For those who want comfort but find themselves on a tight budget, here’s a supportive, under-$75 option that’ll arrive in just two days. A breathable mesh design means you won’t get sweaty while plowing through spreadsheets or fighting digital enemies, and the 15-minute assembly process isn’t bad either.
Sihoo’s popular ergonomic mesh office chair combines affordability and quality. You’ll get a padded headrest, adjustable lumbar support, and a contoured cushion—all with a lifetime warranty. Reviewers say this is an especially great pick for “big and tall” folks, since you can adjust the seat and headrest heights a great deal and the seat itself is roomy.
Branch makes high-quality, comfortable office chairs at middle-of-the-road price points. An adjustable lumbar rest and a contoured backrest will help keep you feeling fresh, even if you’re stuck at your desk for hours. Not only does this chair swivel, it tilts, it’s height-adjustable, and you can tweak the seat depth.
The Daily Chair is a Goldilocks office chair that has everything you need (adjustable height and armrests, plush cushions, and easy-to-maneuver wheels) and nothing you don’t. It offers plenty of spinal and lumbar support for long hours perched at your desk, plus it comes in pleasing hues like mahogany and sky blue besides your standard neutral gray and black.
The Steelcase Gesture may be quite expensive for an office chair—$1,600 is no small chunk of change—but if you’re looking to splurge on one of the most comfortable chairs you’ll ever sit in, it’s absolutely worth the price. The Gesture strikes the perfect balance between plush and firm, providing back support for long days at your desk alongside a thick, comfortable seat that holds up to years of punishment. There are three recline positions to let you fine-tune your position throughout the day, and the intuitive adjustment mechanisms make it easy to move things around without any fuss.
The Steelcase Series 1 uses your body weight to automatically adjust back and lumbar support when you sit down, meaning you don’t have to fuss with buttons or levers to get the right fit, something we have found to be tricky with cheaper chairs. The Series 1 is also wildly customizable, with the option to add a headrest, your choice of carpet or hardwood wheels, and seemingly endless color options (such as neon orange and lemon yellow) for the maximalist home office. No matter what type of space you’re working with, there’s a Series 1 we think will work for you.
It’s not entirely surprising that the midcentury specialists at Herman Miller have optimized an all-around ergonomic office chair, the Embody. The tapered back panel takes cues from the human body, with a central spine to keep things stable and flexible ribs for comfort. In fact, the brand collaborated with over 20 physicians and doctors in biomechanics, vision, physical therapy, and ergonomics to perfect this chair.
Thanks to 3D LiveBack technology, Steelcase’s Leap can align itself to the shape of your spine, using seven points of adjustment to perfectly cradle your back during long days parked in front of the screen. The Natural Glide seat moves forward and back as you recline, keeping you in the optimal seated position whether you’re trying to relax or want to sit up straight and dig in.