Office Chair, How long should it take to fall apart?

Hi, I am hoping that someone can help me with this.

I would like to know how long can I reasonable expect an cheap $89 office chair to last for?
At the end of October last year, I bought two $89 high back office chairs.
In December, my partner had one collapse when he was sitting in it, so we went back to the shop, the lady took one look, and gave us a refund. She also said to come back if there were problems with the other one.
I gave my chair to my partner, and two days ago this one collapsed, in exactly the same way, the plastic arm breaking.
It has now been just on 5 months, we queried the shop on it, and they basically told us to bugger off, because they have a 14 day exchange policy.

When we bought the chairs, they were aware that we were buying one each, for our personal use, and that my partner is not a featherweight, about 130kg.(he was in the shop with me)

I am aware that it was only $89, but I would have expected it to last longer than 5 months. I am thinking that it might have been a bad batch.

Am I expecting too much of an $89 chair?
Is 5 months too long to expect one to last?

Please let me know your opinions

Have a yarn with consumer affairs. Cheap office chairs can and will last a lot longer than that. Cripes, I'm flat out stopping my 6 year old climbing over the side of mine and if that doesn't constitue abuse, I don't know what does. You also now have the name and address of a company you will never use again :D (makes the selection process easier by one)

Richard

I bought a high back office chair from Officeworks about 4 years ago and it's still going strong (I weigh around 125Kgs). I paid less than $100 for it.
It's been in use every day in my home office.

I spoke too soon!
My chair just broke, the right hand arm that joins the back to the base went 'crack!'
Still usable but I can't lean back in it anymore.

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Originally Posted by tameriska

I am aware that it was only $89, but I would have expected it to last longer than 5 months. I am thinking that it might have been a bad batch.

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It depends, a few years ago my wife bought one of these cheap plastic type office chair and on unpacking we saw the warning sign that it was not to be used by someone over 65 kg. We returned it and changed it over to a metal frame one for the same price.

Something to check for when buying these type of chairs.


Peter.

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Originally Posted by Sturdee

It depends, a few years ago my wife bought one of these cheap plastic type office chair and on unpacking we saw the warning sign that it was not to be used by someone over 65 kg. We returned it and changed it over to a metal frame one for the same price.

Something to check for when buying these type of chairs.


Peter.

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Oh dear. When you've got a bit of spare time and are near a bike shop, have a look at all the mountain bikes - until you get well up in the price range, they all carry a tiny sticker saying 'not for off-road use' :?

Might pay to check for 'the sticker' tameriska, but I'd still regard your chairs as unfit for purpose and worth a chat with consumer affairs.

Richard

The cheaper chairs just do not last, I went through 3 before shelling out for a half decent chair($250ish) its 5yrs old now and only just starting to get some slop in the upright strut/swivel.
We got some nice ones at work that some of the paper shufflin desk jockeys get, nice at $2000 a pop!

Thankyou for your replies.
Snowyskieau, sorry to hear that.
Both the chairs that I bought were display stock (same price, already assembled, that was all they had at the time)
At the time I wrote this, I was annoyed-- slightly p-d of, and needed to vent my frustration and dissapointment..

Thankyou agian for your replies

I bought a $75.00 5 wheel office chair with no arms from Hardley Normals 12 years ago and it is just starting to show wear on the seat fabric. The gas lift still works. I weigh 85kgs

I use it every day for any thing up to 8 to 10 hours.

I reckon I've had a pretty good run out of it and it owes me nothing.

$75 12 years ago would be a $150~200 chair now.
A lot depends on the person who uses it, some people sit down gently others plonk themselfs down. And things like the floor surface, we kill the good ones and cheapys at work the base always snaps near the wheels because of the diamond plate floors in the control rooms/cool rooms.(doesnt help when a few of the blokes are 150kg+ either...)

tameriska

Let's see
I weigh about 100kg, the chair I use at work was purchased in 1989 for about $600. It's a very good chair which moves with me when I move office. I got it reupulstered about two years ago (cost ~$200) because I couldn't find a new chair that was as comfortable.
I recon it'll last till I retire in about 8 years time.

The chair at home is a "cheaper" Office Works model purchased for about $250 6 years ago. It's OK but not to the same standard as my real office chair.

At my weight I wouldn't waste my money on an $89 chair.
It might be suitable for the "standard" adult (who weighs 67kg) but not for one weighing 100kg or more and certainly not for 2 adults (which is what 135kg represents)

I think you should swallow the loss, get another $89 model for yourself and a stronger model for your partner.


ian

67 kilos is a common weight for a male???
How skinny are these people? When I was 85 kilos I looked like I hadn't eaten in 6 months.

On the office chair though, brought a nice high back office chair from office works about 5 years ago, about $250 still going strong, not a creak or moan to be heard from it.

Tameriska,
regardless of how much or how little you paid for the chairs, they were obviously unfit for the purpose for which they were sold. Perhaps 130kg was too much for the chairs to take, but as you pointed out they were aware of the intended use of the chairs:

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Originally Posted by tameriska

.................When we bought the chairs, they were aware that we were buying one each, for our personal use, and that my partner is not a featherweight, about 130kg.(he was in the shop with me).............

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So the vendors were well aware that a large person was going to be using at least one, if not both, of the chairs. If they were aware that, because of the inexpensive construction of the chairs that they weren't suitable for this purpose then they shouldn't have sold them to you. You don't need to wear the $89, you should recieve a full refund under consumer law. Then you can go and buy something better.

Mick

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Originally Posted by snowyskiesau

I spoke too soon!
My chair just broke, the right hand arm that joins the back to the base went 'crack!'
Still usable but I can't lean back in it anymore.

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That will teach you... you should touch wood when you say things like you did in your previous post.:D

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Originally Posted by Bleedin Thumb

That will teach you... you should touch wood when you say things like you did in your previous post.:D

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I did! I had my hands firmly on the benchtop when I sat down ( MDF does count as wood, right?)

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Originally Posted by snowyskiesau

I did! I had my hands firmly on the benchtop when I sat down ( MDF does count as wood, right?)

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I think you just proved that MDF does not count as wood!:p

I doubt that Malamine counts either.:rolleyes: You may be in need of a wooden keyboard!

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Originally Posted by PuppyPaw

67 kilos is a common weight for a male???
How skinny are these people? When I was 85 kilos I looked like I hadn't eaten in 6 months.

On the office chair though, brought a nice high back office chair from office works about 5 years ago, about $250 still going strong, not a creak or moan to be heard from it.

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Puppy
note I said "standard" it would be a whole 'nother thread to discuss this particular standard, but next time you're in a lift divide the load rating in kg by the allowed number of persons and you'll most probably find the answer is 67.

But on the definition of "standard" if you look at the BMI (Body Mass Indicator) tables you'll be surprised how low the "healthy" weight is for your height, some examples:
height, "healthy" weight
5ft 4in (163cm) 53 — 66kg
5ft 6in (168cm) 56 — 70kg
5ft 8in (173cm) 60 — 74kg
5ft 10in (178cm) 63 — 79kg
6ft (183cm) 67 — 84kg


ian

I find those BMI tables a load of carp. Admittedly I'm a bit soft and pudgy around the midriff now, but I stand only 167cm tall and when I was full on building I weighed in at 80kg of muscle, with no fat on me. according to the BMI chart I was very overweight. Fails to take into account that not everyone is a pencil neck shaped like a pear.:q

Mick

my son (weight 87kg) paid $298 for a chair two months ago, the base broke off two days later, made in china, new base is expected within the next couple of days.
he has been using my $60 one whilst waiting, its still going strong.
i'll keep you informed when we get him seated in his own chair again. regards
joe (NO NOT THAT JOE!)

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Originally Posted by journeyman Mick

I find those BMI tables a load of carp. Admittedly I'm a bit soft and pudgy around the midriff now, but I stand only 167cm tall and when I was full on building I weighed in at 80kg of muscle, with no fat on me. according to the BMI chart I was very overweight. Fails to take into account that not everyone is a pencil neck shaped like a pear.:q

Mick

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Mick
I agree, the tables look like a load of crap.
Last Winter Olympics we calculated the BMI for about 20 down hill skiiers whose bio included height and weight. All but were one rated as "overweight"


ian

An update, I have spoken to consumer affairs, and they reccomended that I write a letter to the store, and to forward one to the head office. I was going to just leave the letter at store level, but as we were leaving, the employee was opening the envelope addressed to the manager of the store...

This is still ongoing, It is now going through whatever process Consumer Affairs does.
In the meantime, my partner was driving past a garage sale, stopped and had a look, and bought a real leather computer chair for $20. It has already outlasted the first chair that we bought.

Play safe..sit on the floor.

Wouldnt it be nice if we could make our own computer chairs... the hard part would be obtaining the swivel and gas strut unit.

I DID make my own computer chair - a Neil Scobie rocker. It is not much good as a rocker, but it makes a servicable computer chair. I have used it for about seven years, and I think it will outlast me.

Rocker