Best Office Chairs For Back Pain 2023

If you’re one of the many Americans who works a desk job, you’ve likely experienced some aches and pain during the workday. Time and time again, research has shown a link between sitting for long periods and back pain, which is why finding the right office chair can actually improve your quality of life. The best office chairs for back pain provide ample ergonomic support and comfort, keeping you ache-free while sitting at your desk. Our top choice is the Herman Miller Sayl Chair for its sleek design and impressive ergonomics, though that’s not the only chair we’d install in our home office.

Office chairs from brands like Hon, Devoko and Gabrylly are especially effective at stopping back ... [+] pain in its tracks.

Considering the toll that sitting for long periods can take on your back, picking out a supportive office chair is of utmost importance. “Prolonged sitting does result over time in the discs in the vertebrae losing some of their cushioning, which can increase back pain,” says physical therapist Nancy R. Kirsch, Ph.D., vice chair of rehabilitation and movement sciences at Rutgers University. If you sit with bad posture, that can add to stress on your discs and supporting muscles, she adds—and the wrong chair can make these issues worse.

Following the tips of pain-management experts, the list below includes six of the best office chairs for back pain the market currently has to offer. With any one of these, you’re guaranteed to end your workday feeling less sore.

Herman Miller

Dimensions: 24.5 x 26 x 40.75 inches | Warranty: 12 years | Base movement: Swivel

Herman Miller’s Sayl chair gets high marks in the customization department, earning it the title of best office chair for back pain overall. Not only does the chair come with an adjustable seat depth, but you can also add on adjustable lumbar support. The armrests, meanwhile, give you three options: You can opt for fixed arms, height-adjustable arms or fully adjustable ones. (Keep in mind that certain features increase the cost.)

And the opportunities for customization don’t end there. The Sayl comes in six frame base colors, 13 upholstery options and two types of casters. Boosting its ergonomic properties, the chair features a unique back design made from flexible elastomer to help keep your spine in proper alignment as you go about your workday.

Amazon

Dimensions: 46 x 27 x 27 inches | Warranty: Seven years | Base movement: Swivel

You don’t necessarily have to spend hundreds to get a supportive, highly adjustable chair. Case in point: With this popular, top-rated option at Staples, you can adjust the tilt, seat, armrests and headrest. Better yet, you get all that for $300 (or less when it’s on sale). Featuring a breathable mesh back and seat to keep you cool on hot days, the chair comes in three colors: black, charcoal grey and maroon. Sweetening the deal, this pick comes with a generous seven-year warranty.

Herman Miller

Dimensions: 23 x 15.5 x 41.8 inches | Warranty: 12 years | Base movement: Swivel

Considering how much time you spend in an office chair, it makes sense that some may want to really splash out. If money is no object, the Eames Soft Pad Chair is a timeless pick. Like all the best office chairs, the majority of its features are customizable, including its back height, lift mechanism (manual or pneumatic) and height range. (Taller purchasers may prefer the “extended” height range to achieve proper ergonomics.) Adding to its overall comfort, the cushioned zone in the back helps support your spine and surrounding areas. Choose from a huge range of upholstery options, including several handsome types of premium leather.

Amazon

Dimensions: 22 x 25.2 x 45.3 inches | Warranty: Unspecified | Base movement: Swivel

This popular Gabrylly chair keeps your whole body in mind, offering support for your head, back, hips and arms. The headrest, in particular, is notable: Not only does it adjust up and down as needed, but it’s capable of tilting up to 45 degrees backward, making it possible to find that just-right angle. Meanwhile, the backrest reclines between 90 and 120 degrees, allowing you to kick back when the mood strikes, while the chair’s armrests move up and down with the push of a button. (They can also flip up if they ever get in the way.) Rounding out this chair’s best features is its breathable mesh construction, making this a great option for those who get hot while they work or live in warmer climates.

Amazon

Dimensions: 28.5 x 27 x 44.5 inches | Warranty: Limited lifetime warranty | Base movement: Swivel

Whereas some mesh chairs can feel abrasive against your skin, the Hon Ignition 2.0—which features a contoured foam seat and stretchy mesh back—is breathable, comfortable and sleek. A longtime bestseller, this popular chair offers tons of adjustment opportunities: You can tailor the pneumatic seat height, seat angle and lumbar support to your liking, as well as the height and width of the armrests. While most people will be more than happy with the original model, the chair also comes in an all-mesh version (for those want something extra breathable) and a “big and tall” option for larger users.

West Elm

Dimensions: 25.7 x 27.8 x 34.8 inches | Warranty: 30 days | Base movement: Swivel

While this West Elm chair might not be the best option for someone who’s long suffered from more severe back pain, it’s a winning pick for those in the market for something handsome and supportive. To start, it comes in 13 different top-grain and vegan leather upholsteries to add sophistication to your work space. But this chair is more than a looker. To keep you comfortable while you work, the chair’s height is adjustable while cushioned zones in the back and seat ease aches. (Another thoughtful touch: The metal arms are wrapped in leather for style and padding.)

Here are Forbes Vetted, we know a thing or two about office chairs, as most of us spend our days sitting in some of the best ones out there. To determine our top picks for workers with back pain, we tapped into our existing knowledge of the category and consulted a physical therapist and an ergonomics expert to better understand which chairs are best for those who suffer from aches. From there, we tracked down some of the most popular models on the market, narrowing down the field based on factors like adjustability, materials and value. To help us get a better sense of how these chairs perform in the real world, we also considered customer reviews.

To start, there’s no singular best office chair out there; an office chair that provides the perfect amount of support for one person may be a poor fit for another. “The key is to find the best chair for the individual,” says Ric Longo, M.S., head of environmental health science and process engineering at MilliporeSigma in Temecula, California. When shopping, look out for chairs that are both ergonomic and adjustable, allowing you to cater the seat and supportive features to your liking. Additionally, “the seat should be padded and have a material that is breathable,” adds Kirsch.

If you suffer from lower back pain, make sure the chairs you’re considering provide lumbar support, which can help improve your posture and relieve tension. (If you fall in love with a chair that doesn’t offer the level of support you need, you can also purchase a lumbar support pillow.) Additionally, “adjustability is important,” says Mara Vucich, D.O., a physiatrist with The Maryland Spine Center at Mercy Medical Center. “You want a chair that you can slightly recline—that lowers pressure at the base of the spine.” And perhaps most importantly, to really ward off back pain, it’s important to take regular breaks and get out of your office chair to stretch and walk.