Vintage from left to right: 1992, 2002, and 2022.
Apparently, I’ve gotten taller. I don’t remember what the first one cost, but it was expensive to me when I bought it, so let’s go with $150. The middle, Aeron chair was a going away present (thanks, Yuriy and Anna), but listed for $800 at the time. The right chair is brand new and cost about $250.
I wanted a new office chair because the Aeron chair, which I’ve been sitting in nearly every day for 20 years, is dandy for work, but uncomfortable for watching video. Amazon reviews are nearly useless because people overrate (“I replaced all the screws, added arm rest pads, and a seat pillow – four stars!”) or have no point of comparison (“This is so much better than my $30 army surplus chair!”). I wanted a yellow striped one to go with the John Deere Green desk, but camo was the best I could do – really, I bought it for the color. My only requirements were that it recline and that it have padded arm rests.
The new seat is harder than the 1992 chair, which has been in use for forty years, now; albeit not daily use. The seat is definitely deep enough to support a memory foam pillow, so I shall be buying one.
It does recline, but it doesn’t lean back and forth, which the Aeron chair does (technically, “can be adjusted to do”; it’s optional). The footrest is fine, despite the reviews. There’s just a trick: As you recline the back, one’s butt tends to slide forward from the seat/back hinge, so one’s feet start to dangle off the footrest; just push yourself up to keep your butt in the correct spot and the footrest is fine.
The head pillow is actually quite nice, if the back is mostly vertical. As one reclines, the angle toward a vertical monitor becomes too steep (“shallow”? whatever) for it and one must crane one’s neck for good viewing. An airplane pillow solves that problem (as it does for a traditional recliner and watching TV).
If I thought I could get it into my house, I would be very tempted by this $4000 beast.
Marked Up 