With more and more people working from home as a result of the pandemic, many are finding the need to invest in a quality office chair to make working hours more comfortable. Of course, it can be difficult to find the best office chairs for your needs — especially considering how many options there are out there.

There are plenty of good reasons to buy a desk chair for your home office, or upgrade an existing chair that’s not cutting it. Not only are office chairs designed to be more comfortable than other options you might already have in your home, but a high-quality ergonomic office chair — ideally one with a high back, lumbar support, and adjustable levers that encourage you to tailor the chair to your frame and move around while seated — will minimize the risk of back problems later in life, not to mention ease the pain for any you already have.

When buying an office chair, there are a number of things that you should keep in mind. For starters, you’ll want to think about the range of adjustments that you need from your office chair. You’ll also want to consider style, materials, and of course, how much you’re willing to spend.

Below, find a short list of solid options that hit all the marks for different styles and budgets. (Because anything is better than that old dining room chair you’ve been dealing with for the first few months of lockdown.)

Best Office Chairs Overall

Herman Miller Aeron Ergonomic Office Chair

The Herman Miller Aeron may be a bit pricey, but there’s good reason for that. The chair offers an ergonomic design that ensures you’ll remain comfortable throughout the day, with features like a mesh back, sturdy base, and even three different sizes that you can choose from.

The chair offers plenty of adjustments too. You’ll get a tilt adjustment, along with a seat angle adjustment, plus you can fully adjust the arms, and the lumbar. As you would expect the chair is built from ultra premium materials, so it should last for years to come after you buy it. Sure, the chair is expensive, but if you can afford it and want the most comfortable experience you can get, the Herman Miller Aeron is the way to go.

Best Mid-Price Office Chair

Herman Miller Sayl Ergonomic Office Chair

If you’re looking for an ergonomic office chair that’s relatively high-quality, but don’t want to pay Herman Miller Aeron prices, there’s another chair out there made by the same company — the Herman Miller Sayl.

The Sayl offers a pretty modern and unique design, but it’s also extremely comfortable and adjustable. You’ll get a nice, big mesh back, which Herman Miller says can easily stretch and move to conform with the user’s back. That means that the chair will keep your spine in its natural position, improving posture.

There are other design choices to ensure a comfortable experience too. For example, you’ll get an adjustable height between 15.5 and 20 inches and casters built for carpet use. The chair isn’t cheap, but it’s not overly expensive either, coming in at $510.

Also read: Top Home Improvement Tips for New Homeowners

Best Budget-Friendly Office Chair

Alera Elusion Series Mesh Mid-Back Chair

The Herman Miller Aeron is a great chair, but it is a little pricey. If you want a mesh-back chair that’s relatively high-quality without spending a lot of money, then it’s worth checking out the Alera Elusion Series Mesh Mid-Back Chair instead. With the mesh back, you’ll get a super cool, breathable experience, which is perfect for using in the summer. This chair offers many of the benefits of the Herman Miller, while coming in at under $180.

The chair still offers some great adjustments too. You’ll get a multifunction mechanism that allows you to adjust the back angle, tilt, the height of the arms, and so on. And, the chair has a nice contoured seat cushion that will ensure a comfortable experience throughout.

Best Conference Chair

Orren Ellis Renda Conference Chair

If you want an impressive-looking conference chair that still offers a comfortable sitting experience and won’t break the bank, then it may be worth considering this conference chair from Wayfair.

The Renda Mid-Back Ribbed Conference Chair boasts a nice stainless steel base, along with a range of color options for the padded seat. You’ll also get a few nice adjustments here, including a tilt mechanism and seat height adjustment — and all for under $110.

Best Office Chair For Less Than $100

Alondira Egonomic Mesh Task Chair

You can get a decent gaming chair for under $100 too. Wayfair offers a range of relatively inexpensive office chairs, like this Alondria Mesh Task Chair. The chair boasts a cool mesh back, classy design, and more — ensuring that it can compete with options two times the price.

The chair is built from premium materials, like the PU casters that will work great on hard floors and carpet alike. Even better is the fact that you’ll get a comfortable sitting experience, with lumbar support, and a padded seat that’s built to keep your hips and legs free of any sweat. The chair has a tilting mechanism too, so you can more easily achieve the perfect sitting position.

Of course, perhaps the best thing about this chair is its price. You can get the Alondria Mesh Task Chair for yourself for only around $90.

Best Ergonomic Office Chair

Humanscale Freedom Headrest Chair

If you’re truly concerned about things like back pain and keeping your body pain-free, then it’s worth considering the Human scale Freedom Headrest Chair, which is built at offering an extremely ergonomic design.

There are a number of things that make this chair more ergonomic than others. For starters, the chair has an automatic headrest built in, and it has a reclining action that allows you to maintain consistent eye level while you recline. The cushions are contoured to perfectly fit your body, and the chair has a responsive backrest that adapts to your back when you recline.

While ergonomic, the chair looks great too. It offers a modern, unique, and refreshing take on an office chair, in a world where many office chairs look alike. Not only that, but it’s also built from premium materials, and it offers a number of adjustments to make it even more comfortable than it already is.

The chair even comes in a range of colours. You could get the standard black one, or you could get the blue, red, graphite, navy, or sage model. Note that pricing may change depending on the colour you go for, but generally the chair comes at $1,065, which isn’t bad if you really want to take care of your posture and your body.

Best Designer Reproduction Office Chair

Laura Davidson Direct SOHO Soft Pad Management Chair

If you’re looking for a modern desk chair that will look great in any environment, it’s worth considering the SOHO Soft Pad Management Chair from Laura Davidson Furniture. Available in several colours, this chair offers that classic Eames style, along with an incredibly durable leatherette seating surface and a steel frame build. (There’s also the option to purchase a real leather version for slightly more.)

The chair isn’t just beautiful — it’s comfortable too. There are adjustments for height, seat tilt, and swivel, and the chair has back cushions that should be ergonomic enough for most.

Best Office Chair for Tall People

Steelcase Gesture Office Desk Chair

Being tall can sometimes be tough on things like the back and neck, especially if you’re stuck sitting inn a chair that’s meant for shorter bodies. That, however, is exactly where thee Steelcase Gesture Office Desk Chair comes in, offering a design that’s perfect for tall people.

The chair offers a number of adjustments that make it great for tall people, plus it has an adjustable headrest that should be high enough for more users. Even the arm rests are high-tech, with the ability to move like a human arm and offer support in a huge number of positions.

The chair is available in three heights, and if you’re really tall, you’ll probably want to go for the high height range. It’s also available in a variety of colors, so there should be something for everyone there. It can get a little expensive, coming inn at $1,308, but if you’re tall and can afford to pay, it’s well worth the money.

Best Gaming Chair for Office Use

Vertagear S-Line 2000

Perhaps you’re more in the market for a gaming chair that you can use in office environments. In that case, it’s worth checking out the Vertagear S-Line 2000, which offers a classic gaming design, is available in a range of colors, and is comfortable enough for the vast majority of use — gaming and productivity alike.

The chair is easy to assemble, and once you’ve assembled it you’ll find that it’s built from premium materials, including an ultra high-density resilience foam. The base is reinforced too, plus it features racing stylist casters for smooth gliding.

The Vertagear S-Line 2000 isn’t overly expensive either. Some gaming chairs can run into the $1,000+ price range, but this chair comes at around $330. Sure, it’s not necessarily cheap, but you do get high-quality materials and a classy design.

Best Affordable Gaming Chair for Office Use

OFM Essentials Gaming Chair

Perhaps you like the style that comes with gaming chair, but don’t want to spend the cash on the Vertagear chair. In that case, it may be worth considering the OFM Essentials Racing Style Gaming Chair. This chair boasts a classy design, comes in a range of colors, and is available for $120 or less.

The chair may be inexpensive, but it’s not badly built or low quality. You’ll get high-end materials, along with adjustments for things like height, tilt, arms, and swivel. In fact, if the arms seem to get in the way when you’re gaming, you can flip them out of the way completely — which makes for a versatile experience altogether. The chair is built for durability too, so it should last for years to come.

Best Drafting Chair

Flash Furniture Mid-Back drafting chair

Sometimes you need to be able to sit down a little higher than most office chairs can offer — in which case it’s worth considering a drafting chair. The Flash Furniture Mesh Ergonomic Drafting Chair offers many of the same benefits as other desk chairs on this list, including the cooling mesh back, the comfortable padded seat, and more. Plus, you can raise it to a much higher than you can other desk chairs.

The chair has some features that most office chairs don’t offer. For example, it has padded flip-up arms that allow you to be a little more mobile, which is perfect for jobs like graphic designers, architects, and so on. The chair is relatively inexpensive too, coming in at under $140 — which is much cheaper than the original price of $312.

Best Kneeling Office Chair

Dragonn Ergonomic Kneeling Chair

In some situations, a kneeling chair will be much better for you than a traditional office chair. That’s especially true if you have some back pain, or you need to retain a good posture. If that sounds like you, it may be worth considering the Dragonn Ergonomic Kneeling Chair.

There are plenty of things that make this particular kneeling chair a great option. For starters, the chair offers a heavy duty build, thanks to a strong metal base, and it has three inch cushions to ensure that your knees don’t get too uncomfortable. The chair is height-adjustable too, so it should work fine for people of any height.

Best Office Chair for Small Spaces

CJS Kiro Ergonomic Foldable Office Chair

If you need a decent office chair for a small space, then it’s worth considering this chair. The chair not only offers a mesh back and a comfortable fit, but the back can also fold in, which allows it to be easier to store. In fact, you might be able to store the chair under the desk, saving on space, and making your work environment cleaner when you’re not sitting at the desk.

The chair offers a range of other adjustments, and it comes in a few different colors too, so you can find something that will fit your needs. The company backs it too — you’ll get a 10-year warranty that covers part replacements, so it should last for years to come.

Best Affordable Executive Chair

Perlis Ergonomic Executive Chair

Last but not least is this ergonomic executive chair, which is a great option for those who want an executive-type chair on a budget. The chair is built from premium materials, including a nice faux-leather and a stainless steel base. There are also vinyl casters on the bottom of the chair, which will help protect your floor.

The chair has some adjustments to remain comfortable, including a swivel, lumbar support, tilt mechanism, and seat height adjustment. The chair isn’t overly expensive, coming in at $274 — while other executive chairs can often come in at closer to the $1000 range.

Source: forbes.com