Best Office Chairs of 2023
Desk chairs can make or break your working experience. We've tested the best office chairs on the market so you can find the perfect one for your workspace.
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Whether you work remotely, in a hybrid situation or game at home, you need a comfortable chair to make that time behind a desk palatable. Office chairs are normally the most comfortable way to spend eight hours sitting down, and we have the best chairs here for you. What is the best office chair overall?
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If you spend any time at home at a computer, gaming console or doing anything that involves sitting for a long period of time, you need a high-quality office chair, and we think our top pick, the Amazon Basics Office Chair is a great option. Though it lacks lumbar support, it's still a comfortable seat, available at a great price.
Getting the right support while you're sitting will help with your posture as well as any muscle soreness that a bad chair can cause. During the pandemic, many of us at CNET had to turn a part of our home into a working office, which gave us a chance to test a lot of office chairs. Moving into 2023 we still have a lot of hybrid work situations that make a good office chair imperative.
We've been testing office chairs here at CNET for over nine years, and I've been sitting on office chairs for decades. All of it has been leading us to give you the most information we can for you to make an informed decision about where to rest your rump.
Note: Product pricing tends to vary on third-party sites, so the prices quoted here for these ergonomic office chairs, as of writing this, may change slightly over time. We'll do our utmost to regularly update this list of the best office chair options to reflect the most accurate prices for you.
Best office chairs of 2023
I liked this Amazon Basics chair right away. This swivel chair was easy to assemble, the leather design looks nice, and the adjustable seat and back are both cushioned and comfortable.
This Amazon Basics chair is a great option that's relatively affordable without sacrificing much, with one exception: lumbar support. If lumbar support is a must-have feature, consider one of our other favorites. Overall, this comfortable and reasonably priced ergonomic chair is easy to put together and easy on the eyes.
Most comfortable office chair
The Verve chair by Branch
It really is amazing the difference between a cheap chair and a more expensive one. I have spent years using a $100 chair and having back pain for most of that time. The Verve chair by Branch costs much more money, but everything about it oozes quality. The heavy metal fittings, the quality of the fabric and even the movement of the wheels show you this product has had care and attention put into it.
Comfort rating: Super comfortable
Best mid-priced office chair
Hon Ignition 2.0
Like the Branch above, the Ignition 2.0 is a well-constructed chair. Once it's put together, it oozes sophistication and looks fantastic in my office space. I'm a big guy so I'm always concerned that chairs won't hold my weight, but the Ignition is clearly designed with people like me in mind.
Adjustments can be made to your lumbar, height and armrests, but my favorite is being able to move the seat in and out. My long legs often feel unsupported but having the seat further forward supports me far better. Overall, this is an excellent chair priced in the midrange. Its comfort level is high on my charts and the quick build time and solid construction make it one of the best chairs around.
Best office chair with a headrest
Flexispot C7
Like the OC14 before it, the C7 has an extremely comfortable headrest. While you may not use it every minute of the day like your lumbar support, the headrest does make those moments of relaxation much nicer. The mesh back is very comfortable as well. It's breathable and yet feels strong enough to support my weight without ripping.
I really like the soft padding on the armrest, and they're adjustable on all three axes -- in/out, up/down and left/right -- so you can fit them to your sitting style. I wish the lumbar support was as adjustable. It can move in and out, but can't be raised to fit the curve of my tall back so it never feels like it's supporting it as much as I would like.
Best build your own office chair
Steelcase Karman
The newest chair from Steelcase wins a spot on this best list not because it's comfortable -- it is, especially in the lumbar regions -- but because of the customization options available to you at purchase. You can choose the color of the chair, of course, but you can also add additional lumbar support (you'll want that), additional movement for the armrests, or even wheels for hard floors or carpets.
I found the chair to be excellent over long periods, and I especially like how well the locking system works. Some chairs feel like they lean back too far, even when locked, but the Karman is rock solid the whole time.
Best office chair for full body gamers
EasySMX Big and Tall gaming chair
I'm 6 feet, 1 inch and 275 pounds, so I'm a pretty big guy. Finding a comfortable chair has been an issue for me for years, and I have had several have their wheels break while I've been using them. This gaming chair has a weight limit of 350 pounds and features adjustable armrests that go up and down and rotate to find the perfect resting point for your forearms. A tall back and wide base make it so a big-framed person like myself can sit comfortably. While it may not be strictly an office chair, I have used it for over a year now as my primary seat and it still works well.
Staff picks and other office chairs we've tested
As a team, the CNET staff collectively spend a lot of time sitting at our desks. While we'd all love to own the best office chairs, we often have to make do with what we have, or we've found something we like and have stuck with it. These picks are not tested in the same way as our best list above, but are what our writers, engineers and HR people use regularly.
Most comfortable higher end office chair
Herman Miller Mirra 2
The Herman Miller Mirra 2 is expensive, but I justified the cost because I spend hours sitting in front of a computer screen. Boy, am I glad I did. Its mesh seat remains comfortable and supportive after five and a half years of steady use. When I sit down, I feel an actual moment of pleasure that it's still good. This is a huge step up from foam seat chairs that compress over time. The mesh is easier to clean and keeps cool, too. I like the adjustments, which I set up once and have left alone since then.
-- Stephen Shankland
Comfort rating: Super comfy
Former best office chair with head rests
Flexispot OC14
Since testing this latest batch of office chairs, I've grown to love the mesh back and lumbar support of the OC14 from Flexispot. I'm naturally a hot person, and having a back on my chair that allows my body to breathe is something that has been missing from my life.
The headrest is also comfortable, as it's adjustable and sits right at the base of my head. The seat itself is wide, so there's plenty of room for my wide frame to sit comfortably. The setup took me 20 minutes, and though it was a little fiddly in some places, everything feels secure and stable overall. No wibbles or wobbles on this chair, with how tough the screws were to get in.
Aesthetically, the rich maroon color works well with the gray armrests and the near-ivory color of the base. It's a good-looking chair, and well worth the money it costs.
Comfort rating: Comfortable for long periods
Best office chair for posture
Nypot Premium ergonomic kneeling chair
I bought a kneeling chair initially because of a torn hamstring and realized how much it helped my posture. It also forced me to stand up more and not slouch. Now I move around conscientiously while working, which helps with neck and ankle stiffness. This brand stands out: It can rock, has good padding for the knees, it's adjustable and definitely more affordable than others. When friends come over, they always try it and are surprised how much they like it.
-- Laura Michelle Davis
Comfort rating: Good enough
Most durable office chair
Ikea Markus office chair
I am 6 feet, 1 inch tall and this is the most durable, and most comfortable, office chair I've ever had. My previous one lasted eight years! I've sold enough of them that Ikea owes me some euros, and I recently bought a replacement that I expect to last me almost another decade. Forget those gamer chairs that break in six months, the Markus is the real deal for those of us who can't afford a Herman Miller or a Steelcase.
-- Wesley Radcliffe
Comfort rating: Super comfy
Best standing desk office chair
HAG Capisco adjustable standing desk chair
You can sit in the chair multiple ways. It's great for those with lower back discomfort. Unique design, comfortable and lots of customization. Fantastic for standing desks, because it can raise up to bar stool height.
-- Justin Eastzer
Comfort rating: Super comfy
How to choose the right office chair
Ergonomics
Ergonomics is the "science of work," said Gary Allread, the program director for the ergonomics division at Ohio State University's Spine Research Institute. That definition doesn't just apply to our jobs, though; ergonomic principles can be used for pretty much any activity (that means an ergonomic office chair isn't going to immediately fix your lower back pain). Allread and his team offer consultation services for a variety of workplaces, including manufacturing plants. They even occasionally provide input on product design to help companies better understand how to create products "to make sure they can interact with people as well as possible," Allread says.
Chair posture
A less-than-ideal work setup might cause pain in your back, arms, hands or wrists. You might also find yourself fidgeting, making more mistakes or taking more breaks, all because you're uncomfortable, Allread warned. Long-term, you might end up with tendonitis or carpal tunnel syndrome.
Allread made two main suggestions we all can try to improve how we work:
- Sit with your back against your chair. ("You want the chair to do the work and not your back," he said.)
- Support your feet. Either plant your feet on the floor or, if they don't reach, use a box or other footrest to support your feet.
Lumbar support
If your chair lacks lumbar support, Allread said, you can roll up a towel, secure it with tape or rubber bands and place it at your lower back as a lumbar cushion to "keep the back in its natural curve." Allread also noted that companies are beginning to introduce different chair sizes, supporting a wider range of body sizes, which is an important consideration if you're shopping for a new ergonomic office chair and looking for the best seat height and seat depth.
"One mistake people make is they say, 'Well if I get a great chair, then I'm not going to be sore anymore,' and that's not really looking at the big picture of what it takes to keep people comfortable and productive at their jobs," Allread explained. There are a lot of factors, and a new chair is just one of many things that can make your work environment more comfortable.
So, let's keep that all in mind as we weigh our options for the best office chair.
How we test office chairs
Like everything we test here at CNET these office chairs have undergone a barrage of tests. First, we assembled each chair and noted any issues with the process, including how long it should take versus how long it actually took. Then, we spent two workdays, or about 16 hours, sitting in each chair, noting the level of comfort, adjustability (such as adjustable height, adjustable backrest or adjustable arm features) and any issues we had.
We also tested what I like to call the Wibble Wobbles. Because office chairs are often supported by just one rod they can wobble left and right. That movement causes stress on the chair and can shorten its life and cause motion discomfort and even sickness.
While I'm heavier and taller than average, your experience may differ from ours. That's why we asked our professional for questions you should ask when choosing your own chair.
- Was the chair designed so you can rest comfortably against the back of the chair?
- Do your feet touch the floor with your back against the back of the chair?
- Did you find yourself fidgeting or standing up a lot?
- Did you experience any pain or discomfort while using a particular chair?
We let these questions guide us as we looked through all the different chairs and they helped eliminate a lot that answered in the negative. Some of those chairs felt OK to use, but in the long run, they didn't offer the advantages of the ones we ultimately chose.