As a middle class working American, there are 2 places that I spend most of my young adult life. Those 2 places happen to be my work chair and my bed. Seeing as even on a really off day I spend at least 4 hours in both making that 8 hours every work day. If I retire at 65 (ya right!!) and lets just start it at 18 to be safe (I started working before this of course) then that means even only counting 8 hours every work day (it is usually closer to 15 hours) that means I spend at the very least 11 of those 45 years either in my bed or in my computer desk. 11 F’IN years!! Now I am not going to be one to buy a chair for work….they should provide great chairs from the start. Unfortunately I can’t control that, so we are going to move onto the other chair I spend most of my time in, my home desk chair.

 

Come with me to choose a new chair and maybe you’ll discover some things to help you choose?

 

When looking into a great chair you must consider several things.

1.Comfort 2.Size 3.Type 4.Material 5.Cost 6.Length of Life 7.Look

1. Comfort – Of course most would assume that this is the most important part..and of course they are right. The comfort of a chair is paramount above all other things we will consider. Now comfort can be different for everyone; some people enjoy big leather super soft chairs while others prefer a stiffer chair with back support. I am a person who has always had bad posture and I have tried tirelessly to fix that. So for me, comfort means a chair that provides support for my back yet has a little give so that I can relax to watch a movie.
2. Size – Many chairs come in many sizes. You don’t want a chair that is to small obviously but you also don’t want a chair that you move around a lot in. A chair that hugs you yet gives is a perfect blend. This has to do with height, size and seating position. Some chairs of smaller butts but bigger backs. It is important to find a good combination.
3. Type – This is simpler than you might think. By type of chair I mean strictly computer chair or “Executive” chair. The latter is usually more expensive and comes in leather usually with a high back. You have to ask yourself how much you lean all the way back requiring neck support and how often you simply use your computer.
4. Material – This is tied into comfort but deserves its own field. The material anything is made out of is important for comfort but in computer chairs with the invent of these new “mesh” chairs you have to consider how coarse these things are. There are many people complaining that they wear on clothes, or that say leather chairs are too slippery when we sit on them. Make sure the material is a good match for you, think about what you will be wearing most of the time you are in the chair.
5. Cost – Not much to say here, but to run away from more expensive chairs. Remember my rant….you spend a lot of time in these things so sometimes what seems hugely expensive is worth it. Not just for quality but for warranty and others.
6. Length of Life – Easy explanation, how long do you think it will last..
7. Look – We of course want our chairs to look good. We are creatures who hate the ugly, despite function. Especially for accessories. So I don’t need to explain this to you.Now there are of course other things that come into play but these are the main things that I am looking through.
The chairs I have managed to narrow my choices down to are:

The Herman Miller Aeron :

This chair is probably the most known of the 3 I chose to pick from. It is famous for its days during the dot-com boom when it seemed that every company bought these for their employees. Today they are less common as they are rather expensive ($900+ retail) and there are not nearly as many dot-com business throwing money around.
Despite all that, the chair is still amazing. It is on the stiffer side of chairs using the Mesh material and has great back support. This may not be a great choice for someone who lounges in their chair all the time but it does recline a bit and is pretty comfortable.

The Steelcase Leap:

These Steelcase chairs are something new to me. I just came upon them recently mainly because the Leap chair was being compared to the Aeron so much. The Leap chair is similar to the Aeron in that it focuses on posture and back support. Instead of mesh this chair uses a software material and has a bit more give in the seat. I don’t think its as wide as the Aeron (Depending on size) and it doesn’t sit as deep. Still a beautiful chair in a variety of colors and very sturdy. This may be a better choice for one who needs a little more cushion. This chair also runs a bit cheaper than the Aeron going for closer to $600 retail.

The AK Designs EVO:

It is hard for me to write anything about this chair just yet as it has not officially be released. Its younger brother the AK Designs “Octane” is more common in the gaming community and is a very popular chair in that respect. I can’t give a price point but seeing as its brother runs a very cheap $129 I can’t imagine these new version being more expensive than $300. These chairs have a more “executive” feel with the larger backs and cushion seats. I think this would be a great pick for a gamer, movie watcher and who is to say it isn’t great for a “worker” as well. Only problem is I can’t test her out and there is no release date or price. So in my time of really needing a new chair I don’t know how much longer I can wait for this one.I don’t think I will be buying a new chair very soon unless I find a great deal, but this is the process I have gone through so far. If you have any suggestions please let me know or if you have questions about any of these three chairs I can try and answer those the best I can Hope my random posting about my opinions on chairs helps you pick out yours!!

Ciao Ciao
-Ed (boo)