As many of us work, at least in part, from home, a decent office chair is an essential. It should keep you comfortable for focus, help maintain good posture, and support your back to prevent physical injury. If your chair isn’t working for you, you might feel the effects in your arms, neck or back.
To ensure the best working position, your chair needs to be flexible, manoeuvrable and, above all, adjustable. It should have wheels and seat height adjustment, and premium models should incorporate lumbar and headrest movement – and choosing the right chair is only half the puzzle, it also needs to be adjusted properly to fit your body and working set-up.
According to Laura Wilson, physiotherapist and director at The Swiss Touch, your feet need to be flat, either on the floor or a footrest, and you need proper lumbar support. You should also be able to tilt the seat. “You want about 90 degrees between your hips and your knees, or a little bit more”, she advises. Without this function, it’s likely that you could get “a lot of stiffness and mechanical loading in your lower back, that in time can cause pain”.
Getting the armrest position right is also important. Wilson states that your elbows should either sit at 90 degrees to your shoulder, so you can rest your forearms on the chair, or you should be able to completely lower the armrests with your forearms on the desk. If they’re too high, armrests can “cause a lot of compression within the shoulder and neck joint, and that can cause tightness and impingement over time”, she explains.
If you do a lot of repetitive movement in one direction, Wilson also suggests using a chair that swivels, while whether or not you want a headrest will come down to what you find comfortable. Pay attention to the cushioning, too. She recommends a firm but padded seat that will “absorb shock” but still ensure that you have to “sit yourself properly” as opposed to a softer chair which moulds to you.
When comparing the chairs I tried for this review, Humanscale’s freedom chair (£1,107.01, Humanscale.com) had the edge, which is down to its automatic adjustability and unmatched comfort level. But for a more affordable chair that will serve you well for everyday use, the Sihoo’s doro C300 (£269.99, Sihoooffice.com), with its comfortable mesh seat, will also serve you well. Keep reading for reviewed chairs from top-rated for every budget, from Herman Miller to Habitat.
How I tested
I set up each office chair in my home, where I spent many hours sitting and typing, and assessed each one on the carefully drawn up set of criteria below.
- Lumbar support: The adjustment that fits into the small of your back, this was a major consideration for comfort, distinguishing everyday chairs from those you’d use occasionally.
- Adjustability: To fit your body size and shape, an office chair needs to have height, arm and backrest adjustability. Some premium models enable you to adjust the seat depth or that extra level of comfort.
- Materials: While I personally prefer the aesthetic of a solid leather or fabric finish, mesh enables more air flow, and may be more comfortable over longer periods of sitting. I also noted support and durability.
- Sustainability: Office furniture is designed to be used on a daily basis, so you expect it to withstand a lot of wear and tear. I checked which brands in this review offered repairs, upgrades, or length warranties.
Why you can trust IndyBest reviews
Alastair Jennings is a technology journalist with more than 30 years’ experience. He has carried out thorough, hands-on testing with countless pieces of kit, from cameras to laptops. Alastair reviewed the Bambu Lab H2D laser full combo 3D printer for The Independent, for instance. And as a journalist, he’s a WFH pro, meaning he understands the twinges and annoyances that come with sitting on the wrong chair. After hours of use, these are the models that passed his tests.
The best ergonomic office chairs for 2025 are:
- Best overall – Humanscale freedom chair: £1,107.01, Humanscale.com
- Best budget option – Habitat Ezra office chair: £90, Habitat.co.uk
- Best for lumbar support – Flexispot C7 morpher: £599,99, Flexispot.co.uk
- Best for adjustability – Hinomi H2 pro: £639, Hinomi.co
