Desk Chair Reviews
for Home Offices and Businesses

If you are looking to purchase a new office chair but aren’t quite sure where to start, you’ve come to the right place. In fact, I suppose you have started already, simply by being here. As someone who spends almost every day in an office chair, I know how important it is to find one that properly fits your body.

This website has been designed to assist you in selecting the right office chair for your body, your tasks, and your aesthetic style. If you are looking to purchase an office chair for someone else, or one which many people are likely to use, I have also included information about which top-selling chairs are best for use by multiple people. You can learn a little more about me and why I created this website by visiting the About Us section.

Feel free to peruse my various office chair reviews, or stay right here on the homepage to check out my “Top Three” lists of today’s most popular chairs. Before we begin, let’s take a brief look at some things you should consider before you go ahead and purchase your new office chair.

Things To Think About Before Buying An Office Chair

An office chair is a rather important purchase. Although you may not intend to spend a lot of money on your office chair, you will likely be spending a lot of time sitting in it. Through my research, I was able to develop the following list of important considerations: ergonomics, adjustability, low back, mid back and high back options, your height, back pain, and your style.

Ergonomics

Ergonomics is, more or less, the study of how people interact with their environments in terms of their bodily actions and personal comfort. Ergonomic study looks at the ways in which people complete tasks and how to protect people from physical harm while doing those tasks, by adjusting their processes and positions.

In regard to office chairs, important ergonomic considerations include things such as the types of tasks you regularly perform while sitting in your office chair, the height of the chair relative to your desk, and the amount and position of lumbar support. Take some time to quickly learn more about ergonomics and office chairs by heading over to the ergonomics informational page.

Adjustability

Your office chair’s level of adjustment is defined by the degree to which you are able to change the positions of key features such as the arm rests, the back rest, the seat, and the lumbar support. While adjustability is, essentially, an ergonomic consideration, I believe that it is important enough to warrant its own consideration.

If you are unfamiliar with the different types of adjustable features or would simply like to learn more about how those adjustments can affect your sitting experience, take some time to read the informational page I wrote about adjustability.

Low Back, Mid Back and High Back Options

Office chairs are available in three major size options – low back, mid back, and high back. You may find yourself pulled to one type or another, simply based on its appearance. It is important to remember that your office chair’s back height should reflect your physical needs more so than your style preferences. To learn more about office chair back heights and how they may impact your daily office life, check out my article on the topic.

Executive High Back Chair

Your Height

As you may read in my article about ergonomics, your chair should be adjusted to match the height of your desk, more so than the height of your body. Still, there are certain other important factors which may be impacted by the height of your body, such as the length of your seat. Take a quick look at my article about important information for tall people and short people for more facts about how your body height and office chair are connected.

Back Pain

If you are someone who experiences regular back pain it is extremely important for you to take precautions when purchasing an office chair. This is especially important if you anticipate spending a lot of time sitting in your chair. My article about office chairs and back pain can help you figure out what type of chair will best help you avoid any further pain and even alleviate the pain you regularly experience.

Your Style

An office chair is a piece of furniture, and furniture has a big impact on the aesthetic feel of a room. Personally, I believe that function is much more important than appearance where office chairs are concerned. If I am going to spend my day sitting in a chair, I would prefer it to be comfortable and ugly as opposed to uncomfortable and stylish. However, your opinion may differ from mine. Appearance may be a key factor for you.

Before even beginning to look into purchasing an office chair, you will have to decide how important the style of your office chair is to you. If style is even somewhat important, you will also need to figure out which type of style you are trying to match. Is your office space sleek, modern, and full of color? Is it crisp, futuristic, and mostly made up of black and metal-tones? Perhaps it is warm and cozy. Maybe you prefer a more traditional appeal and would like to include a lot of wood tones. Whatever your style, there is an office chair to match. The hard part is finding the combination that matches your style, your body, and your budget.

Top Rated Office Chairs

In preparing this website I reviewed plenty of office chairs. As I worked my way through writing those reviews, some specific chairs jumped out at me. Although I may have found chairs similar to them in price or style, there was something about these chairs which set them apart from the others.

I realized that this information is worth sharing with you. You may not have time to read through all of my reviews, so here is a quick breakdown of what I believe are the best of the popular office chairs on the market today.

The 3 Best Office Chairs Under $100

It is very hard to find a decent office chair for less than $100. Most are non-adjustable and have received terrible consumer reviews. I worked hard to find those which consumers actually seemed happy with and which offered a slight range of adjustability. The following are my top three choices for the best office chairs I was able to find for less than $100. I have listed them in order, with my top choice first.

Best Overall

AmazonBasics Mid-Back Mesh Chair

As you may know, this company is one of Amazon.com’s own brands and is known for creating low-cost products designed for function rather than style. When compared with other similarly-priced office chairs, this particular AmazonBasics chair stands out. This chair matches its rivals with its adjustable seat. Like many of its competitors, it does not feature adjustable arm rests. The good thing about this chair, though, is that its arm rests are small enough not to cause much interference when you try to pull your chair beneath your desk.

The major reason this chair made it to the top of this list is its slight lumbar support. Most chairs in this price range feature flat back rests, which aren’t likely to bring you much comfort. Although this chair’s lumbar support could be fuller, its very presence is something outstanding.

Runner Up

BestOffice Computer Office Desk Mid-Back Chair

The name of this chair always strikes me as quite a mouthful and also quite misleading. Although advertised as a mid-back chair, one could easily argue that this BestOffice mesh chair is actually a high-back chair. This is most surprising because its high back is actually a great selling feature. The head and neck support offered by this chair will allow you to lean back and take breaks throughout your day. Of all the popular, best-selling office chairs in this price range, this was the only one I came across with a back rest high enough to allow you to lean back.

Third Place

Comfort Products Mid-Back Leather Office Chair

This faux leather chair features plush cushions on both its seat and its back rest. This chair didn’t quite make it to first place because its arm rests are rather bulky and I worry that its cushions may flatten out over time. Still, when compared with other similarly-priced chairs, it was a step ahead of the curve in terms of other ergonomic features. Its lumbar support will aid in back health as will the waterfall front edge on its adjustable seat.

The 3 Best Office Chairs Under $200

Chairs in this price range are slightly more advanced than those which are under $100 – they feature much more adjustability and are much better ergonomically. My choices for the best chairs under $200 were based on four major factors: range of adjustability, level of ergonomic support, price, and popularity.

Best Overall

Alera Elusion Series Mid-Back Multifunction Chair

In keeping with many similarly-priced office chairs, this Alera Elusion Series chair features a seat adjustable in height, tilt, and tension. Some chairs in this price range allow you to adjust the height of the back rest and this one is no different. Adjusting the height of the back rest also allows you to adjust the height of its built-in lumbar support. The back rest is also able recline so that you may adjust it according to your work tasks. It is nice to see that the arm rests of this chair are adjustable in height and in width, meaning that it can easily accommodate desks and people of many sizes.

The main reason I chose to award first place to this chair is its large range of adjustability. I believe that a good office chair should be able to accommodate many different types of people engaged in many different types of tasks, so that one need not go searching for a chair the way Goldilocks searched for a bed.

Runner Up

Alera Elusion Series Mesh Mid-Back Chair

This chair is a lot like the one I reviewed above except that it features a mesh back rest instead of a padded fabric back rest; also, its back rest does not tilt into a reclined position. Although I am, personally, a fan of mesh back rests more so than fabric back rests, I could not award first place to this chair on account of that feature alone. The inability to recline this chair is what bumped it down to second place. I believe it is important to be able relax throughout your day and I will continually place level of adjustability and ergonomic support above any other features.

Third Place

Modway Veer Office Chair

Impressively available in eight different colors, the Veer has been designed to match the interior of nearly any office space. Although the back rest of this chair is not adjustable in height, it does feature built in lumbar support. The seat cannot be tilted, but is able to be adjusted in height. So why would I place this chair in the top three if its back rest cannot be adjusted and its seat will not tilt? Its arm rests are remarkably adjustable.

I truly believe that the arm rests of the Modway Veer must be acknowledged in this list. Not only are they adjustable in height (to help it fit under any desk), they are also adjustable in width (to accommodate people of different frame sizes), and can flip up and out of the way completely if you feel they may interfere with your current task.

The 3 Best Office Chairs Over $200

There is quite a large range of prices for office chairs over $200 – some may be as low as $201 whereas others can reach well above $1000. Since my search was focused on the most popular office chairs on today’s market, I didn’t come across any in the over-$1000 range. Only a very select group of people are willing or able to spend that much money on an office chair. Therefore, although chairs of that price range may be extremely advanced and offer incredible comfort, they are not very popular.

Best Overall

Steelcase Leap Fabric Chair

This chair is available in a range of colors and materials. It boasts so many adjustable ergonomic features that I feel I need to list them quickly so I can I tell you about some of its other great features. The seat is adjustable in height and can also slide forward or backward to accommodate different leg lengths. The arm rests can slide forward or backward, move up or down, pivot to different angles and move inward or outward to adjust the width of the seat.

The back rest is where things really begin to get interesting. Steelcase’s patented ‘Live Back’ technology means that this chair’s back will not only move backward and forward as you move, but will also bend according to your posture. For more of its incredible features, you will have to read my full review of this chair. I cannot fit all of the important information in this space and there is so much more for you to know.

Runner Up

Aeron Task by Herman Miller

This highly unique chair is available in a variety of colors and finishes, designed to match the décor of most modern or futuristic office spaces. Its unique tilt system means that the entire chair moves with you as you bend, reach, and adjust your position. It features fully-adjustable lumbar support which can be moved independently of the chair’s back rest.

This chair wasn’t able to take first place for a few reasons. Its arm rests are nowhere near as adjustable as the Steelcase Leap’s and, although its tilt system keeps you supported at all times, its back rest has not been designed to hug your curves as well as the Leap does. That being said, this chair is still highly adjustable and has received very positive consumer reviews.

Third Place

Ergohuman Mesh Hi Swivel Chair

This chair is not nearly as adjustable as the others in this ‘top three’ list. However, one would not expect it to be as adjustable since it is nowhere near as expensive. Just over half the price of the Aeron and Steelcase chairs, the Ergohuman features a highly durable metal frame, arm rests adjustable in height and depth, pivoting built-in lumbar support, a seat adjustable in height, and a back rest that adjusts for height and tilt.

The 3 Best Office Chairs for Specific Purposes

Perhaps you are not searching for your office chair on the basis of your budget. Maybe you are trying to find one which best suits your needs and your needs are slightly outside the norm. Of course, the norm would be purchasing an office chair for personal use by someone with an average body frame size. Three of the most popular needs which exist outside of that norm are customer or client chairs, chairs for big and tall people, and chairs for short and small people.

Best Customer/Client Desk Chair

Alera Elusion Series Mesh Mid-Back Chair

This chair can be customized for the body type and personal comfort of your office guests. Though it is not constructed for all-day stationary sitting, it will provide sufficient comfort for short periods of time. This chair can be adjusted up or down to match the height of your customer, client, or any desk at which you may sit him or her. It also features arm rests which can be adjust inward or outward, depending upon the customer or client’s body frame size. Capable of handling a maximum weight of 250 pounds, this chair will easily take on the weight of most average to large individuals.

Best Big and Tall

Aeron Task Chair by Herman Miller

This chair can easily be used as an all-day stationary chair or as a task chair for those who move their upper body a lot throughout their work days. Consumer reviews have consistently stated that people well above 6 feet tall and 250 pounds sit comfortably in this highly-adjustable chair for extended periods of time. I believe that this comfort level is due to its adjustability, sturdy construction, and considerable ergonomic support.

Best Short and Small

Alera Etros Series Petite

The Alera Etros Petite chair was made specifically to accommodate people of smaller-than-average frame sizes. Its back rest and seat have been constructed and contoured to fit someone with narrow shoulders and narrow hips. Thankfully, the seat height is adjustable, meaning that it does not matter if you are tall and narrow or short and narrow, this chair will accommodate you well.

More Reviews

Thank you for visiting this website and taking the time to look around. Your perfect chair may not have made my “top three” lists, so feel free to continue browsing my office chair reviews – there are plenty more than just those which you see on this page. Before I go, I want to wish you the best of luck in locating an office chair which meets all of your needs and helps you get through your day in both comfort and style.