Will have to see if back pain improves. Confounding factor is I also quit PhD program the week after it arrived, so it'd be hard to figure out whether absence of pain is due to chair or absence o f stress.

Hello I got the embody

For $1400 it does not defend me in court, perform fellatio, or do my taxes, but it is very comfortable.

@Cedar what happened at the end? which chair did you get?

@Cedar I've never tried this chair, but I'm obsessed with Wirecutter! It's great! That said, I read Wirecutter mainly to know what criteria make for a good product and how to evaluate different options, and most of the time, I end up disagreeing with Wirecutter's top pick. Wirecutter can tell you what chair works best for most people, but it can't tell you what's best for you.

@Cedar I use a medicine ball, but in general trust wirecutter reviews

@jorge if you don't care about looking like a yuppie lol... it's a game changer IMO. I had severe back problems caused by "seating" (slouching) for too long during grad school. I've been using only a medicine ball to sit every weekday for the last 10 years and wouldn't go back. Besides it is only like $20 so you can give it a try

@jorge @Alice got any opinions on this one?

Thanks @Alice and @jorge

My current plan:

1. I need to look like i'm working when the camera is on for days with meetings. the plan for this is to start with https://www.ebay.com/itm/115200315611 , and use the return policy whenever the chair starts being uncomfortable. Next in line is the HON Ignition 2.0.

2. For the rest of the time, hammock and keyboard. Instead of buying additional equipment, i plan to use my oculus quest 2 that's been collecting dust (if somebody comes later and wants to replicate my setup, buy a different headset - - there are so many better headsets out there; it sux) as a monitor to connect my laptop and my split keyboards. So i can work in a dead man on a hammock posture.

3. I have a medicine ball on the way! Ty @jorge

@Cedar good luck! I hope that your pain goes away!

@Cedar Good luck!

@jorge budget pick (still $400) at Wirecutter. Check their recommendations, all the other ones have been mentioned: https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/best-office-chair/

@Cedar Nice!

I'm sure you've also considered this, but make sure your table height and screen height are working for you. And if you have the option to stand, a foam floor mat can make that more comfortable.

@Alice have very strong feet due to growing up on farm and feel comfy standing for long times. does foam mat do anything other than more foot comfort?

@Cedar Some have raised surfaces so you can switch to standing uphill or downhill, but if standing is already comfortable for you, I wouldn't spend money this.

@Alice now that's a juicy idea.

I have a hammock and a standing desk that i can put over the hammock.

Thank you!

Her other main takeaway is that the best posture is the next posture. Don't stay in any one position for too long. Stand up or sit differently — even better, stretch in between. The balans chair supports different ways of sitting, but regardless of which chair you get, try to avoid static sitting for more than four hours at a time.

I took an architecture class with Galen Cranz, who wrote the book on chairs and dedicated her life's research to why sitting is bad. Essentially, humans aren't meant to sit folded up at 90 degrees; 135 degrees is much better. (Think of the posture astronauts in space naturally adopt.) And if you want your body at a more open angle, your best bet is a lounge chair. If you can mount your monitor over a lounge chair, do it! Otherwise, she suggests perching on the edge of a stool. The more comfortable version of that is the balans chair.

This one comes in multiple sizes, if standard office chairs are too big or too small for you. People come in all shapes and sizes, so it doesn't make sense for chairs to be one-size-fits-all. (Or worse, for size to depend on hierarchy, where executive chairs are massive.)

If you're open to buying used, look for resellers. You can find entire warehouses full of chairs that offices don't need any more, and they're sometimes 50 to 70 percent off depending on the condition.

I spent over 100 hours helping someone with chronic back pain and multiple back surgeries find an office chair. This was the choice he found the most comfortable. What matters, though, is what's comfortable for you. I can't stress enough how important it is for you to physically try sitting in different chairs. If you can, bring your laptop and sit for a few hours, so you have time to notice if anything's uncomfortable. Measure the height of your desk and test chairs using the same setup. Sit how you'd normally sit at home; don't switch to perfect posture if that's not how you'll actually use the chair.

@Alice https://www.amazon.com/Steelcase-Wrapped-Back-Gesture-Nickel/dp/B0141G9IHY/ref=sr_1_8?crid=30KHGVU8UH62B&keywords=steelcase+gesture&qid=1664818715&qu=eyJxc2MiOiI0LjI1IiwicXNhIjoiMy43MiIsInFzcCI6IjIuNzAifQ%3D%3D&sprefix=steelcase+gesture%2Caps%2C107&sr=8-8&ufe=app_do%3Aamzn1.fos.ac578592-0362-4e0a-958c-0f2dd61d30d4

$1000 - $1200 depending on seller

@Alice cheapest i can find of this is $700, open box

https://www.amazon.com/Herman-Miller-Aeron-Fully-Loaded/dp/B01MCVS7GH/ref=sr_1_7?keywords=herman+miller+aeron&qid=1664818651&qu=eyJxc2MiOiI0LjY2IiwicXNhIjoiNS4xNSIsInFzcCI6IjUuMDUifQ%3D%3D&sr=8-7&ufe=app_do%3Aamzn1.fos.ac578592-0362-4e0a-958c-0f2dd61d30d4