Herman Miller Celle vs gaming chair (e.g. Noble chairs)?

Soldato
Joined
6 Oct 2004
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18,324
Location
Birmingham
With working from home looking like (hopefully!) a long term scenario, I'm considering investing in a better chair.

I currently have a cheap and cheerful "Dexter" gaming chair from Argos (bought for £100 about 5 years ago, so I guess I've got my money's worth) and it has done the job for a couple of hours gaming in the evenings, but is starting to get a bit tatty (the fake leather is bubbling & peeling on the seat), it doesn't recline very far, it's getting a bit wobbly on the gas lift, and occasionally makes a "nice" "clunk" sound (like it's about to collapse...) if I lean back.

With being sat in it for 8+ hours/day now, I'm starting to get a bit of an ache/numbness in my lower back, bum and upper legs as well (something I've noticed previously on longer gaming sessions, although they were only occasional, so not really worth taking into account).

I have a Herman Miller Celle at work which I could arrange to collect, but whilst that's comfortable for work purposes (e.g. sat upright actively typing etc.), it's not ideal for chilling out in since it's mostly plastic, so looking for a decent ergonomic/comfortable chair for both work and play!

I'm not interested in anything particularly garish and brightly coloured, and I'd prefer fabric (due to concerns about peeling and also breathability).

So far the ones I've been looking at are:

The Nitro Concepts S300 Stealth Black (purely since it's £100 less than the others)
Noblechairs (not sure which to go for!) in black & white or the black/java editions.
Secretlabs Titan (probably the fabric version)
Ikea Markus or Jarvfjallet

While I've said I prefer fabric, the fake leather on the Noblechairs looks like it's perforated (so more breathable than normal PU leather), although not on the black/java editions? Also from reading other posts on here, it sounds like it's far more durable than the cheapo stuff.

I like the idea of built in lumbar support rather than cushions - which edges it towards the Hero, Titan or one of the Ikea ones.

Price wise, obviously the Markus or Jarvfjallet would be the "best" option (although the armrests on the Jarvfjallet look pretty **** :().

With any of the above, am I likely to notice an improvement in comfort over the Celle? (I assume over my current chair is a given!) I.e. is it worth spending £2-400 on a new chair or is the difference going to be minimal?

So far my heart says to go for the Hero, I like the design of it the best, it's £50 cheaper than the Titan (although that has a 5 year warranty vs Noblechairs 2 years), and I can get it from OCUK with the 30 day comfort guarantee. At £250 more than the Ikea chairs and £150 over the Nitro concepts - does it offer value for money over the others though? Possibly the Java or Black editions - again it depends if the extra £50 is worthwhile? Sell it to me! (Or tell me I'm mad and to go and get my HM chair from the office :p)


Also, do any of these ever go on This Week Only? (If anyone from OcUK is reading this: *hint hint* :D)
 
Last edited:
Soldato
Joined
16 Jun 2009
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7,664
Location
Cambridge
You're crazy if you're passing up a free Herman miller. I've no experience of the Celle, but my Mirra is getting close to 10 years now and still top draw for not leaving me in pain after a long gaming session.
 
Soldato
OP
Joined
6 Oct 2004
Posts
18,324
Location
Birmingham
Well, I wouldn't say its free since i've already paid for it :p but yes obviously that would be the most cost effective option!

I guess it can't hurt to go pick it up and see how I get on with it for a few weeks
 
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