Think of the chair as an investment if you pay for it out of pocket. I also work for an engineering firm in an office environment and complained about the chairs for years. The safety guy in charge of ergonomic assessments would end up getting me a replacement chair that was identical to my previous chair so I finally gave up on trying that route. I eventually went to a commercial showroom and found a chair that I liked (was a $1200 chair with a 10 year warranty). I followed my company's written policy to get all of the approvals to bring in outside equipment (P&O, my supervisor and the safety guy). They all said I was being ridiculous, but the chair was non-refundable so I wanted to make sure I didn't get told no after the fact. I purchased my chair in 2019 and it was one of the best decisions I ever made. When everything shifted to home in 2020, I was one of the few people from my company that had proper office seating at my home office. A good chair that breathes (or doesn't) can also help with the A/C issues. My logical conclusion was $1200 on a chair is an investment in my health. My back feels better at the end of the day. I don't spend money on regular chiropractor visits. Assuming it lasts for at least 10 years since the warranty is 10 years, it's only $120/year.