Erin Porteous
We understand how much you love your job and how easy it may be for you to spend thousands of dollars on the latest PC, work desk or that 4K eye-friendly monitor. All these are important, but have you thoughts of your chair lately? The flicker-free monitor or the sparkling office desk are nothing if you insist on using that rickety old chair that would rather be in the trash bin by now.
Spending your 8 hours in a good ergonomic chair can be a rewarding endeavor as this ensures good posture and comfort like no other. Studies have shown that spending too much time on a chair increases the risk of cardiovascular ailments. With a good ergonomic office chair, however, this risk reduces drastically.
While we do understand that fancier office chairs can be a little pricier, it can be a good investment in the long run. In fact, it helps that most of these ergonomic office chairs come with a guarantee of averagely ten years. What’s more, with such office chairs, you have the liberty to do all manner of tricks and tweaks that will finally help give you that much needed comfort of posture. If you are looking for the best ergonomic office chair, then your search ends here as we have sampled some of the best options in the market based on price, features and relevance. Here are the top 10 ergonomic office chairs for 2020:
Top 10 Ergonomic Office chairs of 2020 Reviewed
1. Steelcase Leap Fabric Chair
- Pneumatic seat-height adjustment
- Adjustable and firm lumbar support
- Durable casters and fabric
- Pricy if you are on a budget
- Fabric not consistent towards the base
- The armrest may shift unnecessarily
Best for ergonomic office chair for Lumbar support
If you hate the act of always adjusting your body to fit into the chair, then the Steelcase Leap Fabric Chair is your best fit. The chair uses the Live Back technology to seamlessly support and mimic your spine’s movements. What’s more, you will love the fact that its adjustments are intuitive and simple. This helps you sit comfortably, much longer.
The chair’s streamlined and stylish contour will give you a reason to keep working all day. Even in instances where you are leaning forward, the seat easily to support and mimic your spine’s movements seamlessly help relieve pressure at the back of your legs. It also helps that its arms can be adjusted by height, width, and depth.
2. Ergohuman High Back Swivel Chair
- Adjustable lumbar support
- Pivoting armrests are height adjustable
- A synchro-tilt mechanism for better adjustment
- Mesh seat doesn’t support long hours of sitting
- Can be a little smaller and narrow for big-bodied users
- Assembly can be challenging
Best for ergonomic office chair for headrest
The Ergohuman High Back Swivel Chair stands out with its eight ergonomic adjustments to give you maximum comfort all day. You will love the breathable mesh seat that easily supports your weight and back. This also works for better air circulation while working. Some of the notable adjustability includes; tilt lock, tilt tension control, back angle synchro tilt, back height, seat depth, seat height and arm height.
For enhanced durability, the chair features Polypropylene/chrome base, complete with nylon casters. You will love the fact that it is made of 97 percent recyclable material. It also helps that it is Greenguard indoor air quality certified. With its pneumatic cylinder, you can easily lower or raise the chair. The search cushion, back and headrest are all easily adjustable to fit into individual preference.
3. Gaiam Classic Balance Ball Chair
- Promotes constant body stimulation
- Ideal for a long period sitting
- Extendable height
- Too small for most people
- Not durable enough
- Set up can be time-consuming
Best for ergonomic office chair for exercise
The Gaiam Classic Balance Ball Chair is a revolutionary chair that combines comfort and exercise. It has been designed by notable health and fitness gurus to give you the ultimate ergonomic chair. Its yoga ball feature acts as an exercise guide, and this helps boost your energy levels and thus keep you mentally engaged and focused.
The chair works best for users between 5 feet and 5 feet, 11 inches. You will love the fact that it clearly fits into most standard-height desks. If you need a taller chair, however, you can easily achieve this by using the Gaiam compatible leg extenders. The chair comes with a removable exercise ball, an adjustable support bar, an air pump and four easy-glide casters.
4. Duramont Ergonomic Adjustable Office Chair
- Effective pneumatic controls
- Made from highest quality materials
- Comes with a 100 percent money-back guarantee
- Not enough Lumbar cushion adjustments
- Static back prevents proper tilting
- A little pricy
Best thick cushion ergonomic office chair
The Duramont Ergonomic Adjustable Office Chair brings comfort closer home, thanks to its fully adjustable features. You can easily adjust the angle and height of the headrest to give you the most comfortable position. What’s more, its breathable mesh back not only keeps your back comfortable and cool but also helps offer the much-needed support for your back.
Talk of back support and the Duramont Ergonomic Adjustable Office Chair got your back, literally. Its adjustable lumbar support lends with the recline features to get your back to a comfortable position. What’s more, the chair is easy to install in 8 simple steps.
5. AmazonBasics Low-Back Computer Task Office Desk Chair
- Smooth-rolling casters
- 360-degree swivel
- Maximum weight capacity of up to 225 pounds
- No headrest
- Not ideal for taller users
- Wheels not durable enough
Best for ergonomic office chair under $60
If you have always wanted to have a chair that lets you work in a comfortable style, then the AmazonBasics Low-Back Computer Task Office Desk Chair is what you are looking for. The chair oozes professionalism thanks to its smooth contours and fully adjustable settings. You will love the fact that it comes in a variety of colors to choose from based on your surroundings.
The chair is height adjustable thanks to its simple pneumatic controls that let you lower or raise the chair as desired. What’s more, the seat is mesh-covered, both on its back and the 2-inch padded seat. This helps improve breathability, thus helping keep you comfortable much longer.
6. SPACE Seating Professional AirGrid Eco Leather Seat
- One-touch Pneumatic Seat adjustment for height
- Soft PU Pads
- Heavy Duty Nylon Base
- Assembly can be challenging
- Fixed arm braces
- No headrest
Best for ergonomic office chair under $200
Looking for a simple but comfortable design? Well, this is the chair for your daily use thanks to its multiple ergonomic adjustments. Some of its adjustments include pneumatic height adjustment, 2-to-1 synchro-tilt and angled adjustable arms. The AirGrid back is as comfortable as it can get. What’s more, the built-in lumbar support help conform your body to the seat, thus getting you through those long workdays.
It also helps that the chair is GreedGuard Certified, especially for low chemical emissions. This means that with this chair, you are assured of fresh air while indoors at home or in your office. The eco-leather seat, on the other hand, not only offers comfort but also a sign of durability.
7. AmazonBasics High-Back Executive Swivel Office Chair
- Seat cushion covered in bonded brown leather for durability and comfort
- Nylon casters and 360-degrees swivel for multitasking convenience
- Clear assembly instructions
- Height adjustment can be challenging for shorter users
- Static armrests
- Castors may easily come off on rough surfaces
Best regular ergonomic office chair
Want an office chair that will comfortably support you through the day? Well, you are better off with the AmazonBasics High-Back Executive Swivel Office Desk Chair. The chair oozes professionalism, comfort and sophistication in its design.
You will love its butterfly seat plate that helps offer more personalized comfort. This is complemented by the curved contours and fully adjustable settings. These work in unison to keep your body properly aligned and avoid unnecessary back pains.
The chair also features a pneumatic control handle. All you have to do is remove the weight from the chair and raise the seat efficiently using the control handle. Notably, the chair can adjust from 42.34 to 45.08 inches high. The handle doubles up as a control for the chair’s tilt. Whether you want to rock it back and forth or simply make it stationary, the choice is in your hands.
8. Furmax Gaming Chair High Back Office Racing Chair
- Revolutionary design for the tilt mechanism
- Comes with simple installation hardware and clear manual
- Stable and durable
- Can be challenging to install for first-time users
- Chair back reaches mid-neck for taller users
- Armrests not too comfortable
Best for ergonomic office chair for gaming
The Furmax Gaming Chair High Back Office Racing Chair stands out with its ample padding and soft PU leather upholstery. You will love its 5-star nylon-based that helps keep it stable at all times. On armrests, it compares with no other thanks to its soft lift feature for comfort and convenience. What’s more, the tilting feature allows you to position your back comfortably.
The Furmax Gaming Chair High Back Office Racing Chair is designed with durability in mind, thanks to the tubular steel frame coupled with the faux leather finish. With its 360-degree swivel, you have the liberty to multitask at any time. Its pneumatic gas lift system comes in handy to help you adjust the seat to preferred height.
9. Komene Ergonomic Mesh Office Chair
- Easy assembly
- Modern and breathable mesh fabric
- Conveniently tilt tension lever
- Minimal changes when adjusting the tilt
- Not comfortable for users above 5’11”
- Can be unstable for heavy users
Best adjustable headrest ergonomic office chair
Here is an ergonomic office chair that promises to deal with your neck issues. Its revolutionary headrest design gives your neck the much-needed support, thus reducing the strain that results from long sitting hours.
The chair’s unique reclining feature means you can stretch your back to up to 135 degrees. The Komene Ergonomic Mesh Office Chair has been designed to reduce pressure on your buttocks and hips thanks to its soft finishing material.
You will love the chair’s high-density strength mesh that keeps it breathable for longer working hours. What’s more, the padded armrests can easily adjust right, left, backward, forward up and down. With its sturdy PU Casters that glide silently, you have no reason to ignore this office companion.
10. Flash Furniture Desk Chair with Wheels
- Made of a heavy-duty nylon base
- Comfortable and convenient tilt tension knob
- Ventilated mesh back for breathability
- No headrest
- Static armrests
- Wheel roll over easily
Best for ergonomic office chair for home office
We can bet you love mesh chairs; this one will tickle your fancy. This innovative ergonomic office chair gives you exceptional support while keeping you comfortable. Its transparent mesh across it back ensures air keeps circulating not matter the pressure in the room. What’s more, the built-in lumbar support works to prevent muscle fatigue and back strain.
Notably, the Flash Furniture Desk Chair features padded flip-up arms to help take the pressure off your neck and shoulders. It stands out with its waterfall edge, specifically designed to relieve pressure on your legs and spur healthy blood flow.
How to find the best ergonomic office chair – Buying Guide
When shopping for an ergonomic office chair, it is only logical that you find one that will fully serve your needs and preference. However, it is also worth noting that not every office chair labeled ergonomic has all the qualities befitting a true ergonomic office chair. Confused on what to look out for? Worry not as we are here to help take this load off your shoulder. Before that, however, the following are some of the notable questions you need to ask when shopping for an ergonomic office chair:
How adjustable is the seat?
Nothing gives more flexibility than a filly adjustable chair. Since office work may involve too much strain, it is only fair that you get a chair that gives you the liberty to adjust it to any length, height and direction. As a rule of thumb, an office chair’s height range should adjust slightly lower and slightly higher that your ideal setting. To take you closer home, a seat with height ranging from 15” to 22” is deal for a user from 5’0” to 5’4” tall.
Notably, most ergonomic chairs offer a set height range and so you ought to be careful when choosing a chair in relation to your height. In fact, most of these chairs offer a choice in terms of height cylinders and so this gives you an easy time when choosing your correct height range. Additionally, you are better off going for a set with pneumatic height adjustment as this enables you to adjust the seat pan height much easily even while seated. With the right height adjustment on your seat, you will be reducing the risks of stress on the lumbar and knees.
Just like height adjustment, backrest height adjustment is a noble feature to look out for in an ergonomic office chair. The backrest should easily slide up and down to ensure the lumbar curve of the chair’s backrest fully fits into your lower back. Additionally, it is important that you consider back angle adjustment. This ensures that you fully fit the chair based on your body type. In most cases, you will find ergonomic chairs with locking back angle adjustment. This helps you determine the most comfortable upright or reclined position to work from.
Notable features to look out for in an ergonomic office chair include:
The right seat pan depth
The depth of your set pan will say a lot about your comfort and sitting position. When properly positioned, an office chair’s seat pan should allow for up to four finders to fit between the front of the seat and the back of your knee. With a proper seat dept setting, you can easily sit all the way back. This allows you to position the curve of your seat properly when sited back. In this position, it becomes easier to use the chair back’s lumber curve.
You can adjust the seat pan depth in two basic ways; using a seat slider and a back depth adjuster. With a seat slider, you can easily slide the seat out and back in even while seated. On the other hand, a back depth adjuster usually comes in form of a knob on the back of the chair. This moves the back in and out. As such, it may require a helper to make the adjustment.
Chair mechanism selection
When shopping for an ergonomic office chair, you want to get one that makes your seating and general movement easier. As such, a seat’s mechanism comes in handy as its helps control how the seat and your back move. These can be done by use of levers that can pull, push, adjust or twist the office chair to a preferred direction, position or height. While some models may have more than one type of mechanism, most would use one type of the same. Having said this, there are two basic mechanisms used by most ergonomic office chairs:
Multifunctional mechanism – this is a popular type of mechanism, thanks to its wide range of adjustability features. With this, you have the liberty to adjust the back and seat angles independently. This means that you can easily lock the chair in various positions as preferred.
Synchro-Tilt Mechanism – With this mechanism, your back and the seat are linked and will thus tilt simultaneously while leaning back. Considering that this mechanism does not offer much in terms of adjustability, it is not as ergonomic as the previous mechanism. Notably, an office chair using this mechanism ought to have a flexible or waterfall front to avoid cases of it pressing on the back of your thighs when reclining.
Lumbar support is paramount
A goof lumbar support should take into consideration both depth and vertical adjustment. This is especially so if you have lower back issues. Good lumbar support chair is also ideal if it will be used by more than one person. In this case, you are better off going for lumbar support that you can easily adjust vertically as you lower or raise the chair. However, in cases where the chair fits you well and easily adjusts vertically, a fixed lumbar is preferable.
Get comfortable armrests
You want to have an office chair that will offer ultimate comfort for your arms when on that relaxation mode. Good armrests should, at the bare minimum, be adjustable by height. Talking of adjustment, their lowest point should be just below thigh height to ensure that it doesn’t clash with your elbow movement when not needed.
On the other hand, you may also go for the swing back armrest. This lets you move the arm out of the way when not in need. Go for a chair that allows more personalized fits for your armrests. For instance, if your work involves too much typing, then you may need a chair with armrests that fully support your elbows while working.
Quality Casters and Stable Wheel Base
The stability of your chair’s base will determine your comfort when working and during adjustment. As such, a good ergonomic office chair should have at least a five spoke base. As much as you may find most office chairs with four spoke bases, these are usually unstable and you run the risk of tipping over when adjusting or reclining.
On the other hand, always ensure that you have quality casters as these will offer convenience when gliding over the floor. When choosing your casters, consider the type of floor your chair will be used on. Most ergonomic office chairs offer a choice between casters for use on tile, hard floor wood, carpet or laminate floors. Talking of glides, you may also opt for the flat, non-rolling feet based on your preference.
Strong fabric and comfortable padding
The materials and passing used on the fabric will determine how long it will last. The same will be sad about its comfort. Go for an office chair whose fabric and padding support prolonged sitting. The fabric used should complement the actual material used in making the chair to give you the durability you so much desire. The fabric should not only be strong but also breathable. This ensures that it remains in shape even after prolonged use.
Final Verdict
If you sit for long hours behind your desk working, then you know you need a good office chair to boot. You do not want to deal with cases of back pain and strain on your spine courtesy of poor quality office chairs. Notably, ergonomic office chairs come in various designs, shapes and prices.
While some people prefer the headrest, others do not see the need. As such, getting an office chair with a headrest boils down to personal preference based on the type of work you do. A headrest helps support the head, thus reducing the weight and pressure on your neck. This is especially ideal for users with neck issues.
In this regard, the type of chair you will go for depends on your personal preference, type of work and budget. However, note that not all ergonomic chairs with high prices mean good quality and vice versa. Take your time to look at each of the features offered by the chair to help you determine what works best for you. With this in mind, it becomes much easier to find the most appropriate ergonomic office chair.
