I never understood the obsession with the chair type, model, or manufacturer. I have a normal office chair whose brand I don’t know, and I never had issues despite sitting for long periods of time. The trick first me is to never stay still in one position for more than 30 minutes and to rotate between different positions, leaning forward or backward, and other positions as if I’m sitting on the floor. For example, like the ‘Burmese’ or ‘on a stool’ positions in this picture (1). I also do the usual stretches from time to time.
It's one of those things... what works for you may not work for other people. For someone who's made-up differently, the right chair can make all the difference in the world.
I do what you do (and more) _and_ I have the best chair _and_ I am still in constant pain.
Have you tried a Herman Miller? I once thought like you, but the magic of Herman Miller for me is that I can sit in the same position for hours and I never think about it, consciously or subconsciously. When I get up I don't really feel anything. Which is how it should be. Having to move every thirty minutes to feel OK is a sign of a bad chair.
> Having to move every thirty minutes to feel OK is a sign of a bad chair.
It's a sign of being a human being in a body which evolved to move. Even if you're not in physical pain, moving regularly is by far better than not for your health.
I like the Aeron. A corollary of what I wrote is that if you just sit in it for a few seconds or minutes at a store, it doesn't feel special. If you work at a decently sized company or have access to a coworking space, you can likely find an Aeron somewhere.
One time I had to travel and stay in the field for a month, my “desk” was literally a cardboard box and a futon, which is to be honest felt even better because you can quickly lay down for few minutes to “reset” your spine.
(1) https://64.media.tumblr.com/fd311523b5965df9b1ff0682c0041c96...