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What are you sitting on that's not an Aeron/standard-style office chair?

I have a standing desk and a tall shop stool with a back. It actually raises and lowers so I can sit comfortably at standing height if I need to. The back hits at lower back height. Just enough support when I need it but mostly it makes me use my muscles by sitting up properly without having a back to lean into.
I used to have a standing desk with an ikea Franklin bar stool with backrest. Worked pretty well for a while.

ergorests that attach to the desk
Can you tell us a little more about this? I googled for pictures and it's an interesting concept, but I wonder if the arm would get in the way. Can you mound these to the right of your mousepad or do they have to be centered before it? What specific aspect of it is helping you?

I've never failed when attempting to sit on it. 100% success rate.
Lucky you! Mine's more like 99.98% ... x]


Do the 90's kneeling chairs still exist?
Yes! I had one for a while. I thought it's not bad actually, but a bit tiring for nonstop use and I don't have the space to keep switching chairs often. Also I needed to add more cushioning for the knees. Overall I think I prefer it over the big sitting balls or any regular stool without backrest. I can't remember though how well my knees took to it. I have knee pain on and off no matter what chair I sit on, so it's hard to say for sure what's causing it. It's definitely something to be aware of though - sitting in a new way, can introduce issues in a new way.


I've heard many great things about the HAG Capisco.
I was very close to buying one, but couldn't bring myself to fork over that much money without doing a proper test period on it for a couple of weeks. I wish I could just rent one for a month for a reasonable price. But even just finding a store where I can try it has been a problem so far.
If you buy one, let us know how you like it!
A friend of mine got one as a gift after having a herniated disc and he has happily used it for many years, but I don't think he's super picky about chairs. From what I can tell by the look of his chair, they don't last as long as Aerons.

My girlfriend bought an "oyo chair" a couple years ago, more or less on a whim. We went to the store just to check out standing desks for me, and she just tried chairs out of boredom and really liked it at first. But it has proven to be a poor choice because neither of us can sit well on it. I should mention that neither of us are good at sitting "normally" on chairs because we don't like the regular feet on the floor posture, and the oyo is terrible for that (as is the Aeron from what I saw in a review). And in the intended way to sit on it I find it instantly uncomfortable too.

Conceptually the Capisco shares some design aspects, which makes me sceptical about giving that one a try now. If your hips are rather narrow, the "saddle" might be uncomfortably wide. Maybe you can get measurements from the manufacturer and do a "mockup" by stacking towels on a stool or something like that, if you can't try the real thing at a store. There's a cheaper, harder, and somewhat narrower version iirc, Capisco Puls is what it's called I believe.


My conclusion for chairs was that I should learn building my own. I don't think the perfect chair for me exists yet. I can tell from video reviews that I wouldn't like the Aeron either.
 
Can you tell us a little more about this? I googled for pictures and it's an interesting concept, but I wonder if the arm would get in the way. Can you mound these to the right of your mousepad or do they have to be centered before it? What specific aspect of it is helping you?
If you search this very forum for "ergorest" about 15 results come up and 90% of them is me pushing them over the last 10 years. There are probably pics in there somewhere. Yes they are very good and no your arm doesn't get in the way. Just have to take the armrests off your chair if your chair has them.
 
If you search this very forum for "ergorest" about 15 results come up and 90% of them is me pushing them over the last 10 years. There are probably pics in there somewhere. Yes they are very good and no your arm doesn't get in the way. Just have to take the armrests off your chair if your chair has them.
Thanks a lot! I just finished reading all those posts and it's an interesting concept. I think they solve a problem I don't have, but I've sent a link to a friend with wrist pain, so that he can take a look at it. I doubt it'll actually help him, since we both aren't composers, so our repetitive work movements are different than yours. But it's worth a shot still. For your setup I can totally see how they could be a gamechanger for supporting you while playing parts in with your keyboard.
I saw the vertical mouse you like too, do you still use the Anker? My friend already has one, but mostly uses a different mouse (not because it's more ergonomic than the Anker but because it's less awkward for him to use and his pain issues have gotten better).

I don't think I've ever had carpal tunnel, but I've had a similar thing with the nerve close to the elbow from using armrests on my chair. I think the ergorest could potentially even trigger similar problems for me. But it's always good to have these less conventional ergo solutions on the radar. Maybe in a couple years I'll need something like that, who knows.



A thing I recently learned to appreciate, is how much of a difference it makes to have your chair at the right height for your knees. Sadly we usually have to adjust the chair to the table and then the legs have to deal with whatever height the chair is at. I have a height adjustable desk, but it doesn't go low enough.
I started putting a balance board under my desk to put my feet on, so it's similar to having the chair lower relative to the floor. Much more comfortable for me! I wouldn't want to miss it anymore, so I recommend experimenting with things like that.
 
Do the 90's kneeling chairs still exist?
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Yes, but it's a bitch rigging up a rear mounted sustain pedal.
 
I've got one of the Stealth Chairs (Pro) but with the Executive back (bought the extra back after I already had the chair). So far it's pretty nice.
The Stealth Chair is the same as the Tatz eChair, which I tried but wasn't comfortable for me -- I gave it a full two weeks. Ended up hurting my rear and my upper back. It's a fantastic chair, just doesn't work for my particular body.
 
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I'm a big dude, 300lbs+ and for over 10 years I've used the Office Star 2400E at home and at work. It's rated at 250lbs, but that's just the gas cylinder, the rest of the chair is built like a tank and the only chair that doesn't hurt my back. If you were to get it, don't use the stock cylinder, put https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07KLYJHYQ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 (this one) in instead for an extra 18 bucks (says Currently Unavailable at the moment but that happens a lot for some reason on Amazon, it comes back in stock). Even if you aren't a Clyde like me, the chair has a big seat deck and is comfortable and supportive if you don't have a Herman Miller budget, lol.

Recently I put these https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08DH335PL/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 (Rollerblade wheels) on the chair, and surprisingly it doesn't make the chair roll more, just the opposite. When the wheel is perpendicular, it DOESN'T move unless you wiggle to turn it. I like that, keeps the chair in place when I need that. Of course, that might just be my weight, lol. ;)
 
I'm a big dude, 300lbs+ and for over 10 years I've used the Office Star 2400E at home and at work. It's rated at 250lbs, but that's just the gas cylinder, the rest of the chair is built like a tank and the only chair that doesn't hurt my back. If you were to get it, don't use the stock cylinder, put https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07KLYJHYQ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 (this one) in instead for an extra 18 bucks (says Currently Unavailable at the moment but that happens a lot for some reason on Amazon, it comes back in stock). Even if you aren't a Clyde like me, the chair has a big seat deck and is comfortable and supportive if you don't have a Herman Miller budget, lol.

Recently I put these https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08DH335PL/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 (Rollerblade wheels) on the chair, and surprisingly it doesn't make the chair roll more, just the opposite. When the wheel is perpendicular, it DOESN'T move unless you wiggle to turn it. I like that, keeps the chair in place when I need that. Of course, that might just be my weight, lol. ;)
Thank you for this, I'm a bigger person too, and this information is priceless.
 
Thank you for this, I'm a bigger person too, and this information is priceless.
Guys, I'm also looking for a good chair for myself. OK, I'm NOT that heavy! even with the poundemic ;)

But I have a friend who's a big guy (150+kg?) and I asked him. He has a chair by a company like HON Basys or Basyx that he loves. He works at the computer like us all day long for his job. He says avoid bonded-leather (?) seats, they don't breathe. But these HON chairs are built like tanks.
 
I used to have a standing desk with an ikea Franklin bar stool with backrest. Worked pretty well for a while.
I have an older ikea desk that can be assembled at several different heights, so I turned it into a standing desk several years ago and never looked back. I've gone through a few different chairs for when I want to sit, but the ikea Franklin bar stool w/backrest (higher version) has been the best, and has lasted a few years for a grand sum of $34.99. I have the shorter version at my second, lower desk.
 
Always thought these swivel-chairs have an interesting concept:



They allow sideways movement, so your back is not fixed in one position for long times. The models linked to above also allow for swift change between seating and standing position in case you have a standing desk.
 
A Steelcase something or other. Picked it up used for $99 from a startup downtown Seattle that went under and was selling everything. This was a couple years ago.
 
Guys, I'm also looking for a good chair for myself. OK, I'm NOT that heavy! even with the poundemic ;)

But I have a friend who's a big guy (150+kg?) and I asked him. He has a chair by a company like HON Basys or Basyx that he loves. He works at the computer like us all day long for his job. He says avoid bonded-leather (?) seats, they don't breathe. But these HON chairs are built like tanks.
I went to the HON Basyx website, and I like the chairs. Can you possibly ask your friend what specific chair he uses? I'd appreciate it so very much. Thanks!
 
I went to the HON Basyx website, and I like the chairs. Can you possibly ask your friend what specific chair he uses? I'd appreciate it so very much. Thanks!
Hi! I was exactly skyping with him when you posted! I asked him to check. He said that under it says HON Basyx VL685SB11 VL685. He admitted to me that he bought it because then he was 400+ pounds! He's a tall man but he lost weight since :) The chair is black, very wide and very sturdy. The bonded-leather still looks very good after 5+ years. He changed the wheels for better ones immediately. He doesn't remember the price; it was not cheap but not Hermann Miller-levels. Hope this is helpful :)
 
I bought the https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005ZC69OY (HON V705), and it was truly built like a tank in every aspect, held my weight easily. The problem was, its shape just killed my sacrum. I can't explain why, it was like my backside went too far back or something. I tried to make it work for months but it just killed me. I went back to the OfficeStar 2400E that I listed above and couldn't be happier. Just order the $18 gas cartridge I listed and this chair that's technically rated at 250 lbs easily becomes a 400 lb chair.
 
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