This post may have been more appropriate a year ago when we all started working from home, but here goes.
Like many, I spend a good 8 hours or so per day sat on my office chair. When I was fat, I used to break them about once a year, which led me to the famous and expensive Herman Miller range of chairs.
I couldn’t justify the expense of the Aeron, instead getting the Mirra. It is sad to say, but the 12+ year warranty was one of the main selling points, knowing that the chair would be covered even if my overweight body broke it. In over ten years, I have never had an issue with the chair. It has possibly been one of my best all-time purchases.
I think the warranty has changed a little in recent years, but you still get an incredible 12-year warranty on the chairs (I’m sure it was lifetime of certain parts of it).
My chair is basically the Herman Miller Mirra 2 Triflex which is actually still semi-affordable at around £550. Though, it looks like the price escalates quickly if you want it to have any sort of adjustability or back support.
Why I love Herman Miller Chairs
Along with the amazing warranty, the chair offers a wide range of adjustments and back support, so there is reduced risk of things like back pain which is common for office workers.
The mesh design is a major selling point too, even now that I am thin and athletic, I overheat easily. The fabric mesh seat cover and plastic mesh back offers perfect breathability to keep you cool during the summer.
Gaming chairs are not for me
Taking all this into account, I am not a massive fan of the increasingly popular gaming chairs. I have reviewed a few, and I generally do like them, but I’d argue that the vast majority of people, including gamers, would be better off with an ergonomic office chair.
If you do overheat easily, all the pleather and memory foam is not good for long sessions in the office or for gaming.
So what are the best office chair options for working from home, or gaming?
What are the best office chairs for working from home?
Used Herman Miller
My main recommendation is obviously going to be Herman Miller, but I will assume you are not eager to spend up to a grand on a chair. One option is to look for refurbished second-hand chairs. Herman Miller is used in business a lot so you can normally pick them up with big discounts from specialists.
Ebay is a great starting place, it looks like you can get an Aeron for around £420, a Mirra 1 for around £270 or the Celle for a little less
- Herman Miller Aeron – £425.00
- Herman Miller Mirra Task chair Fully Adjustable Black seat – £270
- Herman Miller Celle Executive Task Chair – £245
Search for used Herman Miller chairs
Ergonomic Mesh Backed Chairs
On amazon, you then have lots of Herman Miller-like chairs. I’d personally recommend mesh-backed chairs with plenty of back support and customisations. If I were buying something, I’d look for something that covers the full height of your back, so it supports all your weight, I am indifferent to headrests.
UMI. by Amazon – Ergonomic office chair around £169.99
| Preview | Product | Price | |
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UMI. by Amazon – Ergonomic office chair, Breathable… | £161.49 | Buy on Amazon |
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UMI. by Amazon – Ergonomic office chair, Swivelling Mesh… | £169.99 | Buy on Amazon |
One of Amazon’s in-house brands so you can have some confidence in the quality and warranty you will receive.
There appears to be two options with slightly different designs. One option has a mesh seat while the other is a more traditional padded seat. I’d personally go for the mesh seat option, so it remains comfortable when the weather gets hot. I sit on a blanket during the winter when my office is freezing in the morning.
Max user weight is 150 kg.
SIHOO Ergonomic Home Office Chair around £169.99
| Preview | Product | Price | |
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SIHOO Ergonomic Home Office Chair, Adjustable Headrest and… | £169.99 | Buy on Amazon |
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SIHOO Ergonomic Home Office Chair Adjustable Lumbar Support… | Buy on Amazon |
A very similar design to the Umi, again with two options. The cheaper M18 models appears to have a padded seat with adjustable armrests while the more expensive M57 states “Skin-Friendly Mesh” which I think just means the seat is ventilated. This has 3D arms so they go up down and forwards/backwards plus a 36-degree rotation.
Max user weight is 150 kg, and both these come with a 3-year warranty. They also come in two colour options, standard black, then the cheaper one has an attractive bright orange or, the more expensive M57 can be in grey.
SIHOO Ergonomic Home Office Chair around £114.99
Sale
SIHOO Ergonomic Home Office Chair, Swivel Desk Chair with…
- 🌞【Ergonomic Design】This ergonomic home…
- 🌞 【Adjustable】Adjustable lumbar support,…
- 🌞【High Quality】The cushion is filled with…
- 🌞【Easy to Assemble】Every small part of this…
Same brand as last time but more affordable. It is similar to the previous two but generally fewer customisations, including less recline.
This can still handle up to 150 kg and has a three-year warranty
Office Hippo Ergonomic Chair Office around £185
Office Hippo Ergonomic Chair Office
- A highly adjustable, futuristic looking swivel…
- Adjustable lumbar support, seat slide for seat…
- A torsion control knob allows the tilt tension to…
- 5 year component and 2 year upholstery guarantee….
On paper, this isn’t as good as the other recommendations, but I am mainly listing it as it offers a similar sort of aesthetic to the white Herman Miller Embody chair you may frequently get seen posted online in places like /r/battlestations
Obviously, the design isn’t quite a nice, you don’t have that skeleton-like back support, but it costs one-fifth of the Embody.
It can only handle 115 kg, which is just 18 stone, so not the best for larger people. It does have a 5-year component warranty though.
IntimaTe WM Heart Ergonomic Office Computer Chair – around £100
Sale
IntimaTe WM Heart Ergonomic Office Computer Chair, High-Back…
- Good Mesh Back Ventilation: the premium fabric…
- Lumbar Weary Released by Correcting Bad Postures:…
- Foldable Armrests: fold armrests when don’t need…
- Rest for Your Neck & Back: high back design are…
The most affordable and well-received model I can find. It doesn’t have as many adjustments as others, but it does have a mesh back with some back support
It claims to support 150 kg, but they make no mention of a warranty, so I would assume this is just standard.
Posted by Mighty Gadget Blog: UK Technology News and Reviews
