The Best Office Chairs of 2023
The phenomenon of working remotely has dramatically changed the market for premium office chairs, if not the whole notion of calling them office chairs at all. When it evolved into a moveable idea, having the best office chairs for a home office—ones that gel with lifestyle and well-being—naturally became a more appealing investment.
During the pandemic, we prioritized comfort. We traded suits, denim, and oxfords for stretch fabrics and supportive walking shoes. That hasn't gone away, especially if you still work remotely (who hasn't donned a button-up on top and a pair of sweats on bottom?).
Now's the time to invest in the best office chair for your needs. It may be a tad pricier than your last swiveling bargain, but comfort, quality, ergonomics, and generous warranties come at a premium. And when you consider how much of your life you spend sitting in a chair, it makes the sticker shock much easier to accept. You’ll be working in it for the next decade and beyond.
We tested and reviewed some of the best office chairs available right now.
The Best Office Chairs of 2023
The Humanscale Freedom chair, designed by legendary American industrial designer Niels Diffrient, is the gold standard of self-adjusting chairs, and a concept ahead of its time when it was created in 1999.
At the heart of the design is a counterbalance mechanism that reclines without needing tension adjustment—adapting to your position and weight as you lean back. The seat, back, height, and headrest are all independently adjustable so you can get it exactly right for your body. The arms adjust vertically and are synchronous; meaning they adjust to the same height on either side.
The fabric version of the chair is excellent and relatively affordable, while the Corvara leather (pictured here in saddle tan) is truly a grail chair that could be as much of a centerpiece for a home office as an Eames chair is for a living room. Maybe this is why Tim Cook, President Obama, Bill Maher, Pete Townshend, Eddie Vedder, and NASA staff are among the notable users of this chair.
There’s a five-year warranty on the fabric, pads and cushions, and 15 years on all other components. Ships fully assembled.
[From $1,634; amazon.com]
The Verve chair from Branch Furniture is a great combination of quality materials, fair price, and visual design that's elevated beyond the utilitarian purpose of holding a body upright in front of a computer. You can find high-design office chairs elsewhere, but not at this price.
We love the arm design visually, though the internal adjustment mechanism (vertical only) of the arms can be a little finnicky. The wide seat cushion is comfy, and the knit mesh back is breathable with an adjustable lumbar support integrated into the frame. Overall, the Verve is an incredible value for how premium it looks and feels, and it comes in some very cool colors like coral and mint.
The chair ships unassembled, but it’s easy to put together and has a seven-year warranty on parts and components.
[From $589; amazon.com]
Allsteel’s flagship chair is extremely comfortable, made of premium materials, and has an understated elegance that will dress up your home office. It combines the breathability and comfort of a mesh back with a more traditional cushioned seat, which can be more comfortable if the rigid frame of a mesh seat creates pressure points on your hips or behind your knees.
The recline of the mesh back is very smooth, and once dialed in for your body weight, it automatically adjusts when you’re sitting upright or leaning back. The rear metal buttresses are sleek, bold, and architectural. The way the controls for height, recline, and seat depth are integrated into the seat is very elegant, with no extraneous floating levers. The standard base is a bit plasticky compared with others on the list, but every other aspect of the chair is C-suite level finish.
This office chair ships fully assembled and comes with a limited lifetime warranty.
[$2,776; allsteeloffice.com]
Looking for a more affordable office chair that still feels a cut above something you’d get at Staples or Office Depot? This headrest-style chair from Flexispot offers premium presence without premium price. Elements like polished aluminum legs are usually pricey add-ons for most office chairs, but come standard on C8.
The overall size of the chair and the solidity of the aluminum base make it feel impressive and durable, though the adjustable arm rests are a little jiggly and could be firmer. Like any high-end chair, the height, arm height, and recline tension are fully adjustable. It doesn’t come assembled but it’s fairly easy to put together.
While the quality feels excellent, it has the shortest warranty of any chair on this list, at one year.
[$500; flexispot.com]
From a pure comfort perspective, this chair was love at first sit for us. The seat cushion is wide, with just the right balance of give and firmness, and the knit back cradles your body in a way that is hammock-like but still supportive. Extra lumbar support is among the options that can be added, but we found it to have great low back support even without it.
It has all the adjustments you would expect for height, recline, arms, and seat depth, but what really stood out about Fern is it's high comfort level whether you take the time to adjust it or not.
Some may find the seat cushion to be scratchy on this particular knit version of the chair if you're not wearing pants. If you’re sensitive to that, consider the mesh or leather versions. But if you’re looking for plug-and-play comfort in a top-tier office chair and having a breathable mesh seat isn’t critical for you, Fern is one of the best office chairs to work in for hours.
The chair has a 12-year warranty and ships fully assembled.
[$1,315; wayfair.com]
Herman Miller makes some of the world's finest office chairs, including the iconic Aeron, which you probably know by looks if not by name. Embody was designed with physicians and Ph.D.s in biomechanics, vision, physical therapy, and ergonomics.
According to Herman Miller, research proves Embody increases blood circulation and can therefore improve oxygen flow and lower your heart rate. The pixelated support suspended from a central spine lets you move freely and change positions, while the narrow back helps your posture by allowing room for your shoulders and arms to rest in a more natural position.
It doesn’t immediately feel super-soft when you first sit in it, as it uses a multi-layered seat that's breathable like mesh but more supportive. Once you get used to that, this is one extremely comfortable chair for long periods without creating any pressure points. The suite of adjustments includes seat depth, height and recline, and arms that adjust both horizontally and vertically for optimal comfort.
This office chair ships fully assembled with a 12-year warranty.
[From $1,885; hermanmiller.com]
The first thing you notice when you sit in Karman is that it feels totally different than any other mesh office chair you’ve sat in. That’s because the frame of the back and the seat are totally flexible, so it yields to your body and eliminates pressure points in a way that can change the way you sit while working.
Eighty percent of this chair’s adjustability is an automatic reaction to your bodyweight. Steelcase design director Mark Spoelhoff likens the flexibility of the Karman with that of modern leisure wear—both emerging from the same trend. Spoelhoff says it’s better to not sit in the same posture for eight hours, and the chair allows for movement and posture changes through the day, even while sitting sideways. He also says that in workplaces with “less explicit chair ownership,” Karman is user agnostic. That’s designer lingo for being comfortable for any body type.
Beyond the self-adjustments, one knob adjusts height and recline, and the arms can quickly be adjusted vertically and horizontally. At 29 pounds, it’s an extremely light chair while still being incredibly strong. Hauling it up a flight of stairs is easy work.
The chair ships fully assembled and has a limited-lifetime warranty.
[From $1,269; wayfair.com]