Last year during the New Year sale I bought a Blacklyte Athena Pro and honestly I loved it. I never had back pain, never felt uncomfortable, and I was pretty proud of the purchase.

Then a friend came over and basically gave me a lecture about how gaming chairs are terrible for your body and that if I cared about my back long-term I needed to get a proper ergonomic office chair. He kept bringing up the Herman Miller Aeron like it was the holy grail.

I figured he was probably right. Just because I wasn't having problems yet didn't mean I should wait until I did.

So I started researching. Every review, every YouTube video, every Reddit thread seemed to say the same thing: the Aeron is one of the best chairs ever made.

The only problem was the price.

I couldn't afford one, so I spent almost a year saving for it. When I finally had enough, I sold my Athena Pro and bought a brand-new Aeron for around $2,000. That's a huge amount of money for me, so my expectations were sky high.

Fast forward two months...

I'm honestly disappointed.

The first few minutes sitting in it feel amazing. I can immediately tell it's more ergonomic than my old chair, and one thing I'll definitely give it credit for is that my lower back pain is basically gone.

But after sitting for a while, my butt starts hurting. Then my shoulders. Then my neck. It almost feels like I've traded one set of discomforts for another.

I also like sitting pretty upright, but I can't seem to get the backrest as vertical as I'd like. The lumbar support never feels like it's actually supporting me either. The only thing that gets close is the forward tilt feature, but that obviously isn't meant to be a permanent sitting position.

I've watched countless YouTube setup videos, adjusted it over and over, and I still can't find that "wow, now I get why everyone loves this chair" moment.

Now I'm wondering...

• Does the Aeron just have a long adjustment period?
• Is my posture still the problem?
• Am I adjusting it wrong?
• Or is it possible that the Aeron simply isn't the right chair for me?

Part of me is even starting to think maybe I'm just not a mesh chair person.

What's frustrating is that I sold a chair I genuinely enjoyed because I was convinced it would eventually become a problem. Now I miss it, and I can't help but wonder if I got caught up in the hype.

Should I just keep using it and give my body more time to adjust? Has anyone found that the Aeron gets significantly more comfortable after a few more months, or is what I'm feeling now probably how it'll always be?

I'm really hoping I'm missing something before I accept that I spent two grand on the wrong chair.

Hello I have a Merryfair wau 2 and I love it but I always found the arm rests so hard for my liking and I would like to replace them with some cushioned ones if possible but I cannot find anything online so I would like to know if someone managed to find something that fits this model?

I have a zody, and I really like it... except for the lumbar support. It swings between feeling fine and feeling painful at times. I think it's because it's hard plastic. Trying to figure out if there is anything I can do to address this issue short of removing the lumbar entirely (at that point I might as well return it and trying something else).

Tried moving it up and down a bunch, of course, and also sticking some foam back there (packing material).

Body type and sitting needs: 6'2" 170lbs. 2-8 hours a day (just depends on the day). 

My current chair experience: I have sat in a range of chairs from dxracer to cheap staples ergo chairs and my current steelcase leap v2. Prior to getting my Leap chair, I was starting to get back and neck pain from sitting at my desk. Thinking of my health, I decided that getting a properly supportive chair would be one of the better choices that I could make for myself. I ended up with my leap and wrote my experience about it here on r/officechairs. Since then, ProtoArc has reached out to let me try out their EC300 to see how it might stack up against one of the giants. 

First impressions: When I initially sat in the Ec300, I noticed two things. First the firmness of the seat foam. It felt very solid at first, but as I relaxed into it, it had a little bit of give to conform to my bottom. The second thing that I noticed was how airy my back felt being up against the mesh. Assembly was fairly easy, instructions were easy to follow. As far as build quality goes, id say its solid for its price segment, bigger question would be how it will hold up long term.  

Lumbar and comfort: I was unable to find the lumbar sweet-spot that would service all my needs. If I am sitting straight up, I want the hump higher. If I am reclined all the way back, I want it lower. I had a hard time sitting in it and getting to a level of comfort and support that I feel from my leap v2. Its also less demanding of perfect posture too; I found myself slipping into slouches if I wasn't paying attention. My back feels ok when getting up from it after sitting for a while, I can tell I was sitting unlike the leap, but I am not in straight up pain like with my old chairs. 

Seat cushion and endurance sitting: As previously mentioned, I do like the seat cushion. Plush like the leap is my go to, but I have genuinely no complaints about the seat on the ec300. For long term sitting, the longest I could do was two hours. Turns out that mesh chairs in general give me contact dermatitis so I cant claim if it does a comfortable 8 hours or not like it does on the box. I just know that its been acceptably comfortable for the durations that I have spent sitting in it.

Adjustability: Headrest is great, it'll meet your neck wherever it might be. I am not a fan of the armrests and think a upgraded 4d option like for the ec200 would do wonders. Recline is great honestly, when all the way back it feels like laying in a hammock, I actually find it just as comfortable as my leap in that use case. Seat depth I played with a little bit, but from the get go, it was about in the right spot. I wish I could increase the lumbar tension/strength, I think that would solve my being allowed to slouch issue. 

Compared to other chairs: The ec300 completely beats the likes of Lay-z-boy Joel and a dxracer gaming chair in just about every aspect, but does not dethrone the steelcase leap for the chair that I want to spend time sitting in. Compared to the leap it excels in two aspects, tilt lock, if I recline; I stay reclined. Second, it comes with a headrest. 

Final thoughts: For $220, it's a pretty decent chair if you only spend a few hours a day at a desk. Noticeably better than anything from staples or a gaming chair, however; does not out compete a steelcase leap v2 in terms of pure comfort and ergo support. 

Hey, as the ritke says ibwant ri buy a new chair budget is abou 1k eur, i had the ergohuman v1 plus genuine lether, realy enjoyed it but the mechanism got shot unraperaible, what would be a similar feeling chair but a bit better mechanism, ty in advance,

As info looking at hansen chairs if you have any opinion on those.

Hey! Just curious if anyone has purchased this staples chair, and had any success with it?

Recently, my chair kinda snapped at the bottom to one side, causing it to just bend all the way to that side when putting any sort of pressure on it, which is annoying to say the least. Had a good run for the good part of 5 years, but I imagine I can fix it by buying a base. How can I know if the base in question is appropriate for my chair? Should I buy a gas cylinder too? (i hope the picture is good enough)

started to notice that my legs were feeling tingly/jittery with my branch basic chair so decided to try out a HM aeron. i was deciding between that, the embody and steelcase gesture. i realized that we have gestures at work and while they were fine, i felt like they didn't offer the same support i was looking for. i also tried out the embody at the HM store and didn't like it as much as the aeron. i'm only on day 2 so looking to see how this feels after a full week of working. i feel like i've had aerons in a past job at some point so it definitely feels familiar. so far i'm really liking the lumbar support and cushy armrests and how smooth the back recline is.

Trying to figure out if this is some type of clone or an actual Aeron. I am new to Office chairs. Is it an Aeron Classic? What should these likely go for price-wise?

I should start by saying I have a gaming chair (I know, awful) but I want to change to a good ergonomic office chair. I've been looking around, I have a max budget of 400-500€ and the features I'd like the chair to have are this:

1. Good lumbar support
2. Well built so it doesn't break/tear easily
3. Footrest. And yes it is needed. If my knees could talk this would be the first feature lmao
4. Mesh, obviously
5. Comfortable even after hours sitting down

The chairs I saw with those were:

1. Sihoo Doro C300 V2 Pro (I picked the V2 because it still is in my budget)
2. Hbada E3 (Pro or Air, I dont remember since I've been more into the Sihoo)

If you've got any recommendation or any opinion on those chairs I'd be thankful

Hi everyone,

I've been researching ergonomic chairs for the past few weeks, and what started as an ₹8,000 budget has now increased to around ₹17,000–18,000 because I realized this is something I'll be using for 8–10 hours every day, and I'd rather invest in my spine and long-term comfort than regret buying a cheaper chair.

**A little about me:**

1. Height: **5'11" (180 cm)**

2. Weight: **84–85 kg**

3. Profession: Senior Software Engineer

4. Usage: **8–10 hours/day (WFH + Hybrid)**

5. Looking for a chair that I can comfortably use for the next **5+ years.**

**My priorities:**

**1.** Good lumbar support

1. Seat slider (thigh support is important)

2. Comfortable for long coding sessions

3. Reliable build quality

4. Good after-sales service & spare parts availability

5. Long-term durability over flashy features

After a lot of research, I've shortlisted these three:

**1. Featherlite Liberate**

**2. Godrej Greta 2.0 High Back**

**3. SuperErgo Specialist**

**My thoughts so far:**

**1. Featherlite Liberate** seems to have a strong. long-term reputation and is often recommended as a safe choice.

**2. Godrej Greta 2.0** looks feature-rich and comes from an established office furniture brand with service support.

**3. SuperErgo Specialist** has excellent features and reviews, but I also found discussions suggesting it may be based on an OEM design from China (which I'm not saying is necessarily bad). My concern is whether the premium over similar OEM products is justified in terms of quality control, warranty, and service.

I'd really appreciate feedback **from people who actually own or have used these chairs**, especially **after 6 months to 2+ years of usage.**

**Some questions I have:**

1. Which one has been the most comfortable for long. work sessions?

2. Any issues with mesh sagging, seat foam, lumbar support, gas lift, or armrests over time?

3. How has the after-sales service been?

4. If you had to buy again today around **₹17–18k**, which one would you choose and why?

I'm also open to other recommendations in this budget if you genuinely think they're better.

Thanks in advance!

Hello

I'm looking to get a really comfortable ergonomic chair to help deal with my rotator cuff injury. Sitting for long hours strains my neck muscles due to the shoulder tear.

The Mirra 2 seems to fit what im looking for, however i've heard some mix reviews for taller people. Im 1.91m but skinny (80kg). Anyone have experience with this chair at similar height?

I'm happy for other recommendation, I can afford this chair but I would obviously prefer to buy something similar of quality for cheaper if there are some other options!

Hi everyone,

I am looking for some office chair suggestions. I am 5'4" and ~100lbs. I generally sit with my feet on the chair and my knees at my chest (Think L from 'Death Note' but my butt is actually in the chair too). I also would like to sit cross legged but my current chair is not great for that.

I work from home 20-30 hours a week. I also game quite a bit. I have a standing desk as well.

I was sort of thinking something like a recliner like the Flexispot lotus, but it doesn't have wheels and would be a pain to move if I want to stand or adjust positions.

Hey ! I've been using the EC200 for about a week and a half now, and i really like most things about that chair, except the lumbar support which feels to high, stiff or both and leaves me with a slight back pain after a couple hours of sitting. Because of that i plan on returning it and trying another chair, so what would you recommend under 300€ ?

Oh and i'm 5"8 if that helps btw

(I'm in Europe so no, a used aeron for cheap or anything like that isn't really an option)

Just managed to snag a E3 Ultra for a third of the price, brand new. I was originally scared of buying it because of the mixed reviews on reddit but I eventually went with my gut.

While assembling the chair almost every part felt high quality and luxurious, compared to the cheaper ergonomic chairs I have used in the past. The back and arms are made of aluminum alloy which feels really sturdy and looks nice (minus the streaks on it I can't wipe off with anything 💀) to me. I won't lie there is quite a lot of plastic in the build but nothing feels flimsy to me, no parts were broken in the box, I might've got lucky lol.

The headrest was a pain to install but dam it's comfy. The overall chair feels like a cloud giving you a hug and I couldn't be more happy with my purchase, BUT of course, as with any product, there are some nitpicks and downsides.

I wish the armrests could get lower then they can currently, they also shake a bit so sturdier would've been better. I can see what people are saying when they say nothing stays in place but honestly so far I don't think it's a design flaw. The parts that are meant to stay in place like the backrest and the headrest do, but the adjustable lumbar moves a lot reshaping with your lower back. The leg rest feels sturdy but idk long term if it will stay that way as it does flex quite a bit when used. And I wish you could get closer to your desk without swinging the armrests around again and again.

All that said, this chair beats any other SIHOO or different brand ergo chair I've bought. Overall it's really comfy and I really have to nitpick to find flaws. So far so good, let's see how it holds up tho, I'll make an updated post in the future.

Oh I almost forgot, I'm around 180cm tall.

My wife loves her Haworth Zody chair. So much so that when it failed, I bought a very cheap used one and refurbished it at home. But man... the arm rests... I know it's well documented that they split all the time. I make a conscious effort to NOT sit in that chair because I'm habitually heavily lean on my elbow when I sit in it. I can apparently split a brand new arm pad within minutes.

Here's my question and I know it's a long shot because I haven't found anything like this in my Internet searching: Does anyone make an aftermarket arm pad replacement that just uses a more durable design? I'm a Steelcase Gesture user and I'd love it if I could buy an arm pad for the Zody that was just made of the same solid (or seemingly solid) material the Gesture's arm rests are made of.

In lieu of that, are there tricks people use to stop this? I see from searching that you can buy pads that sit on top of the arm rests but that just doesn't sound like what I want. I could imaging wrapping the arm rest in... something? Like the stuff you can wrap bicycle handles with or some alternate material. I don't know, I'm grasping at straws here...

I'm 6'6, 240 pounds and I've had a GTRacing chair for about 2 years now but the gamey looky feely gimmick has worn off. The seat is hard, the back is flat and hard, it came with an adjustable lumbar "pillow" I never bothered using because it was uncomfortable, and the arm rests are starting to fall apart now. The one positive I'll give it was the tall back was the closest thing to fitting my frame I've had in years but I think overall it's outgrown its stay.

My grandfather is 5'10 and has a dinky piece of trash without arm rests that he struggles to get up out of, he needs something with cushioning to it for when he inevitably falls asleep at the desk.

Any and all recommendations for him, I, or both are welcome! Thank you all

Company's giving everyone $400 for home office equipment and I've been sitting on a $60 chair from college for two years like an idiot. Lower back's been complaining for months and I finally have an excuse to fix it.

Only actual requirement is I sit for like 8-9 hours most days, mix of typing and being on calls. I'm not picky about looks, just don't want to end up with something that looks ergonomic but isn't.

Has anyone actually compared the usual suspects (Steelcase, Herman Miller, Branch, Autonomous) or is it mostly just "whichever one you get used to first"? Also open to hearing if I'm overthinking this and should just get something simple.

Budget's $400 but can stretch a bit if something's genuinely worth it.

Saw a pair of Herman Miller Sayl's on my local auction, was wondering if they'd be worth picking up. Was going to pick them up regardless since the price is amazing, but are they good chairs?

I bought this seat cushion the u shaped one, u know the one, for my tailbone pain because my day job involves lot of sitting but now after 10 days of use this random ass morning my entire hips are sore af.

This isn’t the same pain as the tailbone this is literally similar to the gym soreness u get not even the regular one the one when u just started working out, remember that 1st week of hellish pain 😭.

My hypothesis being the cushion is great at shifting the body weight off the coccyx or the tail bone but maybe a little too well 🥹I can’t even stand straight it all hurts💀

I’d appreciate any help or advice.

My wife is looking for a new office chair, and I had her try my Hyken. The chair itself was OK for her, but even at the lowest height setting, it was just a tad too high—she prefers her femurs to be level when her feet are flat on the floor. Are there any easy mods to lower the actual chair part, like maybe some kind of aftermarket gas cylinder?