[Infographic] Modern Office Life Is Killing You – How You Can Take Control Today
Anyone with an office job knows the (literal) pain of sitting for extended periods of time; spending the entire day in a chair can take a very real, very uncomfortable toll on your body, and this is just magnified whenever you are forced to sit in a chair that hasn’t been ergonomically designed to maximize your health and comfort.
With that in mind, let's take a look at the best ergonomic office chairs on the market. On this list there's a solution for every budget.
Most Comfortable Office Chair
If you're like most office workers and simply can't escape the long hours spent sitting at a desk, then the best way to counteract those negative effects that come from too much sitting is to invest in a well-designed, comfortable office chair.
Comfort and ergonomics go hand in hand. So, when looking for a chair that ticks all the "ergonomic" boxes, really what we want is the most comfortable office chair for you that supports you adequately at your workstation.
There are many different options on the market, with a variety of different features to choose from and a huge price range – with some of the best options costing more than $1,000, and other more basic options costing less than $100.
Although a top-of-the-line ergonomic chair will definitely be a bit on the pricey side, you can still find good office chairs for low prices.
Even if you are shopping on a budget, there’s no reason why you should sacrifice health and comfort in an office chair — there are also some really great ergonomic chair options available at lower prices.
There are a few basic features that you’ll want to look for in any good office chair. One word that you’ll see popping up a lot in these reviews is “adjustability”— this is perhaps the most important feature of any good office chair.
That means adjustable back/reclining features as well as adjustable armrests; at the barest minimum, any good office chair should have an adjustable height feature.
The reason that adjustability is so important is because it enables you to have a chair that can be uniquely tailored to fit your body and to match your own unique style of sitting.
The most important consideration in choosing the right chair is adjustability. Every other characteristic is down to personal preference.
You should also consider items like the fabric and materials that the chair is made of; mesh and fabric chairs, for example, tend to provide more breathability than their common leather counterparts (though of course this is largely just a matter of personal preference).
The structure of the chair itself is another important item to take into consideration; you’ll want a sturdy, 5-point base, in addition to an overall sound and sturdy structure in the chair itself.
Finding the most comfortable office chair can be a big task, so that’s why we’ve put together these ergonomic office chair reviews to help give you some clues on how to improve your workplace ergonomics.
Image | Model | Adjustable Height | Adjustable Arms | Adjustable Back | Material | Price | Our Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yes | Yes | Yes | Fabric | $$$$ | ||
| Yes | Yes | Yes | Fabric | $$$ | ||
| Yes | Yes | Yes | Metal | $$$ | ||
| Yes | Yes | Yes | Leather | $$$ | ||
| Yes | Yes | Yes | Mesh (Pellicle) | $$$ |
Herman Miller Embody Chair with Fully Adjustable Arms
The Herman Miller “Embody” Chair is consistently rated as one of the overall best, most comfortable options available in ergonomic office chairs.
In the product description, the company brags that this chair will reduce stress and boost creativity — and while those might be some pretty big claims to put forward about something as simple as an office chair, the primary argument they’re making is that the Embody chair provides so much comfort to its users and promotes so much blood and oxygen flow throughout the body and brain, that one can’t help but find themselves feeling better and working smarter when sitting in this chair.
The Embody chair is designed to adjust to each individual’s back and unique way of sitting. The company describes the product as having “a dynamic matrix of pixels that stimulates blood and oxygen flow by reducing seated pressure.”
To put that into more ordinary words, this means that the back of the chair is designed with something they call “Backfit” — a frame of several different small pieces along the back, all of which cause the chair to mold and form to your own back.
As you shift in your seat, as you lean back and breathe in and out, the chair moves with you and forms to your own natural spine curvature, diminishing pressure on your body and helping to distribute your weight evenly on the chair.
This “BackFit” technology can be adjusted to be looser or tighter in different parts of the chair’s back in order to suit your own needs.
Of course, the arms, height, and tilt of the chair can all be adjusted as well, to be at a level of perfect comfort for each individual’s body. You’ll want to set up the chair in such a way that you can sit with your feet gently planted on the floor in front of you.
In addition to its functionality, most people find the Embody chair to also be quite aesthetically pleasing. With the many different pieces on the back of the chair that make up the BackFit technology, it gives the chair a unique, modern look that can spice up your office — and it’s also available in several different colors.
Steelcase Leap Fabric Chair
The “Leap” is Steelcase’s best-selling ergonomic chair; similar to Herman Miller’s “Embody,” the Leap chair also features a flexible back that is designed to conform to each user’s own body and back. Steelcase calls this “LiveBack” technology, and although it looks a bit different than the Embody, the result is very similar: as you shift and move in the chair, the chair flexes and moves with you to mold to your back’s shape.
This chair is highly adjustable in nearly every way imaginable, essentially resulting in a chair that can be tailored into a custom-fit just for you. The firmness of the chair’s upper and lower back are both adjustable, as is the curvature of the lumbar support (so that you can form it into a curve that perfectly fits your own back’s curvature).
Of course, the height of the chair is also adjustable, as is the depth of the seat—you can move the chair back forwards or backwards to create a seat depth that is suitable for your own body.
The recline of the chair is adjustable, and there is even a knob for “upper back force” that enables you to adjust the amount of “pushback” you receive when you recline in your chair.
It should be noted that the back of the chair reclines, but the seat itself does not tilt at all—which, in terms of comfort and ergonomics, is actually considered a pro to most people.
And of course, the arms are adjustable too, but not just up and down—they can also be shifted backwards and forwards and side to side, making these some of the most adjustable armrests of any office chair on the market.
In terms of aesthetics, the Steelcase Leap chair is a bit more conventional looking than Herman Miller’s Embody chair, and is available in five different colors. When it comes to this chair’s appearance, there’s nothing shocking or out of the ordinary about it, so there should be nothing particularly displeasing to anyone’s sense of style.
Haworth Zody Chair
Although this chair doesn’t look like anything too special at first glance, as “the only chair endorsed by the American Physical Therapy Association for science-backed comfort,” the Zody chair by Haworth is undoubtedly one of the best ergonomic chair options out there.
The Zody chair is highly adjustable in all the important ways: it includes a three-position tilt option, giving you the ability to change the chair’s seating angle as necessary to achieve the most comfortable position for your own way of sitting.
Like other products on this list, the back support is adjustable, but the Zody is unique in that it features asymmetrical lumbar adjustments—thus enabling the user to choose the amount of support needed on either side of their lower back.
The lumbar support can also be removed entirely for just a basic mesh back, which some users may find to be more comfortable. The armrests of the Zody chair are also adjustable, and not just up-and-down for height, but also forward and backward, in and out, and they even pivot left to right for a full range of adjustability.
The back of the chair is formed with black mesh, which allows for comfortable breathability while sitting in the chair, as well as a certain amount of flexibility that can mold to the user’s back shape.
Overall, the aesthetics of this chair should be pleasing to most purchasers; although there is nothing in particular to make it stand out, the chair’s simple appearance, classic structure, and basic black color make it a suitable fit for just about any office space.
In comparison to similarly-priced competitor products, this chair does have some mixed reviews on Amazon, meaning that it won’t be the right fit for everyone. It’s a big financial commitment to make if you’re not certain that the chair will suit your needs.
However, many users say that it’s completely comparable to Herman Miller’s more expensive products. Ultimately, the verdict on this chair is that you should do your research, try out it in real life if at all possible, and know your own body so that you can make the best office chair purchase for yourself.
GM Seating Ergolux Genuine Leather Executive Hi-Swivel Chair
This chair has all the basic important features that any good ergonomic office chair needs to have in terms of adjustability and comfort.
The curving arch of the chair’s back is both aesthetically pleasing as well as ergonomically practical in order to provide proper support and comfort for the user’s back.
The lower back of the chair offers full, adjustable lumbar support—in addition to adjusting the firmness of the lumbar support, the specific lumbar backrest section can be adjusted according to height, separately from the rest of the chair back.
The tilt/angle of the chair back is adjustable, but not only is the degree of tilt adjustable, the actual tension of the chair back can be adjusted as well.
Unlike some of the other options on this list (which are mid-back style chairs), the Ergolux chair has a headrest, which can be adjusted for height as well as angle. Although this may be a superfluous or unnecessary feature for some people, for many others it will be an important addition to their comfort.
The depth of the seat can also be adjusted to suit your body, whether you’re taller or shorter, with a seat-slide button on the side of the chair.
The armrests of the chair are also fully adjustable, both for height, as well as right-to-left and forward-to-backward.
Aesthetically speaking, the leather covering of this seat gives it a classic and timeless feel, but the sleek and simple structure of the chair also lends it a modern look. Available in either white or black, both color options of the chair provide a clean, distinguished appearance, making it a good fit for any office.
Herman Miller Classic Aeron Task Chair
Along with their “Embody” chair, the Herman Miller “Aeron” pops up again and again in lists and reviews of best office chairs, and with some of the highest ratings on Amazon, this chair is generally considered to be one of the most ergonomic office chairs on the market right now.
In a sense, the Aeron is the “gold standard” of ergonomic office chairs—when discussing other products, many reviewers compare and contrast to this chair’s style and features.
In addition to all its adjustability features (armrests, height, tilt, seat angle, back tension and firmness), the chair can be purchased in 3 different sizes—A, B, and C (small, medium, and large, respectively), guaranteeing that you’ll absolutely be able to purchase this chair in the best fit for you.
You will want to look carefully at their size chart and make sure you purchase the right one for you—without the proper-sized chair, you are unlikely to experience any of the comfortable benefits that the manufacturer and reviewers rave about.
One of the first visual things that stands out about the Aeron is that this chair has both a mesh back and seat, which allows for a firm flexibility in seating and comfortable breathability throughout the day that many people love.
For some, however, the mesh seat is not as comfortable as seats manufactured with more cushioning or foam, so they may not find the Aeron to be suitable for many hours of sitting—of course, that’s simply a matter of personal preference.
For lower back support, this chair provides something called “PostureFit,” a unique technology in the lumbar region that is designed (in the manufacturer’s words) to “help your pelvis maintain a natural forward tilt” and to “keep your spine in healthy alignment.”
The PostureFit support region is a bit less bulky than the common lumbar support in many office chairs, and for some people this is perfect, while others will desire the additional support from other chairs.
The Aeron chair does not come with a headrest, but the manufacturer does make headrests available for additional purchase, so it is easy to customize your chair with a headrest if that is a feature that is important to you in an office chair.
Of course, this chair won’t be the right choice for everyone, but all in all, it’s an excellent chair and a great standard to look to when shopping around and comparing features on other office chairs.
Best Office Chair for Bad Back
Homdex Ancheer Ergonomic Office Chair
If you suffer from a lot of back problems, you’ll definitely want to invest in an office chair that will give you full and proper support for your back. While any of the chairs on this list are suitable for those with back problems, there are some specific features that you’ll want to look out for if you’re shopping for a chair for your bad back.
Rather than purchasing a mid-back style chair, if you have a bad back, you may benefit from the added support of a high back chair instead—the high back will provide support for your entire back.
What is most important, however, whether you purchase a mid back or high back style is that you purchase a chair with a back that is designed to support the natural “S” curvature of your spine while also encouraging a healthy, relaxed, upright posture (no slouching or leaning).
The Ancheer chair is designed with that in mind—the chair’s back has a visible curvature to it that will help give your back the support you need, while the mesh fabric will provide comfort and breathability.
There is visible, extra lumbar support in the lower back of the chair, as well as a firm support system throughout the back of the chair.
Like any good office chair, this chair has all the necessary adjustability features—overall chair height, armrest height, tilt and angle of recline. The headrest is also adjustable for height and angle. This is also one of the more affordable ergonomic office chairs on the market.
Best Office Chair For Bad Neck
Balt Butterfly Ergonomic Office Chair
When choosing a good ergonomic office chair to help alleviate problems with neck pain and discomfort, you will automatically start to think about the design of the chair in the headrest/neck area—looking specifically at the support offered to the neck.
Of course, that’s very important, but the truth is that purchasing a chair that provides all-around comfort and ergonomic support to your entire body (not just your neck!) is the best way to ensure that your office chair helps get rid of your neck pain.
For this reason, the Herman Miller Aeron chair (with the added headrest) is one great chair option for those suffering from a bad neck.
Another excellent chair for neck pain sufferers is the “Butterfly” Ergonomic Office chair from Balt—this mesh office chair provides full body support and extra lumbar support with its back curvature.
It is also fully adjustable in all the necessary ways—with adjustable seat height, curved headrest adjustable for height and angle, and armrests that are both height adjustable as well as pivoting from side to side.
Although the headrest and upper back may be the main target areas you’re looking at when you’re thinking about neck support, these adjustability features across the chair are still important, as it will be impossible to achieve proper neck support without appropriate support and comfort throughout the rest of the chair.
Because of its adjustability features and overall support, the Butterfly chair is an excellent ergonomic choice in general, but is an especially good choice for those with neck problems. Aesthetically speaking, the chair has a fairly modern look and feel to it—the mesh and the visibly separated parts of the chair might look strange to some, but the comfort will probably outweigh any concerns you might have about the appearance of the chair.
Best Office Chair Under $500
HON Lota Mid-Back Work Chair
The Lota chair is a flexible design that has been manufactured to intuitively react to the body’s weight and movements in order to provide you with the most comfortable seating. The chair is designed to interact with your body as you shift and move in the chair.
Although it does not have an adjustable tilt feature with a lever to lock in the chair at specific positions, the chair does use your body weight as a counterbalance as you lean forward or backward in the chair—thus giving you a bit of reclining flexibility, all while maintaining a constant lower back support no matter what your position in the chair.
One of the potential “cons” of this chair is that it does not offer adjustable firmness or lumbar support in the back; however, most Amazon reviewers seem to feel that the chair offers adequate lower back support in spite of its lack of adjustability.
Another potential drawback to this chair is that many users report that the seat of this chair is firmer than many other similar office chairs, thus perhaps not suitable for sitting in for many hours.
Of course, for many people, this could actually be a positive feature as not everyone enjoys sitting in a cushy chair—some may welcome the firmness for its added support.
The armrests of the chair are adjustable, with the basic up-and-down feature to allow for height adjustments, as well as the ability to adjust front-to-back or swivel left-to-right for a full range of armrest options.
When it comes to aesthetics, there’s nothing particularly wrong with this chair: it has a simple, classic style, and it appears to be very solid and sturdy (the polished aluminum frame definitely gives a sturdier appearance than the plastic/nylon frames on many similar chairs), so it should be able to hold up to several years of use.
One aesthetic drawback to this chair is that while the seat is available in three different colors (black, charcoal, or navy), the back of the chair is still black even if you purchase the charcoal or navy seat, which creates a mismatched look that might be displeasing to some. But if that doesn’t bother you (or if you stick to the all-black option), then the HON Lota chair makes a nice addition to any workspace.
Best Office Chair Under $300
Viva Office Ergonomic High Back Mesh Chair
This chair, manufactured by Viva Office, is fairly basic but it does provide all the necessary features for good ergonomic comfort in an office chair.
The height and tilt of the chair are both easily adjustable, as is the height of the armrests, and the mesh fabric over both the seat and the chair back make for a comfortable, breathable chair that will help to minimize excessive body heat or sweating while sitting in the chair.
The headrest on the chair is also adjustable; while it cannot be moved from front to back, it can be moved up and down to adjust for proper height. There is also added lumbar support in the lower back of the chair.
The high back of the chair helps the user to maintain a proper seated posture, neither putting too much pressure and strain to remain unnaturally upright nor allowing for excessive slouching and/or hunching while seated.
Most reports say that this chair is incredibly comfortable, both in terms of back support as well as in the seat itself having ample padding and support.
In comparison to other lower-priced ergonomic chairs, this one is described as being more sturdy and stable than some of its competitors.
Although it might not seem like anything extra-special or fancy, this chair makes our top ten list because of its affordable price tag and its fulfillment of the basic attributes that make a good ergonomic office chair. If you’re looking for a chair that’s simple, yet offers a bit more in terms of comfort and ergonomics than the average low-end office chair, then this one from Viva Office is one of your best bets.
Best Office Chair Under $100
Flash Furniture Mid-Back Mesh Swivel Task Chair
Price-wise, the Flash Furniture Swivel Chair is definitely one of the best chairs on the market for someone who is looking for the most comfortable office chair on a budget.
Of course, you’ll be sacrificing some of the features that are common in the ergonomic chairs on the more expensive end of the spectrum, but for its price, this chair does a surprisingly good job at keeping up with some of its more expensive competitors.
The chair does have an adjustable height feature with the simple, classic lever on the bottom to set the chair to whatever height is best for you; the tilt of the chair can also be adjusted and locked into the optimal position with a knob on the bottom of the chair.
The height of the armrests, unfortunately, cannot be adjusted; however, the armrests can be flipped back out of the way to easily create an armless chair if so desired.
One of the best features of this chair is the mesh material that allows for full ventilation and breathable comfort throughout the day—especially important if you’re living and working in a warm climate, but still a comfortable feature no matter where you’re at, and a pleasant change from the common leather or plastic that is featured on many office chairs.
The curved back has additional support in the lumbar area, and the seat itself has a “waterfall” edge on the front, to help reduce pressure on the lower legs and to improve circulation.
This chair is simple and basic, but for the price, it is one of the best office chairs available for those who are looking to maximize comfort but can’t afford to splash out on the higher-end products.
Ergonomic Office Chair Reviews
As you can see, there is quite an array of options available to you when shopping for ergonomic office chairs. Hopefully these ergonomic office chair reviews have given you an idea of some of the features you should be on the lookout for when you’re shopping for your own comfortable office chair.
Whether you’re splashing out big dollars on a top-of-the-line product or pinching pennies and shopping on a budget, we’re confident that when you’re armed with the right information, you’ll have no problem finding a good chair that can fill your needs and fit your budget.
We’ve tried to portray a variety of chairs with different features and styles here, because the most important thing to remember is that no office chair is the perfect fit for every human!
Everyone will have their own preferences about what makes an office chair comfortable, and of course, specific needs and problem areas will be different for each individual. The important thing is to learn about your own body and style of sitting, and then to find a chair that fits you—not the other way around. Good luck with your office chair purchase!
Product images sourced from Amazon.com
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Thanks for the ergonomic office chair reviews!
You’re welcome Roxane. Hope you got something beneficial from it. Thanks for the comment.
Ed