Why can't I find a decent office chair with flip up arms?

[sloppychops]

I've tried. Really, I have. Hours spent online looking, reading reviews, watching videos, and trying out whatever chairs I can try out in person. And still, here I sit in my hideous 15 year old chair with flaking naugahyde.

Why flip up arms, you ask? So I can flip them up and play guitar without bumping against the arms. Any chair that meets this requirement seems to have as many bad reviews as good ones.

I'm prepared to spend as much as $650 if it means I can get a chair with flip up arms, good lumbar support, and a reasonable chance of lasting at least 10 years.

I just wasted another 1.5 hours looking online. Please, someone recommend a chair.

 

[telleutelleme]

For that money you can buy two chairs, one with arms, one without.

Almost 6K reviews.

 

[drmordo]

I just go armrest-less. I've had the same chair since the 90s.

 

[Tele-astic]

The secret to a comfy arm chair is putting two socks on the arm rests with foam padding inside. If you don't use the red colored socks you just wore on the weekend gig it looks unassuming and provides stress free support

Any ergonomic mesh chair will do...I bought this one at Costco years ago - excellent at a low price point and the arms flip up:

https://www.baysidefurnishings.com/product/corc-8-5/

 

[Beakybird]

I got one several years ago at Costco. Check out their website. It was on a special sale for $150.

 

[Beakybird]

https://www.nouhaus.com/products/er...kzlOZqNdAdxqmEr5jpbk0VvTE59LC5qwaAk3fEALw_wcB

 

[Mr. St. Paul]

I bought the Amazon Basics drafting stool almost four years ago for $70. No arms, padded seat and back, gives great lower back support (and brother, do I need it!). Still holding up just fine. I can roll back from my desk and grab one of my guitars and play it without having to flip arms out of the way.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B072Y4BH7D/?tag=tdpri-20

 

[srblue5]

I sympathize with your (thus far fruitless) search. I have a hard time finding suitable chairs for work and guitar playing. I now have a separate office chair for work (which is very comfortable) and a standard foldable chair for when I play guitar.

Back when I played in a church group, it was almost impossible to find a chair without arm rests in the facility when they wanted us to sit on stage during serious/solemn devotional music programs. I ended up sitting cross-legged on the floor with my guitar, looking like some kind of guru. It went over reasonably well.

 

[boxocrap]

I've tried. Really, I have. Hours spent online looking, reading reviews, watching videos, and trying out whatever chairs I can try out in person. And still, here I sit in my hideous 15 year old chair with flaking naugahyde.

Why flip up arms, you ask? So I can flip them up and play guitar without bumping against the arms. Any chair that meets this requirement seems to have as many bad reviews as good ones.

I'm prepared to spend as much as $650 if it means I can get a chair with flip up arms, good lumbar support, and a reasonable chance of lasting at least 10 years.

I just wasted another 1.5 hours looking online. Please, someone recommend a chair.

i looked for a long time and never found one locally here

 

[boxocrap]

https://www.nouhaus.com/products/er...kzlOZqNdAdxqmEr5jpbk0VvTE59LC5qwaAk3fEALw_wcB

and they ship to canada...yay

 

[Peegoo]

I think the issue is caused by how "good" chairs are designed to accommodate the tasks necessary in a typical office environment--which include making a chair and the arm rests as adjustable as possible to fit a variety of tasks and differing sizes of humans doing the tasks.

Adding a flip-up option to the arms severely limits the range of adjustability (height, angle, forward/backward placement, width apart, etc.) of the arm rests.

I'm a two-chair guy.

 

[Ebidis]

One of the most first world problems ever.

 

[srvy]

When I was a kid in the 70s bean bag chairs came out. I would practice for hours in that thing. Now 65 wouldn't dare it would take me 30 minutes to climb my way out to take a wiz.

I worked for an old established civil engineering firm. So when CAD drafting was starting to be a thing the switch over to computers and cubicles happened. The super old drafting tables and drafting chairs were being tossed. I grabbed a table and a couple of drafting stools and still use them today one at the workbench and one to just noodle on the guitar.

 

[wabashslim]

I've tried. Really, I have. Hours spent online looking, reading reviews, watching videos, and trying out whatever chairs I can try out in person. And still, here I sit in my hideous 15 year old chair with flaking naugahyde.

Why flip up arms, you ask? So I can flip them up and play guitar without bumping against the arms. Any chair that meets this requirement seems to have as many bad reviews as good ones.

I'm prepared to spend as much as $650 if it means I can get a chair with flip up arms, good lumbar support, and a reasonable chance of lasting at least 10 years.

I just wasted another 1.5 hours looking online. Please, someone recommend a chair.

This post could have been written by me a few weeks ago. I need a chair with arms for computing and without arms for playing and they have to be the same chair. After several days on Amazon & other sites I hit the office supply stores...the flip-up chairs were sparse and uncomfortable. The arms don't go back far enough so they dig into your shoulders, OR, the arms were OK but the rest of the chair sucked for various reasons. I gave up and now my playing room has two chairs and not enough room.

 

[AAT65]

Why do you want arms?? They stop you getting close enough to the desk to sit properly for typing. When I had back trouble 20 years ago the physiotherapist pointed this out too me. I've used armless chairs ever since.

 

[Twang-ineer]

This is a question often asked here.

I have referred folks to the chair that was referred to me. At least a half dozen folks here have bought the same chair from the same vendor:

Amia Chair by Steelcase.
Available on Amazon, but make certain the the actual shipping vendor is:
https://www.madisonseating.com/


The arms slide down and out of the way, if you are a small person5'-2" it might be a problem holding a guitar, but the average adult male will find the size and configuration perfect. Unlike the bulk of what you find on Amazon, these are professional chairs.

The Chair new retails at about $600 under normal circumstances, and most "enterprise" companies are happy to buy them buy the hundreds it as it keeps employees in their seats longer with less back pain.

Built to professional standards, these chairs are usually refurbished with new padding and soft surfaces at much better prices. I spend on average at least 10-12 hours a day in mine.

Copy/Paste of Mark E. Rhodes post from last week :
I was looking for a chair recently and someone here recommended this one, an Amai task chair. I got it from Madison Seating for around $300. It's great for sitting at my studio desk for long sessions. I can play guitar in it too. It's a well crafted item.

I have bought 5 chairs from them, great customer service.
My wife has two and I bought one for my Sister in Law and Brother in Law when everyone had to change to work from home.

 

[sloppychops]

This is a question often asked here.

I have referred folks to the chair that was referred to me. At least a half dozen folks here have bought the same chair from the same vendor:

View attachment 923724
Amia Chair by Steelcase.
Available on Amazon, but make certain the the actual shipping vendor is:
https://www.madisonseating.com/


The arms slide down and out of the way, if you are a small person5'-2" it might be a problem holding a guitar, but the average adult male will find the size and configuration perfect. Unlike the bulk of what you find on Amazon, these are professional chairs.

The Chair new retails at about $600 under normal circumstances, and most "enterprise" companies are happy to buy them buy the hundreds it as it keeps employees in their seats longer with less back pain.

Built to professional standards, these chairs are usually refurbished with new padding and soft surfaces at much better prices. I spend on average at least 10-12 hours a day in mine.

Copy/Paste of Mark E. Rhodes post from last week :
I was looking for a chair recently and someone here recommended this one, an Amai task chair. I got it from Madison Seating for around $300. It's great for sitting at my studio desk for long sessions. I can play guitar in it too. It's a well crafted item.

I have bought 5 chairs from them, great customer service.
My wife has two and I bought one for my Sister in Law and Brother in Law when everyone had to change to work from home.

I've looked at those (online), but couldn't tell if the armrests would go low enough to not be an issue while holding a guitar. None of the photos and videos I've found show what it looks like with the armrests fully down. Could you take a shot of yours like that and post it here?

 

[tintag27]

I sympathise - it is an issue thas has annoyed me for years. I like my swivelling office chair, and I like to sit back in it hands clasped together with my elbows on the armrests while I figure out work problems (semi-retired graphic designer). Embarrassed to admit it, but sometimes when working with my guitar in GarageBand, I resort to perching on an armrest with my feet on the seat!!

 

[Tarkus60]

Amazon.com: SAMOFU Ergonomic Mesh Office Chairs, High Back Desk Chair with Adjustable Headrest, 5-Year Warranty Executive Chair with Flip-up Armrest, 3D Lumbar Support Computer Chair, BIFMA Passed Task Chairs : Home & Kitchen

I just bought this one. If your a smaller guy it's pretty good. I would think not for a larger guy over 200 ponds.

 

[naveed211]

I got a Serta one from Walmart without trying it first, it’s $140. I really like it, it’s comfy, and the flip up arms are really nice for guitar playing.