In the United States, what used to be an eight-hour workday is quickly turning into a nine, or even ten-hour workday.
For those of us that work in an office, that usually means being glued to a chair for a majority of those hours. If you’re going to be forced to sit for that long during the day, you’ll want to make sure you’re sitting in not only a comfortable chair but a chair that’s going to be good for your back.
However, there seems to be an infinite amount of chairs around! Do you purchase a nice, big, squishy leather chair? Or do you purchase a minimalist mesh chair? Which one is better for your back? Which is the most comfortable office chair?
Most Comfortable Office Chairs For 2022
Lucky for you, we spent hours researching and have compiled a guide that has only the best office chairs to help you in your search. They range in prices, materials, and function – so take a look and see which one suits you best.
Without any further ado, here are the most comfortable office chairs based on customer reviews and satisfaction.
Chair | Weight | Assembled Height | |
---|---|---|---|
Herman Miller Embody | 51 lbs | 38.2 inches | |
Steelcase Leap | 45.8 lbs | 43.2 inches | |
DXRacer Formula Series DOH/FD01/N Newedge Edition | 49 lbs | 50 inches | |
Herman Miller Sayl | 38 lbs | 35 inches | |
Office Star Professional Light Air Grid Back Chair with Adjustable Headrest | 53 lbs | 44 inches | |
Steelcase Gesture (Editor's Pick) | 74.7 lbs | 44.5 inches | |
Herman Miller Aeron | 48 lbs | 42 inches | |
Serta Mid-Back Office Chair | 51.4 lbs | 40.8 inches | |
Alera Elusion Series Mesh Mid-Back Multifunction Chair | 50 lbs | 15.8 inches | |
VIVA Office Ergonomic High Back Mesh Chair | 41 lbs | 45.7 inches | |
Herman Miller Mirra 2 | 42 lbs | 40 inches |
The chairs above are the most comfortable office chairs you can buy today. We’ll now dive deeper into each and every one of them.
Herman Miller Embody – Priciest Chair
The Herman Miller Embody is sort of infamous for being the priciest chair on the market, but is it worth the high price?
Let’s take a look.
At first glance, the chair is sort of futuristic-looking and doesn’t look like it would be comfortable.
You would be wrong. At about 51 pounds, it is an extremely sturdy chair that offers very generous support and stability when seated. There is a piece of graphite on the back of the chair that looks very similar to a human spine and offers a very rigid backbone structure.
Because of this, the Embody is easily able to mold to virtually any body type while offering complete ergonomic support. Because of its weight, it is extremely stable, but because of the backbone-like design of the graphite and an infinite number of adjustable components, the pressure is relieved from your body and it’s guaranteed to keep you free from any type of pain while sitting for extended periods.
So is the Herman Miller Embody worth the price? In short, yes. If you have the money to splurge on this model or if you spend a considerable amount of time at home, you will definitely not be disappointed with this purchase.
- Beautifully designed
- You can adjust almost anything on the chair
- 12-year warranty
- Very expensive
Steelcase Leap – Comfort Over Style
This chair may not look the prettiest, but what it lacks in beauty it more than makes up for in comfort. The backrest on this chair is one of the best on the market and will conform to your back in a way that no other chair will. Another huge benefit is that if you want to lean way back in the chair, you can do so without compromising support as the backrest will recline without any tilt in the seat base.
This is probably one of the biggest benefits of this chair – while other chairs only offer proper support and comfort if you’re sitting up straight, this chair will still offer support if you do slouch or recline.
Obviously it won’t be as optimal as if you were sitting up straight, but it will offer much more support in those positions than other chairs will.
Another benefit of this chair is that it’s been around for a while. Steelcase hasn’t done much to change this design – and they haven’t had to. This design has withstood the tests of time and, while it may not be the most beautiful chair, you will truly appreciate the comfort it will bring to your office life.
- Extremely comfortable over long periods of time
- Supports different postures
- Easy to adjust
- Design is not the best
DXRacer Formula Series DOH/FD01/N Newedge Edition – Gaming Chair or Office Chair?
Okay okay, we know what you’re thinking – this is a gaming chair, not an office chair, but hear us out! While this may not technically be an office chair, it offers all the same support and comfort as a high-end office chair, at the lower end of the price spectrum. One major bonus is that since it is a gaming chair, it reclines almost to the horizontal position. It might be a little bit difficult to work like that, but it does offer that wide range of reclining. While it doesn’t look like one of the modern ergonomic chairs, it is comparable to the comfortable leather office chairs that are on the market.
One main way this differs from your typical office chair is that it offers a high backrest as opposed to a low backrest. Therefore, if you experience more pain in your upper back or neck, consider going with this chair. Its headrest will definitely be more comfortable than any other office chair you can compare it to. This is also another sturdy chair weighing in at 49 pounds, so if you do want to recline a little extra while you’re reading something over you’ll feel safe and secure.
- Extreme comfort, since it’s made for long-term gaming
- Headrest/upper back support not typically found in office chairs
- Not as adjustable as most office chairs
Herman Miller Sayl – Just Beautiful
While this chair provides support and is also functional, it’s hard not to comment on its striking design. With its minimalist design, you might think that there’s no way it can provide as much support as any of its counterparts – you would be wrong. This chair offers just as much lower back support and is just as ergonomic as any other chair in its class. Also, it allows you to take advantage of the high-quality and high-design of the Herman Miller brand at a much lower price point.
While this chair can definitely compete with comfort, it does lack a little in longevity. You can definitely use it for everyday use – but if you spend upwards of nine or ten hours in your chair per day, you might want something with just a little more support and girth to it. This is the lightest chair on our list coming in at 38 pounds, so it might not feel quite as stable as some of the other ones mentioned here.
Another bonus to this chair is that it was produced with the environment in mind. The factories that produce this particular chair are all low to zero-emission factories.
Overall, this is a wonderfully priced chair for what you’re getting. It allows you to get the design of a Herman Miller chair without breaking the bank and also without having to compromise on comfort. Again, it’s not the sturdiest chair that we’re recommending so if you are somebody who spends a little more time than average at your desk, you might want to consider a slightly more stable chair.
- Design, you absolutely cannot beat how cool this chair looks
- This chair was designed with the environment in mind
- Great comfort for the price
- Upgradeable to add a few more options
- May not be as good for long-term sitting as other chairs on the list
- Not as many adjustable features
Office Star Professional Light Air Grid Back Chair – The Best of Both Worlds
Okay, we really liked this chair for a couple of different reasons. First, the materials used in the chair are a really nice combination! This chair is a nice mix of leather infused with an ergonomic mesh back. You get the comfort of a leather chair where it counts, on the seat, and in the headrest – but you still have the light airy design in the back that will help to keep you cool and also support your lower back. Not to mention, the design of the chair isn’t half bad.
This is also one of the heavier chairs on our list weighing in at around 53 pounds. This chair is very durable and also suitable for sitting for long periods of time and overall a very comfortable office desk chair.
This chair is a really nice fusion, as we mentioned. You get the comfort of the leather and the lightness of the ergonomic mesh design. But another thing worth mentioning is the headrest! Typically when you go for a really ergonomic design, you have to compromise on upper back and neck support. This chair manages to support it all. It makes sure your lower back is supported, but your upper back and neck are also supported much more than they would be in some of the other office chairs that don’t fuse the leather and mesh.
So overall, if you’re looking for a leather chair but still want something that is going to look stylish and sleek in your office, this will accomplish just that. Not to mention the support you’re going to receive from your lower back all the way up to your neck. This is an excellent chair in its price range.
- Combination of materials gives you the best of both worlds with comfort and design
- Suitable for periods of long use
- Really good combination of price and quality
- Have to upgrade to get the headrest
Steelcase Gesture – The Leap’s Prettier (And More Expensive) Older Brother
What the Steelcase Leap is to comfort, the Steelcase Gesture is to design. Now don’t completely write off the Gesture for comfort yet, but it’s another one of those chairs with a striking design that’s hard to ignore. This chair is also more compact than a lot of other comparable chairs with the same amount of features. With that being said, it is by far our heaviest chair on the list weighing in at around 74 pounds! So while it may look small, it is still mighty and will provide you with the stability that you’re looking for.
There are two main features that really set this chair apart from the rest:
The first main benefit you can find on the Steelcase Gesture is that the armrests. They adjust intuitively, are extremely comfortable, there when you need them, and easily out of the way when you don’t need them. Want to cross your legs and have the armrests all the way up? All you have to do is pull on them. Ready to be more productive, sit up straight, and rest your arms by your side? Simply push down on the armrests. Adjusting the armrests on the Gesture is the most intuitive we’ve seen on any other chair on the market.
Another huge draw is that the seat cushion is one of the biggest on the markets.
It provides comfort around all edges so no matter where or how you sit, you are guaranteed to be comfortable. You don’t have to compromise on a sleek, ergonomic design by purchasing a bulky leather chair if you buy the Gesture. The cushion is thick enough so your comfort is maximized, but not too thick so that the heat gets trapped while you’re sitting.
Overall, this is one of the best chairs on our list. It’s in the higher end of price, but when you take into account design, comfort, ease of adjusting, and longevity – we think that the price is more than worth it. This is easily one of the most comfortable office chairs for long sitting.
- Beautiful design
- Easy to adjust armrests
- Thick seat cushion
- Breathable back
- Expensive
Herman Miller Classic Aeron Task Chair
I know what you’re thinking – another Herman Miller chair on the list, I know. But I promise you that each and every one is here for a reason! First, we had the top of the line Herman Miller, followed closely by one of their more bare-bones design at a much lower price point. Here we have a chair that we believe falls somewhere in the middle.
This chair is truly a staple in ergonomic engineering and is beloved by the office and home office users everywhere. For those who don’t like over-the-top, futuristic designs but do like the simplicity, sleekness, and lower-back support that those types of chairs offer – then this is for you. With a very minimal design, this chair isn’t stealing all the attention away in the room.
It’s simple, it’s clean, but it works.
Introduced in 1994, this chair is no stranger to the market. Obviously there have been changes in the design over time, but the basic principle remains the same: provide support. And this chair does exactly that. There’s adjustable lumbar support, adjustable tilt, adjustable armrests, and the chair itself even comes in three different models that vary by seat depth.
Although we recommend that if you’re in between sizes, go with the bigger size. If you end up with the size that’s too small, it could end up limiting circulation throughout your legs and thus minimizing the comfort of this chair.
Overall, this is a classic chair that has withstood the test of time and will be comfortable for just about any body type. We can confidently say that you will not be disappointed if you purchase this chair (or make your office purchase it for you if you’re lucky!)
- Been around for a long time
- Not very showy
- Classic ergonomic design
- Can be pricey
Serta Back in Motion Health and Wellness Mid-Back Office Chair – Plush
This chair is definitely different from the rest of the chairs that we’ve recommended. While the rest have been very sleek and minimal, this one is just the opposite. It is very plush and just screams comfort, and it is just that – very comfortable. This chair is specifically designed for people who have back problems and provides plenty of lumbar support.
It has the BIM Active lumbar that pivots with all of your movements to continuously provide lumbar support. This is without a doubt one of the best office chairs for bad backs.
While the other chairs on this list are certainly comfortable, the deeply layered body pillows featured throughout this chair provides a very serene seating experience and almost feels like you are sitting on a cloud. For how it looks, this is surprisingly not even our heaviest chair on the list. It weighs in at around 51 pounds so is heavy enough to provide stability and support, but still able to move around easily.
Don’t let the way this chair looks fool you! While it looks plush and old-school, it is still ergonomically designed for your lower back. This chair also emphasizes support for the mid-back, which we haven’t really seen in any of the other chairs on this list.
While this isn’t the most stylish of chairs, it is specifically designed for people with back problems. It is also from one of the most trusted mattress brands, Serta. So if you don’t care about design, are looking for maximum comfort, or if you have a history of back pain or problems, this chair could be a great option for you.
- Extreme comfort
- Good price
- Meant specifically for back pain
- Not very stylish
Alera Elusion Series Mesh Mid-Back Multifunction Chair – The Cheaper Alternative to the Herman Miller Classic Aeron
One thing that we can all agree on is that Herman Miller chairs are expensive! Yes, they are worth their price for the most part, but that doesn’t matter if you can’t afford what that price is! Luckily there are still plenty of other chairs that will offer you similar comfort at a much more affordable price. The Alera Elusion Series Mesh Mid-Back is one of those chairs! It even weighs right around the same as the Aeron.
They look very similar and provide similar amounts of lumbar support and adjustable functionality. They both also have a waterfall edge on the seat to help relieve unnecessary pressure on legs. If you’re looking for the sort of nondescript look that the Herman Miller Aeron offers, then you’ll like the look of this chair as well. It’s not too futuristic-looking but still maximizes its ergonomic support.
Another big selling point of this chair is its adjustability. In addition to all the standard adjustments you can make, this chair also allows you to tilt forward a little bit while still providing support! This is something that is not common with a lot of chairs on the market. Granted, it’s not something that you’ll be using all the time but it’s still great to have the option if you sit like that sometimes.
If you’re researching ergonomic office chairs and you initially wanted to settle on the Herman Miller Classic Aeron but can’t swing the high price right now, go for the Alera Elusion Series Mesh Mid-Back. Similar comfort, similar style, and a much better price – we’re confident you won’t regret it.
- Similar support to high-ticket chair
- Good price
- Great adjustability
- Can’t customize any colors, etc.
VIVA Office Ergonomic High Back Mesh Chair
This is one of the best office chairs for long hours. It combines a lot of great elements of some of the other chairs. It’s all mesh which allows it to be extremely breathable all throughout the chair. It’s all black, sleek, and provides a contemporary but subtle look. It’ll spruce up your office without overpowering it with any type of futuristic design.
It also includes another one of our personal favorite elements – a headrest! Headrests are great because they add another element of neck and upper back support. Even though this chair has a headrest, it doesn’t compromise on lumbar support.
It sits at a really good weight as well – at 41 pounds it provides a good amount of stability but also allows it to be lightweight and breathable. This chair also falls at the lower end of the price spectrum, making it an even better deal for all the features that you get.
- Great price
- Very breathable with solid support
- Not customizable
Herman Miller Mirra 2 Chair
And one final Herman Miller chair to round out the list! We weren’t going to include it but couldn’t resist. We’ve included the high-end Herman Miller chair, the affordable, the classic, and now this one. This is unique because we believe it perfectly combines the style you know and love form Herman Miller, the great comfort and support, a decent price, and a good range of adjustable features.
You can see that it features a hybrid structure that is meant to keep your body in a healthy alignment. Another cool feature is that it includes a reinvented Harmonic tilt that allows for a smooth transition as you move from one posture to another. And while this chair might look light and airy, it still weighs in at 42 pounds, making it the sturdy and stable chair you’re looking for.
Also, just like the Herman Miller Sayl, this chair is eco-friendly and was produced with the environment in mind. In fact, it’s 93% recyclable and 45% of the chair was derived from recyclable materials. And like any other Herman Miller chair, it comes with an outstanding twelve-year warranty – truly a company that stands by its product.
- Very stylish
- Hybrid material design
- Eco-friendly
- Higher-end of price
Buyer’s Guide
We know that it seems daunting looking at all of these chairs. There are a lot of different factors that go into selecting the right one and it can seem impossible to make sure you consider them all! Let’s take a look at some of the mort important ones so that you can choose which ones are most important to you when purchasing a chair.
Lumbar Support
This is probably one of the main factors most people take into consideration when purchasing an office chair. Lumbar support just means support for your lower back – this is especially important to consider if you already have back problems, to begin with. Good lumbar support will help to prevent any more strain on your back. If you do suffer from chronic back pain, consider looking for a chair that has adjustable lumbar support so you can customize to your specific needs.
Adjustability
Just about every office chair will allow you to adjust the seat height and the armrests, but there are also many other aspects to the chair that can be adjusted. Some will allow you to adjust tension control, seat and back angle, seat back width, arm width, and many others. It is pretty common for chairs to allow you to adjust around three to five features, with higher-end models allowing you to adjust upwards of 14 features. So if you have specific needs or adjustability is important to you, make sure to look out for how many features you can actually adjust on the chair.
Fabric
Make sure to take a look at what type of fabric is being used on the chair. The most common one is mesh which is comfortable while allowing for breathability. If you want extreme comfort, consider going leather although this can sometimes lead to heat getting trapped while sitting for long periods of time. Some chairs offer a nice combination of both, as seen on our list!
Seat Depth
This is another very important factor to consider. If the seat is too long, it may cause you to have to sit forward which can cause unnecessary strain. If the seat is too short then it may cut off blood flow on the back of your legs, also cause unnecessary strain.
Wheel Base
This is something that a lot of people don’t consider but can be relevant if you plan on using your chair in a carpeted environment. A lot of wheels will work fine on carpet, but some companies offer wheels specifically to be used on carpet, so consider making the upgrade if you know you’ll be primarily working on carpet.
Recline-ability
Just about every office chair reclines to some degree, but as you saw in our list, some will recline much more than others. Make sure that the chair you’re buying makes it easy for you to recline and that you don’t have to manually adjust every time you want to recline.
Conclusion
There are a lot of factors to consider when purchasing an office chair and you could spend days looking on websites trying to find the best-rated office chairs. If you want to pick the chair that is going to offer you the highest amount of comfort for the best price, without having to compromise on style, we suggest going with the Steelcase Gesture.
We did choose one of the pricier chairs, but we believe it’s one of the best home desk chairs, one of the most comfortable, and well worth the investment. It offers great lumbar support, great upper back support, it’s easily adjustable, it looks great, the colors are customizable, and it’s suitable for long-term sitting. We can say with 100% certainty that you will not be disappointed purchasing this chair.
Remember, you spend the majority of your time in this chair and it will affect your health. So invest in yourself and enjoy working in your new environment!