One of the best office chairs for back pain shouldn't be an afterthought when you're building your office or studio, it should be one of the first things you think about. The impact of a bad chair can creep up slowly, but eventually you notice the physical pain and discomfort it's causing you, whether it's a twinge in the lower back during a long call or a dead arm from an armrest at the wrong height.
The cause is rarely a single design problem, but lots of small compromises made when a chair isn't built with much thought for the human spine. To correct matters for myself, over 6 years ago, I took on the mission of testing as many office chairs as I could get my hands on, and I got our other reviewers involved too.
We've since reviewed dozens of chairs, from budget sub-$200 mesh frames to $1,000+ premium leather executives, plus gaming chairs, saddle chairs and even an office chair that packs away, always using them for a minimum of two months in a working environment. My top pick is the Branch Ergonomic Chair Pro, which you can pick up for $500 – a sensible middle ground.
Only nine made it our final pick of the best ergonomic office chairs. Below, I'll compare the pros and cons of each and suggest who they might be right for. To complete your home office or studio setup, also see our guides to the best standing desks, and the best monitor lights.
Best office chair overall
30-second review: I don't think you can get a better office chair than this for around $700. It's over twice the price of my best budget pick (No 2 on this list), but also half the price of my top premium choice. I think it's realistically going to be the best option for most people who want a well-designed, comfortable chair that will last for years and has the adjustability you want from an ergonomic chair.
Deeper dive: Branch has released several excellent office chairs, including another that you'll find further down this list, but the Ergonomic Chair Pro really won me over as a fantastic mid-range pick for most users. It's stylish, well-made and it provides plenty of adjustability. It's comfortable for long sessions at a desk, and there are lots of material options, including both leather and faux-leather.
Assembly is pretty straightforward, and the chair's ergonomic support gently helps you sit in a way that promotes healthy blood flow and posture. It's adjustable enough to suit any sitter, although if you're taller than six feet, you will want to spring an extra $30 for the version with the taller cylinder.
Price-wise, there are obviously many much cheaper chairs out there, but the Branch Ergonomic Chair Pro is also significantly more affordable than the likes of the iconic Herman Miller Aeron ($1,000 and upwards). I think it offers excellent value.
This mid-price option is a fantastic chair that has 'bestseller' written all over it, and I think it'll be the best option for most people. Chic while offering loads of ergonomic adjustments, it wants to be a great chair for the maximum number of users, and nails it.
Best budget ergonomic chair
30-second review: The M18 proves that you don't necessarily have to spend a lot of money to get a good office chair for back pain. I love the feel of it, the cool design and I was comfortable for every minute that I tested it. In fact, I loved it so much, I ended up getting myself one to keep.
Deeper dive: It's not the first time that a Sihoo chair has held the best budget chair slot on my roll call of the best office chairs. The M18 takes the crown from the Sihoo M57 – still a decent option but not as stylish, not as comfortable, and not as good value as the M18.
Yes, somehow Sihoo managed to produce a chair with a lower price tag that offers more features and more style. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that I far prefer the M18 to some of the more mid-priced chairs that Sihoo produces – to date it is one of the few chairs that I've given a five-star review to (the rest are, unsurprisingly, also on this list).
This chair just clicked me. With various colour options available, it doesn't feel 'cheap' like the M57 did. Indeed, its mix or mesh and foam works really well on the seat and the heat rest. Of course, there's no leather, no memory foam, no brushed metal finishes. But having sat in and reviewed dozens of office chairs, I can say that the Sihoo M18 does a lot with what it has, and at a very attractive price.
Good quality budget chairs are rare. Rarer still are great quality, brilliantly designed budget chairs. The Sihoo M18 is one of those rare beasts, and I think for the asking price or around $200, you just can't get better.
Best gaming ergonomic chair
30-second review: This is the only gaming chair on my list, but it's a recipient of one of my rare five-star ratings. Gaming chairs don't tend to be wonderfully ergonomic, but the Secretlab Titan Evo was a revelation. It's much more refined than its gaming designation would imply, a joy to assemble, and supremely comfortable
Deeper dive: I reviewed the Secretlab Titan Evo way back in 2022, and I really liked it, but I wasn't especially taken with the faux leather finish. Three years later, I decided to test it again in 2025 to see if my feelings had changed now with a lot more experience of office chair testing under my belt. And, frankly, I was blown away.
The joy of the Titan Evo begins the moment you open the box: you get beautiful instructions, well illustrated and designed, and each part is clearly labelled. Its so good that I wrote a whole article, separate from my main Secretlab Titan Evo review, about how much I liked the assembly process).
Aesthetically, it doesn't overdo the gaming look – there are no flashing RGB lights or anything like that (although you can get a Cyberpunk 2077 finish if you really want). More significantly for our purposes here, the ergonomics and comfort are superb, with extensive adjustments available for the armrests to get them exactly where you want them and a fully adjustable lumbar support system.
This has a 'lumbar position' and 'lumbar curvature' dials, on each side of the chair. The best compliment I can pay this system is that I set it on the first day I got the chair, then basically didn't think about it for two months, since the support fell exactly where I wanted it.
Secretlab prioritises direct-to-consumer selling, so its own website is the best place to check prices and to get the biggest selection of finishes, including lots more tacky game-themed finishes, or the decidedly tasteful plain black look that I'll be sticking with, thank you very much.
The looks are a little underwhelming, and the materials feel a little cheap when compared to some of the same chairs on this list, but especially when it's on sale, this is a chair that I would definitely snap up.
This is the only gaming chair on the list, and that's because it's one of the few gaming chairs to really focus on ergonomics. One of the best assembly processes I've ever experienced meets superb comfort and adjustability, and it even manages to look pretty tasteful for a gaming chair.
The best Herman Miller alt
30-second review: I've not included any of the best Herman Miller chairs on this list simply because they're outside of most people's budgets, and, after testing dozens of chairs of six years, I can say that you don't need to pay that much money for a good office chair for back pain. Nevertheless, if you like the style of the iconic Herman Miller Embody, then you'll love this alt, which is easy to set up, easy to use and easy to adjust.
Deeper dive: When I reviewed the Autonomous ErgoChair Plus – basically the first iteration of the Pro – I was impressed by its clever skeletal back support and fresh colour ways, but felt its arms were a little unwieldy. Fast forward three years, and the Autonomous ErgoChair Ultra 2 is great in all the same ways as that older model, and they've fixed the arms!
The standout feature of the Ultra 2 is its frameless construction. Most chairs rely on a rigid skeleton to force you into a proper posture, but Autonomous has created a backrest that mimics the flexibility of the human spine. In theory. During testing, I found this to act very much like the majority of other chairs, though it does a good job of moving slightly with you when you move. It looks cool though borrowing from the design of the Herman Miller Embody (my favourite office chair overall to date) but at a much lower price.
The TPE material is also a major plus for the warm-blooded amongt us. It’s more breathable than the memory foam found in the Secretlab Titan (but only slightly), and more durable than the standard mesh on the Sihoo M18 (if the marketing material is to be believed).
What I can tell you for sure is while it feels firm at first touch, it distributes weight evenly, which does a great job of alleviating pressure points in the lower back. With 11 points of adjustment – including a very responsive tension scale for the recline – you can dial in exactly how much support you want with the Ultra 2.
Also see my guide to the best Herman Miller alternatives for more options.
The main aesthetic feature of this chair is the skeletal back, a look that was brilliantly introduced to office chairs with the Herman Miller Embody, engineered to mimic the human spine, with central spine and flexible ribs. It's firm yet yielding enough to be supportive and comfortable even it might be not really necessary.
Best pack away
30-second review: The Hinomi H2 Pro is a good option if your office doubles as something else once the day's done. With 19 points of adjustment it's every bit as tuneable as the priciest chairs on this list, but its real trick is folding down into a compact shape that's easy to tuck away, making it the standout pick for anyone short on permanent desk space.
Deeper dive: At $759, the H2 Pro isn't cheap, but it earns its place here on versatility alone. The mesh is tightly suspended on a curved frame rather than simply padded, and it holds firm, breathable support even through long sessions at the desk. From seat height and depth to lumbar position, backrest tilt and an elaborate armrest system, there are few chairs that let you fine-tune fit as precisely as this one, which makes it a strong option for anyone whose back pain responds to a very specific seating position.
What sets it apart from the rest of this list is what happens when you're done with it. With the armrests flipped up and the backrest folded forward, the whole chair collapses into a noticeably smaller footprint, ideal for anyone working from a spare room, a shared space, or a flat where the desk needs to disappear at the end of the day. At 24kg it's not light, but you won't need to lift it far to get it out of the way.
It won't suit everyone: the insectoid design is more form-follows-function than the sleeker Branch models on this list, and with 19 points of adjustment there's a genuine learning curve before you land on your ideal setup. But for anyone who needs a chair that adapts to their space as readily as it adapts to their body, it's the best pack-away option going.
The H2 Pro won't be for everyone, but if you need a chair that folds away and don't mind a bit of assembly-required tinkering to get there, it's hard to beat: properly adjustable, well built, and genuinely disappears into a cupboard when you need the room back.
Battery features
30-second review: I'll admit, when I first heard about a chair with a rechargeable battery and motorised lumbar support, I thought it sounded gimmicky. But after giving it a go, I'm a convert. Yes, it might seem like fluff – adding an electrical switch to use the lumbar support – but it's surprisingly effective. The motorised adjustment lets you dial in the perfect lumbar position with precision that manual knobs just can't match. The materials are some of the softest I've experienced in any chair, and the articulated backrest genuinely moves with you throughout the day.
Deeper dive: The LiberNovo Omni represents a new direction in ergonomic chairs: powered technology that actually enhances the sitting experience rather than just adding flashy features. At around $848 / £916 (regularly on sale from $1,099 / £1,248), it sits in the premium mid-range, competing with chairs that cost a lot more.
Let me address the elephant in the room first: yes, this chair has a battery. The 2200mAh rechargeable pack slots under the seat and powers two key features: the adjustable lumbar support and the OmniStretch spinal massage function. I was sceptical about whether this added complexity was worth it, but after using the chair extensively, I understand why LiberNovo made this choice.
Comfort-wise, this chair excels. The multi-density foam is incredibly soft and plush without feeling like you're sinking into quicksand. The fabric covering has a nice premium feel, though it's not the most breathable option; I did notice some warmth build-up during longer sitting sessions. The headrest is pillow-soft and adjusts in multiple directions to provide proper neck support, especially when using the full 160-degree recline.
The bigger concern is longevity and support. LiberNovo is a new company that launched via Kickstarter, and while their product is impressive, they don't have the decades-long track record of brands like Herman Miller or Steelcase. The frame carries a 5-year warranty, but the electronics are only covered for 2 years. If the motor fails after that period, you'd essentially have a chair with non-adjustable lumbar support. The battery does last impressively long – I got about 30 days between charges with regular use of the massage feature – but it's another potential point of failure down the line.
I was skeptical about a battery-powered chair, but the LiberNovo Omni won me over with genuinely useful tech features and exceptional comfort. The motorised lumbar support and spinal massage aren't just gimmicks; they work remarkably well. Just be aware you're buying from a newer company without the long track record of industry giants.
Best chair for style
30 second review: As I noted in my three-month review of the Brand Verve chair, the its aesthetic and design really stand out, including a sweeping colour that covers the various materials seamlessly. I've not seen this anywhere else, and I think it's a point of difference that will catch many an eye.
Deeper dive: There's plenty more to like about this, the second chair from Branch in my pick of the best office chairs. I loved the easy assembly and simplicity of use once it's all put together. But of course, it wouldn't have made this list if I couldn't also recommend its comfort and ergonomic support. Put all that together, and sell it for the higher end of the mid-price range, just under $600, and you've got a class act on your hands.
And the negatives? I couldn't give this chair five stars because I think Branch set the bar almost too high for itself. When I noticed a flaw, or had a niggle with a feature, I really notice it. They made a rod for themselves by offering perfection, and the arms at least didn't quite deliver that. Where other ergo chairs usually offer many adjustment options in their arm rests, the Verve just goes for up and down – no side movement, or tilt.
Still, it is a near-perfect office chair, and it's beautiful to behold, for nearly half the price of the higher-end office chairs I've tested.
This is such a fresh, beautiful modern chair, squarely aimed at the discerning designer or creative type.
Luckily it's as comfortable as it is gorgeous, and I love the colour ranges you can choose from. Arms could be better though...
Best leather ergonomic chair
30-second review: The X4 Executive leather chair is one of the most comfortable ergonomic chairs I've tested, and I tested it for well over a year. It's certainly my top pick recommendation for those who want a leather option as the leather/foam combination is soft joy to sit on, while the metal base build is solid so you get a combination of comfort and support that feels reassuring.
Deeper dive: There are no surprising notes to make on the look of the X4 (though you can mix things up with one of the eight different colours that are on offer). It's a classic-looking leather office chair with a pleasing two-part back, and a singular base making up the seat.
But, most importantly, the X4 really shines when you sit in it for a long period. Built from hard plastic, chrome aluminium, mesh and leather, It gives you the solid support you'd want from a premium ergonomic chair, while also providing supreme comfort too.
It's one of the heaviest chairs featured on this list, clocking in at 31kg (twice the weight of some of the others). That solidity goes into providing incredible back support, and a soft-yet-solid comfort that feels great. It's also best for most people because it's really adjustable. There are loads of feature options as well, including headrest, 360 degree armrests, and massage and heating pads – and, when you pay extra for the 360º armrests, you get the absolute best armrests out there.
Executive leather chairs can often be stuffy and trapped in the past – the X4 is very much part of the modern world, with its massage and warming/cooling features. It's a nimble yet sturdy leather chair that will offer a bit of luxury to your work setup.
Best saddle chair
30-second review: The HÅG Capisco looks very different from the other chairs on this list. That’s because it’s a saddle chair, which allows you to sit as if you are saddling a horse. Weird? Maybe at first, but this has been found to be beneficial for countering and preventing back pain in research such as this study from Cardiff University.
Deeper dive: In his HÅG Capisco 8106 chair review, our writer noted that it keeps you adjusting how you sit, and that helps with blood flow and posture, ultimately easing back discomfort. He vouches for the good lumbar and lower back support, and gound the chair to be very comfortable.
It's highly adjustable too. The seat tilts, with a tilt lock, and you can tweak its height and depth too, from a low sitting position to a sit-stand position. Plus, from an aesthetic point of view, the radical and minimalist Scandinavian design could put your home office setup on the cutting edge of cool.
Ultimately, whether you like that look is totally subjective. Personally, I think it could actually fit into a home office set up more discreetly than many chairs with higher backs, but horses for courses as they say.
Saddle chairs are most popular among medical professionals, but their use has spread to other types of workplace. They're especially good for use with standing desks. The HÅG Capisco has a wider saddle while the HÅG Capisco Plus has a firmer, narrower saddle that allows you to sit with your legs closer together.
Aesthetically, it's stylish, and functionally, it's hugely flexible. If you like the idea of shifting positions throughout the day to keep yourself alert and protect your posture, this quirky chair could be just the ticket.
Chair expert Q&A
Joel has worked for Herman Miller for over a decade, most recently as a senior product manager. With a degree in mechanical engineering, Joel is a global sourcing and product development expert, and knows a thing or two about how to get the best out of ergonomic chairs.
Can buying an ergonomic chair really benefit your life?
Why you can trust Creative Bloq Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.
Joel Olive: Absolutely! Unsupported sitting leads to a static, slouched posture that can cause physical pain and negative cognitive effects. A healthy seated posture is marked by a properly supported sacrum to stabilise the pelvis and the lumbar spine combined with appropriately distributed pressure.
Nearly 80 per cent of all people that work in an office in the US complain of back pain. The Center for Disease Prevention reports that when people suffer from work-related musculoskeletal disorders, they can miss an average of 20 work days per year. The Center also reports that the annual cost of such disorders is $45-54 billion. This is all from data prior to the pandemic when the potential of sitting in an ergonomic chair in the office was higher!
[Citation: Andersson, Gunnar Bj. "Epidemiological features of chronic low-back pain." The Lancet 354, no. 9178 (1999): 581-85. doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(99)01312-4.]
Ergonomic seating solutions can minimise these costs and also increase productivity by properly supporting the back and encouraging healthy posture.
See this white paper for additional information.
How do you get the perfect ergonomic chair set up?
There are three primary things to consider when creating an ergonomic setup.
1. Stay connected to the back of your chair. This is where all your spinal support is.
2. Adjust the chair height so your feet are comfortable and flat on the floor with your hip line parallel to the knee line at a 90-degree angle.
3. To keep yourself connected to your chair, pull your monitor towards you so it is a minimum of an arm’s distance from you. Your fingertips should touch the screen. Bring your monitor up to meet your sight line so you have a straight neck and spine. Adjust your monitor arm or stack your laptop on some books and use an external keyboard.
How we test office chairs
We sit in them.
Okay, that's a joke, but it is the essence of the process! I am Creative Bloq's chief chair tester (the vast majority of chairs on this list are ones I've reviewed), and I've devised an extensive process, in which I use a particular office chair as my primary work seat for a long period lasting several months.
This allows me to really get to know the chair, test out its adjustability, assess its long-term overall comfort. For chairs that are specifically for back-pain, this kind of long-term testing is vital, as comfort issues may not always be apparent after only a day's use.
But there's more - it's not just a passive process. I and the other reviewers will also get out of the chair and look at it from every angle, taking notes on aesthetics that will otherwise get ignored when sitting on the chair. The best ergonomic chairs can be a pretty big financial investment, and especially if they're going to sit in your home, you'll want to make sure that you're getting a tasteful design choice. That's why we break our reviews down into comfort, build, design and features – to assess every aspect on its own terms.
How to choose
As mentioned above, we break every review down into: comfort, build, design and features (and assembly to a lesser extent), and these are the factors you're going to want to consider when choosing an ergonomic chair. For each chair on this list, we've delved into each category to give you the most relevant information to make your purchase.
A chair might look beautiful, but that beauty might come at the expense of a pretty key feature like adjustability (like the Verve chair). Others might be incredibly ergonomic and comfortable, but bulky and not particularly nice to look at. Some might have all the features you could want, but come at a wallet-smacking price tag. As with any purchase decision, the key thing is to figure out which features are most important to you, and prioritise them.
That's why we focus on all the main criteria, and report on them in context to the other options out there.
FAQs
Can office chairs help back pain?
Yes, ergonomic office chairs are not only vital for preventing back pain in the first place, they can also help to alleviate it, although anyone with chronic back pain should always consult a doctor as there could be many possible underlying causes of the pain.
Many specialists say that a good office chair can help to reduce the risk of back pain by promoting good posture.
"We spend so much time sitting at our computers, and our bodies cannot maintain good posture for hours without fatiguing," explains Dr Amy Hoover, a physiotherapist at workouts company P.volve.
"A chair that allows your lower back to maintain a good neutral position, supporting the natural curve in the lower back, can alleviate stress on the spine and improve the alignment of your spine all the way up to your head."
Physiotherapist and Pilates specialist Lyndsay Hirst agrees: "The right chair set up is essential, not only to support the natural curves of the spine but also the shoulders," she notes. "Armrests are really useful for someone who suffers neck and mid-spine pain."
What chair features are good for back pain?
Several ergonomic features can make an office chair good for back pain. Adjustability is one of the keys to ensure the chair has the right form for your own body shape. See our guide to what makes an office chair ergonomic for full details, but in summary, you should look for chairs with:
- Lumbar support (see below)
- Adjustable armrests
- Seat-depth adjustability
- Recline and tilt
James Crow, owner of Posture Stars, a website promoting good posture, says: "The best office chair for back pain is one that's highly adjustable, so you can get the back to support you in a meaningful way. Invest wisely: we wouldn't buy the cheapest mattress or car, but many of us are spending eight to 10 hours a day perched on a 'value' chair."
For more options, see our best Herman Miller alternatives page.
Do ergonomic chairs help with lower back pain?
Yes, ergonomic chairs can help reduce lower back pain by supporting the natural curve of your spine and reducing disc pressure. Adjustable lumbar supports filling the gap between your lower back and the seat can help prevent slouching and proper adjustments can spread your upper body weight evenly, taking stress off spinal discs and muscles, while the ability to adjust recline, seat height and depth can encourage a neutral, low-stress posture while sitting.
Just be aware that a chair is unlikely to be a complete fix or prevention if you sit for too many hours without moving. It's also important to incorporate mobility into your routine, such as simple desk exercises for flexibility.
What is lumbar support?
When shopping for an ergonomic chair, you'll frequently encounter references to lumbar support. This refers to the lower back, which naturally curves inward. As physiotherapist Chongsu Lee, creator of BackHug device, explains, "lumbar support can be an attachment, or a built-in part of an office chair that aligns with your lower back to maintain its natural inward curve."
Why does this matter? Well, when sitting, your lumbar becomes sandwiched between the torso, above, and buttocks, below. When you sit, lumbar stress is one-and-a-half times higher than when you stand, and double compared to when you walk.
"Left unsupported over time, the strain causes stiffness, making the lower back prone to injuries like slipped discs," Chongsu says. "Just like support beams in a building, lumbar support absorbs that strain and props your lumbar up, protecting it against stress and injury."
How do you sit properly in an office chair?
According to Innerbody Research, an expert home health and wellness organisation, your knees should be slightly lower than your hips, and your feet should be flat on the floor or a good footrest. Avoid crossing your legs, as this often leads to aches. Use an adjustable chair to ensure lower back support and position yourself so that you can type with straight wrists and level hands.
Creative Bloq is now easier to access than ever before with our on-the-go app, which brings you all the content you know and love from our website, but in a super-streamlined design.
