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So... I've been looking into "proper" computer chairs for back support and HOLY FUCKING SHIT
- Thread starter Vex
- Start date
i have a makus for years now and i'm not sure if i like it or if it will mess up my back eventually because it's only sort of comfy when you recline as far back as you can but i doubt sitting like that is good for your spine. i still get backpain from time to time.
If you spend $450 on a couch then the couch you're getting might as well be one of those $100 gaming chairs. A decent couch is easily twice that, and most likely two or three times as much.
Herman Miller are considered top-end desk chairs and they are built to last. If that's too much then you either find something in the middle range or buy one used.
Herman Miller are considered top-end desk chairs and they are built to last. If that's too much then you either find something in the middle range or buy one used.
this. I've got one of these and they're so comfy and the lumbar support is excellent.
I dno if I agree with the Markus sentiments in this thread as a very tall person. Don't get me wrong I'm using one because it's the cheapest bang for buck decent looking office chair you can get imo but the ergonomics of it leave something to be desired for me. While I assume the curve on the backrest is fine for people like 6'4 and under for everyone over that the curve just jams into your lower back making it hard to actually use the backrest without feeling like some sort of curvy pretzel person.
I personally use the Markus with the tilt almost perma-engaged so the backrest is out of the way and I sit on it like it's one of those sitting balls. The only time the backrest gets use is when I'm slouching and laying back in it. The non adjustable nature of the headrest also means it's more like an upper neck cushion than a headrest for me. I also feel like the armrests are terribly designed and are a manspreaders worst nightmare because I used to have terrible compression marks on my thighs after prolonged sitting sessions until I removed them.
Basically if you're average sized get the Markus if not you're probably going to want to spend more or adjust your expectations.
I personally use the Markus with the tilt almost perma-engaged so the backrest is out of the way and I sit on it like it's one of those sitting balls. The only time the backrest gets use is when I'm slouching and laying back in it. The non adjustable nature of the headrest also means it's more like an upper neck cushion than a headrest for me. I also feel like the armrests are terribly designed and are a manspreaders worst nightmare because I used to have terrible compression marks on my thighs after prolonged sitting sessions until I removed them.
Basically if you're average sized get the Markus if not you're probably going to want to spend more or adjust your expectations.
Meanwhile at Ikea...
How much adjustability does that chair have? You need to have adjustability for the chair to fit you correctly. The arms should adjust, the chair should raise lower, back tilt, back height, seat pan, etc.
You can spend around $350 CAD and get something like that. A chair without any adjustment features is not worth it.
Been generally happy with the Markus since 2015. Weirdly unintentionally, it now also matches my computer in color so I can't throw it out now, lol.
I bought a Herman Miller and will probably never use anything else. I can sit on that chair for an entire day and the thought of discomfort will never cross my mind.
I believe the chairs have a 12 year warranty. They'll last forever if you take care of them. They can often be found for less than retail in mint condition from failed startups/businesses.
Comparing Herman Miller to Ikea is insane.
I believe the chairs have a 12 year warranty. They'll last forever if you take care of them. They can often be found for less than retail in mint condition from failed startups/businesses.
Comparing Herman Miller to Ikea is insane.
Primary reason for failure? Buying too many Herman Miller chairs.
I went thru 3 computer chairs before I found the perfect one. Before that I spent a pretty good amount of money, I had lower back problems, wrist problems, elbow problems from lightly pressing in my elbows into the fluffy armrests (that really messed me up for awhile.)
Eventually out of desperation I landed on this POS from my basement that I don't even remember where we got (there was 6 of them stacked on top of each other, dried paint on some of them just sitting there for god knows how long before I started using them.) I've been sitting on this thing for 4 years for at least 4-8 hours most days and my back has been fine ever since switching a few years ago... Try a dumb ass chair out, you honestly might be surprised.
You did well. Me I have often favoured stool more than chair during my 25 years of work in video postproduction.
I was in college when the first tech bubble burst, and picked up a basically brand new Aeron cheap.
I've had it for 20 years now, still going strong. It's overpriced, but they are really comfortable and built like tanks.
I've had it for 20 years now, still going strong. It's overpriced, but they are really comfortable and built like tanks.
Furniture in general is just very expensive. I recently finished decorating my house that I bought and I really had to make a switch in my mindset regarding Furniture. If you want something pretty/good it is going to cost you.
3 Years Ago I would never believe that I would buy a couch for 3000 Euros like I did.
On the other side It also makes it more easy to justify buying certain products. A high end GFX card of 1300 Euro seems like a lot less money compared to that couch ;)
3 Years Ago I would never believe that I would buy a couch for 3000 Euros like I did.
On the other side It also makes it more easy to justify buying certain products. A high end GFX card of 1300 Euro seems like a lot less money compared to that couch ;)
Yeah, you want something that can adjust more than that. If you've ever done an ergonomic assessment, that's the first thing they recommend to implement their evaluation.
Here is an example of a chair with some of these functions: HERE
I've never used this chair, so it's just to give you an idea.
I got that one OP, and it's great. If you're 6feet> there's a tweak you can do with the headrest, if not, you're good. It's really comfortable, and a lot more affordable than an herman miller if you don't have 1k to drop on a chair right now
If you spend any significant amount of time in front of a computer, the price of a good ergonomic chair is more than worth it.
I just went for one of these: https://arozzi.se/product/vernazza-soft-fabric/
Never had problems with back pain but I need something for my neck and shoulders.
Never had problems with back pain but I need something for my neck and shoulders.
I own a Markus and it does not resolve the tailbone pain I have from sitting in another ikea chair. Cushions are way too firm. I might buy a steel case cause that's what they have in the office and they are comfy as fuck.
Markus has all adjustments you would expect minus adjustable armrests. There's also slightly more expensive version of Markus chair called JÄRVFJÄLLET (yeah, I know) with even more adjustability. This one has adjustable headrest and lumbar support.
that's a herman miller, ofc it's expensive. if you've ever had chronic back pain from spending a 8+ hours a day sitting in a bad chair then suddenly 1k doesn't seem like the world.
1k for a piece of furniture that protects your health, if you can afford it, it aint cheap, but it aint expensive.
to be clear, i'm a pleb and use a markus ikea chair, but i dont think it's outrageous to spend that much on something you spend such a significant amount of time using.
Never had a problem with Markus cushions. I think they are intended to be this way because firm cushion are healthier for your sitting posture. I never had any pains even after very extensive gaming sessions. Like I mentioned in previous page, I sit on Herman Miller Aeron at work all day, and seat is just as firm as Markus chair.
I've been desperate for a chair for a long time, but I've basically given up. I have a bad back from years of poor posture in crap chairs and from multiple work-place injuries. I sit in front of the computer all day as I work from home and I'm just so miserable. I'm both short and heavy, so that complicates matters further. I'm currently rocking this for the last 6 months as it was on sale on Amazon, and it's no better... https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B074SRKX9H/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I'm typing this post right now in significant pain, and I honestly don't know what to do at this point. I can't afford spending hundreds upon hundreds for a chair nor know of any office clearance places by me.
I'm typing this post right now in significant pain, and I honestly don't know what to do at this point. I can't afford spending hundreds upon hundreds for a chair nor know of any office clearance places by me.
You almost certainly need to see an actual physiotherapist. There's limited things switching chairs will do when you already have a messed up back - a good chair will help and may stop it from getting worse but it won't be able to fix significant existing problems. You need to see a specialist first and foremost.
A 'proper', good quality couch easily sets you back 2000-3000. What are you even talking about, the cheapest ikea dorm room couch or something?
Quality costs money. There's stuff in every price range but if you want something that'll last decades then it won't be cheap.
Quality costs money. There's stuff in every price range but if you want something that'll last decades then it won't be cheap.
I went to a doctor and physical therapy after the last accident. That was on my last jobs dime, but now I don't have insurance and I'm not going to any doctor for any of my problems as a result. I'm already in debt, I'm not going further. Not trying to be stubborn, I wish I could get more checked out. But... just not possible.
Have you considered trying a standing desk? I used to get chronic knee injuries, and switching to a standing desk at work more or less cured it.
Do people use the headrests on their chairs? I always found I had to lean back way too far for the headrest to come into play, so I now just use a chair without one.
This is 100% why we buy them, the warranty is no questions asked, they just show up and fix the issue. That said, it looks like Ikea's warranty attempts to offer similar, but I don't know about how it works in practice. Fun fact: Treyarch took over from Stamps.com's offices many years ago and inherited a bunch of their HM equipment.
We had Embody chairs at work and they were just not gelling with me no matter what I did to adjust it. I went to a little Dota tournament with team DC and I tried a "gaming chair." I fell in love with how it felt to sit in one and looked up some brands. The Secret Labs Omega was perfect for me, so much so I convinced my work place to replace my Embody with a Secret Labs Omega. My ass and my back are happier now.
I'm 35, gamed a lot from my couch, have an office job, so I'm sitting most of the day if I'm not working out or going out... About summer two years ago I was getting some CHRONIC lower back pain that would not go away and started taking note of my seating habits - I would generally slouch when gaming on my couch and my "nice" "leather" office chair was kind of slouching itself making it difficult to find a correct seating position, so I started looking into proper ergonomic chairs.
Long story short, it wasn't until November came around that I saw some local Black Friday Herman Miller deals (which apparently are very rare), and I got my company to foot the bill for an Embody for my office and I bought one myself for my home. Quite literally my best, favorite ever purchase. It's been a life saver, my back was fine within a couple days of using it and has been perfect since.
Obviously you don't need a Herman Miller, a cheaper one will do, as long as it's a "proper" ergonomic chair. Gamer chairs tend to be terrible for your back after a certain age, they can be very stiff and unforgiving.
Also, start taking note of what chairs they use in movies, the HM Aerons are EVERYWHERE. Once you see one, you won't stop seeing them.
Long story short, it wasn't until November came around that I saw some local Black Friday Herman Miller deals (which apparently are very rare), and I got my company to foot the bill for an Embody for my office and I bought one myself for my home. Quite literally my best, favorite ever purchase. It's been a life saver, my back was fine within a couple days of using it and has been perfect since.
Obviously you don't need a Herman Miller, a cheaper one will do, as long as it's a "proper" ergonomic chair. Gamer chairs tend to be terrible for your back after a certain age, they can be very stiff and unforgiving.
Also, start taking note of what chairs they use in movies, the HM Aerons are EVERYWHERE. Once you see one, you won't stop seeing them.
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I'd never spend $1000 in a chair unless, maybe, it was one of these big sofa leather massagging kind of thing...
Max I would do is $200 or maybe $300, anything that has armrests and comfotable leather materials.
Many gaming chairs have been meh for me.
Max I would do is $200 or maybe $300, anything that has armrests and comfotable leather materials.
Many gaming chairs have been meh for me.
buy used, we just had multiple threads about chairs in the past 2 months. I'm sitting in a steelcase leap that retails for $1000 for about $200. I sit on an HM Aeron at work and hate it
^^^
Best way to get one is to get them off of craiglist or eBay.
HM chairs are very high quality and have a 12yr warranty. So it's like $80/yr or something. That's less than a Netflix sub and will last longer than most couches.
That's what I have and I love the back support.Meanwhile at Ikea...
Wish I could adjust it a bit more but for the price I can't complain.
I had this in law school and it did the job for a bit but the higher end stuff is definitely worth it over this. The cushion for your bottom wears out and the back support is just okay.Meanwhile at Ikea...
If you work at a desk you spend 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, 48 weeks a year in a chair, approximately 2000 hours a year.
By the time you're in your 40s you've spent approximately 40000 hours sitting in chairs.
Given the alternative possibility of back injury / pain / medical bills, a $1000 chair starts to seem pretty damn cheap.
I have a Herman Miller Mirra 2 chair at home and at work and I wouldn't use anything else 😊
By the time you're in your 40s you've spent approximately 40000 hours sitting in chairs.
Given the alternative possibility of back injury / pain / medical bills, a $1000 chair starts to seem pretty damn cheap.
I have a Herman Miller Mirra 2 chair at home and at work and I wouldn't use anything else 😊