Why ergonomic chairs are so expensive? To get a decent one, it is over $500. Can't even find a good one supporting the lumbar for around $200 - $300.
Now the trend is also changing. Mesh ergonomic chairs dominate the market purely for the aesthetic reason.
because they can get away with it.
buro metro is supposed to be good, around 400 dollars i think
Heaps of people are WFH now so the demand is a lot greater plus people have a lot more to spend due to not being able to go on holidays.
Why ergonomic chairs are so expensive? To get a decent one, it is over $500. Can't even find a good one supporting the lumbar for around $200 - $300.
Price is subjective to different people but there are plenty of price options for chairs. But as with anything you have the cheap sub $200 (Officeworks etc) chairs and then you have the very pricey Ferrari of Chairs like a Herman Miller or a Steelcase ($1500-$2000). As many would know from WFH, investing in a decent chair is pretty important. Gone are the days of doing work from the kitchen bench. Though if you can it is always best to try out the chair in person as everyone is different.
Try Temple Webster or places that sell to Corporate offices like Krost etc:
Temple Webster chairs
Now the trend is also changing. Mesh ergonomic chairs dominate the market purely for the aesthetic reason.
Not really a fad or for looks, for me personally I like a mesh backing (as my back runs hot after sitting for a long period) with a padded cushion base for my chairs. I managed to get a Steelcase Leap from a 2nd hand Office supplier for around $500. Great condition and refurbished. These usually RRP for $1600. Best find ever and one of the most comfy chairs I have ever used. I would suggest shopping around, there are bargains to be had if you do your research.
@DannyC which 2nd hand office supplier did you buy from?
It was through my work. But if you are in Melbourne give these guys a go Ergonics plus they have a showroom in North Melbourne. Once lockdowns are over i'm sure u can go view their stock.
https://www.ikea.com/au/en/p/jaervfjaellet-office-chair-with…
? Sorted for $250. Or $200 if you don’t want arm reats
Mesh ergonomic chairs dominate the market purely for the aesthetic reason.
Nope, I find mesh a lot more cooling than foam. It makes complete sense - with mesh there is airflow all the time. My back doesn't get hot and sweaty. If it's a hot day and my back does sweat, it can evaporate immediately. Foam will act as an insulator in comparison. Heat and moisture will be trapped.
If you're the type of person who doesn't sweat much then it might not matter to you, but there definitely are people out there who can sweat on a chair after many hours of sitting..
Good to know. I didn't know people sweat on the back when relaxed on a chair. I notice I have vapour on my palms and soles when sitting in front of my desk when it is around 30°C.
More hygienic as well probably. Don't have dirt and sweat getting absorbed into the foam/fabric.
How many hours are you sitting in the chair?
How much will a bad back cost you later on?
This is one I didn’t cheap on.
Economics, really. Most people aren't willing to pay for good chairs, which means companies that make good chairs need a higher margin on each chair and produce at smaller scales which pushes the price up even further. Then stores aren't willing to keep as much stock on hand because it's so expensive so will only take small volumes, pushing up distribution costs. You also need to work harder with the stores to get them to take the stock in the first place, which means giving them a larger cut.
Whereas a Chinese factory can pump out hundreds of thousands of the same chair to be rebranded all over the place, high end chairs can't do that. This also brings in greater risk, if a model isn't a success then it's a very expensive loss. However you can always clear out cheap chairs with a little price cut
Then there's warranty and customer service, if a cheap chair breaks it just gets binned, if an expensive one does you'd better want really good customer service and support.
So yeah, diminishing returns on increasing cost makes selling an expensive product hard. Unless you're Apple.
Then there's warranty and customer service, if a cheap chair breaks it just gets binned, if an expensive one does you'd better want really good customer service and support.
Herman Millers have 12 year warranties. While that's impressive, what I found more impressive is being able to buy a brand new replacement seat pan ($205) this year for an Aeron manufactured in 1996. That's the only part I've had to replace on this 25-year old chair which I got for a song from an office that was closing down 13 years ago.
Mesh ergonomic chairs dominate the market purely for the aesthetic reason.
You need your brain back from the robber
You can feel the difference IMO, most ergonomic chairs feel more sturdy.
Also most have an AFRIDI rating which would coast a fair amount I would imagine.
A good one lasts near enough a liftime.
A lot use a blow moulded foam rather then cut foam, the later flattens very quickly.
As the body wasn't meant to spend hours in a seated position. Also much cheaper than post sore back treatment.