Both the The Järvfjället and the Markus are great low-priced chairs. The Järvfjället solves the biggest problem with the Markus by adding seat depth adjustment with a seat slider. However, even with this addition, I think the seat on the Markus is still more comfortable. It is softer and feels more spacious than the Järvfjället. I do like the seat on the Järvfjället, I just prefer the Markus. I am going to break down the differences for you to determine if the Markus is truly the best option.
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The Järvfjället and Markus Links
1. The Ikea Markus
It also helps that the seat depth on the Markus isn’t as big of a problem for me at 5’9” as it is for taller people. If you want a chair that reclines like an Aeron for just one-sixth of the price, then the Markus should be your next purchase. That may be me going a little overboard, but the recline on the Markus is my favorite feature and truly the closest you will get to the Herman Miller Aeron. Best of all, the Markus is priced at under $300.
The recline is very smooth and comes with a huge range. It is perfect if you like to constantly rock or prefer to lean back and relax. This chair is perfect for my home office because I spend more time watching videos and playing games.
2. The Järvfjället
The recline on the Järvfjället isn’t terrible, but it also isn’t my favorite. While it is a synchro-tilt mechanism, it does require more of a hip-thrusting motion, which detracts from the smooth rocking feel I prefer. I don’t end up reclining nearly as much in the Järvfjället.
Another thing I don’t like about the Järvfjället is there is no tension adjustment. I think the tension is a bit too loose and I would like to be able to tighten things up. It is nice that the Järvfjället has locking options, but I think removing the tension control was a big, missed opportunity.
The backrest on the Järvfjället is a huge upgrade over the Markus for a few reasons. The first is the shape of the chair. The narrow back allows me to stretch in the chair much more easily. The is a nice range of motion, which is important since both chairs have very rigid frames that can limit movement.
The second aspect of the Järvfjället back that I appreciate is the lumbar support. The pad is soft and height adjustable. It is much more comfortable than the Markus. In fact, I strongly dislike the lumbar on the Markus. It can feel like you have a skinny, rolled-up towel constantly poking you in the back. I think the chair would be much better without it and it is the main reason why I wouldn’t use this chair.
The headrest is the final major improvement on the Järvfjället because it comes with height adjustment. The pillows on both headrests are about the same and are meant to be used in about the same way, but the Järvfjället ensures that the headrest can be properly positioned.
3. Armrests
The arms on the chairs are about as different as they can get. The Markus comes with fixed arms and a small amount of padding. The Järvfjället provides you with height and depth adjustments, but the arms are made of hard plastic. To be honest, both arms leave a lot to be desired. Ultimately, I prefer the Markus arms for the simple fact that they fit me so I can take advantage of the padded arm caps but the armrests won’t fit anyone. For some, it may be more important to have the arms properly positioned than enjoy a little padding. Another factor to consider is that the arms can be removed on both chairs, which has become a popular way for users to deal with subpar arms.
4. Quality
When it comes to material quality, both chairs come out about the same. They are both lower-end chairs, so you can’t expect top-tier build quality. To me, the Markus looks more like a cheap chair while the Järvfjället has a modern, uniform look as opposed to the two-tone design of the Markus.
Bottom Line
Overall, both chairs are some of the stronger options in their price range. I would definitely recommend that you visit an Ikea and try out the chairs rather than ordering online. If you end up not liking the chair, you won’t have to worry about return shipping fees.
Additional IKEA Resources
