I have a Parsons chair in my office and find it very comfortable, but I can't say that I spend 5 hours a day in it!

Have you tried going onto CL and see if there are any comfortable office chairs for sale in your area? Here's one that is on my CL at the moment.

Here is a link that might be useful: Office Chair

The only thing I can think of is a parsons chair with arms, but I'm not sure how ergonomic it'll be. Or you could do something like this in the fabric of your choice:

Here is a link that might be useful: Funky office chair

If you're going to sit in the chair for five hours a day, your tush and back will thank you if you get a chair that is ergonomically correct.

Hmmmm..... I know I probably need to get an ergonomic one... but, I just wanted it to look nice! I am so tired of my ugly office chair that needs replacing.... okay. How about this - has anyone ever put a slipcover or some sort of thing over an ergonomic office chair? Also - we have two desks next to each other. Will it look odd to have one office chair and one parsons chair right next to each other? One of the desks is only used for internet (so, theoretically not 5 hours a day but sometimes....)

That's exactly what I hope to do with my "ugly for home" $700! Herman Miller that I got for my back. I'm hoping to dress it up with a skirted slipcover : ) Haven't worked it up yet though. I envision something really pretty with it : )

I say go for the cute Parson's chair! If you do have comfort problems you can always get the proper ergo kind later. I have a pretty chair and find it very comfy.

I just spent two weeks shopping all over town and the internet including craigslist for an office chair that was both comfortable enough and that I didn't hate. I did consider a Parsons chair.

At a local regular furniture store I found and almost bought what they called a "game chair," which was basically somewhere between a regular chair and an office chair, with lumbar support and normal straight-down legs but with casters on them. But it didn't go with the rest of my stuff. Then I found the perfect store for me, a huge old decrepit barnlike place that's been here for about 40 years and has hundreds of both new and used chairs, and ended up with a comfortable used office chair that I'm happy with: wooden arms, only one adjustment, and it's purple. (Don't worry, the rug in my office has purple in it.) So my advice is to keep looking and you will know when you find the perfect solution.

Remember the good old days before ergonomics when any old chair would do? You'd get a new job and use whatever chair you found next to your desk, and sit there for 8 hours without complaining? Those days are gone, baby!

I spend a LOT of time at the computer when I am working (14 hr is not uncommon). I find very few of the ergonomic chairs are all that comfortable-- the exception is the (admittedly not chic) herman miller.

I switched to a straight-back parson-like chair about 5 years ago. My first one had no padding.. now I am using an inexpensive leather one. I actually prefer the structure-- and it has nothing to do with style or skirts ;) I say give it a try and see how it feels... I know it will look lovely.

One note though-- desks are often lower than a table and so what is key is to get the right size chair. If it is too low or too high, you can cause yourself problems. I use a table as a desk so the parson's chair is perfect. Also, BE SURE that your feet can reach the floor and sit flat... even if this isn't how you sit, this is the appropriate height for the chair.

Forgot to mention: I searched at all the Office Depots, Office Maxes, and every other Office store (found nothing I liked!) and noticed they labeled chairs with use ratings. The least expensive chairs were rated for "zero to three hours' use." ZERO hours? Okay.