily. There's a lot of advantages and very few (zero?) disadvantages to a setup like this. I even sold my outgoing L-Shaped corner desk for more than this setup cost me to offset the price. In the end this solution cost FAR less than keeping the previous desk and finding a proper chair that I could sit comfortably in most of the day. As an added bonus I raise it up at the end of the day and then anything I need to do "real quick" is much quicker and easier to just walk in, do it real quick and then walk away w/o having to sit down each time. Sounds silly but it's kind of nice.
All I'm saying is it's nice to have options on whether you want to sit or stand that hinge on if you need to do work at the computer or not. I now sit or stand whenever I want w/o my needs dictating what my butt or feet want to do. It's really quite nice actually.
BladesNBarrels
04-08-2021, 15:29
Thanks for the reply but I guess you missed the part where I said, "TIA but please keep the weird chair ergo stuff, get off your ass, standing desk comments to yourself, none are options."
Not trying to be rude, just level set the recommendation request.
Wow, you must be sore.
You lost your sense of humor
[Coffee]
Wow, you must be sore.
You lost your sense of humor
[Coffee]
I always considered humor to be the sixth sense. Imagine my discomfort sitting through that Bruce Willis movie.
Wow, you must be sore.
You lost your sense of humor
[Coffee]
Yea, cranky from sitting on a shit chair.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HP8sofAN4xc
Very disappointed in this chair. Feels like I'm sitting on a lumpy rock.
Unless they can send me a new seat with an actual cushion in it (refurb my ass - literally) it will be going back and I'll just reupholster my current chair seat bottom (or find a replacement part), get a new cylinder (already actually swapped from another compatible chair temporarily) and some nicer wheels. The rest of the chair is OK, arms (though quite firm), back support is good, etc. but this seat is murder on my bony ass.
100 chairs in 100 days ;)
I hope it doesn't turn into a range bag odyssey.
For a good chair my butt got lucky and found that it liked the Lazy Boy chair that was/is for sale at Sam's club. For work table space I am using a standard old style 6' folding table to hold the computer equipment.
However; I did buy a real nice adjustable wood table from Sam's club to hold a 55" TV in one room and in the other I use it as a classic heavy duty work bench.
https://www.samsclub.com/s/lazy%20boy%20office%20chair
https://www.samsclub.com/p/height-adj-workbench-ultrahd/prod22651720?xid=plp_product_1
Since I work on cement floor; I picked up a few of those foam 'work out' mats...it does help keep the feet warm.
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