I am looking for the perfect chair for a small producing space - something that has a good back, but is as small as it can be, given its back that supports. Right now I'm just using the worst stool. Assume I would use this even if my room or room layout improved. I haven't had luck looking it up online so I was wondering if anyone here has found the perfectly perfect small chair.. or has any idea.

i don't have any exact recommendations but i have a few rules of thumb when it comes to chairs that i like to use that you might find helpful.

- i always think it's a good idea to invest more money into a chair that you will spend a lot of time sitting on, the more time you will spend the more a chair's flaws will be apparent

- the more adjustments you can get, the better. many chairs have just a lift and maybe back adjust but arm rest, lumbar, seat position and other adjustments are more than welcome. the right adjustments can make things more comfortable in general

- buy used/refurbished if you can, preferably from office space clearance or refurbishing companies. not only will you save money and reduce waste but companies that have office space need good chairs, and anyone reasonable who runs a manned office space knows to give their workers quality equipment so they don't constantly complain about it. they have an incentive to invest in good chairs (generally, not always true)

- "gaming" chairs (you'll find them everywhere online these days) are usually poorly designed, usually more for looks than practicality and have "bucket seat" designs -- good for cars so you don't slip when accelerating, less so for office-style chairs. as a general rule it's best to avoid those

i think for your case you might want to look for a chair that doesn't have arm rests or has the ability to remove them as that will save you some horizontal space if that's what you're lacking.

i'm not sure how small your space is, but my chair just about fits in the area i have it in my bedroom of 60x80cm. i bought a refurb steelcase leap v1 a few years ago and it's worked well for me, though the arm rests have worn a bit with time. the main problem with it is that it's really hard to move because the base is a huge chunk of steel or something close to that heh. it's really heavy but that has it's upsides and downsides depending on how much you want to move around in it.

imo a chair without a back is much better for your back. like some kinda easily adjustable stool

Scouring craigslist or equivalent is def a good way to find more reasonable prices for fully adjustable office chairs- the herman millers / steel cases etc, ergonomically good but not usually very compact.

For a highly compact but ergonomically better option, a kneeling chair might be worth looking into. I haven't personally tried these for extended periods, but the consensus seems to be that they are better for posture if you can get used to it.

A "bed" and a laptop has done better for me than desktop and a chair: May comes good to look for a chair you can set to lay more horizontally on with a laptop on top or otherwise at hands reach

bed = best chair

ive been a bed boi. i went back to desktop...

now i'm imagining a like net / vertical hammock thing where you're in standing position but suspended off the ground with some sort of rotational control

i wouldn't mind a big bulky base as i would like there to be a fixed spot. lots to think about here...

i think you could make a stool work or a chair without a back if you remember to keep good posture (i probably wouldn't!), though if you have a chair with a back you can usually change how you sit if you want to lean back more or sit up straight, which can be beneficial.

i definitely enjoy being in bed for extended periods of time (more than i should do) but i feel like it would make you miserable eventually, at least i know i would be. also you need desk space for equipment anyways so working from a bed is probably not all that feasible heh

it probably depends on your typical posture and the state of your back and spine, as to where you'd want to ensure support (for me, my lower back sucks), but at least having a back is important i think for long term use. armrests less so, but they might be preferential, which is understandable...

height might be a factor if your desk or monitor is tall. mine are and i've strained my neck from craning it upward for many hours. most of them raise of course but mine doesn't enough

i've been working exclusively at a standing desk for a few years now

i barely get any work done but my calves are huge

I suggest a drum throne for some of the reasons already mentioned. You can get them with and without backs.

I don't mind working from office chairs either, but make sure you can remove the armrests. It may seem like it won't be comfortable but they really just get in the way.

drum throne with a back is my favorite idea! I think I'll go with that.

Armrest? I barely know her.

I highly recommend the "Bungie chair" from the container store (in the U.S.) super tiny with great back support. I got the one with no armrests (which I prefer), but they do make one with arm supports.

thank you thebrackett!!! sounds perfect!