If you go second hand and reupholstered make sure it's done right.
On anothe note, anyone have any opinion about the Ikea Volmar chair?
Cheap chairs are great because they're cheap. Expensive chairs are great because they're good (e.g. Steelcase, Aeron, Humanscale, et al). Mid tier are neither good nor cheap. It is just burning money.
The closest thing I can suggest is maybe an Ikea MARKUS ($200 or your regional equivalent). But the fixed arms really kill it for me. Plus I had the leather flake off the arms after 2.5 years.
PS - If you're heavier set, pay close attention to the max load. You'll want the max to be at least 10-20% higher than your weight.
Option 2: get the cheapest adjustable height desk chair you can find (try garage sales, goodwill, ikea). Keep saving for a better chair. Figure out what you like and dislike about the crappy one, then use that to inform your research when purchasing a pricier one.