I Need A Desk Chair That Doesn’t Suck

And that isn’t prohibitively expensive. Or ugly.

For the past four years or so, I’ve sat in a desk chair at my desk at home that was a cast-off from an old roommate. It is big, black, generously cushioned and feels comfortable for about two hours before becoming so distractingly uncomfortable that I find myself stretching in an ill-advised child’s pose in an attempt to right whatever wrongs this chair is inflicting upon my body.

I’ve tried a standing desk, propping my computer up on a stack of books and boxes, but found myself distracted beyond productivity, concentrating only on the fact that I’m standing and typing and nothing else. Yoga balls and the like are novelties at best — one should not attempt to engage their core and work at the same time. Working from the couch is only good for specific kinds of work that require little concentration, like answering emails on a Sunday afternoon with a beer and the TV on in the background. I sat, very briefly, in an expensive desk chair at someone’s house and it felt so nice that I had to get up immediately, lest the memory of that feeling imprint itself on my body forever, dooming me to spend the rest of my days searching in vain.

I should dispose of the chair and get a new one, but hunting for desk chairs that are attractive and also not $800 feels like an exercise in futility.

Here are my requirements for a desk chair. It should swivel. It should be the right size for the space — not an “executive” desk chair, but the chair his assistant’s assistant might use. I am not tied to the idea of wheels. It’d be great if it wasn’t made of fabric and I would love it to be not hideous. It should be nice enough to drag out into the dining room for all those dinner parties I (don’t) host. Simple requirements! Easy asks.

This chair on Overstock looks nice. It’s also under $100 and, as the first review assures me, “Yes fatty, you can fit in this chair.”

Ordering thing online and then waiting for them to be delivered to my house is an activity that I’m not fond of. I would much rather march into a store, give someone money, and leave with the thing I want. That’s why I almost bought this chair from the Container Store when I was trying to buy other things with which to contain my life and its messes.

It’s called the “Oh! Chair” because apparently, when you sit in it, you’re surprised that it’s so comfortable. I had a similar reaction when I sat in it, but I had also been frantically digging thru piles of discount throw pillows in the back of a very warm Marshall’s. It’s only $50 and seems cheap and just comfortable enough for me to endure, but not so comfortable that I’d never want to leave. Also, the cat can’t ruin it with her talons.

Is it dumb to buy a desk chair that I haven’t actually sat in? How does one go about doing this anyway? Should I trust my gut and just get a chair that’s fine and nothing more? Why does this feel so difficult?

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