First, we have to establish the definition of a task chair. They are, according to this site, meant for medium duty use; they're the chairs you see gathered permanently around a meeting table, or in front of a desk for guests—as opposed to behind a desk, where the boss sits, in a true "desk chair." Comfortable, but not exactly meant to be used all day, they tend to have list prices ranging from $500 to $700. Still they're often used by secretaries or other type of office workers (everyone who isn't a boss who can't convince someone to give them a nicer chair) whose jobs require them to get up once in a while. They usually have backs that rise up not quite as high as desk chairs, like the $1000-and-up Herman Miller Aeron and Embody, or Steelcase Leap.

Herman Miller Setu

The $650 Setu might be about half the price of the current top seat, but it is definitely not, as we initially reported, a "poor man's Embody." It's quite different.

The Setu is Lennie to the Embody's George: simple, straightforward and lacking in sophistication. That is to say, there's no real customization you can do with knobs and levers, because there are none, save for the obligatory height adjustment. Its "elastomeric" fabric does contour somewhat to the curve of your back, but it's nowhere as customizable as actually being able to change the angles of the chair's spine.

It's as if Herman Miller tried to build a chair with as few parts as possible, making sure each beam, back and support did the job of one-and-a-half beams, backs and supports. However, their frugality regarding use of material has one downside: the seat is too shallow. Imagine sitting with your ass all the way into the back of the seat; even then, the seat would only come forward to about 3/4 of your thigh. It's not horrible if you're short or if you'd rather sit on the edge of your seat, but those of you who expect support all the way up to the back of your knees will be disappointed.

Otherwise, the Setu is quite a good task chair. It provides ample back support for a full eight-hour day, and the aerated fabric breathes enough that you can even work shirtless on a hot day and things will be alright. (For you, not your co-workers.) The arms protrude enough to be usable, but not too much to be obtrusive. There's plenty of give in the seat and the back to feel like you're sitting with the chair, rather than fighting against it.

Conforms to your back nicely

Great look, great design

More expensive than Cobi

The seat is a bit shallow; doesn't go all the way to the back of the knee

Steelcase Cobi

Surprisingly, the Cobi is more like the Embody in design and build than the Setu, despite it being from a competing firm. What's cool about the Cobi is that you can actually customize parts of it yourself, picking the color, whether you want arms and whether you want it in stool form or chair form. Each piece adds a little to its $400 base, and our white-framed, fixed-armed, wasabi green seat totaled to $490. If you were going stool mode—high and sturdy, as in bar stool, not backless and stubby, as in foot stool—you'd actually end up at $720, which is $70 more than the Setu.

The look of the Cobi is definitely more traditional than the Setu, with its round seat, protruding arms and tongue-like lip of a back—and it sits the same way too. There are, like the Setu, no adjustments for the back or the seat or the arms, but it conforms more or less to your back as you're sitting. The cradling is less pronounced than the Herman Miller, but enough that you'll still be comfortable as you're working. And the seat is perfectly fine here, not a few inches shy of optimal length like the Setu.

Priced lower than Setu

You can customize your own colors, frame, arms

Doesn't conform to your back as well as the Setu

Comparison

Your decision here is one of tradeoffs. If you want to go a little cheaper, the Steelcase Cobi is great, but it won't spoon your back quite as well as the Herman Miller Setu. If you want stylishness, Setu's definitely going to impress, but you're going to have to live with that shallower seat and a slightly higher price tag.

The Cobi is customizable at purchase, but all the design choices lead to a more traditional-looking chair, something you may or may not prefer. The more sci-fi-looking Setu may win in the design department but you will definitely not be upset if you pick the Cobi, especially if you want to create one in your favorite color.

This Battlemodo shows both the benefits and limitations of the task-chair category. If you're looking for going further in customizability and comfort, it would be worth it to go with the Embody. It's down to $1099 now, and cradles your ass better than either the Setu or the Cobi ever will. [Steelcase Cobi and Herman Miller Setu]

The reason for the price difference is that—even while it's comfy and has great design—it is not designed to work for long periods of time. It's much better and comfortable than a normal multi-purpose chair, however, even while it is supposed to be a multi-purpose chair. And what is a multi-purpose chair, are you asking? It's a chair that can go anywhere—from a work desk to a conference room—made for people who don't sit for 12 hours in a row. Like me and my cubic butt. Yes, twelve hours in a row. Some of them even naked. Let that thought sink now—it'll make sense through the day.

The Herman Miller Setu will be officially announced on June 15. [Otto via Fast Company]

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...the bottom is a series of plastic bands providing suspension, the second is a sheet of coils for support, the third is a system hexagonal rings that shift with your weight and the final layer is a mesh that allows air circulation to keep the sitter cool.

The binding borrows the chair's breathable webbing and strong Y support core, creating a lightweight and flexible structure that will run interested snowboarders $390. It's incredibly interesting to see the unique design principles of one product make their way into another product, even if it's obvious (in retrospect) that such ideas would easily scale for universal application.

But everyone be nice to Burton and be sure not to mention that the Aeron's successor was already announced...and it uses a completely new "H" back support. I guess that's what Burton's 2010 line is for. [Fast Company via Core77]

Built from non-toxic and ecologically sustainable materials, the Embody is 96% recyclable. Though its mass appeal, of course, will be comfort. Packing seven different knobs and levers for every kind of adjustment you could desire, the seat is comprised of four layers—the bottom is a series of plastic bands providing suspension, the second is a sheet of coils for support, the third is a system hexagonal rings that shift with your weight and the final layer is a mesh that allows air circulation to keep the sitter cool.

The chair makes wild claims, like lowering a user's heart rate and helping oxygenate the blood stream. We can't affirm or deny such points, but we're pretty sure that the Embody is the snazziest looking office chair we've ever seen. And that's good enough for our butts. [Fortune via DVICE]

It can sit on a desk and blow cool or hot air at a person, at 90% more efficiency than a space heater. It's all done by electrics, and the unit has a high quality filter built in.

I can't see this being very powerful or effective for cooling a full human, but you know when your pants get really sticky and hot and sweaty in the Summertime? Yea.

c2 [Herman Miller via i4u]

Combining a metallic crane body with energy-saving LEDs, this is both economical and extravagant at the same time. Oh, those paradoxical designers!

Yves Behar Leaf Personal Light for Herman Miller [Reluct]