spending hours at a desk? Upgrade to these WIRED-tested comfortable seats to work in style and improve your WFH setup
Top 13 Desk Chairs: There’s a good possibility that you’ve given your mattress more thought than your chair. That’s okay. It’s important to get enough rest. But if you’re like me and spend more than eight hours at your desk, it’s a good idea to pay closer attention. Finding a cozy seat is insufficient. The right materials can remove body heat, and a chair with lots of adjustable features can be made to properly fit your body. These are our favorite office chairs after using more than 25 of them over the course of the past year.
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Top 13 Desk Chairs: Ideal for Most People
Branch Ergonomic Chair
The majority of good chairs feature numerous adjustments. The Ergonomic Chair by Branch meets this need. You can make a ton of little adjustments, and assembling it takes only a few minutes (the instructions are fantastic). The seat can spread wide or close fully, the armrest can be moved up and down, and the chair can be locked. Additionally, the lumbar support is movable. All of this is accomplished while maintaining a fashionable appearance and a reasonable asking price.
Even if it doesn’t support my back as well as I’d want, the double-woven nylon mesh backrest is comfortable to lay on. The high-density foam makes up the seat, which is firm but comfortable and doesn’t retain heat as much as other foam seats I’ve tried. It’s a comfortable chair for people of all sizes; both my 5’1″ girlfriend and I and who are 6’4″ found it to be supportive.
Top 13 Desk Chairs: FlexFit Hyken Mesh Task Chair
The Best Budget Chair
During major sales, the modest Hyken is frequently offered for around $170, making it one of the cheapest decent alternatives available. It is strong, reclines, and has a mesh-like fabric covering the back and seat. Even a headrest and lumbar support. According to WIRED reviewers, the mesh is slightly compressed after three years of nonstop sitting, but it’s still comfortable. However, if you require a wider seat, it might not be the ideal choice.
Top 13 Desk Chairs: Branch Verve Chair
Runner-up
The Branch Verve is the result of taking everything good about the Branch Ergonomic Chair and improving it. It maintains my back straighter, is more aesthetically pleasing (especially in the wonderful Coral color), is quite comfortable, and has a better level of polish while still being able to make virtually the same adjustments. Nearly. The only real issue with this chair is that the armrests only move up and down.
Top 13 Desk Chairs: Best Steelcase
Upgrade Movement
No matter how you’re sitting, Steelcase’s Gesture is comfy. You are reasonably well supported if you tuck one leg under the other, cross your legs at the knee, or throw one over the armrest. Additionally, the adjustments offer a large range, allowing you to exactly customize the entire set to your body and posture. The upholstered fabric hasn’t kept up as well as other expensive chairs like the Herman Miller Embody, and it isn’t as breathable as other less expensive seats (see below).
We originally had this chair as a replacement for the Embody, but the price of the Herman Miller chair has skyrocketed since then.
Top 13 Desk Chairs: Wonderful for Airflow
K-Sport Mgmt Chair, Model X-Chair X2
Nobody desires a boggy butt. I said it there. The heat from your body is frequently trapped by thick foam chairs, especially in the summer. Due to this, I favor the X-Chair. The seat is also meshing, providing for excellent airflow, in addition to the mesh backrest. You might as well lounging in a hammock, too. Who wouldn’t desire that? I feel that every part of my body supports adequately, and almost everything on the chair can adjust. Pull the seat back up and adjust the armrests’ angles inward and outward as well as their height. The lumbar support has a cushion-like sensation and adapts to your movements in the seat.
There are numerous models available from X-Chair. The X-2 K-Sport with the broad seat fit my 6’4″ frame when I tested it “frame effectively. But my spouse, who is 5’1”, found it to be too wide “. The common X1 should be adequate for most individuals. The only things I don’t like are? I didn’t find the cooling, heating, and massage attachments that X-Chair offers to be really useful. The chair is also incredibly pricey and appears to be on sale constantly.
Top 13 Desk Chairs: Best Under $100
AmazonBasics Mesh
When I started working from home, I needed a chair and needed one quickly. Given the cost, I wasn’t expecting to appreciate it so much. Even after spending countless hours sitting on it, this chaise lounge is remarkably comfy considering it is not a $1,500 ultra-ergonomic model. The smooth casters, breathable mesh back, and unobtrusive armrests make for a comfortable chair. Your results may vary as Amazon recently updated the model. Fortunately, if your experience differs, returns are free.
Top 13 Desk Chairs: Ideal for reclining (and Eco-Friendly)
Humanscale Headrest for Freedom
I experienced bliss as I reclined in the Humanscale Freedom Headrest, about which we wrote more than 20 years ago. This chair, created by the renowned Niels Diffrient, supports my back gracefully, much like a mother would when placing a baby in a crib. This chair is ideal for those who like to recline. The concept is that the chair would adapt to your own body, so there aren’t as many alterations you can make as with other pricey seats. For instance, the chair cannot lock to prevent reclining, although it has never done so against my will.
Top 13 Desk Chairs: Wonderful for Reducing Back Pain
QOR360 The Ariel
You might be perplexed as to why a “chair” for relieving back pain is actually a backless stool. That’s because the QOR360 targets your pelvic sitz bones to make sure you’re sitting up straight. The stool’s base shakes a little, so your body will move slightly throughout the day. But most importantly, it gave me the urge to stand up and walk around. Movement is one of the best methods to combat the negative effects of sitting in a chair all day, despite what might sound like a terrible thing.
class="wp-block-heading">Regarding Aesthetic (and Hassle-Free)
Herman Miller Zeph
I anticipated detesting the Zeph. Do not misunderstand me; it looks fantastic. There are numerous color changes, and it differs greatly from many of the seats in this list. However, you can only adjust the seat’s height. I’m done now. Nothing else will adjustable in this place. That’s okay, it turns out! This lack of adjustment is intentional because the Zeph is made to conform to your physique. I am using this one-piece plastic seat for almost a month and haven’t yet felt the backache I occasionally get when I transition to a new chair.
Ideal for Small Spaces (Also Eco-Friendly)
Humanscale Path
You might work in a nook. Maybe that’s where you work. Perhaps you and one or two other people share an office area at home. You won’t have a place for a large, plush chair in your WFH arrangement if space is at a premium. Get this compact, plush chair instead. The Path is one of our more compact selections, at 20 inches wide and 21 inches deep. It has small, flat arms with a simple design. Even better, the fully customizable chair is bought without any arms at all, making it easier to use in small places and costing less money.
A Luxury Pick
Herman Miller Embody
The Herman Miller Embody may take you a week or two (or maybe a month) to get used to, but it is well worth it. My back supports and my residual back ache from using a cheap gaming chair were reduced by its upright position. The armrests remain firmly in place, and the seat initially feels stiff until pleasantly becoming pillowy. It effectively disperses heat from my body, but not as effectively as mesh backrests and chairs. One of the most adaptable chairs available, you may modify the armrests’ height and angle as well as the Backfit adjustment to match the natural curve of your spine.
The Secretlab Titan
Evo 2022 Series is the best gaming chair
I don’t recommend most gaming chairs coming that’s from someone that sat on one for several years. Although they frequently have a certain racing car look in mind and are extremely flexible, they aren’t particularly ergonomic, comfortable, or breathable. The chairs mentioned above will work well for most people. But the Secretlab Titan Evo is elegant enough for the home office if you must have the gaming chair appearance. It distinguishes itself from other products at a comparable price point with its toughness and adaptability.
Purchase used
Aeron by Herman Miller
The traditional Aeron chair is popular in many offices for a reason: It is sturdy, reassuring, and airy. It comes in three sizes A, B, and C, and virtually everything on the chair can adjust to fit your body. This comprises the lumbar support, seat depth, and arms. Despite this, we do not advise spending a lot of money on a brand-new Aeron. There’s a strong possibility you may find one at a nearby furniture retailer, on eBay, or on Facebook Marketplace for substantially less. Or you may get lucky like WIRED senior editor Michael Calore, who was given a free Aeron after a local office shuttered its doors.
FAQ
What is the price of a decent office chair?
The price range of office chairs is enormous. They may cost as little as $50 or as much as $2,000. A high-quality chair should cost between $250 and $750. You can purchase a sturdy chair in this price range with features that less expensive chairs might not have.
Why is a chair at work comfortable?
A lumbar adjustment (height and depth) should available on an ergonomic chair so that each user can find the ideal fit to accommodate the lower back’s inward curve. Backrest. An ergonomic office chair’s backrest should be 12 to 19 inches wide.
How durable are office chairs?
about 5 to 10 years
An office chair should typically last between five and ten years before needing to be replaced. When buying a chair, it is important to keep in mind that many various elements, both positive and negative, might influence this number.
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