I'm an IT guy and hence spend most of my day staring at some screens. I had a Co-design chair for about 20 years and that was great. But it eventually died and now I have some gamers chair we got from Costco. Seemed okay but I have back issues and they are much worse with this chair.
Thoughts on a chair that is good for extended use for your back.
I've been investigating these 2 chairs:
Thoughts on either? Good/bad?
It comes down to how you sit. If you are hunched over the keyboard most of the time then the backrest part is generally useless. You want to focus on having something soft to sit on in these situations. No one seriously sits in the position where they are basically lounging. Take a look at professional gamers on their twitch streams and note that none of them are lounging like the guy in this position.
Basically, to keep it simple, the best way to find the chair you need is to go there physically to the shop and find the best one where you can sit on it.
I tend to sit up correctly, but the current chair has almost no support. Also do lounge back when on the phone but not when working.
I like the adjustability of the Ergotune.
Yeah, that works then.
I just noticed that for most people, that they don't sit properly. I had to change the way I sat before my back got better.
Have had a lot of office chairs over the years…my opinion is that there really are not any great options to be found with "budget" brands. I'd recommend checking listings for used office furniture and trying to get a high quality chair like an Aeron or Leap. If you want to go for a new one prepare to pay $1000 or more. In my opinion, however, it's worth it, as they can last decades and you would otherwise end up purchasing several lower quality chairs over the time period.
Best thing you can do is go into a store that stocks a lot of chairs and sit in them. It's the only real way of knowing what suits you and what doesnt.
I did this and found that the hm aeron was the most comfortable for me and then bought one second hand
Roughly how much did you pay for one of those second hand?
850 during covid. Would hope it's a little cheaper now
Looks to be still $850 at Egans. Still, a good discount off new. Will consider.
Don't cheap out on a chair especially if you spend a lot of time on it. I like the steelcase leap.
Good Office Chair (for Your Back)
Why do you want to know for My back ???
Had lower back ache for many years, but switched to a kneeling chair about 6 months ago and no more back aches.
There is initial adjustment period of a few weeks to get use to the position, strain on shin (read up and found that weight should be on bum, not on shin) and you can't sit very long at a time initially (not recommended anyway even if using normal chair). But now, i can "sit" without issues for a few hours.
Main regret was buying the cheapest option (~$40) because I wasn't sure if it would be good. The rough material was killer on exposed shins, but add an old t-shirt and it works well enough.
I haven't used before. Would this not put a lot of pressure on your knees or make the knee joints feel really stiff?
It should not put pressure on knees or shin if used properly, most of the weight is on the bum. The purpose is mainly to help keep balance, and it helps to keep your back straight and also alleviates pressure on shoulder and neck.
Having said that, you will feel stiffness / strain when you start using a kneeling chair initially. I was able to "sit" for about 15 - 20 mins initially, and then after 1 week, I could do it for 30 - 40 mins .. now I can do it for a few hours at a time if needed and not feel any strain or (much) stiffness.
Hope this helps.
I use this one, only for about half a day though. https://www.kmart.com.au/product/65cm-gym-ball-42589792/
A bit of fun and keeps the core active.
Ive had back issues with various desk/gaming chairs over many many years, until I finally bit the bullet and spent the money on an expensive chair. I tried Herman Miller chairs and Steelcase chairs but ultimately went with the Steelcase Gesture almost 2 years ago. No back issues since.
My advice: avoid office chairs. They have curves and soft bits that encourage your body to slump, which is comfortable at first, but aggravates your back severely over time. Get a hard wooden chair with arms, and make it comfortable with cushions, including a thin cushion under your bum. Use the cushions to properly support your lower back. You may need two behind your lower back to keep it supported.
Alternate sitting positions between 1. leaning back so your body is almost perfectly straight and your legs are extended in front of you (maybe resting on a foot rest) and 2. sitting up perfectly straight, right up close to the edge of the seat, with pin-straight back and knees bent, feet resting on the floor directly under knees (or feet crossed, underneath the chair seat).
Neither of these positions results in you slumping your lower back.
Steelcase if you have a $K to spend.
Or Ergohuman if you're on a budget
I would recommend getting a standing desk and changing it up hourly, I also have a bad back from sitting too long but found switching positions frequently and trying to move a bit more helps a lot
I wouldn't buy any chair without sitting in it first, the ergotune SEEMS interesting but it's all influencer marketing so I inherently can't trust them.
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