You can adjust the tilt tension as well as how far the Sayl tilts back, but it takes a few turns of the tension knob before you really notice a change, and one of our size C testers found that the chair was too easy to lean all the way back. Its less bulky than the Gesture and easier to move around, and it doesnt collect lint as much. If the sculpted foam design appeals to you, the Freedom might be worth trying out for yourself if you can find it at a nearby retailer and if you feel comfortable shopping in person. One of the chairs we tested adjusted only 2 inches, from 18 to 20 inches, in contrast to others, which were twice as adjustable. This design encourages you to sit correctly and prevents backaches from extended sitting sessions. Wirecutter staffers who own the Gesture confirmed that the cushion, back padding, and armrests are as comfortable after five years of heavy use as they were on day one. Like the $1,000-plus chairs we recommend, this onedesigned and built in Canadaoffers tons of configuration options, comes with a 12-year warranty, and feels built to last. We found the Fullys seat cushion a tad too firm for all-day comfort, and the lumbar support adjustment was ineffective. IKEAs Hattefjll is a budget-friendly, $260 option that stands out from typical all-black inexpensive office chairs thanks to a gray, pink, or white cloth finish and a curvy design. Much as with differences in clothing or shoe sizes, getting or not getting the right size could be a big factor in how well the chair fits you. Although the Embody is comfortable, it has a starting price even higher than the Gestures, it lacks the Gestures arm adjustability, and Herman Miller doesnt provide the fabric variety that Steelcase offers. Keep in mind, however, that in long-term testing weve found that the Gestures and Aerons seat comfort is better. However, the chairs construction is plasticky; its armrests arent adjustable for height, width, or angle (although they can flip up completely); and with an 18.5-inch minimum seat height, the chair isnt suitable for people who are under about 5-foot-8. Its one of the most comfortable, supportive, and durable office chairs weve ever tested: Everything, from the back support to the quality fabric to the dependable adjustment knobs, has stood the test of time. It typically costs about the same as the HON Ignition 2.0 but is a bit more adjustable and has an aluminum base and a more Herman Millerinspired design. Wirecutter editor Tracy Vence owns this chair and has not reported hearing this sound, however, so it may not be present in all Ignition 2.0 units. Office chairs and task chairs are generally synonymous, though in practice it's usually the cheapest, smallest, least ergonomically sound office chairs that are sold as task chairs. If thats not possible, a generous return policy of at least 30 days will help you make that decision at home. Overall, we preferred the adjustability of the other chairs, as well as the other size options not available on the Cosm. To be clear, we dont recommend buying it: We think youd probably end up replacing it sooner than youd prefer (within its one-year warranty), because our panelists found it uncomfortable for long sitting sessions. But if you fall into the goldilocks zone of not being too tall or too short, the Markus could be a solid option. We liked the springy mesh seat back, and we think the Ignition 2.0s armrests, which consist of a soft plastic with light cushioning, will last a while. We think the Aeron is a better chair with a more comfortable seat and better tilt controls, though. The Herman Miller Sayl, specced for around the same price with more adjustments, was more popular with testers. You have to reach for the back of the chair to adjust the height of the arms on the Aeron. But this chair doesnt have the Gestures cleverly designed recline mechanism or the Aerons iconic looks, and ergoCentricfounded in 1990 and only recently breaking into the U.S. marketlacks either brands longstanding reputation. (As with executive-style office chairs, most gaming chairs upper back and headrest design pushes you forward if youre sitting upright; in the case of gaming chairs, this is because theyre meant for you to recline in as you smash buttons on a controller.) The IKEA Markus is a budget office chair that several Wirecutter staffers still own and like. Weve included some size notes in this guide to help you with this important choice. The chair we tested includes a wide range of ergonomic adjustments, and even has some unusual features like armrests that can spin 360 degrees, an inflatable lumbar support cushion, and a built-in adjustable headrest. This chair is made of softer plastics and less metal than the Aeron, but it will still hold up over time. For some people, the Aerons forced ergonomics are nice, but others might find the chair to be too prescriptive. (Thats assuming you sit in a chair for at least 35 hours a week, which you really shouldnt do.) But unfortunately, office chairs that cost less than our budget pick (about $300 as of this writing) are more or less the same: None of them compete with our picks when it comes to all-day comfort, ergonomics, durability, customization, and warranty. Many cheap office chairs make you feel like youve been crammed into a torturous economy seat on a cross-country flight, but quality office chairs upgrade you to first classtheyre designed to support your body comfortably for the long haul. Since comfort is a personal thing, getting a good chair is often about finding the chair that fits you personally. While a good gaming chair will offer lumbar support, for instance, its backrest is designed to cradle you as you play, rather than support an ideal seating position. Tip: If youre shopping for a new chair and dont know how high your seat should be, look at the manufacturers specifications for the floor-to-seat measurement, if available, and look for those chairs with the greatest height adjustability. The cost is close enough to that of the Gesture, however, that most people considering the Think will likely prefer to move up to the Gesture instead. Alternatively, you can mount a keyboard tray under your desk to lower the keyboard. We replaced it with the Ignition 2.0 because that model offers a more comfortable seat, better lumbar support, a higher weight capacity, and a less boxy design for about the same retail price. You can move the seat depth in and out, change the seat height, and telescope the arms up and down as well as away from or toward your torso. Two of the newest chairs we tested came from Steelcase and Herman Miller. Same solutions, different problem: If you find that the cushioning in your cheap office chair wears out quickly or isnt dense enough to begin with, you can use a lumbar support pillow to augment the backrest padding or a seat cushion to coddle your tuchus. And the seat cushion is covered with a thick woven fabric, although its obviously less premium (with a looser weave) than that of the Gesture. You can customize the Gesture so that its comfortable to sit in no matter what youre doing. *At the time of publishing, the price was $545. In a recent research pass, we dismissed the Staples Hyken Mesh Task Chair and the Office Star ProGrid Mesh Managers Chair for a lack of seat-depth adjustability; we also eliminated the Staples Kroy Mesh/Fabric Task Chair and the Tribesigns T18 Ergonomic Office Chair over concerns about a limited seat height range (3 inches) or a too-high minimum seat height (over 18 inches). A Herman Miller rep told us that most people dont need or use the tilt limiter or forward lean, and we found those functions unnecessary in our testing, as well. Starting at less than $600, the Herman Miller Sayl represents a good compromise between a cheap budget chair and a high-end chair. The back pushes you forward more than natural, the headrest is uncomfortable, and the adjustments are difficult to control. Your home-office chair is likely getting more use than ever before. This is a chair that will last, too: Steelcases 12-year warranty (PDF) covers everything that typically goes wrong with chairs, including any problems in the pneumatic cylinders that enable the height adjustment, and the Gesture has proven sturdy in our testing over years of heavy use. Because it has been around so long, we know that the Aeron is durable enough to last a decade or moreand you can probably find a lightly used example at a steep discount at an office-furniture liquidation store. In fact, the majority of the chairs we tested werent bad at all; frequently they just didnt fit a wide enough spectrum of our testers. Speaking of money, the tCentric Hybrid is generally less expensive than a comparably equipped Steelcase Gesture or Herman Miller Aeron. Rather than spending $50 to $100 every year or two, youre better off saving up to buy a well-made chair that will last. The mesh seat and back make the Aeron a better option than foam upholstered chairs in warm climates or for anyone who runs hot. If your chair is too high and you cant lower it (meaning you can keep your arms and wrists at the right position but cant keep your feet flat on the floor), you can get a footrest to support your feet. Depending on the seat fabric you choose, the cost adds up to about $670, or nearly half the price of a fully loaded Gesture or an Aeron. Although the Gesture is a comfortable and well-built chair, its not the ergonomic revolution that Steelcases marketing materials suggestfancy armrests aside, almost any other ergonomic task chair in the $1,000 range will give you similar features and back support. This chair is comfortable across multiple tasksits built for more than just typing at your computer, unlike more basic chairs that are designed to hold you in one upright position. It comes in three sizes, so we recommend checking the fit guide (PDF) before ordering. But that also makes it super sturdy. (Ergonomic experts recommend reclining about 110 degrees to relieve pressure on your spine, rather than sitting straight up or forward.) (Its such a distinctive look that it was even used in The Hunger Games.) Compared with the back on the Aeron, which has a tight weave that feels like a trampoline for your posterior, the Ignition 2.0s mesh back feels more like a camping chair you sink back into. Problem: lack of height adjustabilitySolution: footrest or seat cushion. Many people are happy to briefly work on a dining-room chair or a sofa. It usually costs about $300 (but has been on sale for much less), its comfortable, and it offers the best lumbar support of any chair weve tested under $500. The Gesture has an impressive range of adjustability, and its easy to maneuver and get into just the right configuration for your task and body type. The backs on most other chairs tilt when you recline, but the Gestures back is designed to flex as well, since your spine has a different shape when youre reclining compared with when youre sitting up straight. The foam and fabric dont breathe well, and you may find yourself with a sweaty back on hot days. That said, the Ignition 2.0s durability seems like it will be a little better than that of most chairs in this price range. The Markus is still well-loved across the internet, so if youre looking for an inexpensive chair its worth testing out at IKEA if you have the chance, but your mileage will vary depending on your height. As Rani Lueder explained it to us, [When] leaning back, not only are you intermittently relieving the loads on your spine [but also] in the process, opening up your thigh-torso angle. A footrest easily solves that problem, albeit at an added cost. (For reference, a chair that lowered to only 18 inches from the ground was too tall for me, and Im 5-foot-2. We found it comfortable for all-day use, with supportive, adjustable lumbar support; make sure the product description says adjustable lumbar so youre getting the model with that option. Our journalists combine independent research with (occasionally) over-the-top testing to save people time, energy and money when making buying decisions. You might not realize it, but reclining in your chair is beneficial. The Ignition 2.0 comes with a limited lifetime warranty that covers defective materials or workmanship but doesnt cover minor parts wearing out (as the Steelcase and Herman Miller warranties do). Shes thrilled when those topics intersectand when she gets to write about them in her PJs. The Aeron comes with a 12-year warranty, the same length as the Gestures coverage, and because of the chairs popularity, you can often find older or lightly used Aerons at a substantial discount. Some testers had difficulty getting comfortable in the ReGeneration, and they complained about the back of the chair pushing awkwardly on their lower spine. We look for office chairs with at least a five-year warranty (though longer is better) that cover just about anything that breaks. You dont have to break the seat in, and at the end of a long day, the seat still feels supportive, unlike too-soft seats that youd sink into over time. The frame is built mostly of hard, matte plastic. A good backrest should support you regardless of the angle you sit at. The arms dont go down as far as those on the Gesture, Aeron, or Sayl, but many other budget chairs dont provide any armrest adjustments at all, which some of our testers noted as a dealbreaker after sitting in 10 different chairs. It has a very firm seat. Upon request, the company provided us with a free kit that allows users to screw the lumbar support in place, but this seems like a less-than-ideal solution for a nearly thousand-dollar chair. Humanscales Freedom offers plenty of finishes and is a compact chair. For this round of testing, we asked nine people to test 10 chairs for at least one straight 90-minute sessionas recommended by Cornell Universitys Ergonomic Departmentif not a full day of work. We recommend the Sayl with height-adjustable arms, a fixed seat depth, and no additional lumbar support. At under $60 at the time of our review, the AmazonBasics Mid-Back Mesh Office Chair was the least expensive chair we tested. If you find the Sayl to be overdesigned but think the Gesture is too boring, the Fern is a nice in-between choice. Its hard to get all-day comfort in this price range, but the Ignition 2.0 is an exception. When you buy through our links, we may earn a commission. (In normal-speak, size A is small, B is medium, and C is large.) One size C tester found that the Silq pushed them forward in an uncomfortable way and that the armrests dug into them. The Herman Miller Aeron is a surprisingly comfortable chair considering its all-mesh, no-padding design. Weve researched dozens of office chairs, interviewed four ergonomics experts, and asked test panelists with a variety of body types to sit in deliberation for over 175 collective hours. Sitting for hours on end in a chair without proper support can result in lower back, neck, and/or hip pain, which can impede your ability to work. But while we liked this chairs solid lumbar support, its armrests (which lock into place for height and width adjustability) are more wobbly than those on other chairs in the sub-$500 price category. This guide is for those who work full-time from their office chair. Some chairs lumbar support feels nonexistent, while other chairs have curves that are so pronounced, they might push you uncomfortably forward. Some people liked them, but we found in general that being able to manually fine-tune the Gesture led to greater comfort and fit for most of our testers. Not everyone has $500let alone $1,000to spend on a chair. If you have a full-time desk job, 14,000 hours is the minimum amount of time youll spend sitting over the next 10 years. Weve tested the ergoCentric tCentric Hybrid chair and added it to Other good office chairs. And the Aerons arms go only up and down and their pads angle in and out, whereas the whole armrest on the Gesture can move diagonally in and out, as well as forward and backward, to give you more room when you want it. What sets the Gesture apart is that it excels for people who want to recline with little effort, switch tasks throughout the day, or easily make adjustments to fine-tune the fit. If youre looking for something more affordable, the HON Ignition 2.0 makes the fewest sacrifices of any inexpensive office chair we tested and is an upgrade to our previous budget pick, the HON Exposure. For some people, the chairs chief appeal is its design. Whether it's finding great products or discovering helpful advice, we'll help you get it right (the first time). If you find that your cheap chairs lumbar support is inadequate, a $20 to $30 lumbar support pillow can help you maintain better posture and make sitting back more comfortable. That problem, coupled with an extremely firm seat and an inability to recline more than about 15 degrees, led us to conclude that youre better off saving up for a more comfortable chair. And if your chair is too low for you to use your keyboard properly, a seat cushion can raise you to the proper height. After sitting in various other office chairs during testing, going back to the Gesture was, as one panelist put it, like going to the spa. Our panelists scored the Gesture highest across all of our criteria, and its made of high-quality materials that should outlast its generous 12-year warranty. Because its a big plastic piece, you can easily feel the lumbar support through the mesh back; it takes away from some of the seat backs springiness, but thats the case with all chairs of this design, and we think the trade-off for more ergonomic seating is worth making. You can pick between several colors for the back suspension, several base colors, and a number of different-colored seat fabrics. For our last major round of testing in 2019, we used the following criteria to whittle down a field of 50 contenders to a final list of 10 to test: Based on our conversations with ergonomists, we avoided two types of chairs entirely: Because chair comfort is such a personal thing, in our 2019 round of tests we asked staffers of various body types, from a 5-foot-2 writer to a 6-foot-2 editor, to test each chair at our New York office. Others found the recline, which shoves your crotch into the air as you push back, a little awkward. If you have a home office, finding a chair that makes your desk time more comfortable and better for your health is a worthwhile endeavor. This chair might do in the short term, but youll have to plan on replacing it soon if you want to invest in a chair for the long term. The Haworth Fern was a favorite of a couple of our testers, but others couldnt get comfortable in it no matter how hard they tried. Before each round of testing, we scour manufacturer sites for new models, comb through older versions of this guide to reevaluate our picks and previous dismissals, and consult ergonomics experts for advice on what to look for in an office chair that would best support your body for short or long periods of sitting. Some panelists loved the alien/space-age look of the chair while others hated it; we referred to it as the Tron chair during testing. We had a small, odd issue with the two Ignition 2.0 chairs we tested: When we got out of the chair after sitting in it a while, the seat made a whooshing sound, kind of as if we were getting up from a plastic-covered seat on a humid day. HON offers different task chairs in the Ignition series: the mesh-back Ignition 2.0, which we tested; the Ignition, which is a fully upholstered chair that costs about $100 more; and a Big and Tall Ignition, which supports up to 450 pounds but usually costs more than double the Ignition 2.0. Great office chairs arent cheap, and not everyone can afford ergonomic perfection. A quick search for office chairs on Google will turn up hundreds of chairs, many of which cost under $100 and can be found at sites like Wayfair and Amazon or in-person at big-box stores and office retailers like Target and Staples. This is one of the most adjustable chairs availableanyone can make the Gesture comfortable, regardless of their height or sizeand its built to last. While most of those chairs may seem fine at first, you'll soon be feeling (and hearing) the consequences of choosing a cheap chair: creaking sounds, deflated foam cushions, and cracking armrests and other plastic parts. The Steelcase Silq boasts an adjust-to-your-body engineering design similar to that of the Herman Miller Cosm, but we found the chair to be less comfortable for sitting for long periods of time than other, comparable chairs. Problem: poor paddingSolution: lumbar support pillow and seat cushion. We tried the Cosms new Leaf armrest design, which is more like an elbow cradle than an armrest; we found it comfortable for relaxing our arms at the chair but not for supporting them when we were typing or reading a book. If you cant afford a new Aeron or simply dont want to spend $1,000 on a chair, going old stock or used is an excellent route. Herman Millers Embody is a strange-looking chair, but when it comes to comfort, its one of the most adjustable, high-tech chairs available. Here are our most helpful tips on what you can do to keep it clean. The Herman Miller Cosm (available in low-, mid-, and high-back versions) is a chair built with the idea that it shifts and moves with you. The HON Exposure was our previous budget pick. Many of these parts are easy to replace yourself; unlike the Gesture, which hides its moving parts, the Aeron wears its skeleton proudly. If youre the right size, though, its a good chair at a good price. The Ignition 2.0 looks less boxy than competing budget-priced chairs and is available with a gray or black mesh back. That said, higher-end chairs like our top pick and runner-up are made with highly durable parts and fabrics that should last for many years. If you run hot, work in an office without air conditioning, or live in a warm part of the world, the Gesture may not be the best chair for you. Plus, if the Gesture and Aeron are too boring-looking for you, the Sayl has a distinctive design that draws you in (or repels you) the second you see it. Even though its half the price, it has the same warranty and history of durability as every other Herman Miller chair. The Aeron comes with a 12-year warranty that covers all repairs and parts. Expensive chairs can also be bought secondhand (often in like-new condition) at significant discounts, making them more accessible to more people. The HON Ignition 2.0 is the best budget option weve tested. Priced between the Sayl and the Gesture, its a good option for anyone who is not willing to spend up to a grand on a chair but who still wants something normal looking and comfortable. The chairs other main strength lies in the adjustability it gives you in various areas to help you get the right fit. If you spend most of your working hours sitting at your desk, the answer is yes. The coronavirus has turned life upside down. Two people who tested the chair found that the dual-mode massage function also didnt work very well, with weak pressure even at the highest setting. Chairs that arent height-adjustable, or arent adjustable enough for your particular height, throw the whole ergonomics balance out of whack. Whether youre looking to buy used or new, consider visiting an office-furniture refurbishment store (as safely as possible), or even an architectural-salvage store like Habitat for Humanitys ReStore, to try a few chairs otherwise not available in stores. But the Aerons armrests arent as adjustable as the Gestures, so its not as versatile for different tasks that require arm support, such as propping up a tablet to read. You can save hundreds of dollars on a high-end office chair if you know where to look and what to look for. The effect is subtle enough that youll probably learn to ignore it after a while, but it could be grating for some. Glance at the chair, and you can see the exact bolts you need to remove to replace a piece. The rubber mesh back moves and stretches with you as you shift into it, and as the day goes on, it provides plenty of support for the S-shaped curve of your spine. The Autonomous ErgoChair 2 combines a mesh back and a foam seat for a decent (about $360) price. *At the time of publishing, the price was $1,033. You can purchase an optional adjustable lumbar-support control that slides up and down on the back, but most of our testers found this piece unnecessary since the Sayl naturally forces you upright. If you dont spend that much time sitting in front of a computer, you dont need the type of ergonomic, adjustability-focused office chair like the ones we recommend here. The breathability of the mesh means most people wont overheat or find a gross sweat stain on their back on hot days. We didnt love the lateral armrest adjustment, which doesnt have a lock and thus tended to slip under our hands when standing up out of the chair, but you can opt for armrests that only swivel and lift (and save some money in the process). Weighing over 70 pounds, the chair is bulky, an annoyance if you want to move it around your home office. Used as the standard chairs in Wirecutters Los Angeles office since 2018, the Sayls weve tried over time have generally maintained their smooth adjustments and looks, although the arm movements can be clunky on occasion. The Ignition 2.0s optional adjustable lumbar support actually works and is noticeable: When our testers moved the back support up or down, it stayed in place and provided extra support where they placed it. You can wipe down the mesh easily, and if you have pets that shed a lot, a mesh chair like the Aeron doesnt attract as much hair as fabric cushions do. We also surveyed staff members who have owned or used any of our current or previous picks for their long-term testing notes. On the plus side, the Freedoms arms can lower to seat height, which makes it easy for you to get in and out of the chair and to fit it under any desk. Also, its build isnt as sturdy as that of our more expensive picks, and we dont think itll last nearly as long. The Sayl has the same 12-year warranty as the Aeron and comes from a company that has a history of making reliable, durable chairs. Melanie Pinola previously covered all things home office as a senior staff writer at Wirecutter. The armrests also cant be locked into position, so they often swivel out of position when you stand or sit. It has the basic adjustability most people need, and its comfortable, too, with a firm foam seat and a breathable plastic mesh back. *At the time of publishing, the price was $303. Weve found that these chairs tend to lack adjustability, which can be a dealbreaker for many people. We found the foam seat too firm, however, and we had concerns that the seat designits Velcroed to the basemay mean its likely to collect dust, lint, and other detritus akin to what youd find under a sofa cushion. Do so on a Gesture, and you might totally forget your legs are crossed until you stand up. At 5-foot-2, I found it impossible to keep my feet flat on the floor while sitting in the chair at its lowest height, as did 5-foot-4 Wirecutter editor Tracy Vence. Since everyone is different, we found chairs that fit a range of body types, but you should always try a chair out before purchasing.
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