What chair should I buy for a home office?

August 13, 2004 3:35 PM

ChairFilter: I can't get work done at home, partly because my cheap chairs suck. Ergo, it is probably worth investing in a good office chair for home. But what?

I'd prefer to keep the cost below $100, but I need something I can work in for hours.

Another feature that might be of somewhat (but definitely secondary) importance to me is the ability to break the chair down and stow it. I don't have a lot of space where I currently live.

posted by namespan to shopping (12 comments total)

POÄNG
posted by sfenders at 4:19 PM on August 13, 2004

There are a lot of previous questions about office chairs you might want to check out.

Personally, last year I gave up on the string of $100 chairs I've gone through over the years and plunked down $800 on a new Mirra office chair. I wrote it off as a business expense which was a nice bonus.

I can work long hours (8-14 hours a day, easy) completely comfortably for the first time in my life. No back pain, no neck or shoulder pain, nothing. Spending a lot of money on a good chair really is worth it and you'll likely make the money back in increased productivity.
posted by mathowie at 4:26 PM on August 13, 2004

I don't have the budget for a nice office chair, and ended up buying several cheap ones in a few years and having them all break or bend within months, and enjoying all the discomfort that goes with it. I've got a second hand bog standard (but reasonably expensive when new) office chair now, which is a big improvement. Search for a second hand office furniture store near to you and buy something there.
posted by fvw at 4:42 PM on August 13, 2004

What I meant to say was, the question should not be "what's a good office chair", but "what's a good chair for sitting in for hours at a time".

I haven't seen any reasonably-priced chairs that are intended for "office" use that are anywhere near as good as this nice little IKEA armchair with the leather cushions. Unless you're frequently entertaining clients who demand proper office furniture, I'd say you should at least consider getting something that isn't made specifically for cubicle-land. Even more so if you don't want to spend $800.
posted by sfenders at 5:05 PM on August 13, 2004

..of course this might not work out so well if, unlike me, you actually have a desk. I like to recline a bit and rest the keyboard on my lap. Mouse, etc. go on a side table. It's a good setup for computer work. I'm buying another one to take with me if I ever go back to an office job.
posted by sfenders at 5:11 PM on August 13, 2004

What I meant to say was, the question should not be "what's a good office chair", but "what's a good chair for sitting in for hours at a time".

sfenders, excellent point. I guess I really am asking for info about a chair I can sit at a computer for hours at a time in. I generally work on a laptop, so placement of the machine is flexible, but having it sit on my lap probably won't work for hours and hours.

IKEA's just down the freeway a bit, maybe I'll pop down and try your suggestion out.
posted by namespan at 5:34 PM on August 13, 2004

huh... I was shocked to see how much information one can get doing a simple search on AskMe.
posted by xammerboy at 7:27 PM on August 13, 2004

My husband and I both got this chair from Bestbuy, after breaking many smaller chairs. We're big people and it is very comfortable and sturdy. We've had them for over a year now with no signs of wear.
posted by sadie01221975 at 9:43 PM on August 13, 2004

If there is an Officemax in your area, you may want to see if they have any remaining "Extreme Office Chairs." (SKU 146828, discontinued) Indeed, that is the chair's genuine, unfortunate name.

It is, without a doubt, the ugliest chair I have ever seen. The wheels appear to be from rollerblades, the pleather is a perforated gray vinyl, and the armrest supports would charitably be called potmetal.

It's an unfortunate coincidence that it is also the most supportive and comfortable chair in which I have ever planted my rear.

It was $80.
posted by trharlan at 12:24 AM on August 14, 2004

I like my 1970's steelcase chairs. Matches my desks. I can't get comfortable in any modern furniture. Plus, being a heavy set guy, a nice steel chair isn't going to creak under my weight.

Did I mention they cost $10 at a roadside chair dealer? Sweet deal. Had to glue a caster back in, but I'm happy. Make sure the upholstery is still in good repair.
posted by shepd at 2:45 AM on August 14, 2004

I can't find any remaindered "extreme office chairs" anywhere. Here's a series of reviews of different chairs:

consumersearch

There's a great book on the history of the chair that I can't relocate, but it makes the point that you really shouldn't be in *any* chair for 10 hours a day.
posted by mecran01 at 7:07 AM on August 15, 2004

I found a very comfortable cheap chair by trying many many of them. Whenever I was in some discount place like Office Max for any reason I took a few minutes to sit in every chair I hadn't already tried and rejected. Finally happened on an Aeron knockoff, $135. It cut cost by copying the Aeron look without including all the adjustments, just had basic height and tilt, but by chance it fit me very well without any fancy adjustment. That's what you're looking for if you refuse to blow $800 on a place to park your butt.
posted by jfuller at 9:19 AM on August 15, 2004