You could try to set it at a comfortable height and jury-rig it to stay in place semi-permanently.

An option for that could be a PVC pipe at the right inner diameter to go around the rod, cut it in half lengthways, and clamp it around with a metric fuckton of zip-ties.

There's other ways too, but that's too much for a random FA comment. Shoot me a DM on discord if you want to brainstorm ideas

seconding the PVC pipe, it really works! :)

A couple options exist, depending on whats wrong. If the cylinder seal is dry, you can disassemble it and put some oil (I use the 3-in-1 type, and don't recommend WD40) around the seal and shaft to help it hold pressure. This is pretty complex and about as involved as replacing the cylinder. The other method (I use) is to get a couple radiator clamps and a piece of pipe that fits around the moving shaft, and cut it to hold the chair at the height you want. This usually makes the chair stiffer and not bouncy, but will keep it at the right height indefinitely. Most folks use PVC for the pipe, though I use aluminum tubing due to scrap availability. I also cut a piece of old tire to sit on top and below the aluminum pipe to give it some cushion, though not as much as if the cylinder was working properly.

If I may lend a less technical solution… my office chair just sunk to its lowest point and I just took a measurement of where I wanted to be sitting and put a block of wood spacer between the seat and the hinge under the seat. I can still lean back in it without risking falling over, it saves me buying a new chair. 😅

try and find it's model number/maker and you can order replacement versions of the cylinder either from Amazon or sometimes the manufacturer depending on how old it is.

I have a weird/annoying fix that sometimes works and sometimes doesn't. Extend the chair to it's max height, and then shake it. Like, pick it up and give it a good, hard shake, up and down. Usually it'll stay up for a bit after that.

Unless your chair is some Herman Miller or Steelcase stuff, most chair gas pistons are similar size. Just look up "Chair gas piston" on Amazon or Ebay or other places, and you can probably find a generic replacement for your chair's piston.

I second this. It's the easiest solution to this problem and probably safest.

1. Buy/thrift a new chair, it could have been donated because of problems.

2. Maybe get used to it or work standing up(?) but prob 1.

3. Get a time freezer from Zelda, botw.

4. Check if it's weight tolerance related, some cheap chairs don't handle much. Sturdy wood chairs can be better against sinking. (usually).

4b. If it is, lose weight or buy sturdier chair(?)

5. Beware of exploding anus chairs

Gas cylinders are, unfortunately, wear parts. Cheaper chairs will have cheaper parts, which means you're going to be replacing these more often. Googling around to find a replacement cylinder is a decent bet, but if you thrifted this chair, is unlikely to be cost-effective.

I don't know what your history is with task chairs, but especially if you do a lot of sitting (which you probably do - you're an artist!), it is well worth it to spend money on a good chair. Don't buy a gaming chair. They're overpriced for the quality. But you can do WAY better than new. If you live near a city, look around for used office supply stores, which will have quality chairs at a massive discount. You can google the model names. It isn't hard to find a chair that retails for $1k+ new for 200-300, which is a TON, but will make a world of difference and will last way longer than anything you get from the thrift store or officemax.

Obviously you can also thrift forever and hope to find a very high quality chair. Find that diamond in the rough!

My reccomendation? Take the piston out and replace it with steel pipe that's the right length. depending on how the chair's built you can use one, or two that fit in the top and bottom and slide over eachother. Or just get a good quality chair that isn't from the cheapy shelf at walmart. >..> It's expensive but I've had my secret lab chair for going on 6 years now and it's hardly worn.

You mean people actually fix problems? I just reset the height every few days.

I'd probably let it sink to its "normal" level, and slap some pillows on top. Cheapest option i think. Alternatively, you could put a length of PVC over the main tube part but that basically locks it to a certain height which might not be the best option for you.

You *could* also just complain to the store where you got it and see if they can take it back or exchange it for a...well... working one.

The gas cylinder is borked. You can replace it for like $20 on Amazon, and its not too difficult to remove the old one and install the new. You can even get one that's meant for more weight, or for different heights if you didn't quite like how his up your original cylinder was going.

MUCH cheaper than replacing the chair outright if its still good

(Did you also know you could replace the stock wheels?)

Depending on if you still need it to go up and down there are a few things.

I usually need chairs at max height and if the piston starts to go I'll just weld it or use the pipe method others have mentioned.

Otherwise, depending on the make of the chair, almost anything made in China uses a lot of the same parts and you can just order a new piston if you know the measurements.

Here's the trick that works best for me... Get a decent chair from walmart or amazon with a cheap 3-year protection plan, and warranty it out every time it breaks or rips or goes flat.

If the manufacture warranty is 30 days to a year, it will likely break just after those time periods so having an extended warranty for 3 years pretty much guarantees you'll be able to get a new chair every time the old one breaks. And if the old one doesn't break in that time, then congrats, you found a decent chair! ^_^

Even better... Find a good chair through "Costco" if you have a membership, and if it breaks you can take it back "whenever" for a replacement or refund even if it lasts 10 years. I've returned things that are 15 years old to Costco and they've never given me a problem.