As I have delved deeper and deeper into the world of professional office furniture, I have learned a LOT.  Office chairs, specifically professional office chairs, come with a variety of options at a wide range of price points.  I won’t be able to answer the question of which chair is the best chair, but I can share with you some of the things I have learned.

A trip to the local big box office store will yield a wide range of chairs.  Basic models can be had for $40 or $50.  Have you ever sat in a basic chair?  You can actually feel your body dying while you sit in it.  Have you read the studies about the health impact of sitting all day?  I am thankful that I don’t have back problems, but I’m pretty sure I would develop some if I sat all day in a cheap chair.

This is the Haworth Look. It is an excellent professional office chair.

The big box stores also have some pretty high priced chairs.  You’ll notice as the price goes up the quality of the materials used and the number of adjustments increases.  I have owned a few office chairs that I bought at big box stores that cost over $200 when purchased on sale.  The biggest problem with these chairs is that they simply do not last.  In my opinion a 2 year lifespan is too short for the amount of money paid.

Professional office chairs are made by big name companies like Herman Miller, SteelCase, Haworth, Hon, etc.  Among the most popular ergonomic chairs is the Herman Miller Aeron chair.  A quick search online found this chair on sale at www.sit4life.com for $545.  WHOA! That is a ton of money for a chair.  But let’s consider a few things…

• How many hours a day do you sit in an office chair?  5-6 hour or perhaps more?  Doesn’t it make sense to invest money where you park your body for a good chunk of the day?
• The Aeron is just one option…one that I personally don’t care for.  I would suggest finding a place where you can actually sit in the chair and experience it for yourself.  Quite honestly the Aeron isn’t that expensive since it has been around for many years.  Newer, more feature packed chairs retail at $1K+
• The used market is a great place to look for a professional office chair.  Professional chairs should last at least 10-12 years with moderate to heavy use.  Most professional chairs should have a tag on the bottom of the chair that clearly states the date of manufacture.  Professional office chairs are worse than new cars when it comes to depreciation.  Chairs can be had for 1/10 of their original cost on the used market.

My used office chair that was bought at auction for 1/20 of the retail cost.

I started buying and selling good quality professional office chairs to offer an alternative to the flimsy products at the big box stores.  I try my best to pick up great quality, used, professional office chairs when I go to business auctions.  I currently have a nice selection of Haworth Look chairs.  These are solid task chairs with multi-point adjustment and seat foam that is made to last.  The quality of the components used in these chairs insures that the chair will be around for many years to come.  The best part?  I sell a $500 chair for $30!  If you don’t need a fancy mesh or leather chair, you can get a nice fabric professional office chair CHEAP!

I have broken both big box store chairs and professional office chairs.  The big box store chairs have broken from standard use in my office.  The professional office chairs usually break when they fall off my trailer when I am hauling them 🙂  There is a vast difference in the quality of the internal components used in the chairs.  For example, the shaft that supports your full weight is typically twice as thick in a professional chair as compared to a big box chair.  Other components and the quality of the welds are also worth noticing.  Did you know that the smooth rotation of your chair is accomplished with about 8 tiny ball bearings?

My office chair was purchased at auction for 1/20 of the retail price.  It is a great chair when I am sitting at my desk and has a ton of adjustments.  I definitely recommend looking at the used market for a professional office chair.  For less than the cost of a junky chair at the big box store you can get a professional chair that will last for many years.  If you’re a germaphobe you can use your savings to have the chair professionally cleaned.  Personally I clean my chairs with a good upholstery cleaner then Lysol them and set them in the sun to dry.

Lots of adjustments. My chair has adjustments for arm height and width, seat back height and angle, seat depth and pitch, and chair height.

When buying a used chair make sure to check all movements on the chair multiple times.  Does the pneumatic piston for height adjustment operate smoothly and without slipping?  Check for height adjustment on the seat back, depth adjustment on the seat, back angle, seat pitch, arm height, and arm angle.  Individual chairs might have other options.  Professional chairs use high grade components but even these pieces can fail as chairs are often abused when being moved from location to another.

Of course you could always ditch the office chair for the walk and work lifestyle like I have 🙂