I’m looking to to upgrade to a better chair after having my ole reliable get sorta mangled by movers(shes pictured above). i have fibromyalgia which causes some pretty severe upper back pain for me, primarily between my shoulder blades. this sort of simple crappy chair has actually been the only one that has worked for me because it’s straight back and ability to raise and lower the back panel allow me to raise the back enough to support my upper back and sit up straight. i have a similar chair at work that is even crappier and even more comfy. but my god, even the smallest movements make these chairs creak and squeak and it drives me nuts.
I’ve tried a HM chair before and because of that huge lumbar support on the lower back i feel like like my upper back is about a foot away from the chair back and has no support and i have to hold myself up. to recline back to rest on the chair feels uncomfortable as well, like laying down to work. and i can’t angle the seat up enough to make the angles work to be at a working position and have my upper back supported.
honestly id keep getting these crappy basic chairs but they are too expensive to break and annoy me after a few years and its honestly getting harder to find them because the market has obviously shifted towards ergo chairs.
so anyway, I’ve been looking at the Steelcase Amia and series 2 but neither have an adjustable back like id like to have so I’m at a loss. anyone else withupper back paine have suggestions? i work from home 3/5 days so i need something reliable
What are your height, weight, and budget?
I’m inclined to suggest a first gen Haworth Zody with forward tilt. That feature on that chair doesn’t really push you forward - instead it puts you in a very upright posture. The lumbar panel is pretty gentle and won’t cause the disconnect you experienced before. It doesn’t have a height adjustable backrest, but if you’re not extremely tall, the backrest should fit you.
I don’t have any experience with the Zody II, which is the current model on the Haworth website, but to my understanding it’s similar.
5 foot 4 about 200 lbs and ideally I’d like to spend less than $1000 but if something is going to last the rest of my life if there is a resale market I’m open to anything. I’ll look into this one! Thank you!
You can find refurbished first gen Zodys at OfficeLogixShop and other places. Don’t buy from Madison Seating. Shop somewhere with a good return shipping policy.
There are ways to get Zody IIs under $1k. If you shop Haworth’s site, you can get a quick ship digital knit in Onyx with lumbar pad for $927 plus tax right now. They have a good return policy.
The cheaper option I’ve found is Colamy, but I can’t speak to its track record on back pain or reliability. It gets the job done, but the materials are cheaper. If you work from home and have a medical problem, this might be a situation that justifies spending $800+. Besides the ever-popular Steelcase Leap v2 and HM Aeron, people like HM Mirra 2 and I’ve heard good things about Haworth Zody for upper back stuff. But it’s all individual. If I were you, I would hunt down a good used chair showroom and try out all the high end models. If they don’t work, the solution may lie more in the domain of PT and medical sciences. Sorry if that comes off as patronizing, hope this helps.
No need to apologize! I appreciate your help! Honestly I’ve been in PT for about 3 years now for various things without much improvement so I’m just looking for something that’ll get me through the day without hurting me more. I will look into these too, thank you!
Unpopular pro tip: all the big brands are garbage for most users. I've tried the HMs, Steelcase, etc. First thought in all of them? Wow this is awful, why would someone spend money on this? I follow this sub because I sell used high-end chairs to mid 20s Finance bros who just moved to a new city. Go visit IKEA or Staples and try a bunch of chairs and see what feels good. Then if it breaks or falls apart, buy another. I still use the same Staples chair from 20 years ago....
That is exactly how i felt about my HM chair!! It was horrible!! Ive been the happiest with my chair at work bought from probably the cheapest vendor out there. But I’ve never been able to find it to buy as a consumer. The staples by me seems to be all aesthetic or gaming chairs but I’ll see what ikea looks like
Check out thrift stores too. People drop off lightly used chairs all the time. Classic, cheap "executive" style office chairs made about 10 years ago are my favorite ones and show up at thrift stores often.