Suggestion on a new office chair

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May 27, 2007
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Like the title suggests, I’m looking for a new office chair and having a hard time deciding so looking for some suggestions. Here’s what I’m looking for and some background on what I’ve been using.

Looking for:
- Headrest (adding aftermarket is fine if it’s not too janky)
- Padded, non-mesh seat
- Seat around 18” - 19” from floor at lowest level (I’m 5’9” ~180lbs for reference)

I’ve been considering the secretlabs Titan or the steelcase Leap, but don’t have a way to test either one so hoping for some feedback or alternative suggestions before throwing down cash.

What I’ve been using:
For almost 10 years, I’ve been using an off brand Raynor Ergohuman mesh chair from Office Depot (damn near identical as far as I could tell). Recently the locking mechanism to keep the back upright broke and the resistance adjuster just doesn’t apply enough pressure to keep the back upright on its own.

The main gripes I had with the chair were:
1) It always cut off circulation in my legs due to the mesh in the middle of the seat sinking lower than the foam padding at the edge of the seat (unless I propped up my feet)
2) It doesn’t sit low enough when lowered all the way down. My feet would lay flat, but I’d still have the above circulation issue, and the armrests were still too high at their lowest level so didn’t fit well with my desk.
 
What’s your budget?
I was trying to stay under $500 but would spring for a pricier chair (like the Steelcase Leap) if it seems like the best long term choice. Ideally I want a chair which will remain supportive and functional for another decade (if not longer), so can justify the additional expense as an investment in the health of my back, spine, body, etc.
 
I haven’t sat in it yet, but I have the X-Chair (xchair.com) on my radar as a replacement for my cheap gaming chair. It’s expensive but the reviews I have read have been positive.
 
Bought a Serta executive big and tall from Walmart at $200 recently . Super comfy, leather and is well built. I’m 5’11 and my head has plenty of room to rest.

out of stock, but you can get them elsewhere https://www.walmart.com/ip/Serta-Bi...ory-Foam-Adjustable-Multiple-Colors/142742056
I got this chair also about 6 months ago. Seem really nice at first but I don't feel it will hold up for long. It creeks too much for only being 6 months old. Not to mention my cat had a hard on for clawing it. He never touched any other chair but couldn't keep his claws off this one. It probably hold up better for you since you are a lot smaller then I am.
 
I got this chair also about 6 months ago. Seem really nice at first but I don't feel it will hold up for long. It creeks too much for only being 6 months old. Not to mention my cat had a hard on for clawing it. He never touched any other chair but couldn't keep his claws off this one. It probably hold up better for you since you are a lot smaller then I am.

WD40 should get rid of that squeek
 
Thank you guys for the suggestions. I spent a lot of time researching and ended up going the used chair route to save money since I didn’t have a way to test the chairs ahead of time and didn’t want to get stuck with something expensive I really didn’t like. As a result I ended up with 2 used chairs! One will probably go to my wife or go up for resale if it comes down to it.

Steelcase Leap v2
Steelcase Amia

Neither chair has a headrest (which was one of my requirements) so I will be installing the following aftermarket headrest (tonight) to see how it works with the Amia first (then the Leap):

Lorell LLR60329 86000 Series Executive Chair Adjustable Headrest https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00YE30HT8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_g0Q1EbSFWX7A0

The Leap will be in tomorrow, but so far I love the Amia. The back support is excellent, the adjustment options are great, and my butt hasn’t gotten tired yet of sitting in it (either from work or gaming)! I’ll update again after I have a couple days to test the Leap.
 
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I bought a used Steelcase Leap v2 from Crandall and I was unhappy with it, had to send it back. I hope you bought from somewhere that lets you return if unhappy. Ended up just biting the bullet and buying a brand new HM Aeron chair. The price is terrible but I don't regret it.
 
I needed a new office chair recently and went into total option overload trying to buy online. I simply could not figure out the best chair to buy. As a stop gap, I bought a task chair off Amazon for like sixty bucks. It's actually doing a pretty good job, but I'll replace it at some point when I can figure out a good chair.

I need to go someplace like Mirco Center and actually try the chairs. It's much like buying clothes, hard to do online. Problem is my chair broke right about the time all the brick and mortar stores closed up so no way to go and try them.

Anyway I'm a chair killer. I'm fairly heavy (two hundred lbs) and spend a lot of time in my office chair, lucky to get three years off one. I think this time I'll look for one with the heaviest rating. Getting tired of replacing chairs.
 
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Decided to keep both the Leap V2 and Amia (replacing my wife’s old leather executive chair). Here are a couple of pics with headrests installed. Have to be willing to drill holes in the backs of the chairs for anyone curious.

Amia on the left, Leap on the right:
3D0A2E34-0425-4E1D-9709-8F4A3765E546.jpeg

How the headrests are attached:
52B51855-5581-45A5-81A2-1908CA0786EA.jpeg
 
Decided to keep both the Leap V2 and Amia (replacing my wife’s old leather executive chair). Here are a couple of pics with headrests installed. Have to be willing to drill holes in the backs of the chairs for anyone curious.

Amia on the left, Leap on the right:
View attachment 251222

How the headrests are attached:
View attachment 251221
Curious to see how the Lorell headrest is working out on your Amia chair. If it has done well, would you mind telling me just how you attached the headrest to the back of the chair? (drill size, screws, etc.) Thank you in advance.
 
Curious to see how the Lorell headrest is working out on your Amia chair. If it has done well, would you mind telling me just how you attached the headrest to the back of the chair? (drill size, screws, etc.) Thank you in advance.
The headrests have worked out great all things considered. I think I drilled the holes a little too low on the Amia (about 3.25” from top of the plastic on the back) as we have to put the headrest on nearly its tallest setting. It still works great for my wife but you’d probably want to drill holes 1.5” - 2” from the top to get more height adjustments up or down.

I can’t remember off hand the drill size I used but I’m almost positive the screws were 1” x 3/8” with matching nuts + washers. For both chairs, you have to first detach the front/padded portion of the backrest before drilling. The padded part also has its own thick plastic backing, which separates it from the outside/back plastic (and is the reason why you’ll never feel the headrest screws/nuts when you recline). This video shows it better than I can explain:




I will admit that the headrest is a slight step down in comfort from the mesh headrest I had on my old chair. Not bad by any means, but I think the mesh was just naturally more comfortable because there’s no hard surface behind it. The more I recline, the more I notice that plastic back behind the padded headrest. Not bad enough to keep me from falling asleep in the chair mind you. I believe there is also a mesh version of the Lorell headrest, but I wasn’t bothered enough to try switching them out.
 
The headrests have worked out great all things considered. I think I drilled the holes a little too low on the Amia (about 3.25” from top of the plastic on the back) as we have to put the headrest on nearly its tallest setting. It still works great for my wife but you’d probably want to drill holes 1.5” - 2” from the top to get more height adjustments up or down.

I can’t remember off hand the drill size I used but I’m almost positive the screws were 1” x 3/8” with matching nuts + washers. For both chairs, you have to first detach the front/padded portion of the backrest before drilling. The padded part also has its own thick plastic backing, which separates it from the outside/back plastic (and is the reason why you’ll never feel the headrest screws/nuts when you recline). This video shows it better than I can explain:




I will admit that the headrest is a slight step down in comfort from the mesh headrest I had on my old chair. Not bad by any means, but I think the mesh was just naturally more comfortable because there’s no hard surface behind it. The more I recline, the more I notice that plastic back behind the padded headrest. Not bad enough to keep me from falling asleep in the chair mind you. I believe there is also a mesh version of the Lorell headrest, but I wasn’t bothered enough to try switching them out.

Thank you!
 
I got the Steelcase Leap v2 a couple years back when we went permanent work-from--home, and I have absolutely no regrets.
 
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