Best Ergonomic Office Chair 2023: Top Picks for Back Support

While on the hunt for comfortable chairs, Herman Miller is a name you’ll come across a lot. The company was founded over a hundred years ago in Michigan and became renowned in the 60’s and 70’s for making some of the greatest, most iconic pieces of modernist furniture to date. Today, they offer a wide line of office furniture, which is befitting of the company credited with inventing the cubicle.

The first of the Herman Miller chairs on our list takes the number one spot overall. It is the best computer chair for long hours thanks to its incredibly comfortable and supportive design. The back of the chair is constructed of a mesh supported by a series of adjustable arms. These arms can be adjusted to fit your back and body. They offer a very ergonomic and comfortable place to work or relax.

That being said, this is also one of the main drawbacks of this chair. The number of points of adjustment can be a bit of a hassle. Getting it just right is pretty important to getting the most out of this chair. The other main thing that will push people away from this one is the price. Herman Miller produces some amazing products, but this particular chair’s price tag is definitely going to push some buyers away.

Moving back to the good things though, the chair comes in a huge variety of colors. They range from predictable blacks to vibrant greens and blues. There are also two types of fabric available, a slightly coarser but more breathable option called “balance fabric” and a softer option called “rhythm fabric”.

Is it good? Yes, so goo it’s number one on our best ergonomic office chair list!

One thing you may have noticed when shopping for the best ergonomic chair is that most of them require you to carefully adjust them to your posture and body in order for them to be as comfortable as possible. One designer, Niels Diffrient, set out to change this trend when he designed the Humanscale Freedom.

This unique ergonomic office chair is designed to move around you and with you as you move rather than needing to be constantly adjusted for every new posture you find yourself in throughout the day.

The armrests are attached to the back of the chair rather than the seat so they can move with you as you recline. Additionally, the headrest and seat both pivot and move as they recline to offer you proper support and comfort in any position.

The very tall headrest lends to the overall supportive design of the chair and is one of the handfuls of parts that you can adjust. In addition to the headrest, the seat height and armrest heights can also be easily adjusted if needed.

Many people, however, complain that there is not quite enough cushioning in the chair for them. The headrest, back, and seat are all very thinly padded with firm padding that offers support for those who need it, but might not be the most comfortable for more sensitive people.

A chair called K-Sport Management wants to have something about it, and indeed this model by X-Chair does. We tested the mesh version and, having followed fairly straightforward instructions, got it up and running in about 20 minutes. Mesh is an interesting option for an office chair for anyone wanting more airflow. Nobody likes to feel hot while sitting, and breathability is just one of the considerations made with this chair. The mesh feels supportive and comfortable enough on the K-Sport Management, and although the feel of the seat takes some getting used to, it’s certainly supportive.

In terms of features, the K-Sport offers adjustability in all aspects, allowing for seat, back-rest, armrest, height, and (optional) head-rest adjustment. Plus the chair benefits from X-Chair’s Dynamic Variable Lumbar support, which adjusts as you move. Not to mention four-way armrests and a genuine feeling you can shift in the chair naturally throughout the day. Of course, standing throughout your day is sensible, but all the time we spent in the X-Chair was comfortable – and we spent a lot of time in it.

Undoubtedly, this is the most fully featured of the chairs here and the premium price reflects that. It does feel worth the cost though and, offers options for those who can afford to spend more than the base $879. The headrest is $90, the (amazing!) cooling, heat and massage lumbar accessory can be added for $150, while upgraded FS 360 arms provide more movability and cost $174. You can also get a wider seat than the standard 19.5 inches, opting for an ‘Extended’ seat at 21.5 inches (cost: +$50). The max weight is 275 lbs too, so the need for a wider chair is feasible.

Finally, should you want it to come assembled, that’s a further $159. And if you want all of the above, the combined cost is $1,500. That’s expensive, but that’s also for premium add-ons for a high-quality chair.  Yes, it is expensive, and that stops it from topping the list. But it really is a great chair to be on.

If you live in a warmer climate or are just someone who is generally warm, then having a mesh chair might be a great option for keeping cool. Mesh chairs are much more breathable than standard fabric chairs and offer better airflow to your back and bottom which helps keep you cool and comfortable.

The Ergohuman High Back Swivel Chair is one such chair with a mesh back, headrest, and seat for maximum cooling. On top of improved breathability, mesh also offers a nice supportive feel that a lot of people prefer over fabric and cushions. The taught mesh stretches to accommodate you more naturally in many cases than fabric and cushions can.

The Ergohuman High Back Swivel Chair uses quite the opposite design philosophy of the Humanscale Freedom we just looked at and relies on tons of points of adjustment to offer a comfortable and ergonomic experience. While this does take some time to set up and can be a bit of a hassle, once you get it dialed in this is arguably the best chair for posture on our list thanks to its comfortable and adjustable lumbar and head support.

The armrests are also highly adjustable on this chair, able to move up and down to stay out of the way of desks. As well as an adjustable seat height, you can even alter the angle of the seat itself. This can be adjusted on this chair which means it can offer you an incredibly personalized and custom seat designed just for your body and posture.