Office chair

[bigboxes]

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!

 

[Subyman]

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.

 

[corkyg]

Over ten years ago, I splurged on an Ekornes Stressless office chair done in burgundy leather. As I recall, it was about $900. I live in that chair, and occasionally have fallen asleep in it. I have had the arms re-upholstered, and it just keeps on keeping on. Today, I find that chair would push $2K! What a difference a decade makes.

Whatever you do, go and try them out at a good office supply store. Everyone has a different bod, and asuch a chair is like a good pair of shoes - it has to fit. I'll see if I can find a photo of this puppy. OK, got it!

BTW, it reclines way back and the headrest is adjustable. Zzzzzzzz.

 

[TidusZ]

I spent 900 on a chair that was highly recommended by everyone online, only to find it was extremely uncomfortable. Not proud of it

Bottom line is, don't buy it without sitting in it.

I decided to stick to $200 chairs and replace every couple years

 

[jime1]

Exercise Ball..........

 

[chubbyfatazn]

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).

 

[Subyman]

+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 liked the Leap more than the Aeron too. However, I've heard a lot of people say the Aeron feels more comfortable to them, so its definitely a personal thing. 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.

 

[MongGrel]

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.

 

[chubbyfatazn]

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.

 

[Subyman]

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.

Mine look brand new still, but thanks for the heads up. I'll have to be gentle with them.

 

[Mr. Pedantic]

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!

I don't know which one I tried out, but it felt a bit uncomfortable, it didn't really feel like it was the right shape.

I ended up getting a leather middle-management type office chair. Very comfortable. The only thing I don't like about it is that the chair is a bit big (the wheelbase, the chair itself, the armrests and the back) and the back doesn't flex separately from the seat. But it's good 99% of the time, and I use it 4-6 hours a day.

 

[Red Squirrel]

Exercise Ball..........

I've been toying with that idea actually... How is it ergonomicly? I imagine it's not actually meant to replace a chair fully, but is there a limit to how much you should use it?

For regular chair, if you have pets, leather hands down. My cat pukes a lot, and has ruined her fair share of non leather chairs, but at least with leather it's easy to clean and disinfect it.

The key is indeed buying from a place like Staples where you can actually try it out. Don't buy the cheapest one you can get though as it wont last but if you buy in the $300-400 range it should make a decent long lasting chair.

 

[Raincity]

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.

Getting older office chairs redone is much better value than purchasing new.

 

[bigboxes]

Went with the DX Racer OH/MM03/N. Not as adjustable as some of the $1k chairs, but I like the ability to adjust this chair to my taste. Right now I'm leaning to "this is sweet!" We'll see how this holds up long term.

 

[Fallen Kell]

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).

 

[bigboxes]

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).

I'm in love with the chair so far. My friends find it very comfortable. I am able to sit for long lengths of time without discomfort. I'm not small enough that the height becomes an issue. I like the fact that it's not super soft where I would sink in the chair. It's comfortable, but firm enough to support my body weight. I read all the negatives and worried about the armrests not being comfortable. Wrong. They are padded just enough, but not so much that you would stick to the material. My only request would be that the armrests would be longer. Just a tad. Otherwise, great chair. As for reliability we'll see about long term. The maker brags about their german built hydraulic unit. I wish it was further adjustable. Still like how comfortable it is for getting things done.