Since 2015, we’ve found that the Steelcase Gesture is the best office chair for most people.
We’ve researched dozens of office chairs, interviewed four ergonomics experts, and asked test panelists (with a variety of body types) to sit in deliberation for more than 175 collective hours.
Many cheap office chairs can make you feel as if you’ve been crammed into a torturous economy seat on a cross-country flight. But quality office chairs give you an upgrade to first class—they’re designed to support your body comfortably for the long haul.
This chair—one of the most comfortable we’ve tested—retails for under $500 and has many of the adjustments generally reserved for pricier chairs. But we don’t think it will last as long as our other picks.
This chair is as supportive and comfortable as many models that are twice the price, but it’s lacking some advanced adjustment features. It’s also the most visually distinctive model we tested.
This chair has more-limited armrest adjustability than our top pick, but it’s also more breathable and just as comfortable. And it comes in three sizes, so it fits a wider range of body types than most one-size-fits-all chairs.
This is one of the most adjustable chairs available—anyone can make it comfortable, regardless of their height or size. And it’s built to last.
We look for office chairs with at least a five-year warranty (though longer is better) that covers just about anything that breaks.
If a chair’s material seems cheap or feels as if it could crack under stress on day one, chances are good that it will be utterly destroyed by day 500.
A good backrest should support you regardless of the angle you sit at.
We judged office chairs on seat, backrest, and armrest comfort, as well as on seat and arm-height adjustability.
The Steelcase Gesture costs more than $1,000, but if you sit for long periods, the expense is well worth it.
Across multiple test panels, involving dozens of staffers trying out office chairs, the Gesture has continued to be a favorite since we first recommended it, in 2015.
It’s one of the most comfortable, supportive, and durable office chairs we’ve ever tested. Everything has stood the test of time—from the back support to the quality fabric to the dependable adjustment knobs.
And of the chairs we tested, the Gesture offers the widest range of fabrics and other finishing options, so you can customize its appearance to your liking.
The Herman Miller Aeron Chair is iconic, comfortable, and durable. And if you run hot, the mesh back and seat make it a better option than the Steelcase Gesture.
Bottom line: If you mainly want a chair that props you up ergonomically and is comfortable to sit in for long hours of typing at a desk, the Aeron will suit you well.
The Aeron’s armrests aren’t as adjustable as the Gesture’s, so this chair is not as versatile for different tasks requiring arm support, such as propping up a tablet to read. But the Aeron is easier to move around and less bulky than the Gesture, and it doesn’t collect as much lint.
This chair is well known for its durability, and it comes with a 12-year warranty. If the price seems too high, you can probably find a lightly used Aeron—for a steep discount—at an office-furniture liquidation store.
The Aeron comes in three sizes, so we recommend checking the fit guide (PDF) before you order.
If our top picks are out of your desired price range, the Herman Miller Sayl Chair provides similar comfort and durability—for nearly half the price.
The Sayl is not as adjustable as the Steelcase Gesture, but it still satisfied test panelists of various sizes and heights.
As a high-quality chair with strong lumbar support, the Sayl is a good fit for someone performing standard office work—and its plastic webbed back stays cooler than fabric cushions.
This chair looks like no other model. If you’re into the space-age design, the Sayl comes in a range of color options, to make it blend in or stand out.
If you’re looking for something more affordable than our other picks, the HON Ignition 2.0 is the best inexpensive office chair we’ve tested.
It has all of the standard adjustments we like to see in a chair, including seat depth, tilt tension, tilt lock, seat height, and arm height.
It’s comfortable for all-day use, with effective, adjustable lumbar support (make sure the product description says “adjustable lumbar” so you get the model with that option).
However, this chair has a minimum seat height of 17 inches, so people of below-average height may have difficulty sitting properly with their feet flat on the floor (we recommend a footrest). Also, the Ignition 2.0 isn’t as sturdy as our pricier picks, and we don’t think it will last nearly as long.
Working in an office typically involves spending a great deal of time sitting in an office chair - a position that adds stress to the structures in the spine. Therefore, to avoid developing or compounding back problems, it's important to have an office chair that's ergonomic and that supports the lower back and promotes good posture.
There are many types of ergonomic chairs available for use in the office. No one type of office chair is necessarily the best, but there are some things that are very important to look for in a good ergonomic office chair. These things will allow the individual user to make the chair work well for his or her specific needs.
See Office Chair: How to Reduce Back Pain?