Shopping for an office chair can be like shopping for a car. It would be impossible to cover everything here in this modest post, but after spending hours drooling over the hot, hot, hot office chairs, here are some gorgeous samplings of what you can find. Before we really get started, you will want a chair that is easy on your body. According to OfficeChairAdvice.com, here are the top 5 things you need to look for:
- pneumatic seat height adjustment
- back height adjustment
- seat depth adjustment
- arm height adjustment
- adjustable tilt tension
Beyond that, you’ll want a weighty, but good looking 5 star base, which is pretty much universal. And I would never buy a chair without testing it out, even if it means taking a trip to Europe to find the right chair.
So let’s start off with the Perforated Airgo Chair available through Pottery Barn Teens. Priced from $179.00-$199.00, it’s doubtful you could sit comfortably for very long, but the colors are nice and the minimal design would fit nicely into many home offices.
The Miami PU chair from Target mimics a higher end ergonomic chair, but doesn’t brag about anything truly ergonomic. “Leatherette” means vinyl to me and vinyl means a sweaty back.At $189.99, it’s nice looking and would probably make it in a home office, but couldn’t go the distance all day at the office. No arm height adjustment either.
Once you jump up to the $300-$500.00 dollar range, Herman Miller has your back. The Celle Chair is available for around $450.00. Touted as an affordable, sophisticated and supportive work chair, it’s 99% recyclable. On the low end of the Herman Miller line, but good looking, available in a number of colors and it has to have some of the Herman Miller traits. Here’s what they say:
Celle combines innovative support, great looks, and more comfort than any other work chair in its price category.
Another of Herman Miller’s kids in this price range is the new Sayle Chair. The Sayle debuted in Chicago in October of 2010. Here’s what HM says about this looker:
Inspired by the principles of suspension bridges, the frameless back of the SAYL work chair encourages a full range of movement while the suspension back material keeps you cool—all with an extremely small environmental impact.
Again, the lineage of Herman Miller, an affordable price available from $399.00 at Sit for Less.
Now let’s move over to another office chair icon, Steelcase. At $700.00, here is one of my favorites, The Think chair. Ergonomically sound, environmentally friendly and available in an array of colors. It lacks the heaviness of a fully upholstered executive chair, but looks to have satisfactory back and arm support. 
Steelcase has another darling in the $800.00 price range, the Leap. This fully upholstered chair was proven, in a year long study, to actually contribute to increased productivity, which is obviously linked to being comfortable for longer periods.
Ergonomically, here’s the scoop:
The Leap chair’s back moves as your back moves. Its arms move as your arms move. Its seat moves as your seat moves. It’s the first chair that actually changes shape to mimic and support the movement of your spine.
Of course there’s the Herman Miller Aeron Chair in the upper $1000 price range. Honestly, after studying up on office chair design, the Aeron is looking a little orthopedic compared to the sleek, stylish upper end designs I’ve just discovered.
I just discovered the Eames Soft Pad Management Chair. I tend to like the lower back look. And look at that yummy leather upholstery.
Now that we’ve jumped up into the $2000.00 and above price range, here is some expensive designer eye candy that will have you working longer hours so you can afford one of these HOT chairs.
The MUGA by Jorge Pensi
STEREO from Casmania
From the looks of the European designs, comfort and ergonomics may not be a high priority.
And last, but not least, the Preisig Black Dot Chair labeled as self-confident, proud, intelligent.
