How to Sit Properly at a Desk
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, and how to avoid tech neck, but here are a few highlights.
Sitting for long stretches during 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-minute walk per day can, according to a recent study, make a big difference in countering some effects of a sedentary lifestyle. You probably don’t need to bother with an active chair. Home office users should consider a standing desk that lets you swap between standing and sitting work positions during the day. But also? 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, which should be at elbow level, 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 a standard mouse, 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 finding 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.
What Should I Look for in an Office Chair?
A good rule of thumb is that the more adjustable a chair is, the better. Now, that doesn’t mean this chair is the absolute best, but it gives you the possibility to mold it to your body shape, which hopefully makes it a comfier and more supportive seat. Here’s what you can expect to adjust on a chair.
Armrests: Most chairs let you move the armrests side to side, up and down, forward and back. It’s even nicer when you’re able to lock the armrest into place so that they don’t slide around as your elbows rest on them. The armrest should naturally allow your palms to slightly hover over the desk. You’ll often see descriptors like “4D” and “5D adjustable armrests,” which denote how many directions you can adjust the armrest.
Seat height: It’s worth checking a chair’s maximum and minimum height before you buy because they might not work for your current desk (unless you have a standing desk where you can adjust the height). This is usually a pneumatic lift lever under the chair—pull the lever and get off the seat to let the chair go up, then sit on it and pull the lever to bring it down to your preference. Your feet should be planted on the floor at a 90- or 100-degree angle. If your chair arrives and it doesn’t get as high as you’d like, don’t worry, there’s a very simple fix. Some office chair brands offer “tall cylinders” for not a lot of money, and if not, you can usually find third-party options on retailers like Amazon (make sure you buy for your specific chair!). Simply swap your existing cylinder with the tall version, and you’ll have a greater height range to work with. You may be able to choose this option before checking out, or reach out to the company to see if they can swap it for you.
Seat depth: Seat depth is important for taller folks. This is usually a mechanism that lets you pull the seat out so that your thighs get the proper support. There should be 1 to 2 inches between the front of the seat and the back of your knees. Taller people with longer legs may not get the best support if you can’t adjust the seat depth.
Seat tilt: This isn’t as common as the above adjustments, but it’s designed to tilt the seat up or down. This can help posture and prevent back pain, though it can take some getting used to.
Lumbar support: Most office chairs offer lumbar support, which can look like a separate piece attached to the backrest that can slide up and down or back and forth. This piece supports your lower back (the lumbar region!), specifically maintaining the curve of the spine to maintain good posture as you sit and, ideally, warding off back pain. Check your chair manufacturer’s assembly instructions to learn how to adjust the lumbar support, and place the support on the curve of your lower back. What I like to do is run my hand along my spine until I reach the natural dip, then I try to make sure the lumbar support sits at that exact location. Some chairs also let you adjust the depth of the lumbar support, pushing it further inward or outward. Make sure it feels natural and that it’s not digging in. Play around with this until it feels comfortable and natural. Your shoulders should align with your hips, and you shouldn’t feel like you’re leaning forward.
Recline: Almost every office chair lets you lock or unlock the recline, but some go a step further and let you tweak the tension of the recline. This allows you to use more or less force when you lean back, which comes down to how much resistance you want when you lean back.
How We Test Office Chairs
Testing home office chairs is not for the minimalist. WIRED reviewer Matthew Korfhage and WIRED editor Julian Chokkattu—who’s tested office chairs for seven years—might have four or five office chairs in their home at any given time. That’s because office chairs take time to test. We sit in each for at least two weeks before we offer the barest opinion, because it takes time to gauge comfort. Some chairs take a moment to break in, and it can take even longer to gauge the supportiveness of each chair. Julian 6’4,” and Matthew is 6’1.” But we solicit feedback from people of various heights while testing, including Julian’s 5’1″ wife. Any chair that Matthew recommends but can’t keep is used long-term by a durability tester, ideally with a different height.
We try out all the adjustments throughout the testing period, both to see how the settings affect comfort, but also to check for tolerances and jiggle, which are red flags for durability: Seat adjustments, and armrest adjustments, are often the places where lesser chairs can fail first, long before the fabric starts to pill.
But it’s not just about durability and lumbar support. These chairs will live in a home office for years, so aesthetics are important as well. We also research each chair company, looking into their warranties, customer service, customer feedback, reports to consumer agencies, and overall reliability. An office chair is meant to be a long-term investment. If a company can’t stand behind its products, WIRED won’t either.
How Does WIRED Select Chairs to Be Reviewed?
We routinely look at the market to find new office chairs that have hit the scene, whether it’s from a newcomer or an established brand like Herman Miller or Branch. We check in on most chairs that someone credible has called their favorite, though we might not end up agreeing—and we’re always on the lookout for chairs that fill a specific niche in the market that isn’t covered by other chairs. Julian and Matthew typically reach out to these companies to ask for the product, but do not promise any kind of editorial coverage—that goes against WIRED’s editorial policies. Yes, WIRED earns affiliate revenue if you purchase an office chair using our link, but this is not factored into the decision-making process.
This said, we can’t test every single chair that hits the market, in part because our testing regimen usually involves weeks of testing. And so you may indeed find some notable missing options in this guide, even after seven years of testing. Feel free to email Matthew if your favorite is missing from the list. We’ll keep filling in the blanks on the top options in the market, and test new entrants.
After we’ve finished testing a chair, we either donate to Goodwill or keep it on hand for durability testing. Julian keeps top picks like the Branch Ergonomic Chair Pro, Herman Miller Embody, and Anthros V2 on hand to test against future contenders. Matthew does the same, but also places some chairs in the hands of durability testers of different heights, in order to see how they fare with different body types and how they hold up over time.
Office Chair Accessories
Replace Your Casters
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Photograph: Julian Chokkattu
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Stealtho
Office Chair Wheels
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. These from Stealtho, a Ukrainian company, are a good pick tested by WIRED reviewer Julian Chokkattu. They’ll work with nearly every office chair, though the company notes they don’t work with Ikea products. 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.
A Glass Chair Mat
Vitrazza
Rectangle Glass Chair Mat
Do you need a mat for your chair? Most likely not. However, casters can scuff up hard 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. A mat can help with both of these issues. WIRED senior gear editor Julian Chokkattu sat on top of this glass one from Vitrazza for two years and was pleasantly surprised. (You can go for much cheaper mats made from other materials, too.) The safety glass is thick, and Julian did not see any notable scratches even after that time. It holds 1,000 pounds and doesn’t touch my hardwood floor, as you need to affix rubber bumpers to keep them apart. You can choose from several sizes, and Vitrazza sells various shapes too. It’s just a bit difficult to clean since you have to lift it to get to all the dirt underneath.
Seat Cushions, Backrests, and Footrests
If you can’t upgrade your seat just yet, a cushion or backrest might help. Here are a few we like:
Cushion Lab Seat Cushion for $85 (but usually less): This memory foam seat is 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 rarely sold for its full price of $85, which means it isn’t really on “sale.”
LoveHome Memory Foam Lumbar Support for $23: If you slouch in your seat, this comfortable memory foam pillow can help. It keeps your back straight and supported, and as it’s 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.
Secretlab Premium Footrest for $89: I have tried a handful of footrests, and Secretlab’s Premium Footrest is easily the best—I have been using mine for more than three years. Ideally, your feet are planted on the ground as you sit, but it’s nice to be able to prop them up on something soft every so often. Not only is the PlushCell memory foam material soft and cushy for my feet, but it also stays remarkably clean. I have a tiny dog, and his hair gets everywhere except the quilted fabric cover. (You can hand-wash this cover to get dirt out.) The patterned silicone base does a good job of keeping it in place, too.
Other Office Chairs to Consider
Here are a few other chairs we like enough to recommend, but not quite enough to rank them among our top picks.
Courtesy of Uplift
Uplift Desk Intuition Ergonomic Chair With Headrest for $649: At a slightly higher price point, this ergonomically designed, breathable-mesh Intuition was a strong contender for favorite reclining chair. It’s also a strong contender in general, and the chair back’s three overlapping mesh panels make the Intuition distinctive and distinctly techy-looking. Like WIRED’s favorite affordable recliner, the lower-cost Vari Align, the Intuition allows you to halt the recline anywhere along the path from 90 degrees to 45 degrees—with an added tension control knob to adjust the speed and ease of your descent. The height of the lumbar support is adjustable up and down, and otherwise tilts and flexes to meet your back. The headrest is adjustable by both height and angle, and can also be removed entirely. But note that while the curved lower section of the chair’s back offers strong lumbar support, it’s also pretty aggressive and takes some getting used to. So is the durable nylon mesh, which will feel scratchy in your summer clothes, especially as you’re reclining. But the strong ergonomic support will be a big sell for many, especially with the chair’s near-infinite adjustability. Just note that tall people, above 6’1″, might not find that the armrests or the seat go high enough. That’s how tall tester Matthew Korfhage is, and he felt he was right on the edge. Construction is solid, mostly chrome and aluminum on the lower frame. The warranty is a lovely 15 years.
Uplift Desk Clarksville Ergonomic Chair for $359: The Clarksville is a mid-budget chair model from Uplift. It’s a type of chair I generally quite like: breathable, soft-fabric mesh back and a comfortable foam bottom, which tends to settle in over the course of a couple weeks. The overall look is boxy, utilitarian, and respectable. Like the Intution from Uplift, the chair offers deep reclining ability that can be halted anywhere en route to 45 degrees. But the suspension doesn’t offer quite the same level of lumbar support on the way down, nor is there a headrest. Which is to say the Clarksville is best at merely a slight leanback, versus a deep recline. But in the end, the Clarksville is the sort of chair you won’t think about much after you buy it, which in its own way is a virtue. A 15-year warranty on a chair below $400 makes this virtue even more virtuous.
Photograph: Julian Chokkattu
Haworth Zody Bouclé Office Chair for $1,610: Haworth’s Zody is an attractive and elegant chair, especially in this bouclé version Julian Chokkattu has tried. His test unit sadly didn’t come with a lumbar adjustment, but he still felt quite comfortable sitting in the Zody for long hours. It does run a little warm with this material, though the same will be true if you opt for leather or upholstered. (If that’s an issue, you can also go with the standard mesh Zody for $300 less.) It’s very easy to lightly recline in it, and you can even tilt the chair into a more forward sitting position if you’re doing a more active task. Julian didn’t care much for the seat arms—they feel a little rattly—but found little else to complain about the chair. You get a 12-year warranty, and you can try it for 30 days to see if it’s for you.
Photograph: Julian Chokkattu
Ergonofis Equation Ergonomic Chair for $727: Ergonofis’ Equation resembles the Steelcase Gesture; it’s an attractive chair, it’s well-built, and it has all the expected adjustments, not to mention a 12-year warranty. You can raise the dual-pivoting seat arms up and down, twist them in or out, and push them forward and back. There’s a recline lever that lets you adjust and lock it to specific angles, and you can extend the seat depth. I’m not entirely sold on the company’s back support—push two buttons on the back, and you can tilt the mesh backrest inward or outward (there are three angles). It didn’t give tester Julian Chokkattu much trouble after a month of testing, but he did feel some tingling in his lower back, and he attributes it partly to the inability to specifically position the lumbar support to the curve of his spine. The company offers a 30-day trial.
ProtoArc Flexer Pro for $400: This is a surprisingly decent office chair for the money, and these days it’s on sale much below its previous $400 offering price. There are several adjustable points, including seat pan depth and four-way adjustable armrests, as well as multiple recline angles. The build quality is solid considering the price, and it looks nice. After two weeks of sitting on it, it feels relatively supportive, though the seat foam is a bit too firm, noted tester Julian Chokkattu. The main issue is that the lumbar support pops off the chair way too easily when he shifted in his seat. (It has happened three times now.) He wished it were integrated with the backrest.
LiberNovo Omni for $1,099: Julian Chokkattu quite enjoyed his time on the LiberNovo Omni (7/10, WIRED Recommends), and tester Matthew Korfhage is currently testing the new Omni Pro line that’s still on preorder. The seat material is incredibly soft and cushiony, making it an extremely comfortable chair. The backrest is motorized—you push a button on the seat arm to have it adjust to the curve of your back—and there’s also a stretch where you can lie back and have it roll up and down your spine, like a motorized foam roller. My only concerns are that LiberNovo is a new company, so there’s no track record, especially with customer service. There’s also no seat pan adjustment, so you have to choose it at checkout; I found the larger 48-centimeter model still too small for my 6’4″ frame. Also, the warranty is lackluster compared to other chairs at this price (five years for the chair, two years for the motorized components). And do you really want a chair with a battery, even if it is removable? This is a strong first entry from the company, but you have to take a leap of faith.
Photograph: Julian Chokkattu
Hon Nucleus Drafting Chair for $605: A drafting chair is designed to accommodate high work surfaces, and you’ll usually see a ring underneath the seat, which allows you to rest your feet if they don’t hit the floor. I’ll admit I haven’t tested many drafting chairs, but I found the Nucleus completely fine. It looks a bit dull, but the seat is medium firm, there’s adjustable lumbar support, and the arms can move up or down and in or out. The version of the chair I tried did not have a recline function, but I was able to adjust the seat depth and seat height. I didn’t find it offensive after several weeks of testing, but I also didn’t fall in love. I don’t think it’s worth the MSRP. I also tried the standard Nucleus chair, which is available for a slightly lower price. This one did have the Synchro-Tilt mechanism, and it was easy to set the recline and lock it into place. Similarly, it does the job, but I think Branch’s Ergonomic Chair Pro is still the better buy.
Hon Altern Chair for $332: It’s hard to find a good office chair under $300. Most people will be better served with the Branch Ergonomic Chair pick above, which has dipped close to $300 during sale events, but the Hon Altern is a decent alternative. The best part about it is that the seat is wide and soft, so your butt will feel fairly comfortable, and the seat depth adjustment accommodates a larger group of people. However, the back support is lackluster. I want it to be more upright, but the chair forces me to lean backward. The armrests can only move up and down—I wish I could move them inward a bit more. Its design is also generic. Still, I sat on the Altern for a month, and it does the job. If your budget is tight, it’s far and away better than many of the options you’ll find at this price on Amazon. It includes a headrest, too, which is typically an extra add-on for many chairs.
Autonomous ErgoChair Ultra 2 for $499: I’ve now sat on Autonomous’s 3D-printed ErgoChair Ultra 2 for over a month, and I’m pleasantly surprised. It’s a big improvement over the original Chair Ultra, which had a flat and hard seat. The Ultra V2’s seat is still not as cushy as some chairs, but it doesn’t feel like I’m sitting on concrete. It has all of the adjustments you’d want, from seat depth to a recline lock, and I didn’t encounter any back pain. The all-mesh design offers good airflow, and the backrest is wide enough and doesn’t dig into my shoulders. The only flaw? Sometimes when I put too much pressure on the armrest (like when I’m getting up or shifting my weight), it goes down with a loud crack despite being locked in place. Also, Autonomous has a pretty lackluster two-year warranty despite the high price, and its customer service doesn’t seem to be great. A reader provided feedback of a poor experience with the company, and that seems to track with other reports I’ve read around the web.
Haworth Fern for $1,330: I think the Haworth Fern is best for shorter people (aka anyone not above 6 feet, like me). It’s adjustable to the nth degree—you can even tilt the seat for a more upright sitting position!—but the seat itself was just wide enough for me, though it’s plenty soft and pillowy. When I pulled out the seat depth to the max, it created a gap between the seat and the backrest, and I didn’t love this feeling. The backrest is nice and soft, but I’d argue the lumbar support is quite aggressive. My back just felt like something was there all the time, and it felt distracting. I don’t think you’d have these issues if you were shorter and narrower, and it’s otherwise one of the softest office chairs I’ve sat on.
Autonomous ErgoChair Pro for $499: Our top pick, the Branch Ergonomic Chair Pro, is a better buy, but if you need a headrest and want a wide seat, consider the Autonomous ErgoChair Pro. I sat on it for a month with no major problems, except that the box it came in was massive and barely fit through my front door. The levers 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. 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 solid, and I even enjoyed the headrest when kicking back to watch House reruns during lunch. The only woes? I wish the arms stayed locked, as they can slide back and forth. While the foam seat is quite comfy, it can get warm in a toasty room (though the mesh back helps keep things cool). It’s a shame this company has an abysmal warranty period, and see my note above on its customer service record.
Staples Hyken for $299: The humble Hyken is frequently available for around $150 during big sale events, making it one of the most affordable good chairs 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 five years of continuous sitting, WIRED reviewers say the Hyken’s mesh has compressed a bit, but it’s still comfy. The Staples Dexley is slightly wider, so get it if you need a wider seat.
Nouhaus Ergo3D for $300: This is another all-mesh chair. The ElastoMesh seat isn’t as comfy as the Steelcase Karman (it’ll feel worse on the skin if you, uh, tend to sit at your desk without pants), but it’s otherwise quite adjustable and roomy, plus it 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.
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Haworth Breck for $435: Haworth’s Breck office chair is likely best-suited for shorter people (roughly under 5’8″), though 6’4″ tester Julian Chokkattu experienced no back pain when sitting in it for a month. That’s because the Breck’s seat is short, and the seat depth only extends an extra 2 inches. The weight-activated recline also requires some push on your end, more than you might expect—it wasn’t too difficult, but lighter-weight people may find it problematic. The seat padding is thin, though this caused no issues even after hours of sitting. The best part is how amazingly simple it is to set up—no tools required! But the main gripe? Simply getting up from the seat causes the gas spring cylinder to loudly lift. This, and the fact that it tends to make some noises when one fidgets around, makes it feel a little cheap.
Branch Verve for $599: The Verve used to be a top pick, the Ergonomic Chair Pro is likely a better value considering they’re similar in price. It is elegant (especially in the lovely Coral and Cobalt colors), it keeps one’s back straight, and tester Julian Chokkattu found it quite comfy. It can make nearly the same adjustments, but there’s no seat tilt, and the armrests are much more limited. Taller or bigger people wouldn’t mind if the seat were a smidge wider. Note also that a colleague who owns the Verve has said that after more than two years, the seat started to sink whenever he sat on it. Thankfully, he says, Branch’s customer service was very responsive and promptly sent him a new cylinder.
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Eureka Ergonomic Royal Chair for $449: Some folks chase that executive aesthetic—you know, plush leather and a high back so you can swivel around and reveal a cat in your lap as you laugh maniacally? This chair from Eureka fits the bill without costing a fortune, and it was an OK chair for the month Julian Chokkattu sat in it. The setup was quick, and the seat and back are soft and a little bouncy. He nonetheless found his back sweaty after a few hours of sitting because there was just nowhere for body heat to go. The lumbar support isn’t great, and prolonged sitting left Julian with some sensations in his lower back. Not pain, just his back telling him he ought to get up. There’s not much to adjust, but the recline and headrest. Also, if you need a wide seat, this is not the chair for you, as the armrests will feel like they’re boxing you in (it just fits Julian, who is 6’4″). The chair is easy to clean with a damp cloth, and the fake leather has held up. Too bad about the two-year warranty.
Secretlab Titan Evo for $579: Our review of the Secretlab Titan Evo gaming chair says it’s 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. It will also make you feel sweaty.
Hinomi X1 for $799: Hinomi’s X1 mesh chair has a trick up its sleeve—a built-in footrest! Just extend and flip out the footrest; voilà, your feet are now propped up. This might not be very practical for fellow tall people, as my legs often hit the wall behind my desk, but it’s quite comfy. Tester Julian Chokkattu found the chair well-built, but said he didn’t end up using the footrest as much as he thought he would. There are a good amount of adjustments, and the seat itself is a bit firm, which Julian got used to after some time. Hinomi offers a 10-year warranty.
OdinLake Ergo Max747 for $729: The Ergo Max747 is, all around, a great seat to sit in. The three-piece back provides great back support and comfort, and the easy-access paddles on either side of the seat make most adjustments quick and simple. Even sitting for hours, I never felt uncomfortable, whether I was sitting up or reclining (this chair reclines incredibly far, from 90 to 135 degrees). The bag holder in the back (which I typically used to hold a hat or small backpack) was a surprisingly nice touch, and the mesh backing and seat are breathable, preventing overheating during prolonged use. I still don’t know how I feel about the polished metal frame, and the inclusion of gloves for assembly makes me worry about how easily this seat will pick up smudges over the years, but the polished finish itself is spotless and well-executed. At 6’3″, I had to max out the back height to comfortably sit in the chair. The secondary adjustments (back height, lumbar support, and headrest height) were awkward to adjust due to complicated ratcheting mechanisms keeping them in place. However, the comfort and breathability of this chair make it a compelling choice. —Henri Robbins
Vari Task Chair for $429: Vari’s Task Chair is surprisingly comfy given its relatively simple construction. Former WIRED reviewer Medea Giordano tested it and asked her husband to use it during his long gaming sessions. They agreed that the angled back provides ample lumbar support to make those sessions comfortable. It also takes very little time to construct. You can recline a bit, but even at the lowest tension, it pushes you back up, and there’s no head support. It’s more for rocking than actually leaning. Her biggest gripe is that the armrests are quite hard. A little more padding would be a huge improvement.
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Branch Softside for $299: Julian Chokkattu tested the high-back version of the Softside and liked it a lot. It’s different from all the other chairs in this guide, a bit comfy and cushiony. If you need a wider seat, this might not be the option for you, as the armrests do box you in. There’s not much to adjust, but Julian’s back didn’t have any issues after weeks of sitting for full workdays. The build quality overall is OK. Considering it starts at $299, the overall seating experience, and the lovely design in fun colors, this is a pretty good value if you are after a deep-cushioned experience.
BodyBilt Midcelli for $1,021: BodyBilt’s chair looks quite average, but the seat pad is plush and soft, and it’s contoured to your butt and legs, which tester Julian Chokkattu liked more than he expected. The mesh back has some give to it, so it doesn’t feel rigid, and there are all the usual points of adjustment, including moving the seat forward and back. I wish the arms could lock in a position. It has a lifetime warranty on select parts, while other chair areas are covered for 12, seven, five, or three years. There are more customization options on BodyBilt’s website—with the option to get a consultation. These are all nice sells. But it’s a hefty price compared to some of WIRED’s top picks.
Tempur-Pedic Tempur-Lumbar Support Office Chair for $352: This is a nice alternative to the Branch Ergonomic Chair above, and the Tempur seat cushion is, perhaps unsurprisingly, wonderfully comfy to sit on for hours at a time. Most chairs that have a thick lumbar cushion end up causing me back pain, but not here—tester Julian Chokkattu had no issues sitting on it for a month. The mesh back is nice for airflow, too. The arms tend to move around a bit, though, and the mechanism to adjust them is not elegant. Installation wasn’t too hard, but the instructions weren’t as simple as Branch’s, and the overall build quality feels cheap.
Etta Avenue Doreen Velvet Task Chair for $137: There’s absolutely nothing you can adjust on this chair except its height, but it’s cute, and the seat is comfy. The velvet polyester was surprisingly durable and looked nice even after several weeks of sitting on this chair. The gold finish on the frame and legs chipped off in one area when tester Julian Chokkattu was unboxing it—it’s frequently under $200, OK? But the biggest issue is that it is not compatible with tall or larger people, perhaps not surprising from a chair that was “hand-curated” by Kelly Clarkson for Wayfair. Julian’s wide shoulders caused his arms to stick out of this chair, making it difficult to type, but it suited his 5’1″ wife’s narrower frame well. With a 30-day warranty, you get what you pay for, but this chair is more about aesthetics than anything else.
X-Chair X2 K-Sport Management Chair for $879: This used to be our top mesh chair pick, but it has been supplanted by the Steelcase Karman. Sitting in the X-Chair feels like lounging in a hammock. Every part of the 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 three years of near-continuous sitting, but it’s also a bit bulky. X-Chair has several models to choose from. I tested the X-2 K-Sport with the wide seat, and it fits tester Julian Chokkattu’s 6’4″ frame well, but it was too wide for his partner, who is 5’1″. Most people should be fine with the standard X1.
Ikea Markus for $300: 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 $1,845: Functionally, the X-Tech is similar to the X-Chair 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 versions. It’s the Brisa Soft Touch material that impresses the most—it’s ridiculously soft. Stick with the standard armrests instead of the FS 360 armrests, which tend to move about too much. But the biggest gripe with this model is the price. Why on earth does it cost that much?
Mavix M7 for $777: If this looks strangely similar to the X-Chair (see above), that’s because both are owned by the same company. WIRED gaming chair reviewer Louryn Strampe 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 sweaty League of Legends sessions, and the lumbar support does the job. If you’re short, contact customer support while ordering—Mavix offers shorter cylinders so your feet can touch the ground.
Hon Ignition 2.0 for $477: The Ignition 2.0 is easy to set up and looks great, but it’s had mixed results among WIRED testers, despite positive reviews around the web. 6’4″ tester Julian Chokkattu experienced some back pain, but his 5’4″ friend then asked a friend who is around 5’4″ to try it for a few weeks, 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.
Pipersong Meditation Chair for $299: 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 seat 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 most prominent chair 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. —Medea Giordano
Avoid These Chairs
If you come across these models, we recommend you save your cash and go for one of the picks above.
Photograph: Julian Chokkattu
Eureka Ergonomic Serene Nox: This chair is easy to set up; however, after tester Julian Chokkattu sat on it for more than a week, two of the screws at the bottom of the frame came undone, and the left half of the seat suddenly dropped low. That’s not something you should deal with for an $800 chair, and even after he tightened the screws, it happened again a few days later. It’s a shame, because it’s a fairly attractive leather office chair with a nice silhouette, and it’s decently comfy. The construction just needs work.
Razer Iskur V2 X: Multiple WIRED reviewers recommend Razer’s Iskur V2 Pro as the best gaming chair if you’re after the racing car seat aesthetic, but the cheaper V2 X isn’t as impressive. It’s dramatically cheaper, but it’s worth keeping in mind that the Iskur V2 has dipped to $400 during major sale events, so the V2 X isn’t that much more affordable. The seat is actually OK; the built-in lumbar support helped keep back pain away even after long hours at the computer. The fabric upholstery keeps your body warm (and a little sweaty), but it’s comfy to sit on. But the biggest issue for tester Julian Chokkattu? It creaked so dang much. After just a week or so of sitting on the V2 X, almost every part of the chair started creaking. You’re going to have to WD-40 this thing every few weeks to keep it quiet. Or save your cash and go for the V2.
TopJob Napa: The Napa should be $200 or $250 at best, notes tester Julian Chokkattu, nowhere near its $450 to $550 asking price. It looks attractive, especially in the amber vegan leather. Julian’s back surprisingly didn’t complain after more than a week of sitting in it for several hours a day. It’s not comfy, he notes, there’s not much plush to the seat and backrest, but it’s not too uncomfortable. It doesn’t have many points of adjustment—you can adjust the armrest height, lock the recline at a few degrees, and adjust tilt tension. That’s it. Technically, you can adjust the headrest, but mine would not stay put at a specific height. You can pull out a footrest, but in practice this is more gimmicky than useful. The overall quality is a little cheap. You can do better at this price.
Humanscale World One: Despite hailing from the well-renowned Humanscale, this chair looks quite bland, noted tester Julian Chokkattu. The setup was fairly quick, and … interesting. You have to hammer two pegs to affix the backrest to the seat, which I’ve never before had to do, after testing dozens of office chairs. It just feels cheap and a little too plasticky. Like other Humanscale offerings, there are no adjustments to make as the chair will handle it all for you (you can adjust the seat and armrest height). Julian loved this on the pricier Humanscale Freedom, which felt like someone was cradling his body. But here, he found his body constantly shifting in the all-mesh World One, trying to find a comfy way to recline. The mesh material also feels like it digs in a bit. This could all be because he’s 6’4″, as the chair feels like it’s better suited for less lofty people. But at $700, it’s worth demanding more.
Herman Miller Vantum: Initially, tester Julian Chokkattu liked the Vantum. He liked how I could keep myself in a super upright position, which made him 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 just below four figures). The headrest isn’t great either—Julian nearly broke it trying to move it up and down. As he kept sitting, it was the back support that disappointed him 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 cause back pain.
Vilno Nobel Kneeling Chair: It’s a freakin’ kneeling chair! It was easy to put all the wood pieces together, and the seat cushion was surprisingly plump. This is what’s known as an active chair, meant to keep your body moving and keep your posture straight. It feels effective for the first few hours, but unfortunately, rocking in the seat tends to cause it to move around on the floor, so I frequently have to fix my position. Worse yet, my shins and knees grew fatigued, and I started feeling some pain after a few days. 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. —Julian Chokkattu
Flexispot C7: While this chair is simple to assemble and looks good, it feels flimsy. The entire back flexes and warps whenever you move, and the lumbar support is barely connected to the rest of the chair, meaning it audibly scratches against the main section of the back every time you adjust and hardly feels like it provides any actual support. The footrest bends whenever weight is put on it, and the foam seat cushion collects crazy amounts of pet hair. It feels like just a few extra screws and supports would have made this a good product, but in its current state, there isn’t enough material to make it feel sturdy. —Henri Robbins
Steelcase Series 1: WIRED reviewer Louryn Strampe says her biggest issue with the Series 1 is with the armrest—the tops slide back and forth and side to side, which could be a good thing, except she managed to pinch her arm every time she moved. There’s no way to lock them in place, so while she felt supported, her 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.
Sihoo Doro S300: Former WIRED reviewer Medea Giordano tested the Doro S300, which, in white, looks like it came straight out of the Space Force situation room. She found it comfortable. There are several adjustments you can personalize, like seat depth and recline angle. You can recline quite far, but she says she wishes there were a footrest to enjoy the lowest recline position. She typically prefers a cushy gaming chair, but she says she had no trouble sitting on this seat all day—the dual lumbar support helps too. However, the headrest is too low for her to lean against, even at its maximum height, and the arms move too easily. Simply placing her arms down pushes them out of position. It’s also squeaky and overpriced.
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