13 Best Office Chairs (2023): Budget, Luxe, Cushions, Casters, and Mats

May 27, 2023

Julian Chokkattu Gear Team

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You've probably given more thought to the mattress you sleep on than the chair you sit on. That's fine! Sleep is extremely important. But if you spend several hours—more than eight, if you’re like me—at your desk, it's a good idea to give the humble chair more attention. Finding the best office chair is not just about finding a comfortable seat. The right materials can whisk away body heat, and adjustability options can tailor the chair to your body. We’ve spent the past two years sitting on more than 40 office chairs, and these are our favorites.

Be sure to check out our other buying guides, including the Best Laptop Stands, Best Work-From-Home Gear, Best Mattresses, and the Best Window Air Conditioners.

Updated March 2023: We’ve added the Hon Ignition 2.0 Big and Tall.

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Simon Hill, Louryn Strampe, and Michael Calore contributed to this guide.

A good chair often means one that offers a variety of adjustments. Branch's Ergonomic Chair fits this criterion. It's surprisingly easy to assemble in minutes (the instructions are great), and there are tons of little tweaks you can make to dial it the fit. You can push the armrest back and forward, up and down; the seat can extend out or be pushed all the way in; you can lock the recline. There's even adjustable lumbar support. The chair does all this while managing to look sleek, without an outlandish price. (There's no headrest, but you can pay to add one.)

It doesn't keep my back as upright as I'd like, but the double-woven nylon mesh backrest feels nice to lean against. The seat is made of high-density foam—it's firm yet comfy—and it doesn't trap heat as much as other foam seats I've tried. It's a great chair for a variety of body sizes; my 6'4" self enjoyed sitting on it, as did my 5'1" partner. Fair warning though: Pet hair tends to cling to the upholstery, and I've noticed the fabric on the front end of the seat tends to pill quite quickly.

The humble Hyken is frequently available for just $170 during big sale events, making it one of the most affordable good options out there. It reclines, has a breathable mesh fabric on the back and seat, and it's sturdy. You even get a headrest and lumbar support. After three years of continuous sitting, WIRED reviewers say the Hyken's mesh has compressed a bit, but it's still comfy. However, it may not be the best option if you need a wider seat.

★ Another alternative: If you need a wider seat, then the Giantex Executive Chair ($220) is a fine option. It has a strange setup process I haven't seen before where you slide the backrest into grooves on the seat base. This backrest doesn't go all the way down into said grooves, apparently by design. This is odd, but it didn't cause any issues. The foam padding on the seat and backrest is plush and cushiony, you can make decent adjustments, and you can raise or lower the lumbar support. The reclining mechanism is a bit stiff. Just know that this chair seems to be a clone of the Clatina Mellet, which I haven't tried, and there's another dupe from Giantex's sister company, Costway, for the same price.

Take everything about the Branch Ergonomic Chair and upgrade it a notch—that's the Branch Verve. It looks more elegant (especially in the lovely Coral color), it keeps my back straighter, it's quite comfy, and it can make nearly the same adjustments with a higher level of polish. Nearly.

The armrests only go up and down, and they're just about the only fault I have with this chair. (I also wouldn't have minded if they were a smidge wider.) This wasn't a huge issue for me, but if you're picky about armrests, Branch says it will have some add-ons available over the next six months, including 3D-adjustable armrests and a headrest, so you can upgrade the chair later if you think it needs those fixtures. (I am fine without a headrest.) Branch's Ergonomic Chair is excellent for most people, but the Verve is the more refined seat if your budget can stretch.

If your budget can stretch a little over $500, I think it's worth shelling out for the Branch Verve above. However, if you must have a headrest and you often find yourself wishing for a wider seat, then take a look at the Autonomous ErgoChair Pro. My butt's been in it for a month, and I've had no major problems, except that the box it came in was massive and barely fit through my front door. The levers under the chair also aren't super intuitive—I highly recommend checking out this video from the company when you first set it up to dial in your preferences.

Speaking of, this chair sure lets you adjust as much as possible. All the standard adjustments are present, from seat depth and lumbar support to fine-tuning the recline. What surprised me more was the ability to tilt the seat so it's angled down—you don't see that in many chairs. The overall build quality has been pretty excellent, and I'm even enjoying the headrest when I'm kicking back and watching House during lunch. The only woes? I wish there was a locking mechanism for the arms, as they tend to slide back and forth. And while the foam seat is quite comfy, it can get warm if you're in a toasty room (thought the mesh back helps keep things cool).

Lauren Goode

WIRED Staff

Julian Chokkattu

Brenda Stolyar

Steelcase's Gesture is comfortable, no matter how you're sitting. Tuck one leg under the other, cross your legs at the knee, or sling one over the armrest, and you'll be fairly well-supported. The adjustments also have a wide range, so you can precisely tailor the whole package to your body and posture. Unfortunately, it isn't as breathable as other cheaper chairs, and the upholstered fabric hasn't held up as well as other pricey chairs like the Herman Miller Embody (see below). That said, there are several different fabrics you can choose from, and Steelcase also has one of the best warranties around (12 years).

We initially had this chair as an alternative to the Embody, but the Herman Miller chair has exploded in price since we tested it. The Gesture costs much less but comes close in quality.

No one wants a swampy butt. There, I said it. Thick foam seats often trap your body heat, especially during the hotter months of the year. That's why I like the X-Chair. It not only has a mesh backrest, but the seat is mesh, too, allowing for excellent airflow. Sitting in it feels like lounging in a hammock. Who doesn't want that? 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 two years of near-continuous sitting.

X-Chair has a number of models to choose from. I tested the X-2 K-Sport with the wide seat, and it fit 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. The only things I dislike? X-Chair offers up various cooling, heating, and massage attachments, but I didn't find them all that helpful. The chair is expensive, yet is apparently (and annoyingly) always on "sale."

★ A cheaper alternative: The Nouhaus Ergo3D Ergonomic Office Chair ($370) is another all-mesh chair. It seriously looks similar, but the ElastoMesh seat isn't as comfy as the X-Chair's mesh (it'll feel worse on the skin if you, uh, tend to sit at your desk without pants). It's otherwise quite adjustable, roomy, and even comes with two sets of wheels (casters or rollerblades) so you can choose which works best for you and your flooring. If you're in a particularly hot environment, it won't trap heat and will keep your whole body cool for a fraction of the price.

You might be wondering why a "chair" for easing back pain is a stool with no backrest. Well, that's because the QOR360 targets the sitz bones in your pelvis to ensure you're sitting upright. The base of the stool rocks around slightly so your body will continually shift a little throughout the day, but most importantly, it made me want to get up and move. That might sound like a bad thing, but movement is one of the best ways to counter the woes of sitting in a chair all day.

If you want to transition from a chair to one of these, you should definitely ease into it and follow the company's instructions. I started by using it for 30 minutes a day because sitting on it for any longer just left me really sore. After a week of gradually increasing the length of time, my back pain started to disappear, and I felt my posture improve whenever I was away from my desk.

Lauren Goode

WIRED Staff

Julian Chokkattu

Brenda Stolyar

I was prepared to hate the Zeph. Don't get me wrong, it looks wonderful—there are dozens of color customizations, and it looks nothing like many of the chairs in this guide. But you can only raise the seat up or down. That's it. You'll find nothing else to adjust here. Turns out, that's OK! This lack of adjustability is by design as the Zeph is shaped to mold to your body. I sat on this plastic one-piece seat for a month and didn't experience any of the back pain I sometimes feel from switching to a new chair. It feels supportive for my 6'4" frame (my 5'1" partner likes it too), and it even makes a decent recliner. I strongly suggest you get the seat pad and arms, which add a smidge more comfort, though this will jack the price up to $645.

The seat pad is made of 50 percent recycled polyester yarn and generates zero fabric waste. (It's also easy to remove and clean.) The padding is thin, and while I wouldn't say it's supremely comfortable, I've had no qualms. The Zeph is compact, making it a great option for smaller spaces. I still think most people will prefer having the option to adjust a chair to their liking, but if you don't want to fuss with knobs and levers, this is the chair for you. Oh, and I should mention the excellent 12-year warranty.

Maybe you work in a nook. Maybe you work in a hallway. Maybe you share home office space with one or two others. If space is at a premium in your WFH arrangement, you don't have room for a big, luxurious chair. So get this small, luxurious chair instead. Measuring 20 inches wide and 21 inches deep, the Path is one of our most compact picks (even more than the Zeph). Its minimal design features tiny arms that don't jut out. Even better, the fully configurable chair can be ordered with no arms at all, which makes it more manageable in tight spaces and also lowers the price.

Humanscale is one of the more forward-thinking office furniture companies when it comes to sustainable design. Each Path chair contains almost 22 pounds of recycled materials—mostly plastic bottles and ocean plastics—and the many textile options include an Eco Knit material made of 100 percent post-consumer recycled polyester. The recycled fabric is comfy, cool, and easy to get clean. The chair arrives in a minimal cardboard box with the three chair pieces (legs, seat, and back) wrapped in compostable bags. Like Humanscale's Freedom Headrest (see below), this Path task chair earns high marks for its minimal ecological impact. It's also just a comfortable chair, with Humanscale's ergonomic reclining mechanism on the back and a smoothly supportive cylinder beneath the seat.

It might take you a week or two (maybe even a month) to get used to the Herman Miller Embody, but it's well worth your patience. Its upright positioning supported my back and eased lingering back pain from years of sitting in a cheap gaming chair. The seat feels rigid at first but eventually becomes surprisingly pillowy, and the armrests stay firmly in place. It does a great job of whisking heat away from my body, though not as well as all-mesh chairs. It's one of the most adjustable chairs around: You can pull out the seat, change the height and angle of the armrests, and tweak the Backfit adjustment to follow your spine's natural curve.

Did I mention it's pretty? I'd argue this is one of the most eye-catching chairs around, especially with the rib-like design on the back. Not to mention the surprisingly small footprint. I know, I know, it's incredibly spendy—in fact, I bought it for roughly $1,465 back in 2020 and the price has skyrocketed since. But what's amazing is that after more than two years in this chair, it feels just as good as new with barely any squeaks. Herman Miller offers a 12-year warranty that covers every part of the Embody, and the chair arrives completely assembled. Pick one of the Medley upholstery choices with the graphite base finish to see the lowest price.

Lauren Goode

WIRED Staff

Julian Chokkattu

Brenda Stolyar

When I leaned back in the Humanscale Freedom Headrest—which we wrote about more than 20 years ago—I felt bliss. Designed by the famed Niels Diffrient, this chair gracefully supports my back like a mother gently laying a baby in a crib. If you tend to recline, this is the chair for you. By design, there aren't as many adjustments you can make compared to other high-end chairs; the idea is that the chair will adapt to your own body. For example, there's no way to lock the chair so it won't recline, but it never reclined when I didn't want it to. You can adjust the lumbar support, seat height, armrest height, and seat depth—I often had to readjust the headrest, as it tends to slide down—but otherwise, this chair pretty much lets you set it and forget it. It even comes fully assembled. There's a 15-year warranty to boot. The armrests are just about the only part I don't like as much—it's easy to adjust them accidentally when you shift in the seat.

If you don't care for the headrest, there's a version without it. And sustainability-wise, this is a net positive product, meaning the company does more good than bad by making one of these chairs. For instance, Humanscale has rainwater capture systems in its manufacturing sites and uses this for all final assembly. The product's environmental rating is certified by the International Living Future Institute, a nonprofit organization.

There's a reason the classic Aeron is the chair of choice in many offices: It's durable, supportive, and airy. It comes in three sizes—A, B, and C, with C being the largest—and you're able to adjust pretty much everything on the chair to suit your body. That includes the arms, seat depth, and lumbar support. That said, we don't recommend splurging on a brand-new Aeron. There's a very good chance you can find one for significantly less than full price at a local furniture reseller, on eBay, or on Facebook Marketplace. Or you can luck out like WIRED senior editor Michael Calore, who walked away with a free Aeron after a startup in his town closed up shop.

Read our guide on buying used gear on eBay to make sure you don't overpay.

I don't recommend most gaming chairs—that's coming from someone that 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. But if you absolutely must have the gaming chair vibe, then the Secretlab Titan Evo is classy enough for the home office.

It sets itself apart from similarly priced competitors with its durability and flexibility. It's comfortable for marathon gaming sessions, thanks to the adjustability it offers (particularly the lumbar support). The headrest pillow is magnetic and stays attached to the chair, which is a nice touch. But the firm cold cure foam molds to your body and may not suit everyone. This material also doesn't deal well with heat—it can cause your lower back to heat up.

Lauren Goode

WIRED Staff

Julian Chokkattu

Brenda Stolyar

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.

Knoll Newson Task Chair for $1,350: 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 hasn't given me trouble in the nearly two months I've 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.

Fully Alani Chair for $379: The Alani, from the maker of our favorite standing desk, comes in a few color combos that blend neatly into any home office. There's a nice contoured cushion on the base and a mesh back to keep you cool, plus lumbar support for good posture. You can adjust the height, seat depth, armrests, and recline tension, and you can lock the recline. WIRED reviewer Simon Hill found it comfy for long days of up to 16 hours, and it worked for both his 6'1" self and 5-foot-tall daughter. It's a solid alternative to the Branch Ergonomic Chair (our top pick) and frequently dips to around $303 during sale events.

Ikea Markus Chair for $289: 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 $1,900: Functionally, the X-Tech is similar to the X-Chair pick 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 $778: If it looks strangely similar to the X-Chair (see above), that's because both are owned by the same company. I 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 a sweaty session of League of Legends, and the lumbar support makes me feel like I'm in good hands. If you're short, contact customer support while ordering—Mavix offers shorter cylinders so your feet touch the ground.

Herman Miller Vantum Gaming Chair for $795: Initially, I really liked this chair. I liked how I could keep myself in a super upright position, which made me feel more engaged in what I was doing. The mesh backrest also disperses heat quite well. However, the overall build quality feels cheap and doesn't scream Herman Miller (nor does the asking price, which has since dropped by $200). The headrest isn't great either—I’ve nearly broken it trying to move it up and down. As I kept sitting, it was the back support that disappointed me the most. You can feel the lumbar support on your lower back, and not in a good way, almost like it's digging in. At least it didn't give me back pain.

Hon Ignition 2.0 Office Chair for $399: 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 gave the seat over to a friend who is around 5' 4", 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 $659: 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 $349: 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.

If you can't upgrade your chair just yet, a cushion or backrest might help. Here are a few we like:

CushionLab Seat Cushion for $69: This memory foam seat is very comfortable, and I had no problems sitting on it for hours on end. It's best paired with an adjustable chair, as it adds a decent amount of height to your seat, which might make typing on a keyboard awkward. It does a great job of keeping out bad odors, and you can also wash the cover. Just know that it's almost never sold for its full price of $85, which means it isn't really on "sale."

LoveHome Memory Foam Lumbar Support for $30: If you slouch in your seat, this comfortable memory foam pillow can help. It keeps your back straight and supported, and as it's very affordable, it's a great option to try before shelling out hundreds for a new chair. It's good to use in a car or a wheelchair, too. The cover is washable, and it has two adjustable straps (plus an extension strap) that go around your seat to keep it in the position you need.

The wheels on the bottom of your chair are among the easiest parts to replace. If your current casters don't roll smoothly or are too loud, it might be worth replacing them instead of buying a whole new chair. I like these from Stealtho, a Ukrainian company. They'll work with nearly every office chair, though the company notes they don't work with Ikea chairs. The soft polyurethane material means these won't scratch or chip hardwood floors, as some plastic casters do, plus it'll feel like you're silently gliding as you roll from your desk to the fridge (don't judge).

Fair warning: Since these are more frictionless than normal casters, they can cause your chair to roll around sometimes, like when you stand up and walk away. Stealtho has locking casters if you're worried about your chair rolling, and they don't cost much more.

Lauren Goode

WIRED Staff

Julian Chokkattu

Brenda Stolyar

Do you need a mat for your chair? Most likely not. However, casters can scuff up floors, which is why we recommend upgrading them to rollerblade wheels (see above). If you're on a carpet, it can also be hard to move around on the chair. A mat can help with both of these issues. I've been sitting on top of this glass one from Vitrazza for nearly a year and have been pleasantly surprised. (You can totally go for much cheaper mats made from other materials too.) The safety glass is thick and has zero scratches even after more than two months of wear, it holds 1,000 pounds, and it doesn't touch my hardwood floor, as you need to affix rubber bumpers to keep them apart. You can choose from a variety of sizes, and Vitrazza sells various shapes too.

If you come across these chairs, we recommend you save your cash and go for one of the picks above.

Vilno Nobel Kneeling Chair for $250: This is one of the more exciting chairs I tested recently, because it's a freakin' kneeling chair. It was easy to put all the wood pieces together, and the seat cushion is surprisingly plump. It's an active chair, meant to keep your body moving and to also help keep your posture straight. It feels effective for the first few hours, but unfortunately, rocking in the chair tends to cause it to move around on the floor, so I frequently had to fix my position. Worse yet, my shins and knees grew fatigued, and I started feeling some pain after a few days. (It might be better to frequently swap between this and a traditional office chair.) You can't adjust its height, so it needs to be paired with a standing desk so that your palms don't rest on your desk. I don't think it's as effective as the Ariel we've listed up top.

Steelcase Series 1 Office Chair for $484: I wanted to like the Series 1, especially after having such a good experience with the Gesture. My biggest issue is with the armrest—the tops slide back and forth and side to side, which could be a good thing, except I managed to pinch my arm every time I moved. There's no way to lock them in place, so while my trunk felt supported, my arms weren't. The seat is also pretty curved, which can feel like you're trapped in one position as you work throughout the day.

FlexiSpot Sit2Go 2-in-1 Fitness Chair for $300: This seems like a good idea since it lets you get some exercise while sitting at a desk. I felt virtuous pedaling away while checking my email. The problem is it's just not very comfortable. (I could not sit on it all day.) It also just feels like a cheap low-resistance exercise bike, so you’re getting the worst of both worlds. You also need a standing desk to accommodate it.

Poppin Task Chair for $460: This is as simple as office chairs come. There aren't many parts of it you can adjust, but the back does an OK job of aligning with the spine. The upholstered seat is fine in terms of comfort, and the mesh material on the backrest makes it breathable. Unfortunately, the casters don't roll smoothly and are pretty loud. It's also puzzling why the Poppin costs as much as it does when you get so much more with our cheaper top pick.

Flexispot Soutien for $270: The thick foam padding is very poor at managing heat, so you will feel sweaty in this chair over time. The mesh backrest helps a bit, and it's reasonably plushy and comfortable. It feels unnecessarily large, though, and the lumbar support slides around too easily when you move.

Teknion Around Chair for $824: I'm still struggling to see why this chair costs as much as it does. It feels incredibly similar to the Poppin Task Chair above, but the casters on the Teknion are even worse. They're annoyingly loud and feel cheap. Also the box it came in was massive and didn't fit in my doorway.

It's not just about finding a chair you like. We've rounded up several tips on how to set up your desk properly here, but here are a few highlights.

Sitting for too long in a day is not good for your health—no matter what chair you use. It increases the risk of type 2 diabetes, stroke, and heart disease. The best thing you can do is get up and move every half hour. If you can, a 40-min walk per day, according to a recent study, can make a big difference in countering some effects of a sedentary lifestyle. Our recommendation? Try a smartwatch. Most have movement reminders that encourage you to stretch your legs. If you're dealing with back pain, your first step is to consult your physician.

Make sure your chair's armrests are adjustable. Your palms should be elevated over your desk and your wrists should be straight. If the bottom of your palm is resting on the desk or wrist rest, there's a chance you're putting too much pressure on your nerves, which could lead to issues like carpal tunnel syndrome. Talk to your physician if you're feeling any kind of pain. A gaming mouse, often more ergonomic than standard mice, might be helpful; just make sure to find one that fits your palm size.

When you look forward, your eyes should align with the top of your monitor or laptop. That might mean making sure you find a chair that can adjust up and down, elevating your laptop with a stand, or raising the height of your monitor. This puts less pressure on your neck and spine—you shouldn't be craning your neck up or down.

Brenda Stolyar

Simon Hill

Simon Hill

Julian Chokkattu

Julian Chokkattu

Jaina Grey

Scott Gilbertson

Scott Gilbertson

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