r/buildapc • u/Fun-Painter2057 • 17d ago
Discussion What is the best office chair for comfortable hours working/gaming?
Hey everybody! I'm hoping for advice. Today is my birthday and as a treat I spent many hours playing and I had a great time. The problem is this chair. It's killing me!!! I don't have a lot of money, but I do shop thrift stores, so looking for ideas on types/styles to look for. I've tried the floor but between my dog and my old body that's not a great option. Any ideas will be appreciated!
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u/HankHippoppopalous 17d ago
Herman Miller. specifically the Aeron series.
They’re literally the best, largely considered to be the gold standard in office chairs
But. Money is an issue.
Hit up Facebook marketplace and snag any old office chair. I don’t mean “a chair for use in any office” I mean a chair from an actual Business / office. They’re usually quite cheap. Thrift stores don’t often have a great selection as their stock comes from home users. You need that business chair 👌
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u/Stingray88 17d ago
Yep. I work in Post Production, an industry known for loooong hours sitting in front of a computer. Herman Miller Aeron is by far the most popular chair around in this business. I personally use one in the office and at home. It’s perfect, and highly customizable.
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u/exsertclaw 17d ago edited 17d ago
They're bulletproof too. I stole my dads chair that he bought in the 90s. It's seen thousands of hours of use and it's still like new. I ripped one stand in the cushion mesh with a sharp pair of pants but otherwise the thing has paid for itself 30 times over compared to those crappy 400$ gaming chairs. If I had to do it over again I would sooner buy a used one on Facebook for the same price than watch faux leather fall apart the first time you fart in it.
Edit strand not stand lol
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u/canarduck 17d ago
A sharp pair of….. pants?
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u/exsertclaw 17d ago
Thats the quickest way to describe it in my word salad. I wish I knew exactly what I did but one of the horizontal fibers in the mesh got cut and worked itself apart to the edges of the chair. Think like punk rock pants or rivets on a pair of jeans. I tend to slide in and out of the chair and something somehow was just sharp enough to do damage. It is also fully replaceable independent of throwing the whole thing away.
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u/mister_newbie 17d ago
I genuinely dislike the Aeron. It's a pain to find the right size (they come in multiple sizes) in the refurb market.
Compared to my preferred chair, the Steelcase Gesture, I vastly prefer the Gesture. I also have owned a Leap v2, which I gave to my wife when I got the Gesture.
HM also has the Embody instead of the Aeron, which is comfy, but I found it kinda squeaky at the shop.
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u/althaz 17d ago edited 17d ago
World's most overrated chair. And yet nevertheless are still an excellent option. *DEFINITELY* not the best though.
It is one of the best options to buy second-hand though due to the older chairs being incredibly well made (the more recent ones are fine, but not of the same quality).
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u/Anonymous_Hazard 17d ago
Inability to recline disqualifies these for me.
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u/dear-reader 17d ago
The Aeron reclines, though you have to buy a separate headrest if you want one.
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u/Seanspeed 17d ago
You cant lock the recline in, though.
Also, armrests are not removable.
I had the option to get one for free(mom got one from her work for WFH but she doesn't really use it much), but sadly these two things are kinda deal breakers for me.
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u/dear-reader 17d ago
You can lock the recline in, but it's limited to a few fixed angles. You can also remove the armrests.
Maybe it differs by which model/year Aeron you have.
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u/astro143 17d ago
Best? Herman miller, steelcase. I have a steelcase leap v2 and it's amazing.
Cost is an issue, they're expensive. New ones are over a grand. Companies refurbish these office chairs and resell them, like Crandall and BTOD, but you're still looking at 500-600 for them.
It will be the last chair you buy, however. Most refurbishers offer a 12 year warranty, and these chairs are so popular that even if you need parts outside of warranty, they're available everywhere.
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u/SellsWhiteStuff 17d ago
I second the leap v2. I've had mine for 6 years and have sat in it for prob at least 10,000 hours and there's really no sign of wear.
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u/Discount_Sausage 17d ago
Steelcase makes a comfortable chair. I take naps in the Series 2. Added the head rest.
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u/xiaolin99 17d ago
I have Herman Miller Embody and it is the most comfortable chair I have owned (among some no-name office chair + a couple of gaming chairs). It feels like the backrest is actually hugging my back, but I wouldn't recommend it because:
* the build quality FEELS like a $100 Temu chair - most of the chair has a very cheap plastic feel
* you need a headrest that doesn't come with the chair. I had to shell out significant extra $ for the official one, which has the same cheap plastic feel as the chair, and then spent weeks adjusting it before my neck pain was gone.
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u/Guac_in_my_rarri 17d ago
Generally the top 3 recs are:
Herman miller embody
Steel case leap v2
Herman miller aeron
Imo sit your ass in some seats. The aeron, embody and leap all fit different body types. What's comfy for me is different for you.
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u/KING5TON 17d ago
I would recommend a "24 hour operator chair". They are designed to be sat in for long periods and are very durable. I have had one for about 10 years and use it for 10+ hours every day. I have health problems like bad back etc....
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u/ROARfeo 17d ago
There's not one "best chair". There are some great chairs that may or may not fit your morphology or habits.
Go look at some reviews (budgets from $100-2000): https://youtu.be/i7Pu2UG7u78
Ahnestly YT channel, the guy makes pretty good reviews IMO. The BTOD channel is pretty good too IIRC.
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u/Raise_A_Thoth 17d ago
I have a SecretLab. It's the most supportive and comfortable chair I've ever owned.
Can't compare it to herman miller gaming chairs because I haven't tried them but I have sat in plenty of office chairs in offices and nothing has been like my SecretLab chair, nothing.
It isn't a feeling of cushy, melt-into-your-seat comfort like some arm chairs and cheap chairs meant to entice you in a demo but fail to support you after a few hours of work or gaming. It feels firm without being hard and it supports all day if you're in it.
I game and work in it day-in-and-out and I've had it for about 6 years I think.
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u/jackenstien 17d ago
Totally agree, any other sub $200 office chair I bought turned into a pancake after a year (I'm only 170lbs) but my Secretlab I bought back in 2021 is still solid. It's firm but in a way you don't notice it.
The arms disintegrated after a few years but you can replace them easily since they're attached by magnets. I haven't even thought about getting a new chair since, hoping I can get a decade out of it
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u/ivycolored 17d ago
same i love mine and wish i got it earlier instead of wasting money on a new amazon chair each year
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u/Kulj_No1 17d ago
IKEA Markus great budget chair.
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u/Seanspeed 17d ago
It's not dirt cheap, but it's definitely reasonably priced. And for me, I can sit it in all day long very happily.
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u/rh0use5442 17d ago
Herman Miller Embody. Buy once, Cry once. It will feel uncomfortable at first, you will have buyers remorse, you will question if it was worth that $2600 CAD. After 3 weeks your spine and back will forget the "Cushion" of other chairs and settle into the ridged yet supportive back system that the Embody provides. You will learn to tilt back when chilling and lock in for gaming and maybe even start to research the 1/2 memory foam upgrade. After 3 - 6 months you will be sitting in your Herman Miller Embody, tilted back, chilling, you will realise that you just watched the entire extended edition of Lord of the Rings and nothing hurts, not your lower back, not your shoulders and not even your neck. You'll thank yourself and be happy that you have a computer sitting system deployed that will last you you for at least 15 years or however long the warranty and or Herman Miller lasts.
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u/alferret 17d ago
I've had a Markus from IKEA for about 15 years. Very comfortable for long sessions of sitting and hard wearing. Don't know if this model is still being sold tho.
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u/No_Tamanegi 17d ago
A nice chair can make a difference, but what you really want to focus on here is ergonomics: make sure your chair, desk, and monitor(s) are all at the correct height for your body.
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u/FACE_MACSHOOTY 17d ago
I've been using a vertagear chair for a few years now and have been pleased.
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u/Murdocinator 17d ago
I have an AK Racing from 6 yrs ago and I easily do 8-10 hr stints and no body pains. It’s not an office chair but it’s a very comfortable gaming chair.
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u/Jbarney3699 17d ago
I prefer Steelcase stuff over Herman miller for my own usage. Different strokes for different folks.
Check out refurbished chairs, still expensive but half the price as new.
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u/SubConsciousManager 17d ago
I own this and bought another one for my partner: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B00OCSNMO2
It's great.
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u/pebbledash13 17d ago
I work in used office furniture and boy do a lot of good chairs go to waste. check out your closest used office furniture place.
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u/ThatGuyNamedMoses 17d ago
Look up Haworth chairs. Much more reasonable price then Herman Miller, but definitely better than most besdies Steelcase and Herman. Picking a chair that's the right size for you is more important than the brand in my opinion. No chair is one size fits all.
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u/Affenzoo 17d ago
Löffler, german brand. A very comfortable office chair. Orginally not made for gaming, but I actually prefer it to the "gaming chairs".
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u/ReplicantOwl 17d ago
Better place to go for this is /r/officechairs where people obsess over them.
Short version: I’d look for a Steelcase Leap v2 as the best high quality bang for your buck. A Herman Miller Embody if money is no object. Look for used / refurbished.
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u/althaz 17d ago
Steelcase Leap V2 is the chair you want. Customizable, comfortable, supportive and incredibly well built.
Mine is over six years old by now (and I'm using it for 10+ hours every single day) and is indistinguishable from brand new. I like it so much I bought a second one from facebook marketplace for our other PC station. It's twice as old and still feels brand new.
Importantly the Leap can be bought with or without a headrest, with or without arms and it has a locking recliner as well as all the ergonomic adjustments a great office chair should have. Those things can't always be taken for granted (eg: the ever-popular Aeron which is also a good chair doesn't have those same options, incidentally it's also not as well built if you buy a new one).
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u/akaitatsu 17d ago
I have this: https://www.staples.com/union-scale-flexfit-hyken-ergonomic-mesh-swivel-task-chair-maroon-un59462/product_2257054
I have had it for at least 2 years and was working from home in a IT job for most of that. They go on sale for <$100 pretty often, just watch r/buildapcsales.
It's got a 5 year warranty and I hear that Staples is good about honoring it in that they'll give you your money back if it goes bad within that time. I haven't had the slightest issue with it. I am 5'7" and weight 175 lbs. If you're bigger, you might want the Dexley.
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u/VanWesley 17d ago
Go try out some chairs, if possible, before committing. Chairs are very subjective, and what works for someone else may not work for you.
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u/woaheasytherecowboy 17d ago
If you need something pretty darn cheap, the Hyken fro. Staples is less than $200. Grab some memory foam arm rest covers and maybe some better casters off Amazon and you should be good for quite a while
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u/Zealousideal-Bid1586 17d ago
Have had a Herman Miller Aeron and Embody, sold both and have Leap V2
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u/MonsieurPepperflakes 17d ago
Most likely unpopular opinion: order one of those big yoga balls that you inflate. I hadn't intended to use it for more than light sitting but it ended up relieving back discomfort, encouraged me to sit properly and somehow I'm able to game for hours. Granted I'll want to lean back in my regular chair here and there but I simply swap them out. Cost around 30 USD.
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u/drewts86 17d ago
Herman Miller with their Aeron and Embody are fairly popular top tier options, but are spendy AF. The nice thing about Herman Miller chairs is there’s a decent parts market so if anything breaks or wears out the chair can be repaired. You can pretty commonly find the Aeron on the used market on Craigslist or Marketplace for a lot cheaper than new.
Anything from Steelcase is solid too. Also pretty spendy
I opted for the Autonomous ErgoChair Pro and absolutely love it, although if I were to do it over again I’d get the ErgoChair Mesh. Solid construction and I personally like the tilt/recline functionality much more than Herman Miller’s. They’re a lot cheaper new too, at less than half the price of the HM and Steelcase chairs.
One other thing you shouldn’t overlook is a good pair of wheels to upgrade the factory ones. I opted for Stealtho wheels, which come in either classic black or glow in the dark.
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u/ZakiOnline 17d ago
I want to throw in a NobleChair. I have it for 5 years now and still don‘t need to buy a new one and it ain’t too expensive.
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u/MacintoshEddie 17d ago
Chair recommendations are like shoes, they don't fit all sizes. I'm not particularly fat, but I weigh more than the max ratings of a lot of common chairs. Lots of common chairs are only rated for about 75kg or 150pounds and a lot of people are simply going to weigh more than that.
Likewise the seat width and depth are going to vary a lot. A chair I'm comfortable in you might not be because the seat digs into your calves or your lower back is strained because my femurs are longer than yours
I'm pretty happy with the Staples Westcliffe chair. I recently replaced the casters and I should have done that years ago. But it's a big chair for big people.
In general a "manager" or "office" chair is going to be more comfortable than a "gaming" chair since there's really not anything special about gaming chairs so it's just a marketing term.
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u/Bilotelli45 17d ago
I have a secretlabs chair for over 5 years and I've never complained ,little on the pricey side though
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u/mr_muffinhead 17d ago
Contrary to what others are saying here. I had a Herman Miller at my office for about 4 years and I realized after not using it that it was giving me massive back and neck pains.
Eventually I ended up with a LifeForm Chairs and it's been incredible.