How to Choose an Office Chair You Won’t Regret
When you're spending hours at your desk every day, the wrong chair isn't just uncomfortable—it can affect your focus, posture, and even long-term health. But with so many options (and price tags) out there, how do you know what’s really worth it? In this guide, we’ll break down what to look for in a proper office chair—and which features actually matter.
Why dining chairs and plastic task chairs won’t cut it
They might look appealing and fit in with the other furniture in the room but one the key issues with dining room chairs are they are not height adjustable so the chances are you'll be sitting at the wrong height.
If you sit at the wrong height all day, then it has a big impact on your back. This video by our sister company Posture People, explains what the main differences are between a plastic kitchen chair and an office chair.
The ergonomic essentials: lumbar support, adjustability, movement
When you are looking for a good chair, the most important thing to look for is how adjustable it is. The more you can alter, the more you will be able to tailor it to be comfortable for you.
Top tip: get height adjustable arms, avoid fixed height arms at all costs. The chances are that the height they are fixed at won't be right for your body. Then you'll be sitting all day with your shoulders at the wrong height.
We always recommend that a chair as ability to move, whilst it might seem a bit odd to have a chair that can move. If you think about it your body moves constantly, and a chair with movement means that it will keep supporting you as you move backwards and forwards. It also helps to keep the blood circulating so it will reduce stiffness, so you will feel better at the end of the day.
Another plus point is a lumbar support. When you are standing up your back has a natural curve in it. But when you sit down this flattens. So having a chair which has lumbar support means that it will gently press your spine into a more natural position. Again this help to increase comfort and reduce fatigue.
Fabric vs mesh vs leather—what’s right for home use?
This comes down to personal preference. Fabric chairs tend to have more cushioning, and you tend to have a wider range of colours. Sometimes they can be more supportive, as options like the lumbar support tend to be better on a fabric chair.
Mesh chairs tend to be cooler to sit on, some people prefer how they look (particularly if they are going to be in your home). But they don't tend to offer quite as much support on the lower back.
Leather is the Rolls Royce option, but it is the most expensive. However, if you're looking for a luxury look, you can't beat leather. It's also very good if you're messy and tend to eat at your desk, because the crumbs just brush off.
Our top chair picks
We might be biased but we think we've selected some of the best chairs on the market place if you are working at home.
One of our most popular models is The Tonique chair
This chair comes really quickly, is extremely comfortable to sit on and has a really good level of adjustability, which makes it a great choice for working at home.
If you'd like to know more about which chair would suit you when you are working from home, contact our expert team on 0330 332 0880.