If you’re working from home for an extended period, it’s essential to set up an ergonomic workspace that minimizes strain on your arms, back, and neck. That means you need a proper chair, ideally in front of a desk or table. Office chairs are designed for extended periods of productive sitting; they should allow you to keep your hands on your keyboard and mouse without stretching awkwardly. I’ve sat in (and reviewed, of course) dozens of chairs, from big gaming chairs to sleek Herman Miller models, to help you find the best office chair for your needs and budget. My top pick is the Herman Miller Vantum, which justifies its price with a comfortable ergonomic design and a 12-year warranty. Still, all models on this list are worth your consideration, so read on for all of our recommendations.
Deeper Dive: Our Top Tested Picks
EDITORS’ NOTE
Jan. 13, 2026: With this update, our lineup of recommended office chairs remains unchanged. The existing picks have been vetted for currency and availability.
- Fantastic lumbar and upper-back support
- Strong build with high weight tolerance
- Clever reclining adjustment
- 12-year warranty
The Vantum stands out as Herman Miller’s best value in a gaming or office chair. At less than $1,000 it’s downright cheap for a Herman Miller chair, and it’s supremely comfortable. The iconic Aeron isn’t on this list because it costs far more than the Vantum and isn’t as supportive with a simpler back support and no headrest.
This is simply an excellent chair, and one we can recommend to anyone willing to pay a (relatively modest, in this case) Herman Miller premium. If you’re spending a lot of time at your desk it’s a good long-term investment, especially with the company’s 12-year warranty thrown into the deal.
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Herman Miller Vantum Review
- Excellent build quality
- Comfortable
- Several clever design elements
- Easy assembly
- Magnetic head pillow can be nudged off
- Faux leather is vulnerable to cats
Secretlab’s gaming chairs have long been among our favorites. Their build quality and materials are excellent, and the company tends to throw in some clever bits of engineering, too. The large and sturdy Titan EVO 2022 features adjustable lumbar support as well as a magnetic head pillow, making it one of the most comfortable chairs we’ve sat on in quite some time. It’s available in plenty of colors and licensed designs from properties like Diablo, League of Legends, and Star Wars. It even comes in several choices of materials, including Napa leather and a supple, relatively cat-resistant faux leather called NanoGen as seen on the pricier Titan EVO NanoGen Edition.
If you want to go beyond the typical black look for your chair, the Titan EVO 2022 is one of the best out there. It isn’t cheap, but it’s a substantial upgrade over the gaming chairs you typically find in stores for half the price, and there are dozens of options to choose from.
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Secretlab Titan EVO Review
- Relatively affordable
- Comfortable
- Loaded with clever design elements
- Eye-catching hubless casters
- Mesh feels plasticky
- Somewhat low weight limit
Fractal Design’s Refine is an impressive chair, packed with unique and clever design elements like adjustment levers built into the seat and a sliding head pillow that clicks securely into place. It’s also very comfortable, with a manually adjustable lumbar support not often seen in minimalist, open-back chairs.
This is an excellent option for a Herman Miller-like seat for half the price (or less). The Refine doesn’t have quite the contour-hugging ergonomics of Herman Miller’s offerings, but it’s packed with smart design details that make it seem more expensive than it is.
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Fractal Design Refine Review
- Sturdy, comfortable design
- Above-average warranty
- Inexpensive
You have to temper your feature expectations when buying a budget office chair, but the AndaSeat Novis proves you don’t have to compromise on quality. It’s well-made, with dense padding, and is comfortable to sit in for extended periods. It also has a better-than-average three-year warranty you can extend to five years by sharing a picture of it on social media.
Priced at less than $300, this should be one of your first picks if you don’t want to spend a lot on your chair. Just be aware that while it’s comfortable, it’s also pretty barebones. For example, you can recline the back like most chairs of its type, but the AndaSeat Novis lacks a tilt mechanism for freely rocking or leaning the entire seat back.
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AndaSeat Novis Gaming Chair Review
- Comfortable design with good back support
- Plenty of customization options
- Breathable mesh fabric
- Stylish
- Reasonably priced
- Plastic construction
- Challenging assembly with poor instructions
- Free-moving armrests will bug some users
Ergonomic chairs that can be adjusted to fit your body just right tend to be really expensive. The Autonomous ErgoChair Pro is a budget-friendly option with six different adjustable options, including a lumbar support that can be tweaked and moved. With an all-plastic frame, it doesn’t feel as sturdy as the pricier chairs on this list, and it only comes with a two-year warranty, but it provides customizable comfort with a versatile ergonomic design at a fair price.
If you want an ergonomic mesh chair you can customize to fit you just right, but you don’t want to hit four digits, the Autonomous ErgoChair Pro is a good choice. It might be just right for your back without breaking the bank.
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Autonomous ErgoChair Pro Review
- Arrives fully assembled
- Very comfortable
- Many adjustable elements to personalize the feel
- Lengthy 12-year warranty
- Extremely expensive
- Fairly low-key look for such a pricey chair
Did you think the Aeron was Herman Miller’s most comfortable and expensive office chair? Think again. The Embody is even more ergonomic and pricey. Its taller seat back features dozens of “pixel” points that conform to the shape of your back, offering ideal support from your shoulders down and supreme comfort.
This is for gamers, content creators, and other well-off workers who need to seriously consider long-term ergonomics. If you spend a lot of time on the keyboard, gamepad, or microphone, this is the chair to beat. Herman Miller also notably provides a 12-year warranty, but that applies to all of its chairs.
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Herman Miller Embody Review
- Reduces back pain from sitting
- Comfortable and supportive
- Free video consultation before you buy
- 60-day return policy and 12-year warranty
- Expensive
- Unique back support requires an adjustment period
The Anthros Chair is one of most expensive priciest chairs on this list, but for good reason: It can potentially improve your posture and reduce back pain. Instead of a lumbar support against the small of your back, the Anthros uses a pelvic support that keeps your hips stationary and properly aligned below your upper back, encouraging you to sit up straight. It’s also very well-made and quite comfortable.
If you’ve been struggling with lower back pain from sitting in a conventional chair for long periods of time, the Anthros Chair might be the answer. It’s unique, expensive, and not for everyone, but it might be just what you need if nothing else has helped. Anthros provides a 30-day return policy, free return shipping, and a 12-year warranty, which helps make the price a bit easier to swallow.
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Anthros Chair Review
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Buying Guide: The Best Office Chairs for 2026
Office Chairs vs. Gaming Chairs
What’s the difference between office chairs and gaming chairs? Not much. Gaming chairs, in general, are bulky office chairs that offer more considerations for sitting in various positions for extended periods. They typically feature tall backs with head and lumbar cushions, often providing more support than standard office chairs. They also tend to be better made, with higher weight limits and more considerations for larger users. Gaming chairs typically offer a wider range of colors and designs as well.
Herman Miller Vantum (Credit: Will Greenwald)
Most gaming chairs also have a recline function that office chairs lack. A lever on the side of the seat allows you to tilt the back and recline while keeping the seat level. You shouldn’t use this feature while on video calls with your boss, but it’s a nice option to have when you’re done with work (or between meetings) and want to relax.
Gaming chairs tend to cost more than office chairs, but the extra money is usually worth it, as the additional support and better build quality go a long way in enhancing comfort and durability. Gaming chairs also typically come with warranties of several years, whereas cheaper office chairs may have warranties that last only 90 days.
This is all to say that if you like a gaming chair’s design and features, don’t worry that it isn’t called an office chair. It should work just fine in your office.
Office Chair Ergonomics: Weight Limits, Height, Support, and Tilt
Chair dimensions on Wayfair (Credit: Wayfair)
A cheap chair might look good on paper, but it might not be a good fit. If you’re pushing past 200 pounds, check the weight capacity of any office chair you’re considering. You should also see if the product listing shows the seat width and depth. Even if it can support you, you don’t want your hips squeezed by the armrests or to perch on an uncomfortably narrow seat. If you’re particularly short or tall, verify that the seat height range accommodates you as well. Almost all office chairs have a gas cylinder that lets you adjust the height, but some have a larger range than others.
In addition, office chairs can have low or high backs (we’ve even seen a couple with no backs), which can significantly impact their comfort. Cheaper chairs tend to have low backs that end around or just under the shoulders. They might support your lower half, but they won’t do much for your upper back and head. Still, if you mostly work by leaning forward rather than sitting upright or slightly back, that level of support should be sufficient.
Lumbar support is also important, but this is harder to test. Most office chairs claim to have some form of lumbar support, but it might be as simple as a slight arc against your lower back. Take a close look at the chair design to gauge how much support it can provide.
Tilt is a helpful feature that enhances your overall comfort and range of motion when sitting for extended periods. Few office chairs have the reclining function of gaming chairs, but you might still be able to sit back a bit on them. Many models have an adjustable tilt that lets the entire seat move backward across a limited angle when you lean; it typically springs back to the upright position when you lean forward or stand up. This tilt mechanism often uses a scissor hinge located at the base of the chair where it attaches to the gas cylinder. It adjusts seat height and usually features a knob that lets you fine-tune how freely it moves. You can often restrict the tilt completely via a lever.
What’s the Best Office Chair Material?
Herman Miller Aeron (Credit: Herman Miller)
Chairs come in a variety of materials, including fabric, leather, and mesh. The best material ultimately depends on your personal taste, but there are several factors to consider.
Recommended by Our Editors
Leather, even the PU leather that most affordable “pleather” chairs use, tends to look the nicest, but it also wears down the fastest. It scratches and tears easily, especially if you have a pet. Fabric is usually more hardy, but it is the easiest to stain and can collect the most odors. Mesh chairs are the lightest, most springy, and the least likely for pets to want to sit on. The mesh material serves as the chair’s entire support structure, unlike the foam padding in fabric and leather chairs, and may not provide all the support you need.
Should You Buy a Cheap Office Chair from Amazon or Staples?
Ideally, you should see and feel furniture before you buy it. That isn’t an option with most big-name gaming and office chairs, which is why our reviews are so helpful. However, you may be able to sit in a generic office chair before taking it home. Your local big-box office supply store, such as OfficeMax or Staples, should have a variety of desk chairs available for testing, ranging in build and price. Just be aware that these house brands tend to be more basic than the chairs we’ve reviewed, often using inferior materials such as less supple PU leather or less generous padding.
(Credit: Amazon)
If you want to spend even less, countless dirt-cheap office chairs are available online, with hundreds listed on sites like Amazon and Wayfair. There’s nothing wrong with considering any of these models, but it’s a bigger gamble than buying a chair at an office store, where you can at least try it out. You might end up with a comfortable, sturdy desk chair or get stuck with a hunk of junk that hurts your back.
Target and Walmart also have plenty of cheap options online, and you might be able to try the chairs out at the stores themselves. Discount stores that sell far more types of products than office stores will have fewer chairs on display to try, and you might only find two or three models out of dozens that could be listed online.
