What's the best inexpensive desk chair?

Consumer Search likes Office Star Air Grid Deluxe: http://www.consumersearch.com/office-chairs

But personally I recommend doing what I did and buy a used/refurbished one from an office equipement reseller. I live in the SF Bay Area, and I went to One Work Place and picked up a SteelCase Criterion for about $200. http://www.oneworkplace.com/

Re: Are there good alternatives besides standing?

Read the article at the Cornell University Ergonomics website, which makes the case that while neither sitting nor standing are perfect, sitting is better PROVIDED you take a break every 20-30 minutes and move around actively for about 2 minutes during your break.

I'm a big fan of my blue Ikea Markus chair. It has a high back, headrest at the right height, and it won't lean back too far like a lot of office chairs. Also, this chair is built with a lot more metal in it than similarly priced chairs I've seen, and it feels a lot sturdier as a result. If you have an Ikea near you, I recommend checking it out.

I'm about your size, and I've been recovering from a fairly serious back injury, so I've become rather picky about chairs. I have two favorites, but neither one is what most people now days would think of as a "desk chair". I like a solid chair that doesn't move around, no wheels, no tilt, just a place to sit.

If your willing to do a little thrift shopping you can get a Wooden library chair for about $20, or you can buy one new for about $150. If you want a similar feel, but don't care as much about the appearance, a Lifetime plastic folding chair will sit about the same.

It's surprising how comfortable an old fashioned chair is. You won't get that immediate "wow" feeling when you first sit down, but I find myself using better posture and varying my sitting position more frequently than with a typical modern desk chair. Also, with no moving parts, they really do last forever.

I have found I prefer a firm exercise ball instead of a traditional chair.For $20 I get a chair I have found to be strangely comfortable, keeps me alert while I am at the computer (or I fall off of it) and helps me develop better core muscles. It is all I use for an office chair now. Oh and for offices with limited space it is smaller than an traditional office chair.

i recently had a back injury and had to make a change to my workstation. i got the Ergotron Workfit-s sit/stand workstation - http://www.ergotron.com/Products/tabid/65/PRDID/380/language/en-US/Default.aspx

it is a desk attachment that mounts your keyboard/monitor/mouse + laptop to a stand that easily raises and lowers between sitting and standing positions. it literally takes 2 seconds to switch from one position to another. i now switch between sitting and standing several times a day. it is so easy with the Ergotron that I hardly think about it, there is no hesitation.

a really nice bonus is it positions the laptop in a way that it can be used as a second monitor.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EV_i_mi---w&feature=player_embedded

Hacker News dealt with this question a couple years ago: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=585693 and most submitters don't think there is a good inexpensive chair. The closest you can probably get is a used Aeron; those run about $500 and can be found at office supply companies or on Craigslist.

I had the same question about 2 years ago and settled on the CB2 Studio Office Chair. I'm about the same weight/height as you and it has worked out great for me. At only $189, it's much cheaper than an Aeron or equivalent. Though it doesn't have much in the way of adjustments (just up/down, recline locked/free), it's quite comfortable. The reviews on the CB2 site rate it pretty highly and I have to concur. My one niggle is that the platform under the seat collects dust and grimblies which are quite visible through the seat's bungie cords.

I’ve seen too many people asking about a budget chair and especially one that costs under 200 dollars. Well, you can get soem decent chairs for that money though none will compete with the ”investment” chairs in comfort or durability. Now, for the answer, Alera Elusion has been named the best office chair under 200 so it looks like an opportune choice for that matter.