Here's an interesting question, which squarely tackles the task chair conundrum: Do I really have to spend $800 to get a good chair?
I need a recommendation for a set of office desk chairs in the same vein as the HM Aeron or the SteelCase Leap but not quite so expensive. We've got about $450 (+-)100 to spend on each chair.
We're a production company that works in the animation and motion graphics biz so aesthetics are especially important.
Any idea or leads on where I should start looking? Thanks, David
Obviously, none of you have ever sat in (or even thought about) any of those new Knoll office chairs. Blows the Aeron out of the water, and by the way, those guys are not nearly as comfortable as people think they are...
I just bought an Aeron chair for $599 (no extras, just the basic one) from www.officedesigns.com. Had to tell them on the phone that a friend got it for that price from them and they honored that. Does this help relieve the sting at all?
I'm in the same boat, although I'm just looking for a single chair. You can find good deals frequently on ebay -- for instance, here's a Steelcase Leap chair for $400.
I'd like to stay at $200 or under... kind of hopeless, I acknowledge.
Oh, and before you buy an Aeron, check this out.
Oops -- looks like HTML is not turned on in these comments. Here's the link to ebay:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=61677&item=3831248654&rd=1
Here's the link to the Aeron warning:
http://www.dack.com/misc/aeron.html
I think the Caper chair from Herman Miller is cuter than the Aeron and has basically the same vibe. DWR has them for $499:
http://dwr.com/productdetail.cfm?id=1364&fp=subc
I was about to buy one, but wound up going with the Aeron for it's better lumbar support which I need for my flaky back.
Great Norwegian company that produces ergonomic chairs - HAG Inc. They have reasonably priced chairs.
If I'm not mistaken, at one point CORT Furniture Leasing offered the Aeron. While leasing might not work out for you, CORT has several Sale centers where they resell previously-leased furniture. (cortfurniture.com)
If that proves a waste of time, try the Alice chair at Topdeq.com... a reasonable facsimile of the Eames Aluminum Office series, but at a decidely smaller price...1 chair for $398.00, $378.00 if you buy 4 or more. Don't be scared by the silver picture if that's not up your alley... black is also offered. Several other contenders there at www.topdeq.com
Also a possible contender:
The Madras office chair at cb2.com:
http://www.cb2.com/family.aspx?c=302&f=1075&q=office%20chair&fromLocation=Search
It's definitely a matter of what fits you best, but I've been using Aeron chairs for over 8 years now and love them. I work at my computer almost 10 hours a day and never suffer any of the typical problems associated with other chairs I've used. While I'm always interested in new chair designs, the Aeron's still my favorite and it's worth every penny (even if I did buy the one I have at home used on eBay).
Maggie
Another option, from the MoMAstore....
The Uno Chair
http://momastore.org/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10001&storeId=10001&productId=11551&langId=-1&parent_category_rn=10262&categoryId=10263&giftCat=null
If a MoMA member, it gets close to your budget with the Member's discount...
i am addicted to a task chair that isn't too well known. it's called the swooper chair. it's backless and armless. just a stool that bounces and leaves a lot of the balancing to you. i work in the industry, and the designers have told me that it's a chair that is basically an extension of your vertabrae. i can't even do it justice here. just go try it. it's cute, too. not cumbersome at all. and around $400.
Does anyone know what the www.whiteonwhite.com MGMT chair (knock off of the Eames management chair) feels/looks like? I don't know much about white on white but I love the original Eames chair. Just can't afford the big bucks!
We are a manufacturer of custom ergonmic office chairs. Email me and I will sell you one of our chairs for $450.00 ernie@ergo4me.com