If you’re working from home, investing in one of the best office chairs (and not just a dining chair you’ve put up to the task) will help correct a persistent case of tech neck and maybe even boost your morale—but no promises there. Comfort and ergonomics are important, sure, but because we’re AD, the aesthetics of your desk seating equally matter. Maybe that budget mesh chair you picked up from an office supply store clocks in and does the job every morning, but is it the right culture fit for the very curated aesthetic of your home?Featured in this articleBest Designhead-Approved PickHerman Miller Aeron ChairRead moreBest Ergonomic Office ChairBranch Ergonomic Chair ProRead moreIn This Article:AccordionItemContainerButtonOver the years that we’ve been testing office chairs, we’ve expanded our search to include a high-low selection that includes wallet-friendly picks, but also household names in the ergonomic space, from Herman Miller to Knoll, that come approved by design lovers like us. Our editors and writers have personally sat on, worked on, and Zoomed from each of these picks and can attest that not only are they attractive, but they will also provide structural support for your bottom and back during the longest meetings in your iCal. Check back here this month, as we’ll also be charting price drops during Black Friday and Cyber Week.Best OverallAccordionItemContainerButtonDimensions: 41"H x 27"W x 27"DMaterials: 3D knit, foam, and aluminumWeight Capacity: 275 lbs.Colors: Coral, lunar, mist, mint, cobalt, and galaxyWarranty: 7 yearsAdjustability:Seat height and depth adjustable ✔Adjustable armrest height ✔Adjustable lumbar height ✔Tilt and tilt tension ✔AccordionItemContainerButtonVery comfortable for long periods of sitting3D knit back is breathable and supports postureSporty look and several color choicesAccordionItemContainerButtonNo headrestNot as affordable as other Branch picks on this listAs a general practice, the armrests on ergonomic office chairs tend to be bulky. Not so with the Branch Verve Chair, which stands out with its curvy S-shaped supports that give it some space-y, extraterrestrial appeal. The Verve is a newer and sportier model from the brand that set out to modernize dated office furniture (from standing desks to seating), and boasts a sleek breathable mesh back and some slender legs with casters for wheeling around the office.Contributor Terri Williams notes that sitting for long periods of time is easy thanks to the V-shaped chair design that provides extra lumbar support. At just a hair shy of $600, this chair is also one of the most affordable picks on the list (so it’s a good fit for most people), and one of the most streamlined if you hate the look of typical corporate chairs. The svelte design is why we chose it as our top pick over the AD editor-beloved Ergonomic Chair Pro below, which might not be as visually appealing to the average person. “I can also adjust the height of the softly-padded armrests, the seat depth, the tilt, the tilt tension, and the padded lumbar support,” Williams says of the extra features here that put it into holy grail territory.Best Designhead-Approved PickHerman Miller Aeron ChairAccordionItemContainerButtonDimensions: 38½"H x 25¾"W x 16"DMaterials: Aluminum frame and base; 8Z pellicle elastomeric suspension seat and backrestWeight Capacity: 300–350 lbs. (depending on model size)Base colors: Satin aluminum, polished aluminum, and onyx ultra matteFrame colors: Graphite, mineral, and blackWarranty: 12 yearsAdjustability:Height adjustable ✔Adjustable armrests ✔Adjustable seat ✔AccordionItemContainerButtonSo many adjustable elements for a perfect fitEase of setupReliabilityAccordionItemContainerButtonThere’s a reason the Aeron is Herman Miller’s most beloved and recognizable office chair. The iconic design is truly supportive and customizable to fit your ideal comfort zones, with adjustable offerings from the armrests to the seat itself. Contributor Zoë Sessums selected hers after a virtual fitting with an ergonomic expert at Herman Miller, who walked her through all the features. (Herman Miller offers an informative online gallery if you can’t try out a chair in person.) Once the chair was delivered—no assembly required—Sessums came away impressed with the power of the patented PostureFit SL back support, which encourages opening up the chest and shoulders, and tilts the pelvis slightly forward. “This chair will save your body,” she says. “It’s easy to see why people invest in supreme desk setups. I would recommend the Aeron chair again and again.”Photo: Audrey LeePhoto: Audrey LeePhoto: Audrey LeeBranch Ergonomic Chair ProAccordionItemContainerButtonDimensions: 25”W x 24”D x 38-41.2”HMaterials: Flocked Italian double mesh, vegan leather or leather, high-density foam cushion, powder coated aluminum baseWeight Capacity: 275 lbsColors: Mesh: Shore (Off-White), Mineral (Light Grey), Boulder (Dark Grey); Vegan Leather: Light Grey, Brown Black Leather: Brown, BlackWarranty: 7 yearsAdjustability:Height adjustable ✔Adjustable armrests ✔Adjustable headrest, adjustable seat ✔Forward tilt ✔AccordionItemContainerButtonAdded back support mechanism does a really great job of keeping the lower lumbar region feeling reinforced and makes it harder to slump down (which I appreciated as a chronic sloucher)The Branch Ergo Pro gets high scores in the beauty department: The off-white hue feels more modern than your typical office chair and is an especially great option if you want to match your chair to a lighter colored desk.Easy assembly and compact packaging: The chair arrives compactly while the crystal clear instructions made it incredibly simple to assemble everything (no sweating or googling required)AccordionItemContainerButtonDifficult to adjust height if you weight lessMemory foam cushioning is not very breathableLearning curves with adjustment leversA bad case of tech neck hates to see the Branch Ergo Pro coming. That’s because the chair’s fully customizable support system is calibrated to ensure that your posture is optimized, even during long hours in one fixed position. It offers 14 points of adjustments total (count ’em!) to keep you comfortable, from the seat height to the headrest for those who are blessed with longer limbs. And compared to the original version reviewed above, this one is far cushier on the seat and armrests, with seven additional points of adjustability. It is slightly less svelte and also slightly more expensive than its predecessor, the original Branch Ergonomic, which our tester Williams also loved for its ergonomic design.Each of our editors took a spin on the Branch Ergo Pro (read our full review) and came away smitten with the adjustability points and glutes support of this “double-stuffed” chair. “I was especially fond of the arm rests that helped me achieve perfect elbow support with my laptop stand and that the adjustable tilt option gave me the freedom to stretch my back out whenever needed,” commerce editor Audrey Lee noted. Source link
