Studio Chairs ... Again

Got through a couple days of all day sessions with the Stealth chairs. I think the pro executive is worth the upgrade, now that I have them side by side. Both are good and no back ache at the end of the day. That's a big plus for me. I will be keeping at least one. I may consider exchanging the standard for the pro executive.

I bought the ergolab Stealth after sitting in it at NAMM in 2020 and I love it. The spring loaded lower/mid back support is wonderful. It's strong enough to sit back in and not miss a full backrest, yet it will support your back as you as you lean forward over your desk. That part is great! It would be nice if the armrest would swing away for playing guitar, but I sit a bit sideways to workaround that. It's very comfortable for long sessions.

Since I'm hobbit sized, I don't need the wide load seat of the Pro Executive.     I've sat in many Herman Miller chairs in studios, and I'm sure others are comfortable as chairs, but I've never seen another that does what the Stealth does for your back when you're constantly reaching forward and then sitting back. Highly recommended. 

I have an Aeron and now I have the Stealth Pro Executive. My back hurts with the Aeron. I know I'm probably not a typical case though. I blew three disks moving a digital piano onto a stage six years ago. Never lift and twist at the same time with something heavy. I heard "pop pop pop". It wasn't till the next day when I couldn't move that I realized what I'd done. Six months of heavy narcotics and injections. They wanted to do surgery but I had a tour to do and I didn't want to cancel. Can't say I remember the trip. Too drugged up. Norco and Gabapentin. anyway... The Stealth supports my back much better. So far, I'm happy with my purchase, though pretty damn expensive. All I think about is the mics I could have bought with that money... But my back is happier. This chair helps me sit more upright and controls my posture better.

Don, I wish I had your problem (hobbit size). After the back industry, I've put on an extra 40 LBS. Not good for being 5'11", so the wide load chair is better. My studio partner (woman) also prefers the wider seat. She was quite envious when she compared the two chairs I bought. "Why do I get the lesser chair?" .... thus the return of the standard and ordered another Pro executive. Now we will have peace and harmony again.

Thanks for that link Todd.  Encountering neck problems after my 15 y/o chair died.  Trying a new one (inexpensive) from a local Office Max, but the jury is still out on it.....

Thinking of buying an expensive chair via internet is terrifying for me.  So hard to know what you're actually going to get,,,,,

Hey Rob,
I had the lazy Boy tall executive chair for almost 30 years. It was good for sleeping in but a bit hard on my back after long sessions. 

Or you could be totally right. They have a steep return policy.

At the risk of being redundant to the other thread, I'll list where I got my chair: officedesigns.com/ There's a sale right now on Herman Miller, and you can get up to 20% off on their site. They have a 45 day no-hassle return/exchange policy with no cost to the customer for anything under $1,500 (just save your packaging). I purchased from them in 2018. They were still in Northbrook, IL at the time so I was able to swing by when at a client site and try out different chairs. They are now in Chattanooga, TN. I recognize it's a big lift to purchase expensive chairs without first-hand experience. I found a local office supply company (not a big box retailer) that had several of the chairs on hand to try out as well, so that may be an option for others before making a purchase decision.

I have no affiliation or relationship with the company, but maybe someone here will find this option useful. Randy Lowe is the Sales Manager, and he gave me a nice discount and was pleasant to work with. I'm sure he'd answer any questions you may have: randy@officedesigns.com These guys supply to a lot of other resellers, and are well established. They also get a lot of returns of perfectly good chairs, so that can save some dollars as well if you're willing to purchase one of those.

I've had three L4/L5 herniations and one surgery. I have dropped thousands on great mics, pres, and comps, but for some reason when it comes to spending a grand for a chair to ensure one's health it feels harder to justify.