Not all chairs are winners. Here are a few others that we like enough to recommend, but they’re not as good as our previous top picks.
Hinomi X1 chair for $669: Hinomi’s X1 mesh chair has a trick up its sleeve: a built-in footrest! She simply extends and opens the footrest; Voilà, your feet are now supported. This may not be very practical for tall people, as my legs often hit the wall behind my desk, but it is quite comfortable. Otherwise, the chair is well built. I like the lumbar support here and there are a good amount of adjustments you can make. The seat itself is a little firm, but after a while I got used to it. Hinomi offers a 12-year warranty, but best of all, you can get it. a dusty pink from the company website. I would buy this instead of the X-Chair mesh chair listed below.
BodyBilt Midcelli Mesh Chair for $949: The BodyBilt chair looks pretty average, but the seat cushion is plush and soft, and hugs your butt and legs, which I liked more than I expected. The mesh backrest has some flexibility, so it doesn’t feel rigid, and there are all the usual points of adjustment, including moving the seat back and forth. I wish the arms could be locked in one position. Have a lifetime warranty in selected parts, while other areas of the chair are covered for 12, seven, five or three years. There are more customization options in BodyBilt website—with the option to get a consultation—but I think it’s too expensive.
Razer Fujin Pro for $1,049: Razer is asking for prices from Herman Miller and Steelcase despite offering a measly five-year warranty on this $1,000-plus chair. Still, my colleague Eric Ravenscraft likes the Fujin Pro (8/10, WIRED recommends). There are a good amount of adjustments you can make, the armrests are useful and the mesh is breathable. Oh, and it doesn’t have the racing seat aesthetic of an overused gaming chair.
Tempur-Pedic Tempur-Lumbar office chair for $352: I think this is a good alternative to the Branch ergonomic chair, our top pick. The Tempur seat cushion is, as you would expect, wonderfully comfortable to sit on for hours at a time. And most chairs that have a thick lumbar cushion end up causing me back pain, but not here: I haven’t had any problems sitting in this chair for a month. The mesh back is also nice for airflow. The arms tend to move a bit and the mechanism to adjust them is not elegant. Installation wasn’t too difficult, but the instructions weren’t as simple as Branch’s and the overall build quality seems cheap.
Cooler Master Motion 1 gaming chair for $2,500: I don’t recommend most gaming chairs; that’s coming from someone who sat in one for several years. They are quite adjustable, but they are not very comfortable, breathable or ergonomic. They also mostly pursue a particular racing car aesthetic. For most people, the chairs above will work best. However, the Cooler Master Motion 1 (7/10, WIRED recommended) is different. WIRED contributor Simon Hill says it’s literally designed for gaming: the seat rumbles as you navigate bumpy terrain. Forza Horizon 5, and will cause some shaking if you crash. You need to make sure the game you own is compatible, but there are over 100 AAA titles on the list. It works with a catalog of over 2,000 movies and TV shows too, in case you want to feel the power behind Batman’s punches. As a chair itself, it’s fine. It’s quite comfortable, but it lacks the adjustability you might find in a regular office chair. The armrests are fixed and prolonged sittings may cause nausea. But it is unique and worth considering if you love racing games and flight simulators.
Knoll Newson Task Chair for $1,195: This minimalist chair looks best in graphite and petal colors; It is a bit monotonous in black and shadow. It’s nice that I didn’t have to worry too much about levers or knobs; It’s comfortable right out of the box and can be adjusted decently if you need to make some adjustments, and it feels especially good when you recline. (The red knob adjusts the recline tension, but it needs to be turned for five rotations and I found it difficult to turn at times.) The Newson gave me no problems in the two months I sat in it. I’m just not a big fan of how the elastomer mesh backrest distorts, depending on how you sit. It feels bulky. This chair also doesn’t allow me to sit as upright as I would like, but you might be fine with a little flexibility. Ultimately, it’s the price that knocks it out of our top recommendations, but you do get a 12-year warranty.
X-Chair X2 K-Sport Management Chair for $879: This used to be our top pick for mesh chairs, but it has been replaced by the Steelcase Karman. Sitting in the X-Chair is like resting in a hammock. Every part of my body feels well supported and you can adjust almost everything in the chair. Raise the seat and push the armrests up, down, and side to side, or tilt them in or out. The lumbar support feels like a cushion and adjusts as you move in the seat. If you want to rest your head, you can pay extra for the headrest. It has held up extremely well after three years of sitting almost continuously, but I don’t like how bulky it is. X-Chair has several models to choose from. I tested the X-2 K-Sport with the wide seat and it fits my 6’4″ frame very well, but it was too wide for my partner who is 5’1″. Most people should be fine with the standard x1.
Ikea Markus chair for $290: The Markus is a perfect office chair. It’s not the most comfortable, but it’s far from the worst. The mesh design keeps you cool and the high backrest allows you to lean fully on it. It is quite slim and does not bother a small home office or bedroom. It was a pain to put together (lol, Ikea), and you may need someone to hold the back of the chair while you position the seat correctly. Unfortunately, if you often sit with at least one leg raised or legs crossed, the width between your arms will make you uncomfortable.
X-Chair X-Tech executive chair for $2,049: Functionally, the X-Tech is similar to the previous X-Chair. In this version, the M-Foam cooling gel seat is really wonderful to sit on, although it doesn’t absorb as much heat as the all-mesh X-Chairs. It’s the Brisa Soft Touch material that impresses the most: it’s ridiculously soft. I recommend you stick with the standard armrests instead of the FS 360 armrests, which tend to move around too much. But my biggest complaint with this model is the price. Why the hell does it cost so much?
Mavix M7 chair for $677: If it looks eerily similar to the X-Chair (see above), it’s because they’re both from the same company. WIRED reviewer Louryn Strampe had some issues with assembly, but customer service was able to change the model without much effort. The M7 has similarly adjustable armrests and seat angles, but has locking wheels. The mesh backrest and wide seat construction keep you cool and comfortable when you sweat. League of Legends sessions, and the lumbar support does the job. If you are short, please contact customer service while ordering – Mavix offers shorter cylinders so your feet touch the ground.
Hon Ignition 2.0 office chair for $425: This chair is easy to install and looks great, but it gave me a lot of back pain, which is why I originally placed it in our “Avoid” section. I thought maybe it was because of the long hours I was working, so I went back to the Knoll Newson task chair and my pain began to ease quickly. Some time later, I tried again. After a few hours, the pain returned and changing chairs dissipated it. Color me confused, because this chair has positive reviews on the web. Then I asked a friend who is about 5′ 4″ to try it for a few weeks and she hasn’t had any problems. This seems to be the answer. The Ignition may not work for my 6′ 4″ self and it’s more suitable for smaller people.
Hon Ignition 2.0 big and tall for $712: I had a much better experience with this Hon chair which, as the name suggests, is suitable for big and tall people like me. It has a reinforced steel frame that can support up to 450 pounds with a wider seat. It’s comfortable, transfers heat well, and does a good job of supporting my back. However, he looks incredibly boring in Boring Black. I had a good experience in the chair, aside from the arms tending to slide left and right every time you press on them. I’m just not sure it’s worth the oddly high price.
Pipesng meditation chair for $369: Do you have trouble sitting in a traditional chair? If you need to bend and twist your legs to be comfortable, you’ll want to try this chair. It has a 360-degree rotating footrest that can adapt to virtually any sitting position you want. I can go from kneeling to crossing my legs, to one leg up and one leg down. It is also possible to sit regularly, with the stool behind you and your feet flat on the floor. It is the only chair I have found that designed for strange sitting habits. There are no armrests, which I didn’t mind because that’s what allows you to sit in many of these positions. The back of the actual stool and chair could be bigger and higher respectively. I had to use a pillow to keep my back comfortable.