Author Topic: Computer/ Desk Chairs  (Read 40085 times)

Alchemisst

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Computer/ Desk Chairs
« on: August 30, 2020, 04:13:47 PM »
Is it worth getting an expensive desk chair such as herman miller etc or are regular chairs fine/ just as good for posture/ injuries etc?

STEMorbust

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Re: Computer/ Desk Chairs
« Reply #1 on: August 30, 2020, 05:33:15 PM »
Working full time? Seems worth it to me — much like buying a good mattress. Herman Miller and Steelcase have been making chairs for years so there’s a good used market. We got ours for $3 and $325 respectively (garage sales).


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Alchemisst

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Re: Computer/ Desk Chairs
« Reply #2 on: August 30, 2020, 06:32:03 PM »
$3??

Goldendog777

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Re: Computer/ Desk Chairs
« Reply #3 on: August 30, 2020, 07:07:30 PM »
I used to work from home and after about a year in a bad chair, my whole body was starting to feel it.  I splurged on a new Herman Miller and it was the best investment ever!  Not only is the seat adjustable but the arms are too.  No regrets.  Now I’m in school and I still use it. 

Dicey

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Re: Computer/ Desk Chairs
« Reply #4 on: August 30, 2020, 07:41:01 PM »
I'm really starting to hate our used leather office chair. I need more lumbar support. I was thinking of asking here, but i see i can just draft this thread. Thanks!

Daley

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Re: Computer/ Desk Chairs
« Reply #5 on: August 30, 2020, 09:03:28 PM »
Nothing beats a good Steelcase chair, and the Criterion is a comfy 8-hour workhorse built like a tank. Definitely a BIFL item.

If you can't find used in good shape locally for a reasonable price, give Crandall Office Furniture a look. They re-manufacture Steelcase and Herman Miller chairs with a 12 year warranty at about 1/4 to 1/3rd the price, as well as sell repair parts to keep existing ones working. I've been using a Steelcase Criterion high back for more than a decade now (manufactured in the mid 1990's) that I picked up for $35, and about a year ago, the foam was so shot it was hard and lumpy, the piston was problematic, and one of the arm rests was broken.

With a little help from David there at Crandall (seriously, the dude's a mensch), we worked out a way to actually replace the foam pads (they usually only reupholster the good pads and pitch the worn ones - mounting base and all, as they themselves hadn't figured out a cost-effective foam replacement method for the Criterion yet) and reupholster, he sold me the parts to repair, and even posted a custom video for me to their Youtube channel on how to do a teardown on the Criterion (they had other teardowns). My total cost to restuff, reupholster, and repair the old Criterion and get it back up to snuff was just a touch over $110 and it's worked out well thus far. But if the DIY restuffing didn't work? I was prepared to shell out for complete replacement pads from them. (Reupholstery saga here.)

Needless to say, I recommend these guys because if they'll take this sort of time and go the extra mile to help with a repair that they themselves only made about $50 and some shared knowledge on foam work, you know the type of business establishment and quality you're gonna get if you shell out the big bucks to get a refurb with the warranty.
« Last Edit: August 30, 2020, 09:05:18 PM by Daley »

Alchemisst

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Re: Computer/ Desk Chairs
« Reply #6 on: August 30, 2020, 11:15:02 PM »
My current chair is just a cheap swivel chair, and seems fine, however I'm more worried about long term damage, could a cheap/ Could a bad chair be unknowingly be causing cumulative damage/ bad posture or would it be noticeable/ reversible?

CupcakeGuru

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Re: Computer/ Desk Chairs
« Reply #7 on: August 31, 2020, 02:24:08 AM »
I have been working at home for 5 months now. I was using a decent dining room chair at my home desk and started having hip pain and back issues.

I finally went into the office and took my office chair home. It has made a huge difference. It is well worth it to get a good desk chair.

Abe

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Re: Computer/ Desk Chairs
« Reply #8 on: August 31, 2020, 02:38:17 AM »
My current chair is just a cheap swivel chair, and seems fine, however I'm more worried about long term damage, could a cheap/ Could a bad chair be unknowingly be causing cumulative damage/ bad posture or would it be noticeable/ reversible?

Bad posture won't be fixed with a good chair. I recommend looking up an ergonomics video on youtube and seeing if you can adjust your chair and desk to the ideal configuration. If not, something should be replaced to get to that configuration. The chair's fanciness doesn't matter, just whether it aligns your spine and other joints properly.

Also, everyone needs to stand up and walk around every hour.

I had significant back pain at an early age when I used to have to sit for hours. Now I don't, but it took years to recover. I'm not an otherwise sickly person, but your spine isn't design to hold still in weird positions for hours.

Uturn

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Re: Computer/ Desk Chairs
« Reply #9 on: August 31, 2020, 06:35:26 AM »
I bought a Herman Miller at a used office furniture place about three years ago for around $300.  Money well spent!  I have no evidence, but I would assume used office furniture is or is about to be plentiful with so many offices closing. 

I'm a red panda

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Re: Computer/ Desk Chairs
« Reply #10 on: August 31, 2020, 06:41:31 AM »
I switched from a $50 costco chair to my $1300 AllSteel chair (currently borrowed from my office closed until January) and in a week the backpain I had been in PT for two months for was gone. 

I don't think I could bring myself to pay full price, but at the same time, two months of PT was getting close to that cost.

Dicey

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Re: Computer/ Desk Chairs
« Reply #11 on: August 31, 2020, 07:12:12 AM »
Nothing beats a good Steelcase chair, and the Criterion is a comfy 8-hour workhorse built like a tank. Definitely a BIFL item.

If you can't find used in good shape locally for a reasonable price, give Crandall Office Furniture a look. They re-manufacture Steelcase and Herman Miller chairs with a 12 year warranty at about 1/4 to 1/3rd the price, as well as sell repair parts to keep existing ones working. I've been using a Steelcase Criterion high back for more than a decade now (manufactured in the mid 1990's) that I picked up for $35, and about a year ago, the foam was so shot it was hard and lumpy, the piston was problematic, and one of the arm rests was broken.

With a little help from David there at Crandall (seriously, the dude's a mensch), we worked out a way to actually replace the foam pads (they usually only reupholster the good pads and pitch the worn ones - mounting base and all, as they themselves hadn't figured out a cost-effective foam replacement method for the Criterion yet) and reupholster, he sold me the parts to repair, and even posted a custom video for me to their Youtube channel on how to do a teardown on the Criterion (they had other teardowns). My total cost to restuff, reupholster, and repair the old Criterion and get it back up to snuff was just a touch over $110 and it's worked out well thus far. But if the DIY restuffing didn't work? I was prepared to shell out for complete replacement pads from them. (Reupholstery saga here.)

Needless to say, I recommend these guys because if they'll take this sort of time and go the extra mile to help with a repair that they themselves only made about $50 and some shared knowledge on foam work, you know the type of business establishment and quality you're gonna get if you shell out the big bucks to get a refurb with the warranty.
Thanks, @Daley, this is exactly the kind of mustachian response I was hoping for! Off to do a little research now...

therethere

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Re: Computer/ Desk Chairs
« Reply #12 on: September 03, 2020, 01:01:08 PM »
Since March I've been sitting on 2 pillows on top of a crappy dining room chair. After about a months of horrible neck/shoulder pain I finally bought a bungee office chair. I picked it up yesterday. Today our office emailed that we can set up appointments to pick up our desk chairs... Literally a day too late. What took so long?


I think I'll keep my chair anyway. It's actually more comfortable than my work chair (as I remember it).

DeniseNJ

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Re: Computer/ Desk Chairs
« Reply #13 on: September 03, 2020, 01:59:20 PM »
I just got a big ball to sit on.  Impossible to slouch sitting on it.  Also, you shouldn't be sitting for 10 hours straight so be sure to move around every hour.  Lastly, I got a perfectly good chair for 60 bucks.

bioneerandy

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Re: Computer/ Desk Chairs
« Reply #14 on: September 05, 2020, 07:56:02 PM »
I think it is a worthy investment to get an ergonomically beneficial desk set. I personally use standing desk and I feel my back is getting much better since then.

 

Wow, a phone plan for fifteen bucks!