Now that more of us work from home, finding the best office chair is arguably the most important aspect of your office set up. (Although, if you’re looking for other home office essentials like a laptop, keyboard or WiFi extender, we have buyer’s guides to those, too).
But what makes an office chair ergonomic? “One that suits you,” says Lee Jones, ergonomic consultant at specialist retailer Wellworking. “In an ideal world we would all have a chair specifically made for us, but as that’s not realistic we need chairs that can be adjusted to suit our individual needs, especially as we tend to sit for prolonged periods at home or in the office.”
In practice, that means it offers back support or lumbar support and is easily adjustable. At a minimum, ergonomic office chairs – sometimes called ‘posture chairs’ or ‘orthopaedic chairs’ – should allow for seat height adjustment, pan depth adjustment, back support adjustment (tilt, tension, height, etc), and movement (letting you turn while seated, without straining).
Like office workers, many gamers look for a special gaming chair to keep them supported during long periods in front of the PC. These tend to be softer than office chairs and are designed for a more laid back posture, with support for the head as well as the lower back.
You can find more detail about what to look for in an ergonomic office chair at the bottom of this feature, after our reviews. But if you’re in a hurry, here’s a quick look at our top five:
What are the best office chairs in 2024? At a glance
What is the best sitting position for working?
“You should adjust everything initially, but once you have set the chair to suit you and the desk you are working at, the height is something you’ll want to check regularly,” says Jones. “One of the most common issues for poor posture is incorrect sitting height.”
The functions of an ergonomic office chair help you get into the perfect seated position: knees a little lower than your hips, feet flat on the floor, and roughly 1-4 inches of space between the back of your knee and the seat’s edge (the ideal position for optimal leg support and blood flow).
If you find it painful to sit for long periods, you may find our guide to the best standing desks useful.
How we tested the best office chairs
I tested almost 20 office chairs in showrooms, with expert advice from ergonomic consultant Lee Jones. I evaluated each chair for comfort, support, material, adjustability and ease to set up. I wanted something that was as comfortable as it was supportive for my back.
The best ergonomic office chairs
1. Herman Miller Aeron Office Chair
Best overall office chair, 10/10
We like: it’s the best-engineered office chair you’ll find
We don’t like: it costs more than £1,000