At home or in the office, many of us spend a significant amount of time at our desks. A good chair is not only adjustable, but also comfortable and can withstand long periods of sitting. This is especially important if you also visit the office space to relax and unwind.
At Insider Reviews, we test a variety of office chairs to find the most ergonomic ones. Whether a chair is right for a particular group of people depends on many factors. A tall person who sits at a desk for only a few hours may need a different chair than a short person who sits at a desk all day and into the evening.
We’ve personally tested chairs from the following retailers and brands. Some specialize in office furniture, while others are more general. We try to offer a wide range of prices and styles, but in most cases, you’ll need to spend at least a few hundred dollars to get a quality chair with ergonomic features (like adjustable armrests).
If possible, try sitting in a few office chairs before you buy. This will give you an idea of ​​what features and materials you like, as well as what chairs you’ll be comfortable sitting in. Many Staples stores should have at least a few chairs you can try out.
If you’re shopping online, we have powerful filtering features to help you sort through hundreds of options. Selection criteria include material, armrest adjustability, recommended usage time, and recycled content percentage.
Chairs vary in price, and you can choose from brands such as La-Z-Boy, Tempur-Pedic, and Hon.
Staples also sells our top budget ergonomic chair, the Alera Elusion (though it’s currently sold out at Staples). It’s one of the cheapest adjustable chairs we’ve found.
This chair from Union & Scale adjusts from 17.1 to 21.2 inches in height. The back reclines, but the armrests are fixed.
The Hon Ignition 2.0 has a lot of adjustment options, but at around $400, it looks and feels like it should cost more. The seat adjusts from 17.25 to 21.5 inches.
The Tempur-Pedic TP9000 chair has an adjustable seat height from 18.9 to 22.4 inches, a reclining backrest and adjustable armrests, but a fixed seat depth.
Branch chairs are affordable, highly adjustable, and great looking. While they don’t offer all the customization options of more expensive chairs, there are several Branch models that will suit different people and settings.
Despite the limited selection, Branch takes the top spot on our list of the best ergonomic office chairs. The Branch Ergonomic is the company’s mid-priced chair. The armrests can be adjusted for height, width, and depth (but not tilt), and the seat can be moved up, down, forward, and backward. The padded seat is comfortable enough to sit on all day.
The more affordable Daily Chair has fewer adjustments and a lower weight capacity (225 pounds versus 300 pounds). Branch recommends using the chair for four to six hours at a time rather than all day.
With all the adjustment options, you can adapt the relatively inexpensive ergonomic Branch chair to any workspace.
The Daily is an affordable chair from Branch with a 4-inch seat height adjustment range and a 3-inch armrest adjustment range.
The Branch Verve seat adjusts from 15.5 to 20.5 inches and moves forward and backward, making it a convenient upgrade from the basic Branch ergonomic chair. The tilt and armrests are also adjustable.
Gaming chairs aren’t always as ergonomic as office chairs. However, we chose a gaming chair from Secretlab as our top pick for our guide to the best gaming chairs. In addition to height and armrest adjustments, some of the company’s gaming chairs come with lumbar support.
What’s unique about the Secretlab Titan Evo 2022 series, which costs under $600, is that you can choose from three sizes: small (under 5’6″, 285 lb weight limit), regular (5’7″ to 6’2″, 285 lb weight limit), and extra large (5’11″ to 6’9″, 395 lb weight limit). While these specs won’t work for everyone, they offer more flexibility than many other chairs.
The Omega series has a slightly higher weight limit (240 pounds) for people between 5’3″ and 5’11″. In addition to more discreet options, fans of Batman, Game of Thrones, Overwatch, and more can choose themed designs.
We are currently testing the Titan Evo and so far the assembly process is very easy and the chair itself is very comfortable. We will then conduct longer tests and provide a full evaluation report.
Secretlab Titan Evo exceeds all expectations by offering durability, style, adjustability and maximum comfort.
The Secretlab Omega is designed for players who are 5’11″ or shorter and weigh no more than 240 pounds. It is an adjustable gaming chair with a cold-cure foam interior and durable PU leather on the surface.
X-Chair makes expensive, but comfortable and customizable office chairs. Some models, like the X3 ATR Mgmt Chair, offer options like wider seats, headrests, and memory foam cushions. These additions make an already expensive chair even more expensive.
Our reviewer found the X3 to be very comfortable, with intuitive adjustment options and good lumbar support. However, he didn’t think the extra features, such as heating and massage, were worth the purchase.
All X-Chair models have the same basic design and feature height- and depth-adjustable seats, armrests that swivel and move up and down, and lumbar support that adjusts to your body’s movements. More expensive chairs come in more color options, premium upholstery, and additional features like memory foam seats.
Those who tend to overheat in their office chairs may find the built-in fan useful, although we didn’t test this feature.
The X-Chair X2′s seat height is adjustable from 18 to 22.5 inches, and the armrests can be raised, lowered, and swiveled. For black fabric upholstery, you can choose slightly wider seats.
The impressive X-Chair X3 looks impressive and offers fully adjustable dynamic lumbar support, as well as a range of additional options such as headrests, memory foam seat upholstery and thermal massage.
The X-Chair X-Tech Ultimate executive chair features cooling gel, a seat that adjusts from 18.5 to 23 inches, and armrests that swivel and adjust for height.
The Humanscale Freedom headrest is designed to provide comfort without sacrificing functionality. The knobs and buttons have limited functionality, but you can adjust the height of the seat and armrests, and move the seat forward and backward. There are no levers to pull to recline. If you want to customize your seat, you can choose from a variety of fabrics and leathers. You can also choose gel seats and different types of rollers or guides, but this will increase the price.
The Humanscale Diffrient World is a little cheaper than the Freedom, but has the same number of knobs and buttons. The backrest is designed to adjust to each person sitting in the chair, and there is no need to pull a lever, just tilt it back. The chair is very comfortable, but given the price, I would like a wider range of adjustment for the armrests.
Some models allow tall and short people to choose a higher or lower cylinder by adding or subtracting about an inch from the height of the chair.
The Humanscale Freedom Headrest features an intuitive design, adjustable seat height from 16.125 inches to 20.25 inches, and a 400-pound weight capacity.
While the Humanscale Diffrient World is very ergonomic, it lacks some of the levers you might expect. To adjust the tilt of the chair, you have to lean back. The seat height is adjustable from 14 to 27.75 inches, and the weight capacity is 400 pounds.
Steelcase offers a wide variety of height-adjustable office chairs. We love how easy many styles are to customize. With a wide range of fabric colors to choose from, there’s always a fabric that’s perfect for your office (or dining room table).
One of our testers tried out the Steelcase Leap and Steelcase Gesture chairs. He found both chairs to be very comfortable and suitable for long hours of work or even late-night gaming. While there are some differences between the two, the Leap is slightly cheaper but doesn’t have 360-degree adjustable armrests. However, you can add them for an extra fee.
The seat height, depth, backrest height, and armrest height are all adjustable on the Leap and Gesture models. The weight limit is 400 pounds. If you’re shorter, the Leap seat height ranges from 15.5 to 20.5 inches. (The Gesture seat height ranges from 16 to 21 inches.)
The Steelcase Gesture is a comfortable and adjustable office chair with excellent support, making it a great office chair. It has the highest armrest adjustment of any chair we tested.
The Steelcase Leap V2 may not look fancy, but it’s a very comfortable chair that will fit perfectly into your office decor.
It’s no wonder that Herman Miller is associated with quality office chairs. They are designed to help you sit comfortably for long periods of time.
The Aeron chair is a cult product known for its comfort and ergonomics. Insider Reviews senior reporter Owen Burke loves the chair, and the dense mesh and lumbar support help him maintain an upright posture while sitting in it. “It made me lean forward and feel like I was staying still in my chair for the first time,” he said.
One of the most unique features of the Aeron is that its frame is available in three sizes, allowing you to choose the size that suits you best. The frame itself comes fully assembled.
The Sayl is about half the price of the Aeron and was very popular in Silicon Valley a few years ago. It’s not as customizable as the Aeron, but even with armrests, seat depth, and lumbar adjustment, the Sayl is much cheaper.
The Herman Miller Aeron not only looks great, it’s also one of the most ergonomic office chairs on the market.
The design may seem futuristic, but the Herman Miller Sayl Chair features superior ergonomics that will keep your back feeling great today.
If you’re going to be using your chair for several hours every day, it’s important to find the most comfortable and adjustable chair that best suits your body type and posture.
Price: There is a huge difference in price between a $150 office chair and a $1,500 office chair. More expensive chairs have more adjustment options, are made of better materials, and often have a longer warranty.
Adjustability: “The right size and comfort are critical,” says Jennifer J. Morris, principal interior designer at JMorris Design. “Pay close attention to ergonomics and your body type.” Ergonomic experts we spoke with said a chair should have at least height adjustment, and preferably adjustable armrests, seat depth, and backrest.
Warranty and Return Policy: Some of the chairs featured in this guide come with a limited lifetime warranty or a warranty period of more than 10 years. If you’re spending hundreds or even thousands of dollars, you want to buy a chair that will last a long time. A good return policy is also essential so that you can take the time to try the product out for yourself and make sure it’s right for you.
Materials: A $100 chair may look cheap, but it’s likely made of foam that doesn’t provide enough support for long periods of sitting or years of regular use.