Our office furniture team have expertly tested over 50 of the best office chairs - and these are the models that get our recommendation.
Looking to bring extra comfort to your workspace? We've constructed and reviewed the best standing desks, best office desks, and computer desk seats, so we know what you need to know when revitalizing your office or home office.
The best office chair in our experience is the Steelcase Series 2, while the Corsair TC100 Relaxed is our top-rated office chair pick for those on a budget (or anyone looking for a professionally styled gaming chair).
All our best office chair choices have been assembled and hand-tested by us.
We've rounded up our top-recommended desk seats for ergonomics, long hours, home offices, and more, reviewing height ranges, weight loads, build quality, assembly time, lumbar support and overall design.
For more savings, we're already tracking the best Black Friday office chair deals and the best Black Friday standing desk deals.
Recent updates
As October approaches, our team is getting ready for Prime Day sales. Elsewhere, we've been testing the latest office chairs - check our our Backforce V Plus review and Sihoo M76A-M101 review.
The quick list
The best office chair overall
An ergonomic office chair that does it all - for a price. Well-designed and constructed, with good lumbar support that offers comfort all day long.
The best budget office chair
A cheap, cheerful comfortable office chair for under $250 / £200. Technically a gaming chair, its smart monochrome makes it perfect for work.
The best office chair for back pain and lumbar support
Our pick for relieving back pains while sitting for long hours - an ergonomic office chair that gave us all-day comfort and zero fatigue.
The best office chair for posture
With its ergonomic design and firm lumbar support, this is great for keeping a better posture. A strong contender for best office chair overall.
The best office chair for home offices
With its sleek, minimalist design, this is a chair for any home office, boasting a self-adaptive lumbar support and plenty of comfort controls.
The best office chair for long hours & comfort
An executive-grade office chair with the TechRadar recommends seal of approval. Designed for working long hours, it’s extremely comfortable but extremely costly.
See more office chairs
The best office chair for big and tall
An office chair specifically designed for all body types big, tall, and small. It looks and feels premium - but has a premium price-tag to match.
The best office chair for gamers
Not the cheapest office and gaming chair. But it features excellent lumbar support and a smart design built for a range of body types.
The best office chair for studying
Well-designed, well-priced, and exceptionally comfortable, the Phantom 3 is a cushioned gaming chair that's subtle and stylish.
Best office chair overall
✅ You want comfort
The Series 2 provides plenty of comfort if you’re at your desk all day, with a breathable fabric that stays cool.
✅ You want options and lots of them
This office chair comes in a variety of models and materials to match your office furniture and seating preferences.
❌ You like to lean back a lot
The Steelcase Series 2 doesn’t feature a recline lock, so the back springs back once pressure is lifted.
❌ You need a budget office chair
While it’s very well-priced for a professional ergonomic office chair, the Series 2 isn’t the cheapest on the market.
Alternative: The Flexispot C7 is a well-designed, fully featured, cheaper choice - check out our pick for home offices here
The Steelcase Series 2 takes the top slot when it comes to the best office chair. With its cushioned seat. breathable mesh fabric back, and one of the best ergonomic chair designs with height-adjustable lumbar support, we found it incredibly comfortable to sit in, even for long hours. Its gentle, elegant design makes it ideal for both the office and home office, and it’s even backed by a 12-year warranty.
Beyond all-round comfort, what really makes the Steelcase Series 2 stand out is the configuration line-up. We reviewed the task chair version, a mid-back executive-style desk chair, but the seat is available with a foot-stool, a headrest, or armless, letting you tailor the chair to your preferences. Seat height rests between 16.5 and 21.5in, armrests boast 3in adjustability, and there’s a 400lbs weight load. Overall, then, a good office chair for big and tall and most body types. In our experience, operating these adjustments with the under-seat levers and dials was very intuitive. Certainly no fumbling for controls here.
Our only real issue is that the recline doesn’t lock into place, returning to the upright position each time. Not a bad choice for those looking to improve posture at their desks. Plenty of chairs offer similar specs, but we found the Steelcase Series 2 to be the complete package - and at a fraction of the cost of similar ergonomic office chairs. No wonder we awarded it an impressive 4.5 out of 5 stars.
Read our full Steelcase Series 2 Task Chair review
Best budget office chair
✅ You want a budget office chair
Smart and affordable, this understated seat will seamlessly blend in under any desk. That it’s really a gaming chair will be your own little secret.
✅ You want simple comfort
It may be a basic office chair, but it’s surprisingly comfortable, with good back, neck, and lumbar support.
❌ You need a mesh office chair
The Corsair TC100 Relaxed comes in either fabric and leatherette variants, which aren’t as airy as mesh.
❌ You need extra support
The weight load here is just 264lbs - our 200lbs reviewer had no issues with support - but it is low to average.
Alternative: We've had great experiences with Sihoo chairs, and the Sihoo M18 available from Amazon US and Amazon UK.
The Corsair TC100 Relaxed is, technically speaking, a gaming chair - and one of the cheapest you’ll find from a genuine gaming brand. But don’t let that put you off. There’s no dazzling RGB strip lights surrounding the backrest, no racing stripes along the adjustable arms. Instead, what we have is a surprisingly professional-looking office chair, available in black or black-and-gray, with fabric and leatherette models, clocking in for under £200 / $250.
With a seat height of 17.7 to 21.6in, the chair ably supports those up to 6ft 2in. However, even with that wide, comfortable seat cushion, the lower weight load (264lbs) makes it less suitable for bigger users. If you’re within range, though, you’ll find ample support here from seat, back, and neck-rest. We certainly did. We couldn’t fault the overall comfortability here, feeling well-supported across both back and shoulders throughout our use.
It is a budget chair, so there are some trade-offs. Despite plenty of experience in this department, we didn’t find it especially easy to assemble (set aside 30 to 45 minutes, and grab someone to help). It might help if instructions were included in the box, rather than served up online. Nor is the design a stand-out. Like Corsair’s premium line, the TC100 Relaxed is muted, monochromatic. It looks as basic as they get. But it’s cheap, comfortable, and we found even the build quality is surprisingly good for the price.
Read our full Corsair TC100 Relaxed review
Before making your final choice, check out our latest Corsair promo codes to save on Corsair products.
Best office chair for back pain and lumbar support
✅ You want an affordable ergonomic office chair
The Sihoo Doro C300 is an affordable ergonomic office that costs a lot less than rival models.
✅ You want to relieve lower back pains
With its all-over comfort and support, we experienced no pains or fatigue even when using it all day.
❌ You want the best armrests
We liked the Doro C300’s 3D armrests, but more than once we placed an elbow down only to find they’d shifted position.
❌ You want quick and easy assembly
You’ll need to fit together this office chair from scratch. Instructions are simple to follow, but it may take extra time.
Alternative: For a home office alternative with adjustable lumbar support, check out the Flexispot C7.
When it comes to the best office chairs for back support and relieving back pains, ergonomics are essential. And while you’ll find plenty of ergonomic office chairs out there, the Sihoo Doro C300 is a stellar example, with high-end aesthetics and a dynamic lumbar support that adjusts to your movements. For us, this chair delivered all-day comfort at a fraction of the cost of other models.
The whole unit comes disassembled - you’ll need to fit together practically everything, so expect to spend a bit of time on the set-up. In our experience, build quality is outstanding and the frame is rock-solid. The mesh backing is comfortable - firm but relaxed, providing support across the back and shoulders. Unlike many ergo-office chairs we’ve tried, even the neck-rest felt effective and snug.
During prolonged use - barely rising from the chair for eight to ten hours - we experienced no pains, no fatigue, no pressure of any kind that might affect the lower back. On the other hand, as a natural consequence of the 3D armrests moving up, down, back and forth, they did have a tendency to move about a bit more than we like.
Overall, we did feel this is a great ergonomic office chair for lumbar support - so long as you’re of average height. If you’re looking for one of the best office chairs for short people, you’ll find it here too, of course, while the weight load is an above-average 300lbs for bigger users. However, taller users may find the position of the lower back support doesn’t quite mold to the body.
Read our full Sihoo Doro C300 ergonomic office chair review
Best office chair for good posture
✅ You want to improve your posture
It may take a moment to adjust, but this chair seems determined to keep you sitting up straight.
✅ You enjoy all-day comfort
The Flexispot C8 / OC14 / BS11 Pro is intensely comfortable, even when used for long periods of time. We even found the armrests a restful delight.
❌ You need an ergonomic office chair for back pain
There’s no adjustable or dynamic lumbar support, so you won’t be able to modify it if the set-up isn't comfortable.
❌ You need quick and easy set-up
It’s not difficult to put together the BS11 Pro, but it’s not the quickest assembly we’ve ever experienced.
Alternative: The Sihoo Doro C300 is a great all-rounder for posture, support, and ergonomics - check out our pick that's best for your back.
The Flexispot BS11 Pro has been dubbed the “jewel in the crown” of the chair-maker’s line-up. A strong but simple office chair that’s comfortable for long periods of time and possessing a professional, premium appearance way beyond its price-tag.
Confusingly, there are similar-looking seats called the Flexispot OC14, Flexispot C8, and the Ergonomic Pro. You can't miss that unique design. As far as we can tell, these are more or less identical classic mesh-and-fabric office chairs renamed for different territories.
Finding the best office chair for good posture is essential if you’re at a desk all day. We found the BS11 Pro was ideal for this - although we were initially skeptical. When first taking a seat, the chair and back-rest both felt solid, resistant to our natural (poor) posture. After only a few minutes, we began molding to the chair as one..
It’s not perfect. There’s no adjustable lumbar support here, so it might not be effective at relieving lower back pains. And while the chair allows for seat height adjustments between 46.4 and 49.6in, with good back and neck support for users over six-foot, weight load is only 286lbs. We also found assembly time to be on the longer side at an average of 20 minutes. But the wait was worth it.
We used this chair for eight-hour work days and it offered all-day comfort without compromising on good posture. As a testament to the build quality, even after using it daily for a month, the frame remained solid and silent (because what’s worse than a creaky chair?).
Read our full Flexispot BS11 Pro review
Best desk chair for the home office
✅ You want a discreet home office desk chair
The Flexispot C7 has a fresh, minimalist design that won’t dominate your working space at home.
✅ You want adaptive lumbar support
With lumbar support that adjusts to your body, we found the C7 easily offered all-day comfort without aches.
❌ You need a budget chair
With its build quality and comfort, the C7 commands a higher price-tag than other office chairs of the same design.
❌ You need specific lumbar support
We really liked this chair’s self-adaptive lumbar support, but it may not be for everyone.
Alternative: The Flexispot BS11 Pro is a good option from the same company - it's our choice of chair for posture.
With its unobtrusive, minimalist design, the Flexispot C7 was seemingly built for any home office. It’s a smart, svelte ergonomic office chair that can be quietly tucked away at the end of the day. With 4.5 stars, this one was comfortable, supportive, with tons of adjustability control.
The C7 comes in several variants - grays and blacks and fabric seats and mesh seats. The options are basic, welcome. But watch out, like other Flexispot models, it means chairs may be listed under other names like the C7B-Air or C7G-Foam, each with slightly different specs but fundamentally the same.
Overall build quality is, as we expect from the company, excellent - and we found operation smooth and silent. No squeaks and creaks to drive you to distraction (there’s enough of that at home). Nor did we experience any back pains or find ourselves needing to stand after extended sitting thanks to a self-adaptive lower back support that helped maintain a posture that felt natural.
It might be priced on the high-side for some - especially with its traditional office chair design, and the lumbar support may not be right for relieving every back pain. But as a professional desk chair for bringing comfort to a home office, it’s difficult not to recommend the C7.
Read our full Flexispot C7 ergonomic office chair review
Best office chair for long hours and comfort
✅ You want total comfort
This office chair was made to keep you comfortable and focused on the job.
✅ You’re sitting for long hours
Freedom is the right word - built for productivity and no fatigue when sitting for extended periods of time.
❌ You’re working to a budget
Even the base model of this Humanscale office chair costs several times more than a budget office chair.
❌ You depend on your headrest
While we liked the headrest of the Humanscale Freedom, we did find it had a tendency to slip down at times.
Alternative: In the same premium price-bracket, the Steelcase Series 2 performs a similar role - check out our choice for best office chair overall.
With 4.5 stars and a TechRadar Recommends badge, the Humanscale Freedom is the best office chair for long hours and comfort. It’s not ultra-padded, so you won’t sink into it like an ancient leather reading chair, where work becomes a distant memory. But nor will you find yourself constantly adjusting and reclining and trying to find the perfect spot.
The basic model boasts a fabric cushioning and a sturdy graphite frame, although there is a leather chair that is about double the price. We reviewed the fabric version, and it comfortably met our needs. Especially the flexible backrest, impressive in the way it moves and molds to your shape for constant comfort even for long periods of time.
Everything about the chair, from the smooth-rolling casters and padded armrests to the detachable headrest feels well-made (although our headrest had a tendency to slip from position at times). You’d expect that, of course, from a chair with a starting price of around $500 / £500 - and the high price-tag is one of the very few downsides we found when testing the chair.
Read our full Humanscale Freedom office chair review
Best big and tall office chair
✅ You want an office chair for the big and the tall
The Steelcase Gesture boasts a weight load of up to 400lbs, which is higher than the average office chair.
✅ You want an office chair that looks the business
The Gesture is stylish, elegant, with a premium look that matches its premium price-tag.
❌ You’re on a budget
This office chair doesn’t come cheap - and in many ways it’s hard to justify its high price-tag.
❌ You need great lumbar support
Lumbar support, while present, is distinctly lacking and undefined behind the cushioning.
Alternative: For a chair that felt great for our tall reviewer, see out our Hinomi X1 Ergonomic Chair review while Flexispot's budget B3 is build for big and tall users in the US.
The Steelcase Gesture is seemingly tailor-made for big and tall users - not exclusively, of course. But with a 400lbs weight load and with its wide, cushioned seating area, the chair offers above-average support.
We enjoyed the level of customization and adjustability on offer. If you’re anything like us, you’ll gleefully pull and turn and twist at every level and dial to find the pinnacle set-up. It can take time, especially with the seat and backrest, although armrests adjustments are incredibly easy.
Despite how comfortable it was, there’s no denying that the lumbar support is a let-down. It is there, we’re assured, but during our tests, the curve was imperceptible and hard to define it through the chair’s cushioning. The headrest, too, may be too firm for some. The Steelcase Gesture will certainly offer more than enough support for almost any body type, and if you don’t mind the lack of breathable mesh in the cushioned design, it’s well worth consideration.
Read our full Steelcase Gesture review
Best office chair for gaming
✅ You want comfy gaming and office chair
In our opinion, this one of the most comfortable gaming chairs - ideal for putting to work as an office chair.
✅ You want excellent fixed lumbar support
“Terrific” is how we described the lumbar support on this chair, which is fixed in position and capably promotes good posture.
❌ You need the cheapest chair for your office
Well-built and comfortable though it is, this isn’t the cheapest gaming chair with a business-like design.
❌ You need dynamic or adjustable lumbar support
There’s only a fixed lumbar support on this chair. It feels great, but it won’t adjust to your movements.
Alternative: Our top pick for gaming office chair is the slightly pricier Secretlab Titan - read the review here
There are a number of office chairs suited to gaming after hours - we especially like the Corsair TC100 Relaxed and the Secretlab Titan. For an alternative that has all-day comfort and a solid construction, the Razer Enki is a solid pick. With 4.5 stars and a TechRadar Pro Recommends badge, it’s doing something right.
The Enki is slightly more expensive than the Titan and TC100 Relaxed, but like both it boasts a beautiful black design that looks as professional as any traditional office chair. Comfort levels, build quality, are excellent, and in our view, it has one of the best lumbar supports of any chair at this price. If it were adjustable, it might’ve been perfect. Elsewhere, extended shoulder arches and a wide seat base make it more suitable for a range of body types (weight loads tops out at 300lbs).
There’s no mesh variant here, which is preferred for breathability, but we did find the soft materials didn’t retain much body heat, so it never became too hot or uncomfortable even during longer sessions in the chair.
Read our full Razer Enki review
Best office chair for studying
✅ You want a smart office chair for work and play
With a gaming chair silhouette and a stylish outer design, students get the benefits of a well-cushioned seat, with a subtle design that fits any room or workspace.
✅ You want comfort and ergonomics
The AndaSeat Phantom 3 feels a lot more premium than the price suggests – ergonomically designed, it’s comfortable even for long hours, and won’t take up too much space.
❌ You need full lumbar support
The Phantom 3 offers a comfortable fit, with a well-designed and moulded backrest. But while the included lumbar pillow feels great, it really should be attached to the seat.
❌ You need 4D armrests
Unfortunately you won’t find anything more than 2D armrests here. perfectly comfortable, but lacking in movement.
Alternative: Check out our budget pick, the Corsair TC100 gaming and office chair for a similar style and price.
In choosing the best office chair for studying, we were initially drawn to the Sihoo M57 (you can read our review here). it’s cheap, simple, and comfortable. But it didn’t quite have that extra something that makes sitting feel special. After consideration, our pick goes to the AndaSeat Phantom 3.
Like the Razer Enki and the Corsair TC100 Relaxed – another great pick if you’re a student – the Phantom 3 is a gaming chair. That means a racing car-style seat that’s comfortable, well-padded, supportive, ergonomic. The design here, though, is subtle, making it suitable for more professional or academic use. There’s no blinding RGB stylings or accents that threaten to distract or derail online classes. Instead, colorways are black, gray, pink, and white on the PVC ‘leather’ model, or gray and black in the fabric variant.
If you’re planning on using the chair for extended periods of time, we recommend choosing the fabric version, as you’ll find it’s more breathable and less sweaty. During our review, we noticed how premium the fabric material felt, and despite the price, felt like it could’ve been torn straight out of a classic car.
Where Phantom 3 disappoints is the support. The lumbar support pillow was very comfortable, but fiddly, and kept coming away from the chair with no way to attach it. Why is there no strap included? And armrests, also perfectly fine in use, are standard 2D style that only move up and down. Even Corsair’s similarly priced gaming chair does this better. According to the latest specs, this office chair also has a recommended weight and height limit of 200lbs / 90kg and 5'11" / 200cm - so check out the XL variants or the AndaSeat Kaiser series for a more spacious fit.
In every other respect, this AndaSeat model takes a comfortable lead. Assembly was easy, taking us just over 25 minutes to piece together the chair. The profile is small, ideal for dorm rooms and shared workspaces, the steel frame is sturdy and stable, while the padded cushioning feels soft, and overall ergonomics are good.
Read our full AndaSeat Phantom 3 review
Best office chairs: Honorable mentions
Our team of office furniture experts have tested nearly 50 different office chairs, task chairs, and desk seats.
And while not all can be crowned best office chair, these are some models we've reviewed that are worth an honorable mention.
- Secretlab Titan: Topping our list of gaming chairs for its overall comfort, cost, and support for big and tall users, its professional, near-utilitarian design gives it real office or home office potential. Seat height ranges from 18.7 to 22.4in and weight load borders on a good 287lbs, which will support a wide range of body types.
- Razer Iskur Fabric: If you do like the bucket seat look but want something a little more elegant and breathable, Razer’s Iskur Fabric has a more elevated design and luxurious feel. Better than most of the other bucket seat gaming chairs on the market, however, it offers far superior lumbar support, making it just a little more comfortable than the rest. What’s more, it’s surprisingly more affordable than it looks.
- Sihoo M90D: The Sihoo M90D is an affordable mesh-and-fabric chair with a premium feel. It boasts adaptive lumbar support and plenty of adjustability options, with a maximum load capacity of up to 330 lbs (149 kg). However, it's somewhat basic compared to rivals, but a good way to save some money on an office chair.
- FlexiSpot BS10: Combining mesh and fabric for best of both worlds comfort, the BS10 has a professional, minimalist design. We like the lumbar support, which can be adjusted about 8 cm and gives amazing back support, and the seat whose depth you can adjust as well. This office chair is available in the UK.
- Mavix M4: The mid-range Mavix M4 mesh office chair comes the features you need for long periods of sitting, including the Dynamic Variable Lumbar support and the massager add-on. You might not have that soft-to-the-touch finish that the Mavix M9 has, but the M4 is a great ergonomic office chair that won't break the bank too much.
- ErgoTune Supreme V3: If you’re looking for a high-quality, highly-adjustable mesh office chair for posture or back problems, the mid-range Supreme V3 is a great choice. That’s especially if you prefer your seat to be stiff rather than plush. What’s more, ErgoTune believes in the build quality of its products so much, it throws in a generous 12-year warranty.
Best office chair accessories
Prefer to upgrade your office chair for a more comfortable sit? We checked out some of the best-reviewed office chair accessories and essentials on Amazon.