I spent over 5,000 hours testing all the best office chairs — here are my top picks PPC TEST
The ProtoArc EC100 is a budget-friendly ergonomic office chair with excellent lumbar support and overall comfort, though it does have fairly limited adjustability.
The ErgoChair Mesh excels in comfort, adjustability, and breathable materials, making it a fantastic ergonomic chair. However, its price may be a barrier for budget-conscious buyers.
The Hinomi X1 is an ergonomic chair with height-specific support and 14 adjustable elements. It creates a personalized seating experience for any individual, allowing for all-day comfort - especially for taller body types.
After testing the best office chairs for the past four years, I can't stress enough how important having a well-built, supportive chair can be, especially when you're working for long hours at a time. However, finding the best office chair for you is no easy task which is where I can help.
Besides finding a comfortable chair, you want one with great ergonomic features to help you maintain good posture and you also want the right amount of support. Mesh chairs provide better airflow and can help keep you cool while ones with a foam seat cushion offer improved support. You're also going to want a chair with plenty of adjustability, the right casters or wheels for carpet or hardwood and one that's easy to clean and care for.
These are the best office chairs you can buy right now based on my extensive testing and our in-depth reviews.
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Tom's Guide
24-07-2025
- Tom's Guide
I spent over 5,000 hours testing all the best office chairs — here are my top picks PPC TEST
The Branch Verve might be designed for office use and work-from-home users, but those of us who have hybrid work-and-play setups will also find comfort in this stylish throne. The ProtoArc EC100 is a budget-friendly ergonomic office chair with excellent lumbar support and overall comfort, though it does have fairly limited adjustability. The ErgoChair Mesh excels in comfort, adjustability, and breathable materials, making it a fantastic ergonomic chair. However, its price may be a barrier for budget-conscious buyers. The Hinomi X1 is an ergonomic chair with height-specific support and 14 adjustable elements. It creates a personalized seating experience for any individual, allowing for all-day comfort - especially for taller body types. After testing the best office chairs for the past four years, I can't stress enough how important having a well-built, supportive chair can be, especially when you're working for long hours at a time. However, finding the best office chair for you is no easy task which is where I can help. Besides finding a comfortable chair, you want one with great ergonomic features to help you maintain good posture and you also want the right amount of support. Mesh chairs provide better airflow and can help keep you cool while ones with a foam seat cushion offer improved support. You're also going to want a chair with plenty of adjustability, the right casters or wheels for carpet or hardwood and one that's easy to clean and care for. These are the best office chairs you can buy right now based on my extensive testing and our in-depth reviews.
Tom's Guide
15-06-2025
- Tom's Guide
I've been sitting in this ergonomic office chair for two months — and my back has never felt better
The Hinomi X1 is an ergonomic office chair with an almost all-mesh design and a butterfly-style split backrest that's designed to keep you sitting upright with good posture while offering plenty of support for your back. Unlike many other office chairs, this one is available in three different sizes to better cater to both shorter and taller users. Available in gray, black and pink, there aren't any other customization options besides the chair's color and size. Instead of using mesh like the Hinomi X1's seat, upper backrest and headrest, its adaptive lumbar support is made from Thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU), which gives it a softer, more flexible feel and allows it to wrap around your lower back. When combined with its butterfly-style split backrest, the X1's adaptive lumbar support provides excellent back support along with plenty of comfort. Its mesh material allows for plenty of airflow to keep you cool, though it isn't soft to the touch and feels more durable than some other mesh office chairs I've tested. The Hinomi X1 also features numerous adjustment points (15 in fact) to help you lock-in the perfect fit, even if doing so might take some time. When you want to relax, there's a pull-out footrest underneath its seat, and the chair can recline up to 135 degrees. There's a lot to like here, but those looking for a simpler office chair might be overwhelmed by all these extra features and adjustments. Plus, you need to make sure you choose the right-sized chair for your height. My Hinomi X1 review will help you decide if this is the best office chair for your needs and workspace, or if it's worth spending less for something with a more basic design. Price $729 to $759 Height range 41.7 to 53.5 inches (small), 43.3 to 55.9 inches (medium), 44.1 to 55.6 inches (large) Seat width 19.7 inches Seat depth 19.7 to 21.7 inches Maximum load 330 pounds Maximum recline 135 degrees Weight 73 pounds Material Mesh, aluminum alloy Adjustment points 15 Warranty 12-year The Hinomi X1 has quite a lot going for it, from its simple assembly process to all the extra support offered by i The X1 ergonomic office chair sent over by Hinomi for review arrived in a single, though heavy, large box. Everything was packed inside very neatly and securely, with all the parts covered in bubble wrap to keep them safe during shipping. One thing that really stood out to me was that instead of your standard instruction booklet, Hinomi uses a large poster that's very easy to read. With everything unboxed and all the packaging out of the way, I was left with the chair's seat with the armrests and footrest pre-attached, the backrest, the headrest and its aluminum alloy frame. The casters (wheels) and smaller parts were neatly packed into separate boxes, which even included a pair of white gloves to help me avoid getting stains from the chair's gas cylinder. Putting the X1 together was a fairly straightforward process that started with attaching the chair's backrest to its seat using an Allen key. From there, I inserted the casters into its base along with its cylinder and placed its seat on top. Finally, I attached the adjustable headrest to the top of the chair. All told, assembling the X1 took about 30 minutes, but it would have only taken 15 to 20 minutes if I wasn't stopping to take pictures throughout the process. As an ergonomic office chair, adjustability is a key, but the X1's design heavily emphasizes back support, making it equally important. Just like the OdinLake Butterfly Ergo 753 or the Sihoo Doro S300, the X1 has a split, butterfly-style backrest and is certainly a hefty office chair at 73 pounds when fully assembled. The X1 immediately stands out when compared to those two chairs, as instead of a full-mesh backrest, its adaptive lumbar support is made from TPU and is also split into two parts. In my testing, I found that Hinomi's decision to use TPU allowed the X1's lumbar support to be both softer and more flexible than most mesh. It also hugs your lower back when sitting straight in the chair, but slightly bends when you shift to either side. The X1's backrest is adjustable, too, and like with the X-Chair X3, you can lift it up to change its height. This allows you to line up the chair's adaptive lumbar support with the small of your back. However, you do want to make sure you pick the right size X1 for your height (more on that later). The upper part of the X1's backrest is also split into two parts. There is some give to the upper backrest, which allows it to move with you as you shift from side to side. The panels themselves are concave, which I found helped support my upper back and shoulders while my spine rested comfortably in the small gap between them. At the back of the X1, there's a U-shaped piece of aluminum that adds some extra stability to its frame, which contrasts nicely with the flexibility of its mesh upper backrest and its adaptive lumbar support below. If you suffer from back pain or just want to improve your posture, the X1 is an easy office chair to recommend for both scenarios. Although you often have to purchase one separately with other, cheaper office chairs like the Branch Verve Chair or even the significantly more expensive Haworth Fern, Hinomi includes one in the box with the X1. Its headrest is also very adjustable and can be raised or lowered, tilted forward or back and even rotated. I don't think I've tried an office chair with a headrest this adjustable yet. On the right side of the X1, there are two small levers that are used to adjust the chair's height as well as the depth of its seat. Underneath them, though, there's a black bar that you turn forward or backward to adjust the chair's tilt tension while reclining, and this is definitely an office chair you're going to want to lean back in. The X1 has a single lever on the left side and this is used to lock the chair's backrest in place. When you release it, you can recline back up to 135 degrees. If you plan on taking a rest and reclining for a bit, there's also a footrest that pulls out from underneath the X1's seat. While I spent most of my time either working or playing games while testing this office chair, I did find the footrest to be an excellent and extremely comfortable addition while reclining. Another thing that sets the X1 apart from similarly priced and even more expensive chairs is its 6D armrests. You can adjust their height, width, depth and, most importantly, their tilt both at the back and at the front. allows them to tilt up as you recline. Likewise, you can also rotate them 270 degrees for a steeper angle, and I found that this made playing one of the best handheld gaming consoles — like the new Nintendo Switch 2 — very comfortable while sitting in the X1. That way, instead of craning my neck down to see its screen, I could raise the device up closer to eye level while my elbows remained planted firmly on the X1's armrests. With 15 points of adjustment, the Hinomi X1 is easy to tailor to a wide variety of body types and sitting positions. However, besides the armrests, which take some time to get used to, the rest of the chair's adjustments are easy to learn and remember. Hinomi makes this a bit easier, since the levers on the side have cutouts in them that depict which part of the chair they're used to adjust. The Hinomi X1 is a great ergonomic chair, but it isn't without its downsides. This includes potential confusion over its multiple size options and that there's no way to lock its armrests in place. The Hinomi X1 is available in three different sizes, and the one that's right for you depends entirely on your height. The small version is ideal for users from 5'1' to 5'6' tall, the medium version is best suited for those between 5'6' to 6'1' in height and the larger version is for users from 5'9' to 6'6' in height. It's worth noting that all three sizes of the X1 have a maximum weight capacity of 330 pounds. Another popular office chair that uses a similar sizing structure is the Herman Miller Aeron. However, when moving up from the small to the medium or large versions of that more premium chair, the weight limit jumps up from 300 pounds to 350 pounds. While I appreciate the fact that Hinomi does offer different-sized versions of the X1, I could easily see potential buyers getting confused and accidentally ordering the wrong one. The company does offer free returns for 30 days after purchase, just in case this ends up happening or you want to move up or down a size after the fact. As someone who's 5'4', I tested the small version of the X1, so I can't say if there are any other differences between the various sizes of this office chair. One thing that could help clear up this confusion is by offering cylinders with different heights, like BodyBilt does with its Classic 2500 Series and other chairs. If you are considering the X1, just make sure that you order the right size for your height, and for the best ergonomic experience, you don't want to exaggerate how tall you are either. Don't get me wrong, I'm a big fan of the X1's 6D armrests, and I really like how you can adjust them to your liking for the task at hand. I really liked having them flat while working or tilted upward while leaning back and playing games on either a console or a handheld. However, I just wish there were a way to lock them in place. At first glance, you might think that the adjustment pin directly underneath the armrest would be used for this. Unfortunately, it's used to lock the armrest in place so that they don't tilt up when you put your elbow's weight on their rear. While certainly useful, I think having a similar mechanism to prevent the armrests from turning horizontally would have been a better choice for myself and others, especially as this is a common complaint with the X1. Keep in mind too that other office chairs with less adjustable 4D armrests suffer from this same problem. For instance, back when I reviewed the X-Chair X2, I outfitted that chair with the company's optional 4D armrests. I loved their flexibility, but just like on the X1, it was too easy to accidentally move them when getting up and out of the chair. Fortunately, with the X1, if you put your forearms and elbows down straight when you sit in the chair, its armrests do remain in place. It's a different story if you grip the front of the armrests with your hands, though, as doing so immediately makes them turn to the left or to the right. The Hinomi X1 is an excellent ergonomic office chair and a great choice for anyone who suffers from back pain or wants to stop slouching forward in their chair. You rarely see a chair with 15 adjustment points, as most offer between 8 to 10. At the same time, if you want a firmer lumbar support mechanism that still has a good bit of flexibility, the X1 certainly fits the bill. At $729 to $759, depending on where you purchase it, the X1 is on the expensive side compared to one of the best budget office chairs. Still, for a chair with a split, butterfly-style backrest, it's actually more affordable than both the Sihoo Doro S-300 ($799) and the OdinLake Ergo Butterfly 753 ($999). I wouldn't recommend the X1 to those who just started working from home or are putting a desk setup together for the first time, as this isn't a starter chair. Instead, the X1 is the kind of chair you get as an upgrade after you realize what you want in an office chair, or if you find that your current chair just doesn't offer the kind of back support you want. After thoroughly testing and using the X1 for just over two months while both working and gaming, I can easily recommend it to those willing to make an investment in their health and well-being and in their workspace. There are certainly cheaper office chairs out there, but this one delivers a supportive and comfortable experience without the premium price tag you'd find on a chair from Steelcase or Herman Miller.
Yahoo
27-01-2025
- Yahoo
I never use office chairs with headrests — here's why I can't stop sitting in this one
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. In my tenure as an office chair tester, I've maintained a consistent preference against even the best office chairs with headrests. I simply find them uncomfortable, especially when I'm trying to sit upright, and I don't use my office chair for enough leisure to feel like a headrest is helpful when I'm reclining. But that staunch avoidance has softened for me now that I have Autonomous's newest chair in my office. I recently tested the ErgoChair Ultra 2 from this brand, and I absolutely loved it. It was effortless to assemble, supremely comfortable, and made with innovative 3D-printed tech that was comfier than just about anything I've tested. The chair I'm testing now, the ErgoChair Mesh, is a similarly high-quality chair that I struggle to stop using, and I hardly care that it has a headrest. Heck, I've even started using the headrest instead of just tucking it out of the way. Ultimately, it's not the headrest or lack thereof that's selling me so far on the quality of the ErgoChair Mesh; its updated mesh lining, sturdy build, and adjustability are what make it really shine. It's not perfect, and I'll get into my initial gripes with the chair here as well, but this is a stellar seat overall, and I'll be sad to part with it. An update from the ErgoChair Pro, which uses a foam cushion for the seat, the ErgoChair Mesh offers a more breathable surface that's perfect for hot climates. On top of that, this chair has an optional headrest, excellent armrest and recline adjustments, and a sturdy build that's sure to last Deal The biggest issue I have with headrests normally is that they feel like they get in the way of my head instead of supporting it. I tend to shift around quite a lot above the waist, so having a fixed point where my head is supposed to sit feels counterproductive. Not only is this headrest set far enough back that it's not poking me in the back of the head, but it's also super wide, which means my head is fully supported even when I'm not perfectly centered in this chair's rather spacious seat. If that still ends up being too much for me (or for you, should you score this chair yourself), this headrest is also super easy to remove. All you need to do is unscrew a couple of bolts on the underside of the height adjustment shaft and it'll slide right out. Especially compared to the other chair I have in my office right now, which I panned for being way too small, this puppy feels like I'm hopping into a boat when I sit in it. The seat on the ErgoChair Mesh is super wide, the backrest is set several inches back from the seat cushion, and the armrests can adjust to be so wide apart that I don't even touch them when I'm sitting. This freedom of movement is exactly what I needed and my last chair lacked, so it may be a matter of contrast, but I ultimately like this chair's size. Better yet, because this version of the ErgoChair doesn't have a foam seat cushion, its size doesn't turn it into a beanbag chair. The updated mesh lining feels sprightly and supportive, which I can appreciate during the workday. I'm not a PC gamer, so the plush cushioning and hug-like comfort of the best gaming chairs is lost on me. This extra adjustment took some getting used to, but you can actually alter the recline angle of this chair at two separate pivot points: one at the base of the chair, much like most other chairs, and another one that's about halfway up the backrest. If you like to keep your recline pivot unlocked while you're sitting, this extra adjustment allows you to set the farthest-forward position of the backrest when you're not putting weight on it. In other words, if you don't like it when your chair hunches you over your desk when it's at full mast, you can budge it back a few inches and save yourself the headache. Here's my first major issue with the ErgoChair Mesh. The lumbar support is stellar, and it's even adjustable, but it's somewhat tricky to do so. Unlike all the other easy-to-reach knobs and levers on this chair, the only way to move the lumbar cushion is to reach around with both hands and really yank it. This might only be an issue because this chair is still fresh out of the box, so I'll come back to it when it's more broken in, but this did make me wary. When I tested the ErgoChair Ultra 2, I loved the way its backrest provided lumbar support without necessarily having a solid structure pushing into your lower back. It was completely hands-off out of the box, and it didn't feel like it was jutting into my back when I didn't have the chair adjusted properly. On the Mesh, unfortunately, I find the prominence of the lumbar support a bit distracting. I would love it if Autonomous found a way to bring the Ultra 2's more passive lumbar support to chairs at a lower price point in the future. In terms of complexity, the assembly process for the Mesh was pretty easy. Everything lined up just right, no screws stripped, and the whole thing was disassembled just enough to fit in a smaller box without being a mess of parts. This isn't necessarily a gripe, but definitely another point of comparison with the Ultra 2, which came in a much larger box but in only three pieces. I did like that the Mesh made it in my apartment's infamously narrow front door, but I spent at least half an hour putting this thing together. That's not totally out of the ordinary for office chairs that require at-home assembly, but the contrast was a bit disappointing. Luckily, Autonomous removed a lot of headaches in the assembly process, especially when screwing bolts into the base. For example, there's a lever in the back that adjusts the angle of the seat cushion, and there's a perfectly sized channel cut into the lever to allow an allen wrench to pass through and screw in the last bolt. I've had plenty of office chairs pass through my office over the past few months. Some were amazing, and some were truly detestable. The ErgoChair Mesh strikes a happy medium for me, leaning largely toward the "amazing" end of the spectrum. I love that it's spacious, I appreciate the range of adjustability, and I can see how others would benefit from the headrest on here. On top of all of that, the mesh lining was super effective at keeping my back cool, which I couldn't help but find funny since this week is the coldest Philly has seen in years. Something about testing an office chair that excels on hot days while it's 9 degrees Fahrenheit outside is nothing short of hilarious to me. Overall, I do think that those of you who like a supportive headrest will enjoy the ErgoChair Mesh more than me. If I hadn't gifted my ErgoChair Ultra 2 to my mom for the holidays, I would swap back to that without skipping a beat. But this is my favorite in my current rotation without question. I gifted my mom an office chair for the holidays I revamped my office with one trip to IKEA How to soundproof your home office
