Go ahead. Google it.
Search for “Best Desk Chairs for Back Pain.”
Or try simply typing “Best office chairs.”
You will find tons of lists from all kinds of companies and organizations. Even news outlets like USA Today or the Chicago Tribune have their own lists of the best chairs.
So, we googled it.
We reviewed the lists.
And we came to this conclusion: most of the “Best Desk Chair” lists online are either bad or fake news.
Here’s why:
- No clear, solid selection criteria
- Too many options
- Terribly written evaluations & comparisons
- Chairs selected for affiliate and referral revenue
So, we decided to do things differently.
To create this list, we:
- Spent 25+ hours researching over 40 different desk chairs in detail
- Consulted a physical therapist
- Made selections on what actually matters for your back (we detail that here)
- Limited the list to only a few categories and selections
- Wrote clear & concise reviews
- Created a chart for easily comparing features that matter
From our detailed research, here’s a few good things to keep in mind…
- Avg. ratings of 4.0+ stars are rare. If you look at any desk chair that has 300+ ratings on Amazon, it’s very unusual for that chair to have an average rating of more than 4.1 stars.
- Random opinions shouldn’t be taken as absolutes: frankly, a lot of people like to slouch….but, it’s not good for you.
- We firmly believe that a good lumbar support and forward seat-tilt are critical features for your back. Only chairs with these features were considered as finalists.
So, without further ado, here is what we truly believe are The Best Desk Chairs for Your Back.
The Selections
Low Price Chairs ($325 or less)
Winner: Alera ALE Wrigley 24/7 High Performance Multifunction Chair
Alera Wrigley Features Chart
Why it’s the winner…
This chair rocks. We thought it would be solid but were even more impressed when we unboxed it and put it together.
This chair is extraordinary for your back health. All of the important adjustment capabilities are available in this chair and the firmness of the lumbar support as well as the height of chair surprised us. You can check out the full features chart here.
It’s also worth noting that it can be found in a few varieties, colors, and retailers across the internet. This means that we have seen options of this model selling for as low as under $200 on Amazon (which is well into low price territory).
Bottom line: if your back hurts and you want a chair that your physical therapist will love, this one’s for you.
What’s Awesome and Matters…
+ Seat can forward-tilt
+ Strong seat height at 22.5″
+ Height and width adjustable armrests
+ Non-mesh seat
+ No high-back and great backrest shape
+ Backrest height and thus lumbar support easily adjustable
+ Seat depth is adjustable
Things that Matter and Could Be Better…
– Lumbar support not independently adjustable
– More online reviews
Doesn’t Really Matter But We Loved It…
+ Available in a very aesthetic gray or black
+ Tension control
+ Great seat padding and comfortable armrests
+ Pricing varies and great deals exist
Doesn’t Really Matter but Could Be Improved…
– Pricing varies and is a bit unpredictable
– Doesn’t have the mesh back + rigid adjustable lumbar support combo
– Seat pan could be a bit larger (19.6″ wide x 18.3″ deep)
– One specific part of assembly is a little difficult
Reviews Summary:
We aren’t exactly sure why — but we weren’t able to find any online reviews regarding this office chair. Since we have purchased the chair and are personally using it ourselves, we can vouch for it. So, we don’t think this should totally eliminate the chair, but we do think that this lack of reviews (positive or negative) is worth noting.
Assembly:
Assembly required. Attaching the backrest to the seat is a bit tough — but otherwise very normal/easy. All required tools come with the chair. Assembly time is around 15 minutes.
Two important things to note:
- Put the backrest and seat in a v-shape on the floor when you are attaching them together.
- Part H for securing the armrests is optional. You shouldn’t attach it if you plan to take the armrests on/off a lot.
You can watch our full assembly video here or review the assembly instructions yourself here.
Warranty: Limited 5yr manufacturer warranty.
Runner-up: Alera Elusion Series Mesh Mid-Back Multifunction Chair
Why it’s the runner-up…
Like the winner of the low price category, this chair also has an unbelievable amount of features and adjustments for its price. You can view all of them here.
In fact, this chair is almost a mirror image of the winner. But, here are the main reasons why it took second place.
– No independently adjustable and robust lumbar support
– $15 more expensive
– Less impressive warranty
The two advantages that this chair has over the category winner are that the seat is a bit deeper at 21 inches (vs. 19.5 inches) and its mesh backrest which could prove to be a bit more breathable.
Ultimately, this chair is really solid. So, a mesh backrest is important to you, then we recommend this chair for you in the low price category. If the lumbar support does prove to be a bit lacking, you can always add a lumbar pillow.
What’s Awesome and Matters…
+ Seat can forward-tilt
+ Lots of adjustment options
+ Armrests can be adjusted up/down or side-to-side
+ Non-mesh seat
+ Mesh back
+ Max seat height is fantastic (21.75″)
+ Seat Depth can be adjusted
+ No high-back
+ Placement of lumbar support can be adjusted (via adjusting backrest height)
This Matters and Should’ve Been Better…
– Lumbar support could be more robust
– Lumbar support doesn’t run horizontally
Mostly Doesn’t Matter But…
– Max weight limit is 250 lbs, not great for heavy users — but manufacturer puts limit at 275 lbs
– Chair is a little heavy (48 lbs)
– Assembly is a bit ornery
Reviews Summary:
With an average of 4 stars across 500+ Amazon ratings, the reviews are strong. People loved all the features and customers reported better than expected durability.
Noted concerns were the lumbar support and the seat fabric that could’ve been better quality.
Assembly:
Easy. Customers reported about 10 mins but it took us about 19 mins. You can watch our *full* assembly video here or check out the instructional manual we’ve uploaded for you here.
Warranty: Solid. 5 yrs on component parts and 2 yrs on upholstery and foam. You can review the full terms here (Spanish version here).
1/19/21 Update: We put together an assembly tutorial video for the Alera Elusion here and Alera Wrigley here. Feel free to reach out if you have any questions.
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Medium Price Chairs ($325 – $500)
Winner: ErgoChair 2
Price: $369.99
Why it’s the winner…
To be honest, this is our favorite chair and the one that we most highly recommend based upon its quality and price.
You will see from the comparison chart below that this chair possesses every feature/adjustment capability that we deemed important. Wow!
In fact, it might even have too many features! We highly recommend that you remove or do not use the headrest if you purchase this chair. Why? Because headrests keep you from naturally, subconsciously doing backward neck extensions throughout the day and headrests also tend to push your head forward while your shoulders remain back. In other words, headrests tend to encourage people to slouch.
But, not using the headrest is easy. So, no points deducted there.
The only thing we really wish was better is the max seat height. This chair only adjusts from 18 inches to 20 inches. Although we are glad that the chair doesn’t go down to 16 inches (which is probably too low for most anyone), we do wish it went a bit higher. If you’re on the taller side, you will probably want to consider getting a wedge if you use this chair.
That said, it’s worth noting that having a max seat height higher than 20 inches is actually pretty rare. In fact, both our winner and runner-up in the high price category don’t go higher than 20.5 inches. So, if that’s the only issue with the chair, we can live with that.
Bottom line: it has everything else that matters and is thus a true winner.
What’s Awesome and Matters…
+ Seat can forward-tilt
+ More adjustment options that mattered than any other chair we evaluated
+ Armrests can be adjusted up/down or side-to-side, backwards/forwards, or removed
+ Non-mesh seat
+ Mesh back
+ Seat depth can be easily adjusted
+ No high-back (if you remove the headrest)
+ Fantastic and independently adjustable lumbar support
+ Max weight limit is 350 lbs
Things that Matter and Could Be Better…
– Max seat height only goes to 20″
Doesn’t Really Matter But We Loved It…
+ Available in blue, green, and even red!
+ Free shipping!
+ Payment plans / loans are directly available
Doesn’t Really Matter but Could Be Improved:
– Not widely available across a lot of retailers (e.g. not listed on Amazon)
Reviews Summary:
With an average of 4.5 stars across 1000+ ratings on its website, the reviews are the best we’ve seen. People specifically highlight the comfort of the chair as well as its positive impact on back pain.
Common words/phrases include “perfect”, 10 out of 10,” and “most comfortable chair ever.” If someone has seen a chair with better online reviews, we’d love to hear it. Of course, that begs the question: are the reviews curated?
In short, we think that’s possible.
This chair has garnered quite a bit of controversy on Reddit. Some users on Reddit claim that Autonomous curates their product reviews and others state that the customer service is really poor. So, we were understandably worried about the quality of the chair…until we tried it.
After purchasing the chair, we were impressed. These chairs are selling like hotcakes.
Assembly:
Easy. Customers reported about 10 mins.
Warranty: Not the best on this list but still solid. There is a 2yr warranty on all component parts. But, normal wear and tear on fabric is not covered.
Runner-up: OFM Model 247 24hr Multi-adjustable Ergonomic Swivel Task Chair
Why it’s the runner-up
If you are looking for a chair with all of the optimal features and durability, look no further.
This chair has grit.
The chair boasts a 400lb weight capacity and sizing that some consider to be “Big & Tall.” The chair furthermore comes with 3-inch thick upholstery designed for “intense use” as well as a lifetime warranty on all component parts.
Even the upholstery is stain resistant and antimicrobrial surfaces are available.
The manufacturer goes so far as saying that the chair is “designed to remain comfortable while in use around the clock.”
We agree and think that this is likely our most durable chair we selected across any of our price categories.
What’s Awesome and Matters…
+ Amazing durability and 400 lb weight limit
+ One of our tallest seats, adjusts up to 23″
+ Height and width adjustable armrests
+ Seat pan tilts forward
+ Lumbar support is adjustable via changing backrest height
+ Lifetime warranty
+ Armrests are fully height and width adjustable
+ Many more adjustable features
Things that Matter and Could Be Better…
– No independently adjustable lumbar support
Doesn’t Really Matter But We Loved It…
+ Available in vinyl or fabric
+ Burgundy, Navy, Charcoal, and Black colors all available
Doesn’t Really Matter but Could Be Improved:
– Chair itself is a bit heavy
– Would love to see several hundred more online reviews
Reviews Summary:
This chair has a combined average of 3.7 stars across 43 ratings for both its vinyl and fabric variations on Amazon.
Frankly, we were at first slightly concerned that this wasn’t better. But, after diving into the reviews, we weren’t concerned anymore.
Here’s why: most of the negative ratings centered around one or more of the four, very explainable topics.
1. Chair itself is a bit heavy –> makes sense, it’s extremely durable.
2. Not Big & Tall Enough –> this always happens with Big & Tall products; it’s always still too small or not padded enough for some people who are pushing 400 lbs. We think that it is still quite impressive in terms of its dimensions and accommodations.
3. Shipping / Missing Part Issues –> shipping issues happen, especially with newer products. And enough ratings haven’t been submitted yet to dilute these early issues.
On the positive side, customers raved about its features, durability, price-point, comfort, and fit.
Assembly:
Yes, like basically all other desk chairs, assembly is required. But, it’s an issue. It’s a bit simpler than some of the other chairs and there are good videos that will walk you through exactly how to do it.
Warranty: Amazing. Like all other OFM products, there is a lifetime warranty on the component parts when purchasing from the dealer. Seating fabric and upholstery have 2 yr manufacturer warranty, 7rs on the gas lifts.
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High Price Chairs ($500 or more)
None. We selected no winners or runner-ups.
Don’t get us wrong — we did look.
However, in an absurd turn of events, we couldn’t find any high price office chairs we felt comfortable selecting as winners.
Why not?
Three main reasons:
- A surprising lack of healthy options: most of the high price chairs feature some sort of dynamic gizmo that’s supposed to make things more comfortable. Instead, most of the dynamic gizmos basically just make you comfortable slouching. That’s not helpful.
- No noticeable improvement of features by paying more: from our perspective at Posturre, it’s crazy to think that you could pay $1,000 for an office chair and not be able to tilt the seat pan forward.
- Aesthetics do not equal a better chair: admittedly, many high price chairs are pretty sleek. They are often adorned with leather upholstery and shiny metal casters. But, we do think that we found some pretty good-looking options (see the ErgoChair 2). Plus, finding the best office chair for your back just isn’t a beauty pageant.
Finally, we do think it’s worth quickly discussing two very popular high price chairs that we reviewed extensively but did not select…
Herman Miller Mirra 2 Task Chair: this chair is high price ($1,000+) and high quality. But, it lacks the ability to adjust the backrest height. Additionally, we we have observed the mesh material stretching over time. Plus, there’s no forward seat pan tilt option. We think that’s unacceptable for a $1,000 desk chair.
Herman Miller Aeron Task Chair: this one does have a forward seat tilt option and a few other features that were quite nice. However, the mesh material used for the back and seat clearly stretches when weight is applied. This stretching makes the chair noticeably less supportive (even with the lumbar support). The seat does have a forward tilt option. However, it is difficult to keep it in that position because it doesn’t lock in place. Plus, the price of this chair is even higher at roughly $1,500. We just couldn’t justify it.
Conclusion
In conclusion, if you’ve ever been concerned about our objectivity, we’d like to note the fact that we are actively choosing not to select high price chairs.
Such chairs would likely earn us the most affiliate revenue.
But, how would that help you?
Instead, we made our selections without regard for affiliate revenue. We chose the ones that we really think are the best for you.
You’re welcome.
As we often say around here: We Got Your Back.
FAQs
What’s the best desk chair for sciatica?
Great question! As the Mayo Clinic writes, sciatica is simply “pain that radiates along the path of the sciatic nerve.” In other words, saying you have sciatica is like saying you have a headache or shoulder pain. It’s just a type of pain. The real question is: what’s the cause?
Like headaches or shoulder pain, there are many possible causes of sciatica included but not limited to herniated discs, bone spurs, spinal stenosis, or even spondylolisthesis. In short, there is no possible way for you or us to know what’s causing your sciatica. Plus, like any other potentially serious health condition, you should see a specialist to get answers.
With that said, Medical News Today reports that an estimated 90% of sciatica cases are caused by herniated discs.
And what’s a primary cause of herniated discs? The Mayo Clinic also writes that a herniated disc is “most often the result of a gradual, aging-related wear and tear.”
In other words, sitting with poor posture for prolonged periods of time.
Bottom line: there is no “best desk chair for sciatica.”
But, there are chairs that are healthier for your back and this list is a great place to start.
What is the best desk chair for back pain?
As with sciatica, there are so many possible causes of back pain that asking which desk chair is best for back pain is kind of like asking if you should drink water, sleep, or take Tylenol for a headache.
Ultimately, you are responsible for evaluating your own back pain and determining if it is serious enough to see a doctor. We urge you: if you are experiencing unexplainable back pain, you should seek professional medical attention.
But, barring simple aging conditions like arthritis or other serious medical conditions like spinal stenosis, studies indicate that most people are experiencing back pain that is mechanical and non-organic in nature (e.g. poor posture).
So, for most people, the best desk chair for back pain is the one that puts you in the best position biomechanically to have healthy posture. We think the desk chairs above are winners for helping you do just that.
How should I sit at my desk for back pain?
At Posturre, we think that this question is extremely important and the answer is not necessarily obvious.
For starters, you shouldn’t sit in one position all day. In fact, switching between a variety of positions is one of the keys to keeping your back healthy. As we always say at Posturre, we are made to move.
Beyond that, here are three great “home base” positions to use when working at your desk:
- Sitting back against the lumbar support with your knees at the same height or just barely lower than your hips. Since your chair will be a bit lower in this position, this is where using the forward seat pan tilt feature is really helpful in facilitating optimal biomechanics.
- Sitting on the forward edge of your seat with the seat raised so that your knees are well-below your hips.
- Standing with your elbows at 90 degrees. You’ll also have your wrists in a neutral position and the mid-screen of your monitors are at the same plane as your eyes.
All three positions are great for back health but require different desk heights — and that’s why you need a standing desk.
What is the best chair for sitting all day?
The best desk chair for sitting all day is one that easily allows for you to switch your sitting position throughout the day and encourages optimal positioning.
That’s it. Period.
We created this list with these things in mind.
Can a desk chair hurt your back?
In short, absolutely.
Many (if not most) desk chairs are:
– not high enough for your knees to be at or below your hips
– lacking lumbar supports
– made from terrible material that lends no support
– not able to be adjusted into a forward tilt
All of the above common issues can be risk factors for hurting your back.
Of course, any chair can hurt your back if your posture is terrible. So, it’s important that your desk chair is both free from the issues above and that you learn how to sit properly.
Questions? Comments? Feedback?
Appreciate the little roundup, definitely good information and interesting insights on these kinds of chairs! However, would have loved to see a list of the chairs that you evaluated that didn’t win each category – the way this is now, it looks like you evaluated 6 chairs and called it a day. So one cannot make an educated comparative decision if the winner chair doesn’t work for someone for some other reason (ex. people are wary of Autonomous, the maker of ErgoChair 2).
Hi Adrian – we wanted to make a fancy easily available table, but it’s taking longer than anticipated. Here are the other 40 chairs we assessed. Hope it helps!
Thanks for the well written article. Your point of all other chair review lists being fake was exactly my thoughts and I’m glad you did some well founded research into this. I’ve been leaning towards the Ergochair 2.
Glad it was helpful. We’re creating an assembly video of the ergochair 2…be on the lookout for that!
Did the Branch Ergonomic Chair come up in your tests? I’m leaning towards the Ergochair 2, but have heard the Branch chair is a better option at a slightly cheaper price point.
Hi M –
We actually hadn’t come across the Branch Ergonomic Chair yet. However, after your comment, we took a look and considered it.
Ultimately, our assessment was that it’s a solid chair. Good quality, amazing warranty, solid other features for the price. And multiple color options and good look. However, the lack of a forward seat pan tilt excludes this chair from being a finalist because we think that’s critical for good back health. It’s also a bit of a bummer that the backrest height can’t be adjusted and chair can’t recline.
The Ergo Chair 2 def has more features — including the forward seat pan tilt.
So sorry for the delayed response! I suppose you’ve probably already purchased a chair but thought we might as well respond just in case.
I’ve been hesitant about purchasing a chair with no decent return policy so the ErgoChair2 seems like the right fit for me. My concern is that it will be too high for me. I’m a petite woman at 4′ 11 & 3/4″, 130 lbs and from what it seems, it might be too high for me. I’ve looked into getting a gas lift cylinder replacement to make the chair go down lower. What do you think?
Hi Laura –
In regards to sizing concerns, we are more frequently concerned about the ErgoChair 2 not being tall enough for people over 5’10. Most office chairs are problematic in the sense that they don’t go high enough…it’s not usually the other way around.
But, in regards to your specific case, it’s very tough to say since height isn’t a perfect indicator of the length of your legs and, by extension, where your knees will be relative to your hips.
My guess is that the ErgoChair 2 would be fine for you since 18in for the minimum height isn’t crazy high. But, it’s been a bit since your comment and we apologize for the delay…did you move forward with the ErgoChair 2? Has it worked out OK for you?
G’day. I’m leaning towards a Steelcase chair, the Leap model, Did you look at this one and any opinion on v1 vs v2?
Hi Greg –
We did look at the SteelCase Leap. We’ve now expounded upon our eval in our Desk Chairs Analyzed sheet, along with listing the chair’s specs here.
In short, and as noted in the sheet. we thought that the Steelcase Leap could be a solid option — but just thought that the value was better with the Alera Wrigley and others.
The Steelcase Leap is very well-made and has nearly all the functions/adjustments available that you would want. Although it lacks the critical forward seat pan tilt, you get a version of that adjustment via the waterfall edge. It also comes fully assembled and with a 12yr warranty to support its high quality proposition. That said, this is a luxury item and we would have expected slightly better online reviews given the pricing.
In regards to Steelcase V1 model vs V2 model, we looked at the V2 but I think most of our evaluation would also apply to the V1. They don’t appear to be drastically different chairs.
Apologies for the late response but we hope that this helps!
Also — you might find this reddit thread helpful in comparing the Leap V1 to the Leap V2. Cheers.
Did you take a look at Tempur-Pedic office chairs?
I’ve got a connective tissue disorder and am desperately trying to find a chair that does not cause me more pain. I used a recliner before, and am getting an office chair at my doctor’s recommendation but the one I bought , I have to return because it hurts to sit in. It was the NOUHAUS Ergo3D.
Tempur-Pedic has a reputation for comfort , so I was going to try that next.
Hi Margie –
Thanks for the comment and great question.
We frankly didn’t give Tempur-Pedic office chairs much consideration because we think that, in general, memory foam tends to provide rather poor support due to how soft it is. (check out our discussion of memory foam in this article about lumbar support).
That said, is there a specific one that you are considering or have already purchased?
We’re happy to give our thoughts on a specific chair and/or would love to hear about your experience.