Your desk area is a sanctuary. It’s a place that allows you to work from comfort. So why torture yourself with a seat that forces you to adjust out of discomfort or shift out of pain. Your office chair should be your throne, a seat that grants you immense power and satisfaction when you’re on it. It should call out to you and make you want to return to your desk every morning and sadden you to leave it at night. It should empower you, instead of draining you at the end of your work day. Based on David Zhang’s YouTube video “The Best Office Chair Tier List” and some of our own experiences, here are some of the best options for your next office chair upgrade.

Steelcase Gesture: S

The Gesture is the more modern and contemporary cousin to the Leap. The headrest is a bit more functional compared to the Leap, but they share very similar flaws. The seat is still too firm and lumbar support is a bit lacking for the price that they’re asking for. Otherwise, this office chair is probably the closest to perfection on this list.

Steelcase Leap v2 with Headrest: A

The Steelcase Leap v2 with headrest is one of the three most highly rated chairs by David, and with good reason. It is comfortable to sit in with a wide range of ergonomic adjustment to fit anybody’s needs. The seat may be a little too firm for some people, and lumbar support could be better at this price point, but overall it checks more marks than it misses.

Herman Miller Embody: A

The Herman Miller Embody is in a league of its own when it comes to upper back and lumbar support, with its unique back design meant to imitate a human’s spine for the most natural support. However, it lacks a headrest and the arm rest leaves a bit more to be desired. 

Herman Miller Aeron: B+

The Aeron is the classic and most iconic Herman Miller chair. It is loaded with ergonomic features and boasts a very well rounded seating experience with nice lumbar support and nice mesh seats. It looks a bit too unassuming and the seat can be a bit too limiting in terms of how you can sit in it, but overall it is very comfortable.

Logitech Embody: B

The Logitech Embody is simply a reskin of the regular embody with foam paddings that are make it worse. While it looks quite dashing with it’s bold black on blue, it is not quite as comfortable as the regular Embody while costing a bit more. If you are looking for a centerpiece in your office and can compromise a bit of comfort, then this one may be for you.

Steelcase Amia: B

The Amia is the budget offering from Steelcase. While still expensive, it is significantly cheaper when compared to their Gesture and Leap line of chairs, while offering the same level of comfort. What you do end up lacking is the level of control over the ergonomics found on the higher tier chairs from Steelcase. If those don’t matter to you, you can save a good chunk of change while getting an excellent product. 

IKEA Markus: C+

The Markus is unassuming while looking very contemporary. It is not as comfortable, but is a solid choice for those looking to spend less. However, the static arm rest and lack of ergonomic adjustments make this not as desirable as previously mentioned chairs. But for the price, it keeps you focused on your work and not your seat.

Secret Lab Chairs: C

Gaming chairs are frankly terrible options for office chairs. They look noisy and lack the premium build quality most premium office chairs utilize. The racing style design limits how you can sit in it. However, Secret Lab chairs are a little different. The quality and sturdiness of Secret Lab chairs make them more comfortable. The seat is firm and there is some control over the armrest. It looks minimal and unassuming depending on which finish you choose. However, it is quite pricey. Unless you love the look of racing style chairs, you might want to skip this category entirely. 

Staples Hyken: D

The Hyken is the computer chair you see most of your co-workers sitting in. And for a good reason. It’s simply cheap. While the mesh is a bit too stiff and the build quality is on the cheaper side, it is cheap. 

As we venture back into the office and embark upon a redefined and more prevalent hybrid work culture, make sure you and your business are prepared to tackle the new norm. Whether it’s a redesign of your business space, offering a more ergonomic and comfortable in-office space, or downsizing and decommissioning your square footage to foster the clear shift to a hybrid/dedicated WFH model, Olympia can provide all the services to meet your goals with ease. We have expertise in storage, decommissioning, liquidation and more to support a smooth transition to the next age in workplace environments.