Shopping for a chair

[comp12]

I'm going out soon to get a new chair. No, I'm not having problems with committee members. Yes, I find the piece of furniture in my bedroom is inadequate. I live in a furnished apartment, and have found my current chair to be too budget-dorm'ish that I think I'd like to splurge on a new one. I spend so many hours of my day sitting at my laptop that an investment might be a good idea.

I'm clueless about shopping around for furniture, since in the past I've only just made bulk trips to Ikea and have huge sprees where the things I buy seem to be more influenced by sticker price and spur-of-the-moment "aesthetic" decisions rather than thought out rational decisions. I have no idea how to compare or how pricing goes for good quality chairs. Does anybody have any tips or specific models they like? Lumbar support is appreciated for when I need to spend hours working on the laptop, but recline and armrest adjustments are important too for when I'm doing extensive reading, etc.

Thanks!

[rising_star]

I went to a couple of office supply stores and tried out several chairs before deciding on mine. Ultimately, I went with one that's rated for 6-8 hours of use daily and that works ergonomically so that my elbows and knees could be in proper alignment while I work.

[comp12]

I did some quick searches for "ergonomic chairs" and received some rude sticker shock. (Gee, so apparently it's those chairs in my TA office that has been eating up my department's funding!) What kind of a budget am I looking at here? Is it possible AT ALL to get something comfy and practical for under 100 bucks?

[rising_star]

Mine was around $100 but I also used a 30% off coupon that I found online when I bought it... But seriously, it's worth speding serious money if it's a place where you are going to be sitting for hours and hours each day.

[TakeruK]

I think some "ergonomic chairs" found online are at an extreme end of "ergonomicalness" (or whatever you call it) as I remember my previous searches turning up prices of $700+ !!

 

I agree with rising_star about spending good money on a chair (and also a bed). We spend almost all of our time in one or the other!

 

Before, I used a chair from Staples but I don't remember the model/name since I sold it when I moved to my PhD school. Now, I am using this chair from IKEA: http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/30212487/ . However, I spend almost all of my working time in the office, so I probably only use that chair for a few hours a week (mostly doing homework on my desk at home).

[Eigen]

So one thing that I wasn't sure about:

 

Are you looking for a desk chair, or something else?

 

Because when I'm at home, I much prefer a comfy plush chair with my laptop in my lap or a lap desk than sitting at my desk. 

 

It's been a few years since I shopped, but most stores (for office chairs) should have ratings based on how many hours a day you "should" sit in them. It's worth it to spend the money for something that will fit that time-frame for you. 

 

I think it's easy to underbudget on a good mattress and a good chair (and comfortable shoes), but I probably spend 1/3rd of my day in either a chair or in bed. Good chairs will also last a number of years- the chair in my office at school is one I bought for my desk at home as an undergrad, and it's showing it's age but is still very comfortable, and very supportive. 

[Usmivka]

...spending good money on a chair (and also a bed)...

YES! I got a new bed a few months back and my quality of life is so much better. I sleep better, my chronic lower back pain rarely prevents me from getting out of bed anymore (seriously, it was like dream paralysis in the mornings sometimes, it sucked when I needed to catch a bus). Chairs are nice, but I really think money should go for the bed and couch (I spend a lot more time sitting at the coffee table than the desk). I actually prefer this hard wooden bench we have for sitting at the table. No ergonomic support, but I can slide back and forth or drum on it to keep my ocd tendencies occupied!

[juilletmercredi]

I spent about $50 on my desk chair.  I have chronic back pain, so I would love to spend $300 on an ergonomic chair but unfortunately that's not in the budget.  I got this mid-back chair from Walmart, honestly.  It's not the most terrific chair in the world, but I sit in it for probably about 4-6 hours a day and it takes some time before my back starts aching.

 

It's this one:

 

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Leather-Mid-Back-Chair-Black/6560497

 

One of my goals in life is, once I'm done grad school, to buy some ridiculously expensive desk chair for my home office.

[hejduk]

When I was still doing the corporate thing, I noticed that my back was killing me all the time at work (disclaimer: I do have a chronic back condition, so that obviously adds to it). I finally broke down and used my tax rebate to buy a Herman Miller Embody chair. While I'm embarrassed to mention how much I spent (can be easily found by googling it), but I don't regret it one bit. The chair has completely made things better for me, and to think I sit in the thing 8-hours a day, and divide that by the cost, it's more than worth it. 

 

Also, the chair has a 12-year (yes, you read that right!) warranty, and they come to me when I have a repair. Repairs are free! I paid mucho for it, but completely worth it.