I have this chair at work for a number of years and I just bought it for the home office. I am a big boy and this is the ideal big boy chair. As far as the arm rests splitting, they will do that, but the trick is to buy some adhesive suede in a sheet (usually used for the soles of dancing shoes) and adhere it to the top of the arm rests. You gain in two ways - the arm rests are permanently fixed and the suede feels awesome when you are typing and resting the arms on them. I am 6' tall and I like that I can sit such that my head goes over the back rest to stretch out my neck a little.I have used this chair for about 8 years at work and with the little suede fix, It should keep on trucking for more years. After about 6 years the cylinder that hoists the chair died, but since I always use it in the lowest position and sitting in the reclined posture, it is no concern. I can program longer in this chair than any other chair I have ever used.Best chair I have ever used period.Update November 2022 - My office 2010 chair finally died today with a full core dump suddenly after about 12 years of (ab)use. The chair looks great without any cosmetic drama, but I literally fell completely backward and whacked the ol' noggin pretty hard. Happened while I was talking to someone, so it was pleasantly embarrassing and awkward. Good thing there isn't anything up in the cranial cavity that can be damaged. I am now in the process of dropping the coin to get another one. Still the best chair ever.