Btw, is Herman Miller chairs really that good? Or is it the branding and history that makes all of us think they are good, but in reality they are just meh, average, or slightly above average?
They’re good, but I wouldn’t say “that good”. They cost way more than they should though.
Gaming chairs are basically impersonating race car seats, which are designed to be safe and keep you inside them at high speeds. They are not designed to be comfortable or ergonomic. Companies have started adding weird pads to them to make them seem more legit, but they are still not ergonomic or good for long term sitting.
Office chairs in the other hand, are usually made to be sat in comfortably and properly for long periods of time.
I recommend finding “Herman-Miller-like” chairs, or finding cheap Herman-Millers being sold used etc. I highly recommend mesh backs and bases, as they are way more comfortable than any amount of padding, and they are often pretty ergonomic. They’re also way more breathable than a foam pad.
Look at a side view of a spine/skeleton and note that it’s curvy and s shaped - you don’t want to press that up against flat boards for long periods of time.
Herman-Miller chairs are good, but they’re not $1000+ good. You can find plenty of equivalent or better stuff in the $300-$500 range if you just poke around for decent office chairs.
As someone who has an HM chair, I second all the above
If money is no object, than an HM is the best, but it’s only “the best” by a relatively thin margin compared to a $500 chair of similar build. You’ll only really notice the difference in a side by side comparison
I mean the similarity is not a coincidence. Gaming chairs are modeled after racing seats which are five point harnesses designed to keep the occupant safe in a car crash… exactly like toddler car seats.
I can see a use for actual racing seats in racing games to enhance the immersion. The faux racing gaming chairs took off because some chair company sponsored streamers. Streamers like them because they’re something to look at on stream rather than a bland office chair. For everyone else a bland office chair is way better.
I have a Secret Labs chair at home and at work. I am so very picky with chairs too. I have the Titan at home and the Omega at work. The Omega is just a bit too small, but I really like them both. Better than the $500 crap mesh back office chairs they got for everyone.
Gamer chairs suck, do yourself a favor and just get a proper office chair. I have a Steelcase Leap V2 at home with extra big caster wheels and it’s great.
Learn to build a good office chair, then start a European chair empire!
Seriously though, maybe look for offices or institutions selling off their old chairs. IDK how it is in Europe, but in America there are auction sites you can use to buy them. If there’s something equivalent to Craig’s List over there, that might be a good place to look as well. Otherwise, garage sales maybe?
I love my SW ret Lab Omega 2020, but I have it at my adjustable standing desk, so if I start to get uncomfortable I just switch modes. I don’t think any chair can be totally comfortable for a full work day.
I’ve owned one that was comfortable for all day use (Steelcase Leap V2) and have had chairs provided by work that were similarly comfortable but I also regularly get up and move around.
My favorite chairs ever were these tall stool type office chairs with a ring at the bottom you could put your feet on: They were standing desk height and we all had standing desks. You could sit in them normally or you could scoot forward a little bit and sit kind of like you would on a knee chair. No idea what they were but if I ever get to pick new office furniture, those would be a strong contender.
I might buy that setup for home one day, but I don’t think my Steelcase will ever fail me so I’ll probably be using that for the rest of my life haha.
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