I purchased a Steelcase Leap 2-3 years ago and it is a joy to sit in. It is the most satisfying purchase I've ever made for my PC set up. I believe I paid around $650 though. They have a slightly more economical model called the Amia that I'd highly recommend as well. I sat in both and they both felt great but the Leap had more adjustments.
If you check craigslist sometimes you can find Hermann Miller Aeron or Steelcase Leaps for sale cheap through liquidation centers. Some are hardly used. If you have never sat in one of those then definitely do so you can properly calibrate yourself to what a real office chair can feel like.
+1 for the Leap. I bought one off Craigslist for $200 about 3 years ago and my ass hasn't complained yet. The seat cushioning itself is stiffer/harder than your run-of-the-mill $30 OfficeMax office chair, but I find I can sit there for hours on end if needed, with short breaks here and there (I think 36 hours was my record... worst project rollout ever).
Only complaint is the poor build quality of the armrests.
I'm not a fan of Aerons. One of the labs near me is full of them, and they're just not comfortable to me. They're great at making sure I keep good posture (no slouching), but the plastic lip surrounding the edges of the seat eventually cuts off blood flow to my legs. That might be due to the curvature of the seat itself though (the Leap has a flatter seat).
I agree with the armrests on the Leap, they aren't the highest quality but they are very adjustable and I haven't had any issues with them so far.
I think their adjustability weakens their strength. There's only two screws holding the plastic foam part to the chair frame, and one of them is in an area of high stress. I frequently adjust my armrests, and now both of the plastic foam parts have broken off.
Wish they used metal at the attachment points.
I need some recommendations. I love leather, but I'm not tied to it. I want quality and ergonomics over all else. I'm tired of my chairs breaking down after a couple of years. Is the DX Racer any good? My budget is $500 or less.
TIA!
Exercise Ball..........
i need to get a new one myself sometime in the future.
My old Lane high back black leather one getting worn out.
Is pretty similar to corkyg's.
Maybe I should just see about getting it reupholstered myself, the chair is very solid.
Had really never looked into that with an office chair, but the frame on this thing bullet proof and it's comfy to me.
Spend a lot of time in it myself.
Good luck with it. Let us know how you like it.
I don't read this forum too much and was going to chime in and say look at spending a few $'s more and check out an Aeron (as others have said). I have had mine for ~13 years now and it is still as comfortable as the day I got it (that said, it does not have head/neck support which if you are looking for you can't get to my knowledge on that chair). You do need to get the right sized one, which is why some people might have complained about it cutting off bloodflow (there are 3 sizes, A, B, and C, all designed for different heights with different body curvatures, so that the rounded edge frames fit properly where they expect your legs to start to bend for the knees... if you are in too big a chair, your legs won't have enough length to clear the seat bottom and it will thus cut into you legs and cut off bloodflow).