• What's comfortable to others may not be comfortable to you. Everyone is different. Only way to be sure is to go and try them out.
• An Aeron is a fine chair, but it's designed to be a task chair, used while focused, working in upright posture, feet on the ground, giving support to avoid fatigue during prolonged periods. It's not so great at being a more casual chair, while gaming, kicking back, or not sitting "properly," like those aimed at managers and executives who don't have to slave away like plebes, don't sit still for hours on end in concentration, and can afford to lean back and plop their feet on the desk. The mesh breathes, and gives good support but frankly, does not yield like a cushion, and the chair overall is kinda hard and not comfortable if you think more about it. It makes no compromises, and is not a cushy chair, if that's what you seek. Also keep in mind Aerons come in different sizes, and one mismatched to your body dimensions won't be good either.
• Office-grade chairs, from names like Herman Miller and Steelcase are built to higher standards, and just as importantly, are repairable, with OE or aftermarket parts. If something breaks, or wears out, they don't go straight to the dumpster. That means they're costly to buy, but there is also a healthy used aftermarket for them, at lower cost, from refurbishers, office liquidators, private party sales, and personal connections to places that are just getting rid of stuff, for cheap or even free.
• What's comfortable to others may not be comfortable to you. Everyone is different. Only way to be sure is to go and try them out.
• If you can score a good, quality office chair for cheap, by all means take advantage of it, but shop with your usage patterns and own goals in mind. Specific suggestions should be a starting point, not necessarily the end point.
