Home office workstation - help me find a chair

Next month I'll be transitioning to working from home full-time(after we move), which means in addition to setting up a corner workstation I also need to find/buy/build a chair. Being only 5'6", ~150lbs and extremely bony, It's difficult finding comfortable seating - often times my hips either sink through the padding to the solid base underneath, or the padding is too dense for my weight. It's even worse with my elbows...I've worn down/worn through the arm rests on most vehicles I've owned long-term.

So what I'm looking for is:

1.) Something with a slightly recumbent posture and a head-rest, as otherwise(regardless of the size/position of my monitors) I find myself gradually leaning ever closer.

2.) A deeply padded cushion, but not too firm.

3.) Deeply padded & adjustable arm rests.

I loved the seats in my MkI GTI, the ones in the Europa, and a handful of other cars I've owned/driven, so I would consider building something of my own. However, I'd honestly prefer to buy something if I can find anything suitable. I've looked online at the Recaro and Corbeau office chairs, but they don't offer any with adjustable arm rests. I do find some no-name "racing bucket" office chairs with adjustable arm rests, but they all look(and are priced) pretty low-end. I also found this set of HON add-on adjustable arm rest for $50. Although they're only 2-way adjustable.

What input does the hive have on this? I'll be using it up to 9-hours daily...maybe a bit more with GRM time added in after work. So I definitely need something comfortable, that will hold up for years.

Have you thought of a treadmill desk? I really enjoy mine.

Keep a stool around for the times when you need to sit briefly, but otherwise it acts like standup or walking desk.

I have a Herman Miller Aeron chair in my office, it's the best thing I've ever sat on. They're expensive new, but if you have a used office equipment store nearby you may be able to find a used one for a lot less. Even so it will be more expensive than the cheap Hon chairs, but it's like a mattress...for the amount of time you spend using one, you want the best you can afford.

If you're open to building:

Spent about 500k miles in seats like these, sometimes for 5-700 miles a day for work during a 28 hour workday. I should have kept the ones out of the 9000 I scrapped several years ago .

XLR99 wrote: during a 28 hour workday.

So I take it you live on another planet that turns more slowly than Earth?

In reply to XLR99:

I might be, but if it gets to the point it requires hog-ring pliers, stripping the seat to the frame in order to weld it to the base, then still having to figure out how to do adjustable arm rests, it's just not worth the time for me to do it.

Stefan (Not Bruce) wrote: Have you thought of a treadmill desk? I really enjoy mine. Keep a stool around for the times when you need to sit briefly, but otherwise it acts like standup or walking desk.

When I work from home now I do occasionally stand, but that's more a factor of me working on the kitchen island, and the stools we have being thinly padded. Realistically, I can't chew gum and walk - and I've tried multitasking on our treadmill now...yeah, there's no way I could concentrate enough while walking to be able to work.

stuart in mn wrote: I have a Herman Miller Aeron chair in my office, it's the best thing I've ever sat on.

/thread.

I'm looking at getting one for work and one for my home office. They're so good, I'm happy to open my own wallet for one. Or two.

I run one of the seats from my old 318ti.. THE most comfortable office chairs I ever owned. While it does not have arms (yet) all I needed to do was grind some of the seat base away and bolt it to the chair base. No muss, no fuss

I have to say I'm in love with my powered stand up desk at work. My seat isn't all that impressive (middle/higher class office seat), but I only sit for an hour or two, then transition to standing for an hour or two.

If I had to spend my own money on it, I'd buy the desk before I bought an Aeron chair (even though those are awesome).

BoxheadTim wrote:

stuart in mn wrote: I have a Herman Miller Aeron chair in my office, it's the best thing I've ever sat on.

/thread. I'm looking at getting one for work and one for my home office. They're so good, I'm happy to open my own wallet for one. Or two.

I hate these damn chairs.

In reply to petegossett:

The key is walking slowly, like 1mph and having the keyboard/mouse at the right height.

BoxheadTim wrote:

stuart in mn wrote: I have a Herman Miller Aeron chair in my office, it's the best thing I've ever sat on.

/thread. I'm looking at getting one for work and one for my home office. They're so good, I'm happy to open my own wallet for one. Or two.

I just checked these out, but they're not what I'm looking for...actually, the chair I have at work now may be one of these(or an inferior HON imitation). However, a couple of their lounge chairs really caught my eye, particularly this one - but that's because I have a vintage chair that is very similar in design. It needs reupholstered, but I'm thinking it may be worth looking into.

I'd suggest you simply spend time going around sitting in chairs. Internet discussions, even face to face discussion simply won't tell you what a chair feels like to your posterior or back or legs.

About the only thing I'll say is more and more office chairs seem to be designed for giants, and not smurfs like me.

foxtrapper wrote: About the only thing I'll say is more and more office chairs seem to be designed for giants, and not smurfs like me.

That's one of the things I've found out too.

stuart in mn wrote:

XLR99 wrote: during a 28 hour workday.

So I take it you live on another planet that turns more slowly than Earth?

It kind of felt like it sometimes . I was on 24hour call for that job, but depending on timing, it was fairly common to leave at 600 on day and get home at 1000 the next.

Pete, I haven't looked at one in awhile, but if I remember (questionable) the bases are flat, and the bolts all face down, so you could just weld up a frame to bolt the base to.

We have cheap HON chairs at my office. They are not durable at all. On the plus side they do force you to stand up and walk around more often.

At home I have an old Steelcase. The padding is all gone. It sounds bad, but I actually find it more comfortable than the chair at my office.

BoxheadTim wrote:

stuart in mn wrote: I have a Herman Miller Aeron chair in my office, it's the best thing I've ever sat on.

/thread. I'm looking at getting one for work and one for my home office. They're so good, I'm happy to open my own wallet for one. Or two.

Thirded. Have them at work and looking to buy one for home. I'd also really like an Eames chair and ottoman but I don't have that sort of scratch laying around right now.

Not a fan of the Aeron. Big fan of their Embody type chairs, along with Steelcase chairs.

Perusing through their website, take a look at the Steelcase Jack. Affordable, and fairly customizable--make sure you opt for the adjustable armrests. But I'm 220 pounds, so likely not a good yardstick.

Last option: A standing desk. Not a kitchen island, not a treadmill desk, but a desk with a good mat that you stand on. Make it a sit-stand like this: http://www.thehumansolution.com/height-adjustable-sit-stand-desk.html?gdftrk=gdfV2929_a_7c132_a_7c5187_a_7cUPL921&gclid=CMba7tWm8skCFYJEaQod8yQNUw so that you can do both!

Seriously, sitting all day is really bad for you. Stand if you can.

Pretend you're a 90's dotcom pre-bubble and try out a Steelcase Leap or other similar high-end chairs. I know you mentioned not liking them, but I've been rocking my Aeron for over a decade (yup...got one in high school off of an Edward Jones employee). Chairs of this caliber come in a variety of sizes. Realistically, though, money won't solve the "is this thing comfortable" problem. It'll just help whatever chair you find last a long long time. Quality adjustments help too!

I recently made this out of my challenge car. BMW 7 series leather. Power adjustability. Heated seat and back. Twin adjustable armrests.

https://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/build-projects-and-project-cars/one-post-build-bmw-7-series-office-chair/108124/page1/

+1 for Aeron chair

+1 for Leap chair

-1 for Leap Stool. Got that at work now, with a tall desktop, and it suuucks. But it does make me stand..

If you're willing to spend $5-900, and it is worth it, find a Herman Miller or Steelcase showroom (and put down a deposit if you have to).. so you can demo a chair for a week. Nothing worse than buying a lousy seat. Except buying a car with a lousy seat.

"Used office supply + sit on everything" is going to be the best advice.

In reply to Robbie: I remembered the thread, just didn't remember who built it. Something like that would be perfect...let me know when you're ready to sell it.

So this is the old chair I have(and had pretty much forgotten about), and now I'm thinking about trying to build a retro/mid-century workstation around it. I'd need to add some casters - and it really needs reupholstered(especially the arms) - but it has good support. I might need to try & find a way to use it for a few hours straight & see if it'll be ok.