This chair has several great features that gives it such a high rating on Amazon. The dual Dynaflex back support moves as you move, giving you extra support. The seat depth can be adjusted by 2", and the cushion is 30% larger than most chairs, the back has 4 locking positions at 90°, 110°, 120°, and 135°. It has an adjustable headrest (height and angle) and armrests, a telescopic footrest, and a weight capacity of 300 lbs.

Poly and Bark are known for their mid-century design, but they can also do minimalist. The Tremaine chair has a truly innovative design (especially when viewed from the side) that is focused on lower, upper, and neck support.

Rather than a plastic base like other chairs in this price-point, the Tremaine has a higher end steel base that has been chromed.

The Tremaine offers a unique combination of value for money, ergonomic comforts, and style typically found in much more expensive chairs.

The X Xishe is a great choice for a basic office chair that won't cost you too much. It has a lot of nice features: a 300 lb. weight capacity, a thick cushion, flip-up armrests, the option to lean back with a lever to hold your favorite position, and a breathable mesh back.

If you're looking for a quality chair but don't want to spend $1,500 or more, the ErgoTune is a great choice. TechRadar called it "arguably the best office chair money can buy." Tom's Guide said it's "easily the highest quality mesh chair," and PC Gamer raved about it for gaming. The reason is versatility-it's probably the most adjustable chair available:

• The headrest has 3 options for adjustment.
• The back reclines up to 136°.
• The backrest adjusts in height to support your lumbar spine.
• The ATLAS lumbar support auto adjusts to your movement.
• The GyroBrace armrest adjusts 4 ways, including 270° of rotation.
• The seat depth is adjustable.

The Steelcase leap is a very high-end office that offers the highest level of adjustment of any office chair we've ever reviewed. Everything your body comes into contact with is adjustable and can be adjusted to perfection. The Armrests alone are adjustable in 4 independent ways: height, forward and back, side to side, and pivot. The adjustable backrest lumbar allows pinpointing support to your lower back. The adjustable seat can move forward and back as well as tilt. Overall the leap is among the highest quality you can expect in an office chair.

The Modway Veer One is of the most popular and affordable drafting chairs. Drafting chairs make for a very versatile office chair allowing you to sit at a higher than average workspace. They pair well with a standing desk or a fixed height standing desk like the one pictured.

The Veer has adjustable flip-up armrests that offer great support when you need it and can disappear when you need space to move (think of an architect drawing up some plans).

The Veer does not have the same level of adjustment as other chairs on our list, but there aren't really many drafting chair options with the ergonomic features we look for.

For this review, we have considered all the major bestselling, highest reviewed chairs available at both physical and online retailers as well as new up and coming chairs that have yet to see popularity. We have also included established high-end brands and newcomers focused on saving you money. We then thinned out this group based on the presence of the key ergonomic features we listed above, to help make your time spent sitting as comfortable and as pain-free as possible. We then considered value for money for each chair, further refined the group and developed categories spanning different budgets, feature sets, and chair designs. While we tend to like chairs that maximize value for money without missing any key ergonomic features, we also suggest a variety of alternatives.

As you can see from the table below, office chairs vary quite a lot when it comes to general specifications. If you have a chair in mind, consider the height range, seat and backrest dimensions and how they relate to your body and the height of your existing desk.

So you've got a new chair, don't make the mistake of using it improperly! Especially when buying a chair with many available adjustments, it can be easy to form bad habits with your new chair. Follow these best practices for adjusting your chair.

• Setting your chair height - you should adjust the height of your chair so that your thighs are close to parallel with the floor. This will allow your body to be in a neutral position and minimize the effect of sliding forward out of the chair.
• Setting your armrest position - this comes down to personal preference and comfort, but a good starting point is having your forearms parallel to the floor and ideally in line with the surface of your desk.
• Backrest tilt - setting this feature is mostly personal preference, but remember backrest tilt is a great feature to add extra movement to your time spent sitting. Occasionally leaning backward can help get your blood flowing. Don't overlook this feature and try to form a habit of using it.
• Follow adjustment instructions - most of the chairs on our list have been painstakingly designed with ergonomics in mind and include instructions on how to adjust your chair for maximum comfort. Don't skip reading this.
• Typing position and relation to your desk - when switching out your chair, make sure your new seating position gives you good ergonomics for typing and viewing your monitor. Depending on the geometry of the chair you may need to fine tune all the above to match the height of your desk and monitors.
• Read our guide on workplace ergonomics - get more information on finding an ideal seating position with your new chair.

When researching the chairs to include in our best office chairs guide we invested time learning about the companies designing and building these chairs.

Manufactures on this list have been around for a while, have established brands, and offer completely original high-quality furniture designs that are often patented. Items sold by these companies are purchased as investments and are intended to last decades. For these reasons, high-end manufacturers like these often cater to businesses looking to invest in their staff's comfort but are also sold through a dealership network and can be available on Amazon and other retailers as well.

• Steelcase - headquartered in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Steelcase has been a huge maker of office furniture and has been in business for well over 100 years. Steelcase invests time and money into researching ergonomics and applying their learning to their chairs and other products. Steelcase products are painstakingly designed and every detail has been thought through and considered. We generally love Steelcase office chairs for their armrests, which often have an incredible amount of adjustment.
• Haworth - headquartered in Holland, MI, Haworth is a high-quality maker of office furniture that has been in business since 1948. Most often their products are sold to businesses as part of contracts to redo or furniture an office space. You can, however, buy their chairs directly through their online store.
• håg - is a Norway-based furniture company that is now part of Flokk. They have been making innovative chairs and seating since 1943. Also known for iconic chair designs like Capisco and the Futu, you can expect their chairs to last, but they are often slightly less expensive than other office chairs on this list.

Most of us are looking for value for money when shopping for an office chair. The brands below offer light duty but quality office chair designs that won't break the bank.

• Poly & Bark - possibly one of our favorite manufacturers of chairs, Poly & Bark brings great design and budget prices together. While they sell nearly anything you could need for your home, their chairs are what we like the best. Their chairs simply look much more expensive than they are and chairs like the Simmons and Valencia are super ergonomic focused and comfortable.
• Modway - similar to Poly & Bark, Modway Furniture offers a wide variety of home and office furnishings. While most of their office chairs are not very adjustable, their most popular one, the Articulate is. It frequently ranks high on our lists due to a great combination of adjustment and low price. Modway also offers affordable drafting chairs which can pair well with a standing desk.
• Amazon Basics - we're all quite familiar with Amazon Basics products, whether we've bought phone chargers, keyboards, or pens if you're looking for something that is somewhat of a commodity Amazon Basics can be a great choice. While we do recommend investing in your office chair, Amazon Basics chairs bring you in under budget.

• You’re simply uncomfortable sitting - comfort is critical when trying to work and be productive at your desk. If you’re experiencing a lot of discomfort and pain when you sit, your chair can be part of the cause and part of the solution.
• The current chair has a deflated or unsupportive seat cushion - a common sign of a poor-quality chair or a chair that is simply worn out. A deflated seat cushion can cause incredible discomfort and lead to much lower back pain. As your hips rotate forward from the lack of support, your spine forms an even more acute angle than a supported chair with good posture.
• Your chair is generally worn out  -  with heavy daily use, your chair can develop rips and tears, especially in padded armrests. It is also common for the gas strut for height adjustment to lose force, and the backrest tension can also lose its resistance as well.
• Broken adjustment controls - especially common on cheap chairs seeing heavy use is height, tilt, and tension control braking. This can be problematic and frustrating to deal with daily.
• You want better features - there is an incredible variety of features available in today’s office chairs, and many important ergonomic features are missing even from top-selling, highly reviewed chairs. Once you've learned about these ergonomic features, you may think you need a new chair. We don't blame you.
• Worn-out support post - nearly every chair will develop some play stemming from the support post, the metal rod that connects the base to the seat and also allows vertical height adjustment. While not critical to comfort, it can be annoying as it creates a slight rocking effect.

Office chairs are available at nearly any price but there are some key features to look for when shopping for a new office chair. The essential features listed below are just that, essential. If you’re looking for a quality office chair that you’ll be comfortable sitting in, you need these things. Nice-to-haves are extra features that can make a difference but aren’t totally necessary to have when buying a new chair.

• Adjustable armrests - one of the most commonly missed features on office chairs today and one of the most important to have. Many chairs come with armrests that aren’t adjustable. Being able to adjust your armrests is essential in supporting your arms for typing or writing. Without them, it makes it very easy to develop shoulder pain.
• Adjustable lumbar support or pressure-sensing lumbar - many chair designs feature lumbar support, but seek out chairs with either adjustable lumbar position or designs that sense pressure and automatically support your lower back. A chair with good lumbar support makes it much easier to maintain good posture and helps prevent your spine from arcing.
• Soft front seat edge - it’s important that the front edge of the seat is rounded off and well-padded. This prevents pain, numbness and blood flow issues on the underside of your thighs.

• Adjustable lean - Many chairs have some lean allowed but it is especially nice to a few settings to choose from. Depending on your weight or height you may want a different amount of lean.
• Adjustable seat position (forward and back) - everyone’s body is different, so having the ability to slide your seat forward and back is great for fine tuning your seat position relative to the backrest as well as allowing you to have good support the full length of your thighs. Chairs without this feature can, for some people, cause discomfort underneath your thigh and make it feel like you’re constantly slipping forward out of your chair.
• Side to side or forward and back armrest adjustment - this is a rare feature most commonly found on high-end Herman Miller or Steelcase chairs. But once you’ve used them you come to appreciate this feature a lot. Depending on the broadness of your shoulders you may want to bring your armrests closer or further away to allow your elbows and forearms to lie in a natural position.
• Headrests and tall seat backs - these can be great features if you’re trying to focus on good posture as they will help stabilize your shoulders and neck and give your upper body something to register against while sitting.
• Ventilated design - the vast majority of office chairs have ventilated backrests and seats, but this isn’t a requirement unless you have had experience overheating in a traditional leather or non-ventilated chair design.
• A large height adjustment range - this is great to consider if you plan to have more than one person using the chair. Some chairs struggle to go low enough or high enough for some people.