Struggling with Back Pain? Don’t Miss These Seven Best Office Chair to Help Alleviate Your Back Pain Today!
If you’re like millions of Americans with a desk job, then you know what it feels like to sit too long at your desk. Over time, you can develop delimitating back problems because it is unnatural for your body to sit in a curved position for a sustained amount of time.
Let’s get started!
Page Contents
- Best Office Chair For Back Pain Comparison Table
- How do I choose the best chair for my back pain?
- Chair #1: Alera Elusion Swivel Chair
- Chair #2: Serta Back in Motion Health and Wellness Office Chair
- Chair #3: GM Seating Genuine Leather Chair
- Chair #4: Sayl Chair by Herman Miller
- Chair #5: Eurotech’s Ergohuman
- Chair #6: Haworth Zody Chair – Editors’ Choice Winner!
- Chair #7: Herman Miller Aeron Task Chair
- Conclusion: Are You Ready to Purchase Your New Chair for the Office?
- Ergonomic design including seat height, seat width and lumbar support
- Adjustability
- Seat padding
- Your investment
- Reviews from consumers
In this guide, we will be ranking the following top seven office chairs for people with back pain as follows.
(Note that these chairs are listed in random order. You’ll find our top pick at the conclusion of this guide!)
Best Office Chair For Back Pain Comparison Table
Photo | Name | Pros | Price |
---|---|---|---|
Alera Elusion Swivel Chair | Adjustable arm height, Tilt tension adjustment lever | Check Price on Amazon | |
Serta Back in Motion Health and Wellness Office Chair | Fully adjustable, including push-button arm adjustment and automatic pivoting when you lean forward | Check Price on Amazon | |
GM Seating Genuine Leather Chair | Detachable head/neck rest for neck pain sufferers | Check Price on Amazon | |
Sayl Chair by Herman Miller | Designer engineered, Sleek and modern design in several colors | Check Price on Amazon | |
Eurotech’s Ergohuman | Mesh construction for increased blood flow | Check Price on Amazon | |
Haworth Zody Chair Editors' Choice Winner | Endorsement by the American Physical Therapy Association - the first and only | Check Price on Amazon | |
Herman Miller Aeron Task Chair | Precision fit via three sizing “families” | Check Price on Amazon |
How do I choose the best chair for my back pain?
It’s important to remember that there is a difference between just any old office chair and ergonomically-designed one.
An ergonomic office chair is designed to support your lower back and buttocks so that your spine does not take on the normal amount of stress it can when sitting for long periods of time in a chair. So start with that label when shopping for your new office chair.
What are the advantages and benefits of purchasing an ergonomic office chair?
Science says it all, really. When you sit for a sustained amount of time in an office chair, you add stress to your spine and this can lead to painful back issues.
Keep in mind that you shouldn’t replace an ergonomic office chair for getting up periodically throughout the day and walking around or doing some leg and arm stretching exercises at your desk – but you’ll be in a much healthier posture over time when you replace your current office chair with an ergonomic one.
What attributes should I look for in my new chair?
There are several attributes you should look for in your new ergonomic chair as follows:
How can I convince my company to invest in this chair for me?
Then, ask your doctor to write you a medical note recommending an ergonomic chair. Your company will use this as evidence of a medical need and then can write it off on their taxes as a business expense.
Chair #1: Alera Elusion Swivel Chair
For a chair in the $150-$200 range, the Alera Elusion swivel chair provides a world of comfort paired with an ergonomic design that is hard to beat.
It’s difficult to find an ergonomic chair at this price that gives you both a seat cushion that is contoured for maximum comfort and breathable mesh material throughout the frame that also happens to relieve pressure points on your legs.
What Amazon customers say about this chair:
A solid chair with an aesthetic appeal. It’s sturdy, easy to adjust and is a great price for the value.
There are many adjustment features packed into this chair as well, giving you the ability to fine-tune the seat and arm height and to adjust the tilt tension.
- Adjustable seat height.
- Adjustable arm height.
- Tilt tension adjustment lever.
- Breathable mesh material.
- Comfortable!
- A budget chair at the end of the day in the $150-$200 range.
- Doesn’t provide the most elite levels of comfort and precision tuning to your body.
- Mesh seating can erode over time because of friction of the body on the seat.
Chair #2: Serta Back in Motion Health and Wellness Office Chair
You may think of Serta for their mattresses, but this comfort-priority company also has made a great ergonomic office chair.
The Serta Back in Motion Health and Wellness office chair is a $250-$300 office chair that has the look of a luxury chair with all the ergonomics of one. Is it best feature? Perhaps the built-in body pillows that will make you feel like you’re laying down!
This chair also is made from eco-friendly materials such as bonded leather. The range of motion of this chair also is quite good, and you can adjust the height of the arm rests with a button while the lumbar region of the chair adjusts based upon your movements in the chair.
Amazon customers say:
The chair is indispensable – especially for anyone who has gone through surgery. It pivots with your body from front to back, allowing for your hip flexors to move and to keep blood circulating in your body.
Most unique of all, when you lean forward, the chair tilts your pelvis and helps you stay in a non-pressure position, so that your spine can rest as you sit.
- Pillows in your chair, anyone?
- Fully adjustable, including push-button arm adjustment and automatic pivoting when you lean forward.
- Super comfortable.
- Bulkier look than some other ergonomic chairs
- Leather requires special care
- Electronic component could require repair/maintenance
Chair #3: GM Seating Genuine Leather Chair
From GM Seating comes a distinctive, white ergonomic leather office chair that is setting itself apart in its price range of chairs under $1,000.
You’ll get the luxury of leather in this sleek and modern office chair with fully adjustable features including tilt tension, seat adjustment and a super sleek headrest attachment for sufferers of neck pain.
What Amazon customers say about this chair:
This is an incredibly comfortable chair that is recommended by chiropractors and really delivers. It is fully adjustable, making it an ideal chair for fine-tuning it to the curve of your spine for maximum comfort.
This is the perfect chair for the modern office – and you’ll agree when you see this modern chair unclose. Beyond its aesthetics, however, is the GM Seating Chair’s functionality. The chair features a 3-D armrest that is fully adjustable and can be moved backwards or forwards to meet your preferred seating style.
- Full lumbar support catered to your size.
- Adjustable seat and arm rests.
- Slide seat feature
- Modern, sleek elegant look
- Detachable head/neck rest for neck pain sufferers.
- Pricey
- Leather design takes special care
- Head rest can stick out for some people.
Chair #4: Sayl Chair by Herman Miller
From the first producer of the ergonomic chair – Herman Miller – comes the Sayl Chair, the company’s perhaps most affordable chair, it being in the $500-$600 range.
This is a chair you’ll want to pay attention to because of the name on it and because of the price. At the end of the day, you almost get what you pay for with ergonomic chairs – and nothing could be truer than with Herman Miller chairs. This is a chair you can trust.
Amazon customers say:
You can sit 8 hours in this chair and still feel great. It’s amazing how easy it is to roll, swivel and work. You won’t be disappointed with this chair.
Not only is this chair incredibly comfortable and completely adjustable, but it is made of all recyclable materials. So when you purchase it, you can feel good about giving back to the environment while supporting your lower back. The chair, designed by legendary Yves Behar, comes in a variety of colors to match your office settings, as well.
- Designer engineered
- Sleek and modern design in several colors
- Fully adjustable
- Extremely comfortable
- More expensive then other ergonomic chairs with similar features.
- Made of recyclable materials, which at times, can feel and look inexpensive
Chair #5: Eurotech’s Ergohuman
From Eurotech comes a breathable, modern chair with up to eight adjustments for the perfect fit to your lower back. This chair is an economical alternative to other chairs and provides a wide range of motion.
In addition, the Eurotech Ergohuman chair is made of a mesh construction for your lumbar region and spine to promote circulation of the blood throughout your body and to promote breathability throughout use. This always is important when you are sitting on a chair for a long period of time.
Amazon customers say:
This is a great adjustable chair and provides many routes for fine-tuning. However, it is difficult to put together.
In addition, this ergonomic chair provides levers for fine-tuning the angle and height of your back, arms and seat so that you can tweak the features to get the perfect fit. It does take some time to adjust to the perfect size, so be patient with all ergonomic chairs as you figure out the right fit for you.
Finally, the Eurotech Ergohuman chair features a headrest that will support your neck when you lean back for that occasional stretch.
- Modern design
- Neck/headrest for additional support
- Mesh construction for increased blood flow
- Instructions make it difficult to understand how to put this chair together
- Lumbar adjustment can be off for some heights
Chair #6: Haworth Zody Chair – Editors’ Choice Winner!
Pay attention to this chair based upon this singular achievement: The Haworth Zody Chair is the only chair to get an endorsement from the American Physical Therapy Association – ever.
Now, if that doesn’t speak volumes to you, perhaps some additional attributes of this office chair for back pain will. Science, rather than some of the more pleasing aesthetic designs of other chairs, is behind the Haworth Zody ergonomic office chair.
For example, the Haworth Zody chair is known for its adjustment system that allows you to fine-tune the chair to areas of your lower back and actually make the chair conform to the curve of your spine.
Amazon customers say:
This chair is a gem with the addition of 4-D arms, an advanced lumbar support system and the endorsement of the American Physical Therapy Association.
That’s genius! So much so that the University of Michigan’s Human Performance Institute has gotten behind the chair to help design it. In addition, this chair is known for its ability to correct your spinal posture via a passive pelvic support system and the attribute of 4-D arms.
There is a pad in the Haworth Zody Chair that helps you maintain your natural posture and helps to keep your spine’s natural curve in tact. When you are sitting at a desk for eight hours or more – this chair is really going to make a difference in your health and well-being over time.
- Endorsement by the American Physical Therapy Association — the first and only
- Excellent adjustability
- 4-D arms
- Expensive in the range of $1,000.
- Made of plastic that has been known to break easily
- Some people have noted adjustability issues
Chair #7: Herman Miller Aeron Task Chair
It’s difficult to beat a Herman Miller chair, in part, because he was the inventor of the ergonomic chair.
The Aeron Herman Miller chair is one of the best in the industry, rating at the $1,000 or less range. What’s so unique about it is that it follows the biomorphic design of the body so that no matter where your body touches it, you’re experiencing maximum comfort.
To note in this chair is the head cushion and the extremely high back of the chair, which in combination helps you to correct an incorrect and painful posture and combats the tell-tale signs of lower back apron.
Amazon customers say:
No one can beat Herman Miller. If you have the budget for this chair, then go for it. It provides an incredible range of adjustable paired with sleek and comfortable design that will have you wondering why you’re back isn’t hurting from sitting so long!
Best of all, perhaps, the Herman Miller Aeron chair is made in several precise sizes – from A, B and C – which is designed to bring you into a family of chairs of sorts that will provide you with maximum comfort at literally ever roll, pivot and turn.
- Precision fit via three sizing “families”
- Extreme comfort
- Herman Miller stamped ergonomic design
- Expensive in comparison to other models
- Arm levers don’t stay locked
- Back is not fully adjustable
Conclusion: Are You Ready to Purchase Your New Chair for the Office?
In conclusion, after surveying the top seven office chairs for people struggling with back pain, it’s clear that the frontrunner is: The Haworth Zody Chair.
Now, keep in mind that different ergonomic chairs are going to work for different people, and our top choice might not be yours – and that’s completely acceptable!
Your comfort is most important of all. The seven best office chair for back pain listed in this guide are excellent, and they are worth you checking out.
However, for ergonomic design, ease of adjusting to suit a specific body type, comfort and price, the Haworth Zody Chair leads the way and fulfills all the needs of people who are looking for a solid and trusted solution for mitigating painful back issues caused by sustained sitting in the office.
This is a mid-to-high priced hair at under $1,000, but it is the only chair to be endorsed by the American Physical Therapy Association – ever – we that’s notable enough along with its myriad functions to make it one of our best buys in 2017.
It’s not worth it to sit at your desk all day only to be in pain at night. Do something about your unhealthy working conditions today by finding your new ergonomic office chair for 2017!