Need a high end ergo computer chair

[Chriz]

I'm trying to pick out a high end ergo chair to prevent back problems and have something that will last me a long time. From reading various things on the net I've narrowed it down to the following four chairs:

Herman Miller Aeron:
http://www.officedesigns.com/f...=topnav_HM_aeron_chair

Herman Miller Mirra
http://www.officedesigns.com/f...r?hs340=HM_mirra_chair

HumanScale Liberty:
http://www.officedesigns.com/p...manscale_liberty_chair

HumanScale Freedom:
http://www.officedesigns.com/p...manscale_freedom_chair

The problem is that I've only been able to try one of these, the Herman Miller Aeron, from an old job I had. These are not chairs you can find at your local office max to try out. The Liberty and Mirra are newer than the other two but there are not many reviews on them, but i get a slight impression that they may be better. Any recommendations? Especially someone who has tried the Mirra and Liberty. Thanks!

 

[biggestmuff]

Herman Miller Aeron

 

[EvilYoda]

Might I suggest you look at Sit For Less as well.

Enjoy, whatever you get

 

[FP]

$1000 for a chair...

/me shakes head

Do these things ever go on a 50% off sale?

 

[arcas]

I very strongly recommend that you try a chair for at least a few hours before buying. It's hard to get a feel for whether you'll actually like a chair by sitting in it for 30 seconds on the showroom floor. See if you can rent it locally for 2-3 days to see if it's really the chair for you. It's a lot of money to spend on a chair that you might not like.

I -thought- I wanted an Aeron. After all, everybody raved about them. A coworker bought one for his office (by default, our offices had craptastic Steelcase Criteron chairs). He left on a trip for a week and let me borrow his chair. By the afternoon on the first day my upper back was beginning to hurt. I'm convinced it was because the webbing on the Aeron back sags differently from a typical foam cushion. Whatever it was, I couldn't use it.

I later found a Steelcase Sensor chair and haven't looked back.

 

[Chriz]

Originally posted by: arcas
I -thought- I wanted an Aeron. After all, everybody raved about them. A coworker bought one for his office (by default, our offices had craptastic Steelcase Criteron chairs).

I use a Criteron chair at my job as well. I would like to try one locally, I just am not aware of any places that have a showroom for those more expensive chairs. If anyone can think of a national chain that does that, I can see if I have one close to me (I live around Minneapolis).

 

[0roo0roo]

Originally posted by: biggestmuff
Herman Miller Aeron

 

[ThePresence]

I have this chair in my office. Couldn't be happier.

It's insanely expensive, but I paid $75 for it at a used office furniture store who had no idea what they had.

 

[mugs]

I have an Aeron. I had a lot of back pain before I got it, now I do not, primarily because the back and the seat move independently and my old chair did not. It's worth the nearly $1000 I spent to get rid of my back pain. It has a 12 year warranty, so that's only the cost of one chiropractor visit per year - and the Aeron actually works.

Look up a local dealer on Herman Miller's website and go sit in chairs there.

Be sure to buy from an authorized reseller, or the 12 year warranty is no good.

 

[mugs]

Originally posted by: Chriz

Originally posted by: arcas
I -thought- I wanted an Aeron. After all, everybody raved about them. A coworker bought one for his office (by default, our offices had craptastic Steelcase Criteron chairs).

I use a Criteron chair at my job as well. I would like to try one locally, I just am not aware of any places that have a showroom for those more expensive chairs. If anyone can think of a national chain that does that, I can see if I have one close to me (I live around Minneapolis).

Design Within Reach is a national chain that has expensive chairs on display for you to sit in. They have a showroom in Minneapolis. But check Herman Miller's website, they have a dealer locator.

 

[meltdown75]

Originally posted by: ThePresence
I have this chair in my office. Couldn't be happier.

It's insanely expensive, but I paid $75 for it at a used office furniture store who had no idea what they had.

HOLY CRAP 5000 pounds?! Am I reading that right?!!

 

[LS20]

earon overrated..not tha tcomfortable
mirra is okay. not as many adjustments as aeron
libery.. i really really like the back, but the padding gives you the sweaty-ass after going from mesh-herman millers

by deduction, try the Freedom

 

[ThePresence]

Originally posted by: meltdown75

Originally posted by: ThePresence
I have this chair in my office. Couldn't be happier.

It's insanely expensive, but I paid $75 for it at a used office furniture store who had no idea what they had.

HOLY CRAP 5000 pounds?! Am I reading that right?!!

I've never seen it priced that high. Usually it's about 4-6k US, although it is very hard to find in the US. I remember there were a bunch of them on ebay when Enron went down. Much of that price is because it's designed by Mario Bellini, but it does happen to be an awesome chair.

 

[piasabird]

I would never pay over $150.00 for an office chair. Maybe I might be considered cheap of frugal. I definitely think that Leather is a bad Idea for office chairs. I prefer uphostered Chairs with foam cushions. Just me talking here. My personal opinion.

It is hard to tell what a chair is like unless you sit in it for about 4 hours. For $1000.00 a chair should have massage therapy.

If you have a bad back you should be able to buy what you want. Still you might look for a knockoff that is almost as good for less.

 

[Nik]

http://www.sit4less.com/products/inada/robo-chair/47

 

[Chriz]

Originally posted by: mugs

Design Within Reach is a national chain that has expensive chairs on display for you to sit in. They have a showroom in Minneapolis. But check Herman Miller's website, they have a dealer locator.

Thanks, I should have thought of going to their website. I'll give that a try. I know I liked the Aeron when I used it, but would like to see how the others compare.

 

[Anubis]

Originally posted by: biggestmuff
Herman Miller Aeron

some people have them here where i work and honestly they arnt worth 1000$ not even 1/2 that IMO

 

[zoiks]

I use this one at work and its very comfortable.
http://www.bluehen.com/vitra-medapro-chair-p-459.html

 

[JackBurton]

Originally posted by: biggestmuff
Herman Miller Aeron

 

[Chryso]

Does anyone use one of those chairs where you are kind of kneeling forward?
I have been thinking about getting one of those but I don't know how long it would take to get used to it.

 

[Anubis]

Originally posted by: Chryso
Does anyone use one of those chairs where you are kind of kneeling forward?
I have been thinking about getting one of those but I don't know how long it would take to get used to it.

we had one when i was alot younger, they suck

 

[mugs]

Originally posted by: Chriz

Originally posted by: mugs

Design Within Reach is a national chain that has expensive chairs on display for you to sit in. They have a showroom in Minneapolis. But check Herman Miller's website, they have a dealer locator.

Thanks, I should have thought of going to their website. I'll give that a try. I know I liked the Aeron when I used it, but would like to see how the others compare.

The one near me offered to let me take a chair home overnight to test-drive it. And their prices are the same as every other authorized reseller - $749 for the basic chair, $949 for the highly adjustable. The highly adjustable chair has the tilt limiter, which was a must-have feature for me. I sat in my friend's and didn't like how it there was only tension holding me up - I like to lean back in my chair, but not too far back. The tilt limiter is perfect - it's not a tilt lock, so you can still go forward and backward. You just set the limit on how FAR back you can go.

You should also check out PostureFit vs the lumbar support. The PostureFit gives you a wider range of lumbar support, but you can't adjust it up and down.

 

[imported_Imp]

Those ergo chairs are overdesigned and overpriced. I have a regular executive chair at home, has great lumbar support and is pretty soft. When I actually sit properly, it feels great. The other 90% of the time when I sit with a foot on a mini-table or legs crossed and aching, it still feels ok.

 

[thespeakerbox]

I've sat in all four and owned 2. It really depends on you. Try them all out. I hated the feel of humanscale. Not very comfortable if you're ~6'. Aeron the most comfortable imo, but not if you cross your legs when you sit. Regardless, try before you buy.

 

[Miramonti]

my chair

I've had it for almost 8 years and it still looks and performs as good as new (except one pulsar massager stopped working.) I'm too poor to get something like it now, but since I could afford it then, its one of the best purchases I've ever made (and was a tax writeoff.)

I don't recommend it to others tho because the arm pads are too hard and I've had to mod them, which you shouldn't have to do for a chair of this price.

I recommend going to an ergo store and trying different ones out. I originally bought a bodybuilt but returned it after 3 weeks when it just didn't fit as well over time. And if you have an option to get real leather over fabric, definitely do it for the investment over longevity.