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Ask HN: What kind of chair are you using for WFH?

by zigzaggy on 5/24/21, 3:12 PM with 77 comments

Like most of us, I've been working from home since last March. I've noticed a lot of neck, back, and hip pain developing. Some of it is because of my renewed interest in working out, I'm sure. But I really do believe most of it is from my terrible WFH setup (chair, desk, monitor).

Can you recommend a chair (hopefully one that won't break the bank, although at this point I'm almost willing to pay anything).

  • by lbotos on 5/24/21, 3:45 PM

    If you are in a major city you can often find used "high-end" chairs for reasonable price. I'm on a 5-year-old used Aeron I got for $275. Herman Miller has made newer fancier chairs but I'll ride this one for probably a decade before I upgrade.

  • by hwbehrens on 5/24/21, 3:48 PM

    I've been using a Steelcase Leap that I bought way back in 2008, and it's basically as good as new. Considering how much time we spend in our chairs and how (relatively) durable they are, I think making the investment in a nice one is probably not one you'll regret.

    You might want to visit a local ergonomics store to test-drive, if it's practical for you -- for example, I personally don't prefer Aerons because the mesh bothers me. Those kinds of personal preferences are better to discover prior to spending $$$ on something.

    Also, don't discount the rest of your equipment -- equally important to my ergonomics are wrist support and proper monitor placement. A good-quality VESA arm will also last decades and be able to follow you around. Your monitor should be about arms-length from you, with the center of the screen falling about a hand-span below your eye line.

  • by PStamatiou on 5/24/21, 3:41 PM

    After years of the Herman Miller Embody, I moved on to the lighter Cosm and love it: https://turbo.paulstamatiou.com/uploads/2020/02/copyright-pa...

    https://paulstamatiou.com/stuff-i-use/#desk

  • by timw0j on 5/24/21, 3:48 PM

    Steelcase Leap v2 with a headrest. I bought it new, since finding a refurb one with a headrest is really difficult. My company gave us a WFH-office-setup stipend at the start of COVID lockdowns though, so that paid for about half of it.

    I went from a crappy Staples faux-leather chair with terrible padding to this, and the comfort level is night and day.

  • by polm23 on 5/24/21, 4:01 PM

    I had been using a chair that was past its useful life so I asked friends for recommendations recently. Besides the chairs you see recommended elsewhere in this very thread, one friend recommended a "gamer chair". I was dubious, but it had some nice points:

    - has all the features of expensive office chairs

    - not mesh (I hate mesh chairs)

    - half the price of fancy office chairs (~500USD)

    I got a Secretlab Omega specifically and after a week or two I'm happy with it.

    I can't speak to long term back effects, but it has more options with height and angle adjustment than any chair I've ever had and comes with a lumbar support pillow.

  • by pen2l on 5/24/21, 4:05 PM

    I use a wooden chair much like this one: https://i.imgur.com/2LZ2d3M.png

    What I came to realize after a while of thinking about this is that this is all bikeshedding (at least, it was for my situation). If you have issues of a high severity, it might make sense to invest in a chair to alleviate some symptoms like pain and discomfort. If you have money lying around just waiting to be used, it might make sense to spend it on a cool and nifty Herman Miller or whatever.

    But the most important thing, bar none, is you work to have a good posture and physical health thus eliminating the need to be picky about your chairs. If you don't have postural issues, great. If you do, then get working: start with some variant of 5x5 routine, make sure to do good rows with an appropriate amount of weights, and some face pulls with good form.

  • by weego on 5/24/21, 3:40 PM

    Herman Miller Mirra. There's always tons of liquidation stock on ebay and they're excellent as long as you get the one with the tilt and back support features.

    I'm very torso tall and wide so for me the original Mirra is better than the Mirra 2 for day long comfort because of the large back shape

  • by frompdx on 5/24/21, 5:57 PM

    I bought a used Herman Miller Mirra for $350 at the start of the pandemic. I wanted to find an Aeron but supplies were short at the time. It's better than most chairs employers have provided me in the past. Look for an office furniture liquidator near you.

  • by pizza234 on 5/24/21, 3:57 PM

    The Ikea Volmar (which is now Vallfjället).

    After having owned at least a couple of expensive chairs (including Herman Miller Embody), I came to the conclusion that office chairs over 500$ or so are a ripoff (or, to put in other words, they have a high marketing tax), for two reasons:

    1. chair feeling is very individual; as long as a chair is robustly constructed, price has nothing to do with feeling

    2. as long as a chair has enough knobs (or better: the right ones for one's body), again, price doesn't make a difference.

    I actually find the Embody terrible on my body, as it has a hard lower back rest, and narrow shoulder rest that pushes the shoulders forward. YMMV - depending on the height, one may not suffer those pain points.

  • by tgsovlerkhgsel on 5/24/21, 4:55 PM

    A chair that works for you. Part of what makes this hard is that no chair works for everyone, and very small changes can completely change the outcome.

    Try to find a shop that lets you borrow a chair for a few days before you buy, or has a generous return policy - there really is no way of knowing without trying, and trying for several days.

    Or buy a bunch of cheap chairs and try those.

    Also, definitely adjust your WFH setup to be ergonomic - correct desk height (manually adjustable desks aren't expensive at all), correct monitor height (e.g. by putting a stack of books under the monitor), and of course a proper keyboard. Also, try to move and don't stay in the same position for too long.

  • by mherrmann on 5/24/21, 3:50 PM

    Get a standing desk with a bar stool. Standing is much more ergonomic than sitting. And the arrangement with the barstool lets you very naturally switch between sitting and standing. Your body will tell you what it wants and half a second later you have the better pose. Also invest in a monitor at the right height, ergonomic keyboard and vertical mouse. If you have wrist pain like I also did, try alternative keyboard layouts such as QFMLWY. And a Mac-style keyboard where you copy/paste with the strong thumb (Cmd), not the weak pinky (Ctrl).

  • by rcoder on 5/24/21, 4:21 PM

    I've been about 90% standing/10% sitting for the last several years, and while standing is great for me, the ergonomics of switch to and from my Aeron -- bought 15-ish years ago from a startup closing up shop -- felt less so.

    I passed along the Aeron to my wife, who prefers a supportive chair and has also obviously been working from home, and got a Fully Tic Toc stool. It forces me to maintain something like healthy posture and keeps me at least gently moving throughout the day, and as a bonus fits neatly under the desk when I'm working rather than forcing me to find space elsewhere in my very compact home office.

    I've found that for my 40-year-old knees and hips some sort of motion was necessary to keep from getting sore by the end of the day. The Tic Toc helps with that, as does the balance board I pull out when standing for any length of time. (The board is a Fluidstance, which is stupidly expensive for what amounts to a skateboard deck on top of a piece of bent sheet metal, but it feels a lot better than standing still and has held up really well so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯.)

    Obviously this kind of setup isn't good for everyone, but I really like it.

  • by lukestevens on 5/25/21, 1:49 PM

    I think HNers will enjoy these detailed reviews of Steelcase and other ergonomic chairs: https://blog.szynalski.com/2019/04/review-steelcase-leap/

    Gives you a bunch of things to look for when evaluating chairs.

  • by parentheses on 5/24/21, 3:21 PM

    Herman Miller Aeron

  • by tom_mellior on 5/24/21, 6:35 PM

    I have a sit/stand desk that I bought expecting to stand the first half of the day, then sit the second half. On the very first day I forgot to ever sit down, and I've been 100% standing ever since. I stand on a rubber mat thing with some bumps and raised edges that makes it enjoyable to switch stances. But I've always been someone who fidgets a lot, and I tended to constantly reposition myself on office chairs too. Like others, I also suggest walking around often, whether sitting or standing. Drinking a lot of water and having a very small bladder definitely helps.

    All that said, while I recommend trying a standing setup if you can, it's definitely not for everyone. My partner has tried my desk several times and always became infuriated at the concept of standing while working.

  • by pickle-wizard on 5/24/21, 4:34 PM

    Right before Corona hit, I bought a Herman Miller Aeron for my home office. For the couple of days a week I worked from home it was great. Once I started using it everyday, it aggravated my sciatica. No matter how I adjusted it, I could not get it right.

    Here in Austin we have a store called Texas Office Product Supplies. They sell used office furniture. The prices are pretty good for commercial grade equipment. I took the afternoon off and went and tried all of their chairs to find one that didn't hurt my back. I ended up buying a Sitonit Wit chair. It wasn't too expensive, think I paid about $200 for it.

    The other thing I did is buy an adjustable desk. I ended up buying that at IKEA. I am 6'4" and most desks are too short for me. With the adjustable desk, I am able to set it the correct height.

  • by bravura on 5/24/21, 3:42 PM

    FYI, the Wirecutter has a great review of different office chair options: https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/best-office-chair...

  • by cschneid on 5/24/21, 3:50 PM

    I have an old Aeron I bought during my first work from home stint 10+ years ago. It's my daily chair for hours of time, and has held up wonderfully.

    Cost me something like $600 back then, so at $60/year so far of service, it's cheaper than burning through cheap office depot chairs.

  • by dsr_ on 5/24/21, 3:46 PM

    The best thing for me has been to change several times through the day.

    I start off in a random office chair. Mid-morning I switch to sitting on an exercise ball.

    In the afternoon, I sit at the kitchen table for a while, and then move back to either the office chair or the ball.

  • by Krisjohn on 5/24/21, 11:19 PM

    After growing pain I guessed was related to the wooden kitchen chair I was using in the study, I went to OfficeWorks to buy a basic office chair. After failing to be able to assemble it due to the holes being in the wrong place on the frame, I returned it and bought the cheapest proper office chair from a proper business furniture supplier. It was 3-4 times the price of the crap from a glorified K-mart, but it's been great.

    (I also bought one of those "upright" mice that means your wrist isn't twisted all the time. I liked it so much, I bought a second one for the office, for the half day a week I'm there.)

  • by jlos on 5/24/21, 4:15 PM

    1) Main is a standing desk with a wobble board. The wobble board allows for constant micro-adjustments and also a few good 'steady' position for focusing

    2) Ikea Nilserik wobble stool. This lets me "perch" in a semi standing position and, again, make lots of movement throughout the day. I also reposition myself on this regularly.

    3) Kneeling chair

    4) normal office chair for little breaks (30 minutes in the morning and 30 in the afternoon)

    I would never go back to just sitting in a chair all day. I've never seen anyone who can maintain good posture for 8 hours a day. And even if you do, your still weakening your glutes and abs while tightening your hips and calves.

  • by pluc on 5/24/21, 4:02 PM

    I bought an Herman-Miller Embody some years ago. It's prohibitively expensive, but given that I sit on this chair easily for 10-12+ hours a day, I wanted to get the best possible option and it hasn't aged a bit in 5 years.

  • by tboyd47 on 5/24/21, 3:23 PM

    Most useful would be to pay attention to your body while working and figure out where the tension buildup starts, then try to relieve that tension. Ergonomic products (even the most expensive ones) don't always help.

  • by codingdave on 5/24/21, 3:59 PM

    La-Z-Boy recliner as well as a barstool-height office chair. I have a standing desk, so I vary it - I tend to stand on meeting-heavy days, use the recliner on code-heavy days, and the stool on days that are split.

    One of the best lessons about your WFH setup is that you are not in an office. Don't limit yourself to what would be office-acceptable - find what works for you.

    Also, the people are correct who are saying that your activity level matters more. I swim and take a 2 mile hike every morning, and it makes all the difference.

  • by crisdux on 5/24/21, 3:39 PM

    I purchased a lightly used Steelcase Gesture a few months ago. I had been using an Ikea Markus. It relieved all pain and discomfort I was feeling. I should have made the purchase sooner.

  • by everybodyknows on 5/24/21, 4:12 PM

    > won't break the bank

    I bought several Steelcase Leap for $75 apiece from a business that was closing. Ugly stains, but unworn fabric and perfect mechanicals.

    Try auction sites: Craigslist, OfferUp, Nextdoor.

  • by approxim8ion on 5/24/21, 8:21 PM

    This January I bought an ergonomic chair from a well-established local furniture brand (I don't live in the US or EU, and don't want to name it because it identifies my nationality). Mesh back, decent lumbar support, high and tilt adjust, arm rests adjustable both ways, pretty much most of the hits. It cost me about $150 new. I've been very happy with it. They have good support and a 3 year warranty, although that might be a little on the low side.

  • by dheera on 5/24/21, 4:04 PM

    I'm using this chair. It regularly bites my elbow and arm. I'm looking for a better one.

    The rest of the chair is great, the arm rests suck. If you're okay with being bitten a few times a day, it's not that bad otherwise.

    https://www.walmart.com/ip/Flash-Furniture-Mid-Back-Mesh-Off...

  • by fireflash38 on 5/24/21, 3:59 PM

    Haworth Soji. But as people say, try to not be static in whatever chair you do get. I find if you drink a lot of water (coffee/tea), you get mandatory breaks.

  • by whycombagator on 5/24/21, 5:52 PM

    herman miller aeron with all the bells & whistles + an after market headrest. I also considered dozens of other chairs, but it came down to various steelcase models (including the leap & lounge) & the HM aeron. I really wanted a headrest and I wanted to resell it easily down the line (HM aerons arent easily refurbished, they are iconic, and so they sell for more $$$ than a used steelcase) - so i went with HM.

    I bought mine open box return from an authorized reseller, during a HM 15% sale, with an extra discount from the reseller for $600 off new retail. It is literally like new. In 10-20 years, assuming the HM used market is the same as it is now, I will be able to sell it for 50% of what I bought it for. Meaning it cost me roughly $450

    Now for the review of the chair itself:

    It is good, but not mind blowing or life changing like some HM fanatics will have you believe. It is a decent chair, I have back, neck, hip, etc issues and it does help - but to be honest I expected the chair to be better than it is.

    I have sat in a steelcase leap, a HM embody, a haworth zody, and many others. No office chair out there blew me away, but the build quality, aesthetics, and resale of the HM helped sway me in the end.

  • by jpm_sd on 5/24/21, 4:02 PM

    I have a mediocre Ikea chair[1] and a sit/stand desk that I stand at maybe 25-30% of the day.

    I lift weights, swim, bike, and do yoga. That combination has resolved the back and hip pain I used to suffer from.

    [1] https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/hattefjaell-office-chair-gunnar...

  • by TheManInThePub on 5/24/21, 3:57 PM

    > Can you recommend a chair

    No.

    I'm going against the grain of most replies here. It isn't a specific chair you need (perfectly good, bog standard office chairs are fully adjustable and ten a penny) but to instead take regular stretch breaks and don't slouch.

    If I was a Silicon Valley geek, I'd recommend regular 10 minute yoga breaks, but since I'm British I find frequent walks around the garden with a cup of tea do the job just as well :-)

  • by Yarduza on 5/24/21, 4:16 PM

    As a veteran professional sitter, I recommend noblechairs Hero.

    https://noblechairs.com/products/hero

    It's a gaming chair that is rated as best for back support: https://www.pcgamer.com/best-gaming-chairs/ Item number 6

  • by LB232323 on 5/24/21, 3:43 PM

    Learn some stretches that relieve the pain from sitting for long periods. There is a lot of good information online for neck, back, and hip stretches, and a daily routine of these have removed the pain for myself.

    It's probably not the best, but I use a recliner and a remote keyboard/mouse with a tv. It's not the most professional, but my employers are more concerned with results than how I sit.

  • by mamcx on 5/24/21, 3:45 PM

    > neck, back, and hip pain developing. Some of it is because of my renewed interest in working out

    Ask for help in which work outs work best for that. IMHO yoga help me a lot and everything that look like plank.

    Also, consider a Stan-up setup too. And I have discovered that different padding in your chair change the posture, so maybe try with different positions of the pillows or similar?

  • by devfatigue on 5/24/21, 5:16 PM

    If you have an Amazon return warehouse or people that buy pallets, they often have gamer chairs, office chairs and some nice ergonomic ones. Some places have the already assembled. Deep discounts, nice and it doesn't require waiting on Prime. If you don't have that option try a foam wedge, also cheap and will work with many existing chairs.

  • by omoikane on 5/24/21, 4:13 PM

    I bought a Steelcase Think back in 2014 to match the same chair that our company provided for the office. It was a good deal, especially when I amortize the cost over the number of years that I have been sitting on it.

    https://photos.app.goo.gl/imeW6GJqk1RVgdKGA

  • by klyrs on 5/24/21, 3:43 PM

    Piano bench. I've had chronic lower back pain for decades, despite having a Herman Miller at work. When I sit at the piano bench, I maintain good posture. Can't do it forever, so I take a break occasionally to stretch a little (I was supposed to be doing that anyway). It's great, and my lower back pain is gone.

  • by gabrielsroka on 5/24/21, 10:00 PM

    I bought a $1,000 Steelcase chair, but it was too stiff so I returned it. They have a 30-day return policy. I called and drove around to find a used one but I couldn't. Then I bought a $300 chair from Office Depot and it fits me.

    Also, my employer will reimburse us for WFH expenses, including chairs, desks, lamps, monitors, etc.

  • by duyhtq on 5/24/21, 3:47 PM

  • by nekoashide on 5/24/21, 3:50 PM

    Ikea MARKUS it's $200 but has been pretty good to me, the price of a used Aeron is higher. The things is the MARKUS has a 10 year warranty though Ikea and is pretty comfortable and a solid price. I have used both and they are both pretty comfy to me but the Aeron is too much to pay.

  • by quazar987 on 5/24/21, 3:47 PM

    I use 20+ year old hard plastic chair. If pandemic continues I can use it for next 30 years probably.

  • by sathomasga on 5/24/21, 4:27 PM

    [Varier Wing](https://varierfurniture.com/en_us/collection/wing)

    I had to special order it in the U.S., and it cost a heck of a lot, but worth every penny.

  • by blackearl on 5/24/21, 5:00 PM

    I got a used Herman Miller Aeron about 5 years ago for a couple hundred $. Since then I've added a third party headrest. All these years later and it's still in great shape. I've seen these actually increase in price on craigslist which is nuts

  • by gtm1260 on 5/24/21, 4:06 PM

    Used Herman Miller chair. Many furniture warehouses near cities have so many, many lightly used HM and Steelcase office chairs coming in from office closures and downsizing, and are selling them at bargain basement prices.

    I know a few in the bay area feel free to DM for info.

  • by jahabrewer on 5/24/21, 3:56 PM

    EAG Management. It's expensive, but I'm over the moon about it. Phenomenal chair. I got one for cheaper by ordering a scratch and dent (hardly) from the ebay store of a HM distributor.

    edit: Also, you start seeing this chair _everywhere_ in movies and TV.

  • by dominik_z on 5/24/21, 3:22 PM

    Been there, opted for a Herman Miller Lino and I am super happy now. For me it was the middle ground between the high-class (and high-capex) Aeron and Embody and some no-name stuff that isnt any better than our chairs for the dining table.

  • by moepstar on 5/24/21, 3:42 PM

    A Nowy Styl "Viden" with headrest: https://nowystyl.com/en/products/154/viden/

  • by khyryk on 5/25/21, 12:53 AM

    I've been using a rebrand of what I think is the Alera Elusion for more than a year now and it's working pretty well for me. It was somewhere in the range of $160-180 from Costco.

  • by yesenadam on 5/26/21, 3:24 PM

    I sit on a cushion on the floor to use the computer. Or sit directly on the floor. Have done so for..nearly 30 years. Not sure why I like it, but I do.

  • by CloudBuddy on 5/25/21, 11:41 AM

    Try sitting on an exercise ball instead of a chair. It worked for me. It takes a couple of weeks to build up to the point of being able to completely ditch the chair.

  • by thestu on 5/24/21, 4:46 PM

    HAG Capisco. I think a big detriment to many chairs is that you end up in one position and never move. The Capisco seems to encourage a lot of fidgeting around, in a good way.

  • by yodon on 5/24/21, 4:12 PM

    Loving my Eames chair knockoff. Best looking chair ever designed IMHO, and much more comfortable than a desk chair. Laptop on my lap, big monitors on a nearby table.

  • by runjake on 5/24/21, 5:06 PM

    I bought a $150 Hon chair from Costco. It was great for about 5 months but then the padding got worn out and now it puts my legs to sleep.

  • by jimmaswell on 5/24/21, 3:51 PM

    Some old armchair/recliner my grandparents had, the chair or bench outside, or previously various couches.

  • by sys_64738 on 5/24/21, 5:39 PM

    I use a standing desk. No chair 4 U!

  • by poopsmithe on 5/24/21, 3:59 PM

    What the heck is WFH?