Computer Chair recommendations

So now working at home and Playing games at home I need to start looking for a new Chair any recommendations.

I have a Secretlabs Omega, which is the size down from what Jeff Bakalar has, and my fiancee has the Throne. I've a number of friends who all bought Secretlabs chairs as well and we're all pretty happy with our decision.

They're not incredibly expensive but they're also not too cheap either. None of us have had any issues with them and I'd recommend them if they're in your price range.

Lots of people will tell you to get a good office chair like a Hermann Millar, but those things can cost €1000 easily and depending on your location can be difficult to even source. More people will say buy one second hand, but again depending on your location that might not be an option. The only second hand stockists in my region are all still charging about €500-600. Also to really get the most out of HM chairs, you need someone to help set them up properly and give you a full ergo assessment.

One thing I'd recommend if you're working from home now though is if you can, either set a timer for every hour or get Wellnomics installed on your home computer/work computer. It will tell you when to get up and stretch your legs out so you don't sit for too long.

I just got a Secretlabs Titan with the Softweave cloth about a month ago and I love it. It is a firm chair which takes a couple of days to get used to but it really helps for long sessions. I started teleworking a week and a half ago and have been spending all day in the chair with no issues. The quality is good and I was happy with the price. Also, most of their chairs are on sale right now (at least in the US) so I would give them a look.

I bought a Steelcase Leap from an office furnishing company a few years ago and never looked back.

I'm of the opinion that most gaming-branded chairs are overpriced for the level of function and comfort they provide, while also being some of the gaudiest pieces of home furniture imaginable. I hope others follow suit in suggesting you buy a real office chair and not some bucket seat cash grab.

I grabbed a Secretlab Titan for $600 and I'm super glad I did now that I'm working from home. It's not gaudy, feels solid and high quality, and it's been comfortable to use for 8+ hours a day now that I'm using it as my office chair too.

I used to think $600 was an insane amount to spend on a desk chair, but it really makes a difference.

I've been rocking the IKEA Markus chair for almost 10 years. Mesh high back and synchro-tilt for $150(now $200+). Lumbar support ain't great and I've since removed the armrests since they're too high for me and my current desk.

Today, if I was spending $200+ I'd look for something with more adjustability.

I bought one of Homall's chairs for around $170 on Newegg and it's been working out pretty well. Pretty comfortable. It makes some noises, but I'm a heavy dude and I've experienced worse. Doesn't seem to have that material that flakes and peals after a few months. And most importantly for me, it doesn't scream GAMING CHAIR aside from maybe two design elements. So since the one that I linked to is sold out, I would just look at "gaming" chairs in the $150 to $200 range, unless you really want to go with a DX Racer.

I have this Staples chair. It looks kinda goofy, especially for a 37 year old man, but it's comfortable and sturdy.

I have a 1998 office chair from work - wourld not recommend .;-)

(Actually it was pretty decent chair and has saved me for the past two weeks working from home. Still woudl not recommend it. But, you cannot get cheaper than free)

I use This

I have fallen asleep in it more then once.

Expensive as hell, but worth it in my opinion.

Get yourself an ergonomic task chair, it will keep your posture in check and your back will thank you. Whatever you do, do not get one of those stupid fuckin' sponsored "gaming" chairs that look like a race car seat. They are trash that belong in a dumpster that has just been recently lit on fire.

The Herman Miller Aeron is obviously the gold standard, but its price tag is absolutely ludicrous. I would recommend the Staples Hyken, just forego installing the headrest and you got yourself a budget Aeron. I've been using one for about 3 years now and my posture is great and my back feels good. You can sit in it all day and it will support you.

I would recommend a used proper high quality desk chair like @doctordonkey or@inevpatoriamentioned. You can get them used for about the price of a lot of these gaming chairs (full price they cost over 1k) but they're way better, last, and don't look completely stupid so that's nice.

I like Steelcase chairs the most but I haven't tried them all.

Another vote here for Secret Labs Omega! I've had it for about a year, excellent and comfortable chair.

I have an Aeron in my office and I really dislike it, but I think that's more a desk-height situation more than a chair situation. None of the offices were designed with the chairs in mind, so the desks are too low for the armrests, even on the chair's lowest setting. It causes me to lean forward unintentionally.

I have, however, taken a nap in an Aeron fully reclined, and it was a surprisingly good experience. So, again. The chair is probably great and our interior designers probably just made an oversight.

I recommend Gaming office chair of Ficmax. I work from home, and work overnights, so I really needed a chair that I could sit in for long hours. The set up took some time since the instructions are printed a little small, but as long as you have common sense its simple to put together. All of the tools and parts were packaged well and easy to tell what parts were what.

I do wish that the arm rests could adjust from side to side. They are a little bit wide for my frame, so sometimes they feel in the way. The foot rest is SO nice to have, but I also wish that there was an option to have an extension on it for a longer length.

If you aren't a rich bastard, then skip a Steelcase or Herman Miller; both companies make great chairs, but they're crazy expensive.

I own 3 SecretLabs Titans (1x 2018 softweave and 2x 2020 softweaves) and I love them. They're comfortable, well-built / overbuilt, and durable. I have yet to find another chair maker who offers what a SecretLab does, but for a ~$499 price point.

I recommend the softweave for ease of cleaning and durability. The only thing I would caution against would be cats who love to scratch.

@nameredacted: If you buy a refurb (some of which are even better than new because of reinforced canisters or wheels) you can get a good steelcase or HM (... maybe not an HM) for that price point or less. I like Crandall but there are plenty of options out there.

Which is kind of the issue with the gamer chairs. Some are actually surprisingly nice but they almost always lose out at a given price point.

Another vote for the Titan. Got it just over a month ago and the lower back pain I was getting from my old chair has vanished. Also got the softweave, which I would recommend over PU leather any day now.

It's tough to say without knowing your budget. Chairs vary wildly in price and quality across the spectrum.

I got myself a secret lab titan (~$400) and my wife an omega (~$350) and we're both happy with them. I'd also recommend the softweave over the fake leather. The leather got a little warm on my back in the summer.

If you can find a second hand Herman Miller that's in your budget, go for that. My office uses HM Mirra chairs and I personally think they suck ass, but everyone raves about the Aeron. If you're looking to spend less than $200 on a chair go with one of the task chairs that @doctordonkey linked.

The Ergo Chair 2 by Autonomous also has a lot of positive reviews online and is reasonably priced (~350). A friend of mine bought one earlier this year and is happy with it. From what I hear they're a little less comfortable than the secret lab chairs but have more ergonomic customization options.

Buying a chair is miserable. I spent hours and hours researching online during the height of the pandemic earlier this year when stock was pretty scarce. Good luck on whatever you wind up with duder.

I will also recommend Steelcase. I got a Leap recently and it is an incredible chair. They are expensive, but you can sometimes get a good deal by going through a local dealer (I got mine for probably $2-300 less than buying direct) and the 12 year warranty means that I won't be shopping for another chair anytime soon. There are also less expensive models (like the Series 1) that are comparable in price to some nicer gaming chairs ($400-450) and still carry the 12 year warranty.

@inevpatoria: I just picked up a Steelcase Leap V2 used and came here to recommend it haha. I really like it, so far, it has great lumbar support and keeps your posture great if you're using it fully upright. It also reclines pretty far back with stops along the way so you can choose how far back you want to lean. I really like this for watching videos or gaming with a controller. All that said, it wasn't cheap, and you should definitely try to sit in something before spending a ton of money on it. I know that's tough to do, especially right now, but good luck!

Go try out some chairs. Don't get a "gamer" chair. They pretty much all suck.

GN did a pretty interesting video about gamer chairs, not long ago.

I could have sworn I commented in here a year ago.

I bought a Secretlabs Titan... about a year ago? Anyway, it has served me very well since. I spent a lot of time looking at chairs high and low, primarily looking for one with a back that goes all the way up. It's been a great chair, though the break-in period is real and you need to be prepared to spend a week to a month getting used to the firmness.

The constant Herman Miller recommendations when looking for a chair were irritating. For one, I'm not spending hundreds on a used chair. For two, I'm not spending a grand on a chair where the back doesn't even go all the way up (as in, I can rest my head on it if I need to). I just can't justify spending that much on something that looks a lot like what's on the floor at my local OfficeMax, even if the final product is made of much better material, and especially when it doesn't even tick off what I'd consider an extremely important check box. It's a weird thing to be angry about but I really wanted to filter out Herman Miller from chair suggestions.

A little over a month ago the NY Times sent out a blast that the AK Racing Opal was down to like $140 on Amazon (normally $350-$400) and highly, highly recommended it so I decided to splurge and I really, really like it. I still lean forward in the chair sometimes, but when I catch myself doing that it's easy to just grab the lever and pull the back/lumbar up to where I am and lean back a bit. It's also quite comfortable when leaned back for movie watching or whatever, I just use my subwoofer as a footrest.

I will say I'm about 5'10 with a completely average build and find the neck rest is a little high and lumbar a little low normally, but they're easy to adjust and once you've got 'em where you want 'em you just have to maintain that posture and readjust as necessary. As someone who's always sat in fairly plain chairs before this I can't say I'm annoyed given all the extra cushion and back support this offers.

Edit: I should add that if I'd paid full price for this chair, I'd be pretty ambivalent about it despite it being much higher quality than my previous chair(s). I do like it, but I always struggle with paying that amount of money on items that aren't entertainment-focused, like vacuum cleaners or whatever. A chair is a pretty boring way to spend money even if it's good for you!