Sharxfan
Well-known member
You are right of course. I have had lower back pains randomly in my life and I would have given anything for it to go away.
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School me on office chairs
- Thread starter asdfghwy
- Start date
You are right of course. I have had lower back pains randomly in my life and I would have given anything for it to go away.
Well I WFH so theres 8-10+ hrs sitting working right there. I also use it for my PC to browse the interwebs and game so that could easily be another few hours a day. I spend more time in this chair than I do my own bed. These gold standard chairs are built to last 12-20+yrs (herman miller warranty is 12 and they last well beyond that)
On the surface it does seem crazy if you just think $1500 chair, but with context it's actually not bad at all. Especially when back pain comes into play
NorCalAthlete
O_o
/\ this.
For the extra win, have your work pay for it.
For the extra win, have your work pay for it.
Dude what employer will cover $1500 for a chair?? Google gave out $1K for their employees for WFH supplies a while back. My employer did not give out $1K, I still bought a dang Aeron though. Back in March when I was loading up my car with my work monitors, etc I did think about heaving my leap v2 into the trunk. I decided against it. About a month later there was a notice saying don't bring office furniture home 
Archimedes
Fire Watcher
I bought a few of the Steelcase Leaps for my office a few years ago. Very comfortable at first, but they just don't maintain firmness very long. After the first year, I could tell a massive difference between my chair and one of the conference room chairs that had not been sit in much. Great chair, good ergos and adjustability and high quality, but the foam just doesn't stay firm long enough for me.
NorCalAthlete
O_o
Dude what employer will cover $1500 for a chair?? Google gave out $1K for their employees for WFH supplies a while back. My employer did not give out $1K, I still bought a dang Aeron though. Back in March when I was loading up my car with my work monitors, etc I did think about heaving my leap v2 into the trunk. I decided against it. About a month later there was a notice saying don't bring office furniture home
Both of mine were through work. It wasn't part of a WFH budget, it came out of our employee "ergonomic assessment". I didn't like the low back crappy default chairs it was causing back pain so I had an ergo assessment done and they gave me a few options to pick from, and this is what I ended up with.
We only got about $300 for WFH equipment, so I used it on a triple monitor mount and a 2nd 24" monitor to pair with my 28" 4k monitor. 3rd arm holds my laptop.The Aeron wasn't an option or I might have tried that one out, it doesn't look bad.
/\ this.
For the extra win, have your work pay for it.
Hell yeah. My company has been delaying a WFH stipend because they probably though it'd be over with by May
we are expecting about $500-1k announced this month though. My back can't wait, so I don';t even care if work will cover it or not at this point. Interesting. We'll see how the leap does when I get it this week. Still eyeing a used HM though
Archimedes
Fire Watcher
Honestly, I'd probably buy one again though, because I don't think there's anything better for the money. I had a Herman Miller chair at my last job and it was nice, but not perfect either. At it was a fair bit more expensive IIRC.
Eldritch
is insensitive
Perhaps in my long litany of injuries, the fact that I have never injured or otherwise impaired by back comes into the equation but does this thing really solve it better than a $500 chair would?
NorCalAthlete
O_o
Buy once, cry once.
Comfort and bells&whistles aside the fancy chairs last longer. Way better customer service vs some no name Chinese knockoff company that won't exist in 3 months. For $500 you might as well go to $1k and get a chair that can last many years. IMO get a ~$200 chair and replace it every few years or spend ~$1K have it last 10+ yrs.
KnifeySpoony
_______________________
This. Better materials last longer. I used to buy a cheap office depot chair every 5 years or so- the fake/cheap leather starts to crack, the low quality foam is shot and I'm sitting on a hard board. My current chair is all memory foam, covered in full grain leather (it feels just like my helimot suit, no joke), the base is very heavy and solid. I've had it 6 years so far and it looks and feels brand new. Also much more comfortable. I can set it to be upright and putting me in a typing position, or I can take a nap in it.
Eldritch
is insensitive
I mean, I get paying more for quality. I'm all for over engineering, I hate buying shit more than once and am down to pay extra for quality. But when I hear a $1500 dollar chair, I am seeing something more like:
https://www.amishshowroom.com/product/starr-executive-arm-chair-seac340/
https://www.hookerfurniture.com/erin-executive-swivel-tilt-chair/ec362-201-5/iteminformation.aspx
I want real wood, tufted leather with brass tacks, some thing that really got built, you know? Some shit that if it breaks you don't throw it out, you repair it, you know?
Those $1500 plastic office chairs look to me like you pay $800 for branding, which is something I have never had patience for.
IMO there's more engineering and ergonomics involved with the Leap and Herman Miller chairs than the handmade in the USA leather chairs, which are also very nice. I was wary of the Aeron as well since it was such an icon with the tech startups back in the 2000s. But dang it's nice. EASY TO CLEAN!!! A very underestimated quality, esp if you have kids in the house. Or eat in your chair.
Stuff that affects your posture and body is important. Maybe because I'm getting older, because I didn't care that much in my early 20s. Chair, bed, and shoes should be quality items that support your body well. Like boring old man New Balance stuff. Quality shoes ($40-$50) for babies learning to walk are critical as well.
We still have some Chinese knockoff stick vacuum that we got for <$100 several years ago. The vacuum still works ok, the battery is slowly losing charge and the knockoff company is nowhere to be found. When the vacuum finally dies we *might* get a Dyson.
Stuff that affects your posture and body is important. Maybe because I'm getting older, because I didn't care that much in my early 20s. Chair, bed, and shoes should be quality items that support your body well. Like boring old man New Balance stuff
. Quality shoes ($40-$50) for babies learning to walk are critical as well. We still have some Chinese knockoff stick vacuum that we got for <$100 several years ago. The vacuum still works ok, the battery is slowly losing charge and the knockoff company is nowhere to be found. When the vacuum finally dies we *might* get a Dyson.
Killroy1999
Well-known member
I saw the price tag on a chair that my employer bought me and it was $1800. I was floored and immediately went to my manager to say that I did not order the $1800 chair. No one batted an eye.
Yes, it had lots of adjustment but it was not special. It turned out to be the chair that everyone had. This employer was not a big spender too, I would say next to bare bones. Coffee only. Buy your snacks, ect.
Yes, it had lots of adjustment but it was not special. It turned out to be the chair that everyone had. This employer was not a big spender too, I would say next to bare bones. Coffee only. Buy your snacks, ect.
employers/companies amortize the cost over the course of the contract&warranty
Killroy1999
Well-known member
I found that Ergonomic training very helpful. One company even had a ergonomist which you could make a appointment with.
This particular $1800 chair company did not have either, so it does not matter what chair you have if it and your workspace is not right.
So my used leap came today. Aside from 2 issues I'm going to have the seller resolve (padding coming off a part of the back support and tilt angle adjustment not working) the chair is so fucking comfortable. I have 0 back pain sitting in this, right from the get-go.