Quality office chairs that aren't ugly

Anyone have any suggestions on an office chair that is comfortable, durable, not crazy expensive (<1000) and looks good?

I picked this up about half a year ago, but already the cushion is losing its comfort. https://www.staples.com/staples-bentura-bonded-leather-managers-chair-black-53234/product_24328572

I like the look of the Herman Miller Eames chairs, but they're >2k. There's a bunch of knock offs, but who knows about their quality.

 

I have below that I picked few years back.
I got it for $120 on Black Friday and has been a reliable friend to me at my home office.
https://www.staples.com/Staples-Hyken-Technical-Mesh-Task-Chair-Red/product_2257054

 

Under $1k? Seriously should look at getting a task chair. Not sure if you think those are ugly, but they provide great support and are comfortable. I'd look into getting a Steelcase Leap on craigslist. I've found some pretty good deals over the years where they were hardly used by drafting/design firms. The Herman Miller Aeron is another good one.

If you really want to go cheap, I found this has the best lumbar support of all the chairs Office Depot sells:
https://www.officedepot.com/a/products/604924/WorkPro-1000-Mesh-Multifunction-Ergonomic-Mid/

It ain't pretty though.

 

That's ugly though IMO.

I've got my work table in my living room and so I need something that won't look out of place and can do double duty when entertaining folks.

 

IME, there's a pretty big difference between the chairs that are just above $1K -- by whch I mean the Steelcase Leap and Gesture and Herman-Miller Aeron and Embody -- and the cheaper models, in terms of quality/durability.

I've used all four of them for extended periods of time; I strongly prefer both Steelcases to either Herman Miller, and slightly prefer the Gesture to the Leap.

Aesthetics will vary depending on what colors/fabrics you get, but inevitably, they look techie. If that's an aesthetic that works for you, they can look good; if not, you'll hate them.

 

Ya it may not work in living room. But it is comfortable.

 

There is a thread on chairs if you look around. Might be something in there that piques your interest/

 

I had a Steelcase Leap V2 for about 2 years and the seat hurt my ass (tailbone) after more than an hour. I found some chair cushions at the thrift-store that fit it perfectly and those extended my seat time to about 4 hours before my ass started to hurt. I finally bought a replacement chair (Serta Jennings Smart Layers) and it has been like sitting on a cloud. I can sit in the Serta for 8+ hours with no pain. Granted, I have scoliosis and 2 herniated disks so my experience with chairs is always rocky.

 

I've got an Aluminum Group Management chair, bought used about 10 years ago for under $1k. You've got to be patient, and it helps if you can find a local higher-end furniture dealer that takes items on consignment. But once you know what you're looking for, buying something from Steelcase or Herman Miller is the way to go.

 

Or Knoll.

But yeah, chairs from HM/Knoll/Steelcase/Vitra are miles beyond the chairs you'll find at office-supply stores like Staples or Office Depot. And if you live in a big city you can find them used at reasonable prices.

But you also said you wanted a chair that "looks good", so depending on your taste, that might rule out the most comfortable ones, which in my opinion are Embody and Aeron.

The Eames Aluminum Group chairs are beautiful but somewhat fragile: The coating on the arms wears off, the fabric is VERY expensive to replace, and if you get an antique with the old-style "antler" base, there are no new replacements available for the recline mechanism which will inevitably break. Also, the arms are usually too high to slip under most desks.

Knockoffs, of the Aluminum Group chairs and the others, are pretty awful.

My best advice is to scour Craigslist's furniture-for-sale section with a search filter for chairs by the manufacturers I mentioned above.

Good luck.

 

+1 for looking on Craigslist.

I’d also recommend the Knoll Life and I have seen it come on Craigslist for as low as $400.

 

Yeah. Sit in a couple and you'll get a hang of what you like. People have different body shapes and different ideas about who has the best ergonomics. Other here mentioned they prefer Steelcase to HM. I'm the opposite - the Aeron is best, Mirra is good but everything else (including other HM chairs) isn't as comfortable to my ass. The modern designs have hundreds of different upgrades and options, so I'd look into that too. Again speaking personally, the two options I always look for is lumbar support and adjustable seat depth. YMMV of course.

Never, ever, ever pay MSRP for a Herman Miller. I go to bankruptcy sales and whatnot for my chairs. You don't need to do that, but (essentially) brand new chairs should be readily available at 40-60% MSRP. Might have to wait a little for the perfect color, though.

 

Humanscale liberty task chair should be well under 1k with all the options. I use mine with a gel seat cushion, don't really need anything more.

 

I appreciate everyone's suggestions but I think I've not communicated my preferences well enough.

This absolutely must not look out of place in a living room. Comfort is important, but its not going to be for 40+ hours of work per week. It's more like 20 hours a week + having to look at it the rest of the time I'm in my living room.

It must look attractive. Therefore mesh with weird multi colored supports and headrests and arm rests Spock cockpit looking contraptions aren't going to cut it. It must be elegant.

See this, for example.

https://store.hermanmiller.com/offi...num-group-executive-chair/263.html?lang=en_US

 

Check out IKEA as well, if that's somewhere near you. Their offerings can surprise.

 

For what it's worth, we have those in our meeting rooms at work.

Whilst not as uncomfortable as some chairs, I wouldn't want to be spending 20 hours a week in one.

I have a silver grey and chrome Aeron in my living room. It definitely looks a bit too officey, but it's still relatively discrete and much more comfortable.

 

I think most of the people in this thread and the main one (where this probably still should be), look to invest in the most comfortable chairs for our bodies because we spend a lot (too much?) of time in them. If you need an occasional use chair that has form over function, you might not get as much help here. Spend some more time looking around at more home decor oriented stores and you can easily find chairs that look nice. But as you discovered, they won't always be as comfortable or last as long as you might like.

https://www.roomandboard.com/catalog/office/office-chairs
https://www.ikea.com/us/en/cat/home-chairs-20653/ The Hattefjall actually had a very nice butt cushion at least for the 45 seconds I sat in it.

 

Vitra Pacific? You can style it up with the configurator (polished aluminum base, leather or upholstery to match your other furniture) though the price can get a little ridiculous. These are the chairs Jony Ive chose for his stately pleasure donut.

https://www.vitra.com/en-us/product/pacific-chair

 

I second the raves for Steelcase—I have an older model but sit for 40+ hours a week without discomfort in a home office. Below is the guide I used to get mine a few years ago, which has clearly been updated since. Have yet to find a truly comfortable chair that is also beautiful, but in this case I prioritize function over form.

https://thewirecutter.com/reviews/best-office-chair/