On second thought, the Novo Home Edition is hit or miss a tad narrow between the armrests for you. It may be safer to go with a chair that has width-adjustable arms such as the HON Ignition 2.0.
I bought one of these based on a Wirecutter article, and it has worked nicely for full 8-hour workdays. It seems like it's gone up in price since July, though. Also, got some new casters that are like inline skate wheels, and that was worth way more than the $30 I spent on those.
I just got the Hon Ignition II with lumbar and highly recommend it - it's by far the best chair I've ever owned. Reminds me of the chairs I used to sleep in in meeting rooms in my intern days :) $226 on Amazon now and worth every penny!
You might want to check out this one! It gets great reviews (it's the NYT pick for an affordable but good chair) and it's similar to the one I got :) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06Y3PGPYN/
Wirecutter (my favorite go-to when i don't know where else to go for reviews) recommends the HON Ignition 2.0 for chairs in your budget. Steelcase chairs (typically the Gesture or Leap V1 or V2) are the real best chairs, but they are mad expensive to buy new. If you lust after Steelcase chairs like I do, maybe find some local authorized Steelcase dealers, and poke around their sites for used chairs. Usually you can find a couple that are selling for prices closer to your budget, and they might even come with a warranty still!
Hon Ignition 2.0.
https://www.amazon.com/HON-Ignition-Mid-Back-Adjustable-Lumbar/dp/B06Y3PGPYN
Amazon return policy if you hate it.
Well I can’t help with leather, but a big and tall coworker switched from the Steelcase Amia to a Hon Ignition 2.0, and you can at least avoid the all-black look in a couple ways.
This version has a gray plastic backrest, which is still dark but definitely more stylish:
Most of us at the office have Amia Airs with a similar plastic back, and I find it reasonably comfortable, but I purchased a traditional Amia with cloth/pad backrest and adjustable lumbar for my home office.
These guys offer blue and gray fabric versions with a conventional backrest, but they don’t mention the adjustable lumbar support so I assume it’s not included:
This is a gray mesh back:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06Y3PGPYN/
Amazon has the obvious advantage of their amazing free return policy, as long as you’re ok with the appearance of the available chairs.
I think nice furniture has always been expensive. Nice bed, few thousand, nice couch, few thousand, nice table? 1k, nice chair also 1k lol. For cheap (under 400) I'd go
HON Ignition 2.0 Mid-Back Adjustable Lumbar Work Fog Mesh Computer Chair for Office Desk (Black Fabric) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06Y3PGPYN/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_i_PAMTYBSQQXP2FCFCAQYA
Or
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07GNDDNMW/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_i_CTGMH6NKWXT6BMNGTAVM
Item | Current | Lowest | Reviews |
---|---|---|---|
HON Ignition 2.0 Mid-Back Adjustable Lumbar Work… | $338.98 | $338.98 | 4.3/5.0 |
^Item Info | Bot Info | Trigger
Every $50 increment is a serious upgrade in quality until you hit about around $300. Most chairs under $150 are going to be uncomfortable, unergonomic, and/or fall apart quickly. I have personally tried the following chairs. They all have height adjustable armrests, tilt lock and tilt tension control, and can accommodate someone of your height.
~$300: HON Ignition 2.0 - super comfy seat, nice full back support, lifetime manufacturer warranty (bang for your buck!).
~$250: TempurPedic TP4000 - great upper back support and decent lower back support, comfy seat, but might get hot and sweaty.
$150 with promo code 36616: Staples Dexley - comfy mesh seat, good overall back support, adjustable headrest, can try it in-store, might be a bit wide for you. Doesn't tilt lock fully upright! The highest tilt locked position is at about a 20 degree recline. This is technically more ergonomic but a deal-breaker for many.
A couple chairs ~$200 I haven't tried yet but I've heard good things: the Alera Elusion high-back and the CLATINA Mellet (optional $30 headrest).