The best office chairs can help elevate your day to day working experience whether you’re working from home or are back in the office. They make sitting at a desk all day long a much more comfortable experience while giving your back and shoulders the extra support they need.
Based on our extensive testing, the best office chair overall is the Branch Verve Chair. Not only does its 3D knit backrest help this chair stand out (in a good way), it also allows for better airflow. The Branch Verve Chair also has an adjustable lumbar rest, a contoured seat and backrest and its casters are perfect for hardwood floors. If you’re on a tight budget though, you can’t go wrong with the Flash Furniture Mid-Back Office Chair which is frequently on sale for just over $100.
Below you’ll find several recommendations for all types of use cases, including our favorite ergonomic option, the best office chair for back pain, our top pick for gaming and more. These are the best office chairs you can buy right now.
The quick list
Written by
Written by
Anthony Spadafora
Senior EditorAnthony Spadafora has spent the past five years working from home exclusively and during that time, he's tested dozens of office chairs, standing desks and other work from home accessories. While he oversees all of our networking and security coverage at Tom's Guide, Anthony has a penchant for home office furniture and working on desk setups.
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The best office chair overall
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(Image credit: Tom's Guide)
(Image credit: Tom's Guide)
(Image credit: Tom's Guide)
As the follow-up to the Branch Ergonomic Chair, the Branch Verve Chair immediately sets itself apart from the competition thanks to its unique design which won an iF Design Award in 2022. Instead of a mesh back, it has a 3D-knit backrest that's extremely comfortable while also being breathable. Besides the Coral color seen here, the Branch Verve Chair is available in black and white as well as light green and light blue.
Besides being pleasing to look at when pushed in at my desk, the chair's V-shaped suspended back also houses its adjustable lumbar rest. Likewise, its inward curving arms help the Branch Verve Chair stand out (in a good way) and I love how the base of the chair is the same color as its seat and backrest.
I found the Branch Verve Chair to be quite comfortable during testing and was impressed by how my body sunk into the chair. At the same time, its nylon casters also made a big difference and were much smoother when rolling around on my hardwood floors. The Branch Verve Chair features six points of adjustment and it felt really good leaning back in the chair while taking short breaks throughout my workday.
Read our full Branch Verve Chair review.
The best budget office chair
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(Image credit: Tom's Guide)
(Image credit: Tom's Guide)
(Image credit: Tom's Guide)
One reason I liked the Flash Furniture Mid-Back office chair is that, in a sea of black and gray office chairs, it stood out with its bold blue and white color scheme (it's also available in gray, yellow, red, orange, white, and yes, black).
The price of this chair varies based on the color you choose as well as the style — you can opt for a mid-back, high back, and drafting chair — but ranges from around $120 to $210, making it a very affordable model if you're on a budget.
However, as with most budget office chairs, the Flash Furniture model isn't very adjustable, you can raise and lower the seat and adjust the tilt tension, but that's it. Still, I found it pretty comfortable when sitting for long periods of time. And, when I was ready to head home for the day, the chair's arms fold up, so that I could tuck it under my desk more easily. If you're looking for a cheap office chair that looks good, this is definitely a model to consider.
Read our full Flash Furniture Mid-Back office chair review.
The best premium office chair
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(Image credit: Herman Miller)
(Image credit: Herman Miller)
(Image credit: Herman Miller)
The Herman Miller Aeron chair may be the symbol of dot-com excess, but there's a good reason for that: It is damn comfortable. I could adjust everything on this top-tier chair, including more esoteric things, like the tension of eight zones of the fabric (including the important lumbar support) and the tilt and angle of the armrests. It also supports working in two profiles: one for when you are leaning forward and another for when you are leaning back and reclining.
The mesh bottom and back of the Aeron also allowed for plenty of airflow, which was welcome on warm days when my air conditioning wasn't working as well as it should have. However, this came with a little tradeoff, as I didn't think the Aeron offered as much support as the Steelcase Leap, which has a firmer fabric bottom and back.
Check out our comparison of the Herman Miller Embody vs Aeron if you've having a hard time deciding which is best for you.
It's perhaps no surprise that all of this comes at a price, as the Aeron starts at more than $1,000. My advice is to look for sales of office furniture as companies clear out their buildings of unwanted items. You're bound to find an Aeron for a lot less used.
Read our full Herman Miller Aeron chair review.
The best office chair for ergonomics
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(Image credit: Tom's Guide)
(Image credit: Tom's Guide)
(Image credit: Tom's Guide)
The Steelcase Karman goes beyond a traditional mesh chair thanks to the company's proprietary Intermix textile. This office chair is available in a number of different colors and even color combinations since it's created using a weaving process where yarns and other filaments are injected into the weave.
The Steelcase Karman is also exceptionally light at just 29 pounds and unlike every office chair I have reviewed so far, it comes fully assembled. Under the chair's seat, there's a weight-activated mechanism that when combined with Intermix, literally wrapped around my body and supported me, regardless of which angle I was sitting at.
The Steelcase Karman may lack a dedicated lumbar support but in my own testing, I found I didn't need one due to how the chair responded to my body's movements throughout the day. This level of comfort and engineering doesn't come cheap though but Steelcase does back up the Karman with a 12-year warranty.
Read our full Steelcase Karman review.
The best office chair for back pain
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(Image credit: Future)
(Image credit: Future)
(Image credit: Future)
A futuristic-looking office chair with great support for your back
Our expert review:
Average Amazon review:
Colors:
Black and grey
Material:
Italian velvet, DuPont TPEE
Seat width:
20.28 inches
Weight Limit:
300 Pounds
View at AmazonView at Amazon+
Split lumbar support
+
Premium build quality
+
Aesthetically pleasing design
+
Mesh allows for excellent airflow
-
Armrests move too easily
-
Complicated assembly process
The SIHOO Doro S300 offers some big improvements over the SIHOO Doro C300 which we also reviewed. These include its dual dynamic lumbar support, its anti-gravity mechanism and its mesh which is made from a woven combination of Italian velvet and DuPont TPEE.
This premium-looking office chair is available in either white or black but there aren't any other add-ons or upgrades you need to worry about. It is more expensive than the C300 at $799 but if you're on a tighter budget, there's also the SIHOO Doro S100 to consider which features a very similar design albeit with less premium materials.
During our testing, we were very impressed with its futuristic design, how its mesh kept us cool while working and the way in which the dual dynamic lumbar support cradled our back. The armrests do leave a bit to be desired though and we found they moved a bit too easily for our liking. Also, the Doro S300's recline is limited to three positions. Still though, this office chair will be a huge help for those with back problems and it offers plenty of adjustability.
Read our full SIHOO Doro S300 review.
The office chair for gaming
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(Image credit: Razer)
(Image credit: Tom's Guide)
(Image credit: Tom's Guide)
The best gaming chair for your home office
Our expert review:
Colors:
Black
If you want to learn more, please visit our website Hangcan.
Material:
Mesh backrest and seat pan, aluminum alloy frame
Seat width:
20.9 inches
Weight Limit:
300 Pounds
View at RazerCheck Amazon+
Easy assembly
+
Great lumbar support
+
Fantastic build quality
+
Comfortable padding on the armrests
-
Questionable warranty
The Razer Fujin Pro is as much an office chair as it is one of the best gaming chairs. Unlike other gaming chairs with flashy designs, Razer went with a sleek, all-black look for its latest chair. The Fujin Pro also features a mesh backrest and seat pan to keep you cool while working or gaming along with a sturdy, aluminum alloy frame.
If the Razer Fujin Pro is a bit out of your price range at $1049, you can get the standard Razer Fujin for $649, though it lacks the aluminum alloy frame and mesh headrest available with the pro model. Another thing I really like about this office chair is that there aren't any add-ons or extra costs to consider at checkout.
In our testing, we found the Razer Fujin Pro to be very easy to assemble and to adjust. The adjustable lumbar support dwarfs those you'd find on other gaming chairs and the padding on its armrests is extremely comfortable too. The seat pan can be moved forward or backward as well for taller people.
The Razer Fujin Pro does double duty as a gaming and office chair and unlike other gaming chairs, you won't be embarrassed to be seen sitting in this one during video calls or even at the office.
Read our full Razer Fujin Pro review.
The best office chair for long hours
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(Image credit: Tom's Guide)
(Image credit: Tom's Guide)
(Image credit: Tom's Guide)
When I sat in the X-Chair X2 and turned on its optional heating and massage pad, it transported me back to the days when I would go to the mall and relax in the massage chairs at Brookstone.
Nostalgia aside, the X2 Chair is a very slick and very comfortable office chair. Both the seat back and bottom are mesh, which provides plenty of breathability, and the chair has a ton of adjustment points, so you can get it to fit you just right. The one downside is that it took me a good while to get everything just the way I wanted it.
I also loved the look of the X2; it's not quite as flashy as a gaming chair, but it's not as subdued as one of the thousands of generic office chairs you can find online. It's also sturdily built: part of the frame and the base are made out of metal, which has a shiny chrome finish
At around $900, the X2 is not cheap; it's about the same as you'll pay for a Herman Miller Aeron. But, it's a chair that will definitely keep you comfortable — especially if you buy the massage pad.
Read our full X-Chair X2 review.
The best office chair for home office
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(Image credit: Tom's Guide)
(Image credit: Tom's Guide)
(Image credit: Tom's Guide)
While sleeker than most other office chairs, there's nothing overly flashy about the Branch Ergonomic Chair, and maybe that's a good thing. Once I settled into this $300 office chair, I largely forgot about it as I sat on it while working from home. But isn't that the point of any good office chair?
The Branch Ergonomic Chair has seven adjustment points (the height and width of the armrests, as well as how far forward you want them, seat height, backrest angle, lumbar support, and position of the seat relative to the backrest). That's not as many as you'll find on more expensive models, but it's more than enough for a $300 chair like this one from Branch Furniture. Just as important: all of these adjustment points were easy to change. There's nothing worse than struggling to get a chair to fit just right.
My only real critique of the Branch chair — if you can call it that — is that its padded seat didn't feel as comfortable as mesh seats on pricier chairs, and is not as breathable. But all in all, this chair delivers excellent value.
Read our full Branch Ergonomic Chair review
Best office chair for mesh
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(Image credit: Tom's Guide)
(Image credit: Future)
(Image credit: Future)
A mesh office chair that can also help improve your posture
Our expert review:
Average Amazon review:
Colors:
Charcoal black, coral red, aqua blue
Material:
Mesh and aluminium
Seat width:
20 inches
Weight Limit:
286 pounds
View at AmazonView at ErgoTune+
Sturdy yet comfortable
+
Breathable mesh design
+
12-year warranty
+
Promotes good posture
-
Headrest doesn't lock in place
-
Lumbar support may be too tough for some
The ErgoTune Supreme V3 is an ergonomic mesh office chair that feels a whole lot more comfortable than its mid-range price would have you believe. Alongside this, the company also includes a 12-year warranty along with plenty of color options and even several different sizes depending on your height.
In terms of adjustability, the ErgoTune Supreme V3 features 12 different adjustment points which lets you tailor the chair's fit to your body type. Its seat has adjustable depth and height and its GyroBrace Armrest adjusts four ways and pivots up to 270 degrees. Besides an auto-adjusting lumbar support, the ErgoTune Supreme V3 has a headrest that's also adjustable which is something I always like to see on any office chair.
The third iteration of ErgoTune's Supreme office chair sports a number of improvements which allow it to punch above its weight - especially at a mid-range price. If you're looking to improve your posture while working from home, the ErgoTune Supreme V3 should certainly be on your shortlist.
Read our full ErgoTune Supreme V3 review.
How long should you sit?
Even if you have the best office chair in the world, it's unhealthy to remain seated for hours on end. A number of studies have found that sitting for prolonged periods can have negative effects on your body, such as higher rates of heart disease, obesity, and cancer.
To that end, a number of experts recommend you stand up every so often. The Mayo Clinic, for example, suggests that you stand up every 30 minutes, or invest in one of the best standing desks, as well as one of the best under-desk treadmills. Either way, get up and stretch your muscles. One strategy I use myself is to set a timer; some of the best smartwatches, such as the Apple Watch, will automatically remind you to move if you've been sedentary for too long. Also be sure to check out our guide on the best exercises if you sit all day.
How to choose the best office chair for you
When it comes to picking out the best office chair for your needs, there are several factors that come into play which we go into further detail below:
Price
Office chairs range widely in price, from less than $100 up to $2,000. Ultimately, you should purchase an office chair that best fits with your budget. There are two main differences between budget office chairs and more expensive models. The first is materials: Less expensive chairs will often be made with cheaper materials, and may not have as big an emphasis on design. More expensive chairs will be more fashion-forward, and will be made from more premium materials, and may even provide you more options for customization.
The second difference between low- and high-priced office chairs is adjustability. Less expensive chairs can't be adjusted as much as more expensive chairs. For instance, an office chair that costs around $100 may only let you adjust its height. As you go up in price, office chairs will have more things you can adjust, such as their arms, lumbar support, seat position, and more.
However, if you see a chair that you like that's a little out of your price range, it's worth doing some digging to see if you can find a previously owned model for less. A lot of companies were forced to close or downsize their offices over the past few years which has resulted in a lot of office equipment being sold for pennies on the dollar.
Comfort
Comfort is pretty easy to understand: A comfortable chair should offer a seat that is yielding but that also provides some level of firmness. It should also wick moisture so you don't get sweaty on warm days. Seats and backs made of mesh tend to fare the best in this regard.
The seat should be wide enough that people of larger stature can sit comfortably on it and not feel like they are squeezing into a kids' chair.
The armrests should be contoured for the elbow and upper arm to lean comfortably on and be made of fabric or softer material that won't jar the elbow when you bump into it.
Lumbar support
Another critical feature is lumbar support. This piece of an office chair helps you maintain the curve of your lower back, so that you don't strain yourself by sitting for long periods (not that you should). Like other parts of an office chair, this should be adjustable so that you can move it up or down, or increase or decrease the amount it pushes out. I have also seeing some newer chairs like the Sihoo Doro-C300 incorporate lumbar support mechanisms that automatically adjust their lumbar support based on how you're sitting in them.
Material
What an office chair is made of can also have a big impact on your comfort. For the most part, office chairs are covered in some sort of fabric, with padding beneath. However, some have either a mesh back or seat, which can help with airflow, and keep you cooler throughout the day. And, if you want to make a statement, there's nothing like a leather chair.
But the materials go beyond the seat itself; pricier chairs will often use more metal parts in the base and elsewhere, whereas less expensive models will have more plastic parts.
Adjustability
Adjustability is the other major factor. The best office chairs should allow you to tweak pretty much everything, including the following:
That's important because every person is different; getting a chair that allows you to adjust all of these things lets you configure it to your unique body shape. Generally, the more expensive the chair, the more things you'll be able to adjust. Chairs that cost less than $100 will usually only let you change their height.
How we test the best office chairs
(Image credit: Tom's Guide)
In order to test the best office chairs to review them and see how well they stack up against one another, I spend a few weeks sitting in each one. During this time, I see how well each office chair supports my back, shoulders and arms and determine their comfort level. In addition to comfort, I also take a close look at how easy each chair is to adjust and whether or not the changes I make to a chair stay that way.
While I review many of these office chairs on my own from the comfort of my home, I also have family and friends of different weights and heights test them out too. This gives me a better idea of how well each chair will work with different body types and I can gauge someone else’s reaction to sitting in them for the first time. For the chairs that other members of the team at Tom’s Guide review, they do something similar when working remotely but if they’re in the office, other co-workers come and try out each chair.
(Image credit: Tom's Guide)
During our testing process, I also take note of each chair’s design, appearance and how customizable they are. Likewise, I inspect their materials and parts and see how well they hold up over time. Since few people build furniture as often as I do, I take a lot of notes while putting each chair together to see how easy or difficult it might be for someone with less experience to build one. I assemble every office chair on my own but I point out in my reviews where having someone else to help during the assembly process can make it easier or speed things up.
Finally, I take into account the overall cost of a chair, the length and fine details of its warranty and how it compares to competing chairs in the same price range. For more information on our testing process, check out our how we test page for Tom’s guide.
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Not every chair is a winner. Here are a few others we like enough to recommend, but they're not as good as our top picks above.
Hinomi X1 Chair for $669: Hinomi's X1 mesh chair has a trick up its sleeve—a built-in footrest! Just extend and flip out the footrest; voilà, your feet are now propped up. This might not be very practical for fellow tall people, as my legs often hit the wall behind my desk, but it's quite comfy. The chair is otherwise well-built. I like the lumbar support here, and there's a good amount of adjustments you can make. The seat itself is a bit firm, but I got used to it after some time. Hinomi offers a 12-year warranty, but best of all you can snag it in a dusty pink from the company’s website. I'd buy this over the X-Chair mesh chair listed below.
BodyBilt Midcelli Mesh Chair for $949: BodyBilt’s chair looks quite average, but the seat pad is plushy and soft, and it's contoured to your butt and legs, which I liked more than I expected. The mesh back has some give to it, so it doesn't feel rigid, and there are all the usual points of adjustment, including moving the seat forward and back. I wish the arms could lock to a position. It has a lifetime warranty on select parts, while other chair areas are covered for 12, seven, five, or three years. There are more customization options on BodyBilt's website—with the option to get a consultation—but I just think it's overpriced.
Razer Fujin Pro for $1,049: Razer is asking for Herman Miller and Steelcase prices despite offering a measly five-year warranty on this $1,000-plus chair. Still, my colleague Eric Ravenscraft likes the Fujin Pro (8/10, WIRED Recommends). There are a good amount of adjustments you can make, the armrests are useful, and the mesh is breathable. Oh, and it doesn't have the over-used gaming chair race-car seat aesthetic.
Tempur-Pedic Tempur-Lumbar Support Office Chair for $352: I think this is a nice alternative to the Branch Ergonomic Chair, our top pick. The Tempur seat cushion is, perhaps unsurprisingly, wonderfully comfy to sit on for hours at a time. And most chairs that have a thick lumbar cushion end up causing me back pain, but not here—I've had no issues sitting on this chair for a month. The mesh back is nice for airflow too. The arms tend to move around a bit though, and the mechanism to adjust them is not elegant. Installation wasn't too hard, but the instructions weren't as simple as Branch's, and the overall build quality feels cheap.
Cooler Master Motion 1 Gaming Chair for $2,500: I don't recommend most gaming chairs—that's coming from someone who sat on one for several years. They are quite adjustable, but they're not terribly comfy, breathable, or ergonomic. They also mostly go after a particular racing car aesthetic. For most people, the above chairs will work better. However, the Cooler Master Motion 1 (7/10, WIRED Recommends) is different. WIRED contributor Simon Hill says it's quite literally built for gaming—the seat rumbles when you move on bumpy terrain in Forza Horizon 5, and it'll throw in a few jolts if you crash. You do need to make sure the game you own is supported, but there are more than 100 AAA titles on the roster. It works with a catalog of more than 2,000 movies and TV shows too, in case you want to feel the power behind Batman's blows. As a chair itself, it's OK. It's decently comfy but lacks the adjustability you might find on a normal office chair. The armrests are fixed, and prolonged sessions might leave you nauseous. But it's unique and worth considering if you love racing games and flight sims.
Knoll Newson Task Chair for $1,195: This minimalist chair looks best in the graphite and petal colors; it's a bit drab in black and umber. It's nice that I didn't have to fuss with any levers or knobs much—it's comfy out of the box and decently adjustable if you need to make some tweaks—and it feels especially nice when you recline. (The red knob adjusts the tension of the recline, but you need to twist it for five rotations, and I found it hard to turn sometimes.) The Newson didn't give me trouble in the two months I sat in it. I'm just not a huge fan of how the elastomer mesh backrest distorts, depending on how you sit. It feels lumpy. This chair also doesn't let me sit as upright as I'd like, but maybe you're fine with a bit of give. Ultimately, it's the price that pulls it out of our top recommendations, but you do get a 12-year warranty.
X-Chair X2 K-Sport Management Chair for $879: This used to be our top mesh chair pick but it has been supplanted by the Steelcase Karman. Sitting in the X-Chair feels like lounging in a hammock. Every part of my body feels well supported, and you can adjust nearly everything on the chair. Pull the seat up and push the armrests up, down, and side to side, or angle them in or out. The lumbar support feels like a cushion, and it adjusts as you move in your seat. If you want to rest your head, you can pay extra for the headrest. It has held up extremely well after three years of near-continuous sitting, but I don't like how bulky it is. X-Chair has a number of models to choose from. I tested the X-2 K-Sport with the wide seat, and it fits my 6'4" frame really well, but it was too wide for my partner, who is 5'1". Most people should be fine with the standard X1.
Ikea Markus Chair for $290: The Markus is a perfectly fine office chair. It’s not the most comfortable, but it’s far from the worst. The mesh design keeps you cool, and the tall back lets you fully lean into it. It’s rather thin and isn’t obtrusive in a small home office or bedroom. It was annoying to put together (lol, Ikea), and you might need someone to hold up the back of the chair while you properly attach the seat. Unfortunately, if you often sit with at least one leg up or with your legs crossed, the width between the arms will make you uncomfortable.
X-Chair X-Tech Executive Chair for $2,049: Functionally, the X-Tech is similar to the X-Chair above. In this version, the M-Foam cooling gel seat is indeed wonderful to sit on, though it's not as heat-wicking as the all-mesh X-Chairs. It’s the Brisa Soft Touch material that impresses the most—it’s ridiculously soft. I recommend you stick with the standard armrests instead of the FS 360 armrests, which tend to move about too much. But my biggest gripe with this model is the price. Why on earth does it cost that much?
Mavix M7 Chair for $677: If it looks strangely similar to the X-Chair (see above), that's because both are owned by the same company. WIRED reviewer Louryn Strampe ran into some issues with assembly, but customer service was able to exchange the model without much effort. The M7 has similarly adjustable armrests and seat angles, but you get wheels that lock. The mesh back and wide seat construction keep you cool and comfortable during sweaty League of Legends sessions, and the lumbar support does the job. If you're short, contact customer support while ordering—Mavix offers shorter cylinders so your feet touch the ground.
Hon Ignition 2.0 Office Chair for $425: This chair is easy to set up and looks great, but it gave me really bad back pain, which is why I originally placed it in our “Avoid” section. I thought it was perhaps the long hours I was working, so I switched back to the Knoll Newson Task chair and my pain quickly began to ease. Sometime later, I gave it a shot again. After a few hours, the pain came back, and switching to another chair dissipated it. Color me confused, because this chair has positive reviews around the web. I then asked a friend who is around 5' 4" to try it for a few weeks, and she has had zero issues. This seems to be the answer. It's possible the Ignition doesn't work for my 6' 4" self and is better suited for smaller folks.
Hon Ignition 2.0 Big and Tall for $712: I had a much better experience with this Hon chair, which, as the name suggests, is suited for big and tall people like me. It has a reinforced steel frame that can support up to 450 pounds with a wider seat. It's comfy, transfers heat away well, and does a nice job supporting my back. However, it looks incredibly dull in Boring Black. I had a fine experience in the chair, aside from the arms that tend to slide left and right whenever you put some pressure on them. I'm just not sure it's worth the weirdly high price.
Pipersong Meditation Chair for $369: Have a problem sitting in a traditional chair? If your legs need to be bent and twisted for you to be comfortable, you'll want to check this chair out. It has a 360-degree swiveling footstool that can accommodate pretty much any sitting position you want. I can go from kneeling to cross-legged to one leg up, one leg down. It’s possible to sit regularly too, with the footstool behind you and your feet flat on the floor. It's the only chair I've found that's designed for odd sitting habits. There are no armrests, which I didn’t mind because that’s what makes it possible to sit in many of these positions. The actual stool and chair back could stand to be bigger and taller, respectively. I had to use a pillow to keep my back comfy.
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