Back again with work from home recommendations because it’s almost been a full year of quarantining. I’ve added the wall calendar, invested in lighting, got my Zoom appropriate housecoat; now I’m looking at more permanent fixtures like ergonomic desks and modern office & desk chairs. I thought I could tough it out with a dining chair but my back disagrees.
Thankfully the market has responded in kind and there are a ton of options that are stylish and practical. All of the chairs featured in this roundup either have 4.4+ stars or adhere to the best ergonomic practices I can glean from their postings and my background in industrial design. Let’s get into it!
These modern office & desk chairs all have a good, ergonomic base: appropriate cushioning, height adjustability, quality casters on a sturdy stem, and if they have armrests, they’re thick and padded enough to actually operate as armrests (I will never understand thin, metal armrests- what do they even do??). Most of these have the added bonus of coming in multiple colors too!
I tried to cover a decent range of price points here, but office chairs inherently need to be engineered more than most furniture to give reliable support. The more points of adjustability, the more complicated and expensive it is to make. A good starting budget would be around $200-400. Otherwise, you’ll keep finding yourself replacing broken chairs and not quite getting what you expected.
If ergonomics is your “it must absolutely meet every single support point”, I’d recommend the Steelcase Series1. I used to have one at my work office, and now that they’ve partnered with West Elm for more updated finishes, I absolutely recommend starting there.
01. Kulik Task Chair | $150
One of the things I appreciate about Joss & Main is that they tell you what floors their office chairs are compatible with and the min-max seat height. The sherpa fabric on the Kulik is extra cozy, and if you’re like me and find swiveling chairs to be too distracting, this one has a fixed, center-tilt based.
02. Roan Wood Office Chair | $600
This chair started this entire post. The linen and wood combination speaks for itself, but also note the beautifully padded armrests. It is the most basic in terms of adjustability as it only adjusts for height, though the general form of the chair suggests that it would still comfortably support for hours.
03. Mila Task Chair | $110
Over 4,000 reviews with a 4.5 rating; the Mila chair is a surprise budget favorite. It leans into the no-frills aspect of a reliable task chair, giving just adjustable height and swivel. Mila also comes in 10 different colors, so you’ll be able to find one for any office style.
04. Velvet Landon Upholstered Office Chair | $330
The Landon chair has a very similar body to the Mila with slightly more cushion in the back and seat. The button-back details make it lean more traditional, but the jewel-tone green & blue keep it from being too serious. Some reviewers note that the buttons can be uncomfortable if you tend to lean back in your chair.
05. Smythe Langley Street Task Chair | $218
The wood grain contrasts against faux-leather for a warm but professional office chair. It comes in black or white- if you get white (or any light-colored office chair for that matter), be careful of denim transfer!
06. Beale Task Chair | $650
I happy squealed when I found this one. Brutalist styles are almost always exorbitantly expensive and hard to find. The riveted, bucket base and dark, faux leather will bring a high-end industrial touch to your home. Michael is definitely getting this one.
.07 Executive Leather Swivel Office Chair | $698
The price jumps here, but for good reason. This executive style chair is fully adjustable, completely done in top-grain leather. I’m personally not into the executive style since I never use headrests, but if they had this as a task chair, it would be my winner.
.08 Baylor Swivel Desk Chair | $400
In the same family as Mila and Landon. Baylor has the roundest form and softer tone with a removable seat cover for easy maintenance.
.09 Room&Board LW | $900
This one I’m torn on. It has adjustable height and lockable reclining positions, but for this price point, especially after seeing the Executive chair from City Home PDX, I’d expect to see more adjustability. Room&Board claims that the seat is so contoured it will cater to a wide audience, but I’d want to see it in a showroom before shelling that kind of money over.
.10 Lombardi Adjustable Desk Chair | $279
A midcentury legend. This desk chair would look completely at home next to an Eames lounger. Some reviewers mentioned the decorative buttons popping off. If you have fabric glue or are handy with a needle, it shouldn’t be a deal-breaker, but wanted to give you the heads up!
.11 Steelcase Series 1 Office Chair | $429-445
Steelcase has always been a leader in ergonomic office furniture, but their chairs haven’t always screamed “beautiful”. That’s why their recent-ish collaboration with West Elm is so exciting! You still get the adjustable height, depth, & width, interdependent back support flexors, and soft, pivoting armrests now in midcentury fabrics. If you’re pulling 10+ hours a day at a desk, get this one.
.12 Bulma Task Chair | $168
A little midcentury, a little modern. Bulma blends wood and faux leather in another winning example. Wayfair has similar styles with high backs as well.
Have you found your perfect desk chair? Let us know in the comments so we can all better our spaces and backs.
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