If you spend all day off your feet for your job, you might not think much about it, but your seating situation really matters. Eight hours of daily sedentary work can put a lot of stress on your spine if you’re not positioned properly, which is why investing in one of the best office chairs is always a worthwhile endeavor.
Unfortunately, one hiccup we can run into when we’re shopping for a new home office throne is the price barrier—calling these chairs an “investment” is no understatement. There are plenty of chairs out there, such as top models from brands like Herman Miller, that cost well over a grand. As comfortable, sturdy, and adjustable as those premium models can be, that’s a huge financial leap to take for a first-time or budget-minded office designer.
Luckily, we’ve put in the work to find six chairs that’ll run you significantly less—think $500 and below. Though they might not have all the top-shelf bells and whistles you can expect from a seat that costs four times that limit, they’re a cut above the rest in terms of bang for your buck. They all offer quality support for your spine, an acceptable degree of adjustability, and a price tag that won’t break the bank. Our best overall pick, the Branch Ergonomic Chair, is an especially strong example of how little frugality can affect the end product: it’s so comfortable that our tester forgot he was sitting on it.
Read on to see all the most important details on these six stellar models. Whether lumbar support, extra cushioning, a headrest, or sheer affordability are your priorities, we wager these chairs won’t disappoint.
The quick list
Pairing a mesh-lined back with a cushioned seat, this chair is the ideal balance of everything you need in a quality chair. It’s not too stiff, not too squishy, and perfectly supportive, especially around the lower back. It’s not a remarkable sitting experience, which is exactly what you want.
Tight on space? This compact chair is a great option for cozy offices. It offers more back support than a low-back chair, and it offsets that extra size with armrests that fold in when you’re not using them. It’s not the most comfortable option if you’re particularly tall, but it’s plenty accommodating for most other heights.
For a breezier backrest, try this option with a perforated, flexible lining boosted by an adjustable lumbar rest. It has similar airflow to a mesh-back chair, but its openings are more pronounced. The Breck offers supreme lumbar support, adjustable armrests, and a tool-free assembly.
A bit slacker in the back than our other picks, this chair is great if you want to sit a little deeper in your chair while still receiving plenty of support from your backrest. It’s stiff, for sure, but it’s still more forgiving than its more expensive sibling, the Performance Task Chair.
Best under $250
A worthwhile option for a budget chair with advanced ergonomics, the EC100 is a good choice for users looking for an airy and comfortable desk chair. If you’re after a more vertical sitting position, this may not be the best choice for you, but it's a phenomenal option if you like to lean back while you work.
The feature that most prominently sets this chair apart from the rest is its headrest. It’s not the most comfortable headrest available, but it’s nevertheless contoured to fit your neck and keep your posture in line from top to bottom. The armrests on this model are also remarkably comfy.
Adam Schram is a home office writer for Tom's Guide who dutifully tests office chairs, standing desks, cable management systems and more to make your workday run more smoothly. Ever since he set up his first home office, he has made it a priority to turn that room into a sacred space, and he'll stop at nothing to have the most streamlined work-from-home setup of all time.
The best budget office chairs you can buy today
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The best budget office chair overall
We picked this Branch chair as our best overall because it most effectively did what we’d want any quality office chair to do: disappear under us. The beauty of this chair lies in its simplicity and its lack of remarkability—it’s not loud, it doesn’t tout any game-changing features, and it sticks to what has worked time and time again. That strong foundation ultimately lends itself to a great chair that focuses on being a great chair. Period.
There are a few options in Branch’s lineup that are actually cheaper than this model, but we’re picking this chair because it combines the best qualities of those other seats, including a reliable lumbar support and multiple adjustment points. You can adjust the height of the chair, all three dimensions of the armrests, and several more variables with the backrest. For a $330 chair, that’s nothing to sniff at.
The only knock we truly have for this chair is its seat cushion, which might be too firm for some people. Some prefer a seat that you won’t sink into, but it’s definitely a factor worth considering if you’re used to a cushier work environment, such as your couch. Otherwise, this chair is just as easy to assemble and adjust as it is to sit in all day.
Read our full Branch Ergonomic Chair review
The best budget office chair under $150
Not every office chair has to be a behemoth. This compact option from Hbada is a bit of a departure from the standard mid-back design, which is especially noticeable when you take a look at its backrest. Instead of resting on a central spine, this chair has two supports that sprout from the sides of the seat. Since the back on this chair is pretty low, this doesn’t cause any structural issues, and it helps the chair feel a little more like it’s wrapping around you.
The best quality of this chair is its storability. Since it’s relatively small, it doesn’t clutter up most workspaces. Better yet, you can fold the armrests of this chair up so you can tuck it under your desk when not in use. If you have one of the best standing desks that can adjust its height on the fly, this feature may not be enough to seal the deal, but it’s certainly helpful if you have a normal desk.
Since this is a low-back chair, we don’t recommend it for tall people, especially those who like to recline. The lumbar support this chair offers is nice, but the lack of support for the rest of a tall person’s back may be a dealbreaker. Nevertheless, we recommend this option for anyone who can fit in it and who struggles to keep a workspace tidy. This option is particularly nice if you use your home office room for another purpose, such as a den.
Read our full Hbada Office Task Chair review
The best budget office chair for comfort
This chair approaches the upper limit of what we’d call a “budget chair” at $455, but we still believe that it’s one of the most cost-effective models on the market. It’s not often that you find a chair at this price point with as many degrees of adjustability as the Breck. You can adjust the fore-aft position of your seat, which is uncommon even among premium options, and the armrests have fore-aft and side-to-side adjustments, which aren’t always easy to find for cheap.
One issue we’ve found with the armrest adjustment is that it can be a little too automatic. In other words, it’s not too difficult to shift those contact points around just by shifting your weight. That said, the lumbar support this chair offers is incredible (and reliable), and the back panel is heavenly thanks to its extra breathability.
Ultimately, not everyone needs the degree of adjustability that this chair offers, but it’s a fantastic option for those who need that kind of control over their comfort. It’s not a hassle to adjust any part of this chair on a whim, which makes it great for long days at your desk if you crave environmental variety.
Read our full Haworth Breck review
The best budget office chair for back pain
Vari is a great brand to know if you’re designing your first home office, because it offers everything from chairs to standing desks to shelves to marker boards. I have one of the brand’s ergonomic standing desks in my home office right now, and it’s a lifesaver for long workdays. The bottom line: Vari knows ergonomics and prioritizes them with its designs.
The big distinction between this chair and the rest of the picks on this list is the position you assume when you sit in it. It’s a lot more reclined than the others. As a resident couch sitter, this kind of position doesn’t bother me, but it can certainly feel sluggish to anyone used to a more propped-up seating arrangement.
This seat is the best pick for people who prioritize comfort during the workday. It’s breathable thanks to its mesh lining, it has a laid-back design that lets you sink into a good groove and stay there, and it’s still supportive despite its lax geometry. If you want a slightly firmer seat but similar dimensions, you should consider the brand’s Performance Task Chair, which costs slightly more but puts you in a more upright position.
Read our full Vari Task Chair review
The best budget office chair under $250
Ergonomic chairs like the EC100 are supposed to fix slouching for good and prevent us from experiencing all the aches and pains that result from it. That’s largely achieved by supporting your lumbar spine using a dedicated panel that protrudes into your lower back. It's not adjustable on this model, but we were still quite comfortable while leaning into it.
Headrests may also not be everyone's preference, but the one that comes with the EC100 is fully adjustable with both its height and angle. It and the backrest are also both supported by a super breathable mesh lining that will keep you from feeling cooked or constricted as you sit.
The seat uses an old-fashioned springboard under its liberally stacked foam layer to add a bit more bounce to the seat, which keeps this chair from feeling like you're sinking into it. We've found that this chair feels most comfortable when you aren't sitting entirely upright, but considering how adjustable, ergonomic, and posture-friendly this chair is as a whole, we wager you'll still be comfortable in a slacker position.
Read our full ProtoArc EC100 review
The best budget office chair for lumbar support
If you’re familiar with the best gaming chairs, you know that headrests come standard on them. When you’re in a relaxed position, they offer great support for your head as you focus on something other than your own posture. While the headrest on this chair isn’t the most adjustable or accommodating we’ve tested, it certainly does the job if you’re of average height.
Despite its large profile, this chair does a great job of remaining unremarkable in your workplace, which is always a nice touch if you’re tight on square footage. When you’re sitting in the chair, you can adjust the lumbar support’s positioning using a knob, which allows you to fine-tune your spine alignment even as you shift around in your seat.
Even though this chair isn’t infinitely adjustable, we were impressed with where the unadjustable parts of the seat sat out of the box. The armrests, for example, did just fine without needing 4D adjustment points. That said, all of this advice is for someone of an average height: our tester for this chair was 6’3” tall, and he struggled to make use of many of the built-in ergonomic features this chair offers, such as its headrest and lumbar support.
Overall, this chair is an example of a product that was made for a very specific type of home office worker. If you’re of average height, and you know you’ll benefit from a headrest, this is a sound investment, but we wouldn’t recommend giving this one a try if you’re particularly short or tall. In essence, you’ll struggle to rest your head against the non-adjustable headrest at a comfortable angle.
Read our full FlexiSpot C5 review
Also tested
The six chairs above aren't the only models we've had hands on. There are plenty of other models we have tested and are testing that, while decent, simply weren't up to snuff for our definition of "best." That said, you may have different needs than the average home office worker, so we're including a brief explanation of where each model shines — as well as the gripes we had for them.
How to choose the best budget office chair for you
When you’re picking an office chair, you’re picking a piece of furniture that’s made to mold to your body and keep you supported for the bulk of your workdays. In other words, there’s a lot more to consider than looks.
Adjustability
Even the perfect chair for you will require some fine-tuning once you get it into your house. If you’re worried about back pain, arm discomfort, or poor posture, it’s best to look for a chair that accommodates those needs with purpose-built design features. For instance, dedicated lumbar support will go a long way to help keep your spine aligned while you work. You can also find plenty of chairs that can adjust their seat height, seat angle, recline angle and resistance, and armrest positioning in all directions. If any of those fit details seem extra important to you, it’s best not to avoid them in your search.
Material
Regardless of the seat you pick, it’s inevitable that you’ll encounter a hot day during which you’ll struggle with temperature regulation. As such, we recommend keeping an eye on the materials used with each chair, as they can have a huge impact on airflow. The majority of the chairs we recommend here have a mesh lining for the backrest, which should stop your back from getting sweaty while you lean back and knock out some tasks.
Lumbar Support
There’s nothing worse than a chair that twists your spine into an unnatural curve. Lumbar support, which is essentially extra support for your lower back, keeps your spine in line even when you’re slouching forward in your seat. A lack of lumbar support can keep your lower back from feeling stable, which can cause unnecessary shifting. Some chairs even offer adjustable lumbar support, which allows you to find the perfect angle for your backrest to compliment your position in the seat itself.
How we test the best budget office chairs
As lovers of quality home office equipment, we test our gear the most authentic way anyone can: by incorporating it into our actual workday. After all, we’re writers, and we’re bound to a desk just as much as anyone else.
We spend multiple weeks sitting in each chair we test, rooting around for hotspots and tiny nitpicks that might make a given chair more trouble than it’s worth. We’ve spent over 5,000 hours testing office chairs alone, and we pay enough attention to our setups that we know when something is off-kilter (or, alternatively, working exceptionally well). The hallmark of a successful chair for us is its ability to remain unremarkable even as we’re sniffing around.
On top of our own testing, we regularly seek the input of our friends and family to ensure we’re representing a wide range of sizes. As much as you can trust our authority on its own, we know the value in pooling together as many experiences as possible while collecting our final thoughts on a product. All of that work is dedicated to cutting through hype and ensuring we’re recommending the best products for everyone, not just ourselves. For more information on our testing process, check out our how we test page for Tom’s Guide.
More home office picks
You'll need more than one of the best office chairs to fully outfit your work-from-home space. You'll also want to check out our guide to the best standing desks, as well as the best desk lamps to ensure that you can work comfortably without straining your eyes or your back.
You'll also want to invest in one of the best webcams, best microphones, and best ring lights if you want to look and sound your best on video calls with coworkers.
And, to make sure your computer setup is as productive as possible, we have recommendations for the best Wi-Fi routers, best monitors, best keyboard, and best mouse.
Budget office chair deals
