It's time to buy a new desk chair! I'm 6ft, 11st 6lb, and the ripe old age of 35. I'm relatively fit and cycle most days. I sometime suffer with mid/upper back (particularly on the right hand side!) so would like to get something better quality to sit on while I'm at my desk! I'd be quite happy to spend around £150-200 and can go higher if there's a sound reason for it. I don't want any overly gaudy gaming nonsense, but as long as it isn't too garish we'll be alright. I've got about £100 in Amazon vouchers kicking around too, so if it can be bought from Amazon, all the better, but certainly not a must. Let's have some recommendations from your good selves!
In with the Herman Miller Aeron suggestion before anyone else. I got mine from eBay probably 10 yr ago and it's great, cost me maybe £400 2nd hand from a London based referb person. They appear to start around £250 (Auction) and £330 (Buy Now) for a size B which is what Herman suggest for your size, weight and old age. John Lewis were the official retailer where I am in Newcastle, it's worth going and sitting in one. For clarity, prior to the Aeron I only had basic £25 office chairs or a fake "executive" huge thing (I've not that these exact chairs, just this style) and Aeron is just miles better. I believe there have been a few threads on here where prople have liked Ikea's Markus and Jarvfjallet
I've gone through so many office chairs over the years that I've lost count - between cheap crap from Argos and the very best from Herman Miller, it's very easy to recommend that you don't skimp on a chair. As @Cookie Monster says, you'll find yourself using the same chair for many years if you get something of quality. I'm currently using a Herman Miller Sayl at home, courtesy of my office, and I would very highly recommend it. I've been using it for three years now. They are not cheap new, but like the Aeron you can get them much cheaper if you buy refurb. My personal preference would be the Herman Miller Celle, which you can get preowned for less than £200. Although I do think it's worth sitting in one before dumping that amount of money into it.
My other half got a Herman Miller Verus, which is a huge improvement over the bog standard IKEA one she had before. It's the cheapest of the HM chairs if you're after something new. Well worth a trip to John Lews to try things out though, ours had a few different HM plus a load of Humanscale ones. I can highly recommend https://www.wellworking.co.uk/ where we got teh Verus from. Free next day delivery by their own staff, and if you happen to get a chair you really don't get on with they collect for free too. So no courier hassles. Edit: if you go down the gaming chair route, check returns policies before ordering. Most are return at your cost and risk. I had a Secretlab Omega that had to go back as it killed my back, now got a Noblechairs Hero which is comfortable for all day (I move a lot though, and often sit cross legged in a chair). My other half preferred it to Ikea chairs, but it's not a patch on her HM. After trying out the HM Sayl in John Lewis I kinda regret not stumping up the extra for one.
Thanks chaps. Clearly Herman are getting a lot of love as a brand. There's actually a John Lewis not far from my work, so I'll pop in give a few a go. Money isn't really an issue, I just set the budget as an arbitrary start point, I'm quite happy to spend more if it's a worthwhile investment...which it sounds as if it is.
I personally could not recommend Ikea chairs. I've had an earlier cheap one with mesh back, a Markus. Both are now retired to object-holding. They both suffer from seat cushion no longer feel soft, feels like the foam has a really short life. I'm now sitting on my office chair when my office switched to new chairs and everyone can take their old chair home. Luckily my back thanks me over last year or so for making the right decision back in 2019. But I would like to have headrest and mesh chair for hot summers. Am I missing something? Most office chairs doesn't appear to have headrest? Eg. the Herman Miller chairs on WellWorking, none of them have headrest?
Firstly...WWWWWWYYYYYYYYYYXXXXXXXXYYYYYYY, good to see you buddy, it's been a while. Secondly, I'm not too worried about a head rest, I'm not sure I've ever put my head on a head rest, the chair I'm sitting on at work right now has one and I just don't use it, I also don't use the one in my car! I do definitely want a full height back though.
I went with an Orangebox ARA a few months ago. Bought two refurbished for £120 each. Much better than the glorified dining chair I was using before, but of course it's no Aeron
Have to be another one jumping on the fashionable Aeron bandwagon - I bought mine nearly 5 years ago 2nd hand (£200, natch), I work from home so I've spent at least 40 hours a week on it, more if I'm gaming/PC'ing in the evenings/weekends and it's still perfectly comfortable. I get up at the end of the day and no aches/pains/frustrated joints etc, the mesh base/back is a revelation of comfort compared to other solid chairs. Tried an Ikea Markus before that and another "proper" office chair and neither were in the same league of comfort. TBH I should've bought one a decade earlier while I was at uni and/or obsessively playing 50 hours of CS:S a week.
Got an Orangebox DO refurbished on ebay last year after working from home for a while. Had it over a year now and no real complaints, then again haven't tried a herman miller so maybe I just don't know what I'm missing
My wife, who didn't like my Aeron has an HM Mirra 2, much cheaper than Aeron, she is very happy with it.
Herman Miller Embody user here and I can't recommend it highly enough however my partner hates it and it doesn't work for her, likewise her Humanscale chair is very uncomfortable for me. Defiantly get a trial or ensure the returns policy is generous. As for longevity both our chairs look and feel like new (if we actually clean them) despite being approximately 5 (Humanscale) and 7 (Herman miller) years old and in daily use in our home / farm office.
I have a Steelcase Please v2 it's firmer than the HM an Orange box ones but you can get refurb ones for about £200 which is what I have, things like a tank, a very adjustable tank though!
Sat in an HM Aeron at John Lewis today, it's actually kind of amazing how comfortable and supportive it feels, bit of an eye opener in terms of a decent chair! It's well out of my budget, but will check out the local second and market.
The second hand market appears some what limited in good old Norfolk! I suppose I'd have to be an idiot to risk something like this for £130? https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07GNDDNMW
FYI - https://ukgaming.hermanmiller.com/pages/gaming-anniversary (15% discount code on gaming products until Aug 23rd.) However, 85% of is still
If you have the cash and want new? they are worth it. However, it would be pretty crazy, given second hand sources constantly have Embody for £500 or so. I got mine which had been completely gone through and reupholstered for about £530 IIRC because I wanted a higher end red fabric. Which yeah, is still an awful lot of money. However, given how incredible it is and that it was hopefully the last chair I will buy for my place? I think it was worth it. Recently for my mother's house I bought Ikea's highest end offering. Let's say that I am disappointed, but then I knew I probably would be given my other chair is an Embody. It's nowhere near as comfortable, has barely any adjustment and still cost me nearly £200.
