Office chair. Does anyone actually spend this much?!

[NugsNotDrugs]

I’m overdue a new chair for my home office.
I did my usual scroll through fb marketplace and I couldn’t find anything much better than the tatty one I want rid of so I looked online for a good one (I have a bad back).

The best one (according to google) costs just under £1400! 😱

Does anyone have any good suggestions for a cheaper option?

Will your work supplement you? I got mine for fŕee as I have back issues.

I have this chair for working at home, it's great:
https://www.johnlewis.com/john-lewis-rowley-office-chair/whisky/p111535524

Let me guess, Herman Miller?

They do spend that much on chairs in the civil service.

A family member has a bad back (has even needed surgery previously) and has to be careful about any chair. After going into store and sitting on loads, they found that a cheaper-end ikea one was the best for support in the right place- https://www.ikea.com/gb/en/p/bleckberget-swivel-chair-klovsta-white-grey-40573271/
They have it for their home office and sit in it all day 9-5 with no issues

Yes, but they're probably indistinguishable from those sold in Ikea for £80, but include the 'public sector efficiency' mark up.

@cornbunting that's a nice chair, I'm tempted to buy that rather than ask for a new work supplied hideous one.

I have a Herman Miller chair and it's ace but I bought it from John Lewis and it cost about £400 I think about 5 years ago. I love it! You can get second hand ones - my partner has a posher version of mine but he got it second hand about 10 years ago and it's still trucking along.

Good grief! Mine was £30 off Facebook Marketplace from a few years ago! I couldn't justify much more given its occasional use. I might spend more if I used it every day.

I spent about £350 on my ergonomic office chair, including home assembly.

Just checked and mine was £599 in 2022. Eek! I got work to pay for it though.

Mine was £59 brand new off eBay

"Best" in what way? I had a bad back and got a saddle seat (paid for by my work) and it was much less than £1400.

I've got this one from Costco, it was around £150 when I bought it over a year ago, but it's the best office chair I've ever had, I spend a good 6-8 hours sitting in it every day. They have them in-store so you can go and try them out.

La-Z-Boy Air Lumbar Manager's Office Chair with Flip Up Arms, Black. £209

I had an old neighbour who was ridiculously flash, everything had to be the best of the best with no expense spared. Brand new car every year including a red Ferrari and Rolex watch. I am no judge, not my money and do what you want with it.
Well just between me and you, one time he wanted a new office chair (or 'swizzle chair' as he would often refer to it the prat), spent 10k+ on something that came off a fighter jet and wanted the world to know. Anyone, one day he flicked a switch and he was ejected into his ceiling. Now he rides around in a wheelchair. Please spend wisely and thrifty op.

@Confuserr Yes! But unfortunately I work for myself so I think that I’m unlikely to ever grace one’s seat

@cornbunting I really like the look of that one. It’s in the running

I spent £310 on mine in 2020. DH's work gave him some money to buy one, my work told us we could take one home with us.

The cheaper chairs linked so far are not fully adjustable and so aren't really suitable as a full time work chair. As well as being able to adjust the seat height, you should also be able to adjust theseat depth, backrest height/tilt, lumbar support, and armrests. While it's not necessary to spend £1400 a good office chair will never be cheap because the engineering is more complex than a dining chair. I'd also say, unless you are the height an average man, that a 'standing desk' is useful, particularly if you are short. I never stand at mine but as a short woman I love that I can have the desk at a low height that actually works for me.

ETA: I have a HÅG Capisco Puls 8010.

I have this one and it’s very comfortable: https://www.johnlewis.com/john-lewis-isaac-ergonomic-office-chair-black/p3575108
I have a tendency to hunch over so I like that it has a headrest to consciously push back into! I’ve had it for three years now and it’s holding up well.

Mine was £1200 about 4 years ago but it was an OH recommendation. I’d never pay more than about £200 if it was me.

Ikea Markus - 10 years and counting and still as good as new.

Got this one for my adult son from Amazon. It gets a lots of use and he is very happy with it
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Magic-Life-Ergonomic-Computer-Adjustable/dp/B0C4DX7RMX?pd_rd_w=VMbhi&content-id=amzn1.sym.36fc8b14-2b5c-46ab-a796-e79556f482ba&pf_rd_p=36fc8b14-2b5c-46ab-a796-e79556f482ba&pf_rd_r=RNR6DFQR1P0GB8KGV3KT&pd_rd_wg=HWyIN&pd_rd_r=7be5bbe0-8b7a-467e-8efa-8ae954af6367&pd_rd_i=B0C4DX7RMX&ref_=pd_bap_d_grid_rp_0_1_ec_t&th=1

Have you ever seen an ejector seat? It's doubtful he was using it as a desk chair, though, so not really pertinent to the OP's question.

OP, my office had Herman Miller chairs and they are awesome. I'm sure there are decent knock offs around and you can often get the real ones secondhand. If you're spending a lot of time WFH, it makes sense to get as ergonomic chair as you can afford.

My DH has a crazy expensive Herman Miller chair which he got free from work during covid. It is pretty nice and supportive in fairness.
I have a cheap Ikea one I'm using for years now and I find it fine.
I bought one for the kids without sitting in it and I don't like it at all but they only use it occasionally for gaming.
I do think it's important to sit in a chair before you buy it. I thought about spending a bit more on one for myself but to be honest it went out of my mind and I'm not suffering or uncomfortable so I never got around to it.

If you buy very cheap, they are pretty poor - in the past 5 years MrKitty has had 3 cheap office chairs, all in the end have stopped adjusting for height properly, and just sink to the bottom within a couple of hours (and he's not very heavy, less than 80kg).

My work got me a Hag SoFi 5 years ago, and it is still going strong after daily use, and even when I weighed 90kg.

If the £1400 chair is a Herman Miller - they’re definitely worth the money. You can pick up second hand ones for around £400. My office had them, and they’re soooo comfy, never felt a chair like it before!