Last Updated on by Artem
If you are not looking for the best affordable desk chair to check out but rather for the most expensive office chairs, then you are in the right place!
But before we get to them…
Have you heard the phrase “Sitting is the new smoking”?
If you have, then you likely have tried to find out what they actually meant by that…
The average person spends over 9 hours seated every day.
At work we spend hours seated, hunched over our work and when we get home, we continue sitting.
This results in several health issues starting with aches all over our bodies.
We get neck aches, hip pain, and waist aches that negatively impact our well-being and quality of work.
The truth however is that the whole problem is not just with sitting but how we sit.
Most of the aches and pains come from poor posture while sitting.
This is why chair makers began to make ergonomic chairs that help you sit with correct posture to avoid the aches and pains that come from sitting wrongly.
Now, choosing an ergonomic chair can be a pain in the rear.
With so many brands to choose from, it can get really confusing to know which will really serve you well.
We have decided to come to your assistance by helping you sort through the jungle of ergonomic office chairs.
We will be looking at five top-of-the-line ergonomic office chairs from top brands.
Let’s just put the truth out there right now.
All chairs are not created equal.
The office chairs we will be looking at are the 5 most expensive office chairs you can buy (see also best office chair under 100).
We will attempt to look at why they are that expensive and if they really are worth it.
Let us go right into the reviews now.
5 Most Expensive Office Chairs You Can Actually Buy and Use in
#1: Herman Miller Embody Chair
Herman Miller is as top class as they get when it comes to ergonomic office chairs.
The brand name is always associated with high quality products.
In designing the embody chair, Bill Stumpf and Jeff Weber set out to solve a problem they had discovered.
According to these designers, they had noticed that there was no physical harmony between technology and the people that use them.
With bodies that were meant to move, we sit on our chairs, moving nothing but our hands and fingers.
This leaves our bodies tired and stiff.
What solution did they come up with in the Embody chair?
They set out to design a chair that will not just reduce the unhealthy effects of sitting for long hours but will have a positive effect on the body.
To achieve this, the expert advice of over 20 Doctors (physicians and PhDs) in various fields including: vision, ergonomics, biomechanics and physical therapy was sought.
Putting together the inputs from these top experts, a new benchmark for ergonomic chairs was set.
Rather than having a chair that was just health-neutral, the Embody chair is health-positive, offering dynamic pressure distribution, natural alignment and improved healthy movement in ergonomic seating.
Sitting on an embody chair gives you the feeling that you’re floating.
The chair’s seat and back are designed to automatically adjust to the tiniest of your body movements, thereby distributing your weight evenly on the seat.
What you get from this is reduced pressure and increased movement which helps with circulation and focus.
Designed like your back, the Embody’s backrest features a Backfit design that allows it provide consistent support regardless of the position you take once it has been tuned to fit you.
Add to this the top quality materials deliberately chosen to provide the four layers of support it offers and you have a chair that no only gives you tactile support but also keeps you cool and comfortable.
Features
- Seat and backrest constructed using a dynamic matrix of pixels that respond to the body’s movements and prevent heat buildup
- Back support that starts at the base of the spine with integrated sacral support
- Backfit adjustment that allows the backrest to be fine-tuned to align with the spine’s natural curve
- Adjustable seat depth, fully adjustable arms and tilt limiter
- Graphite base and frame, black armpads, and carpet casters
- 12-year, 3-shift warranty
PROs
- Provides ergonomic support
- Improves health
- Improves focus
- Top level craftsmanship and aesthetics
CONs
- Pretty expensive
- No headrest
- Does not lock in a reclined position
Consumer Feedback
- This chair is trouble solver. Keeps posture in place and hands in the right position. The adjustable arm support from side to side does the trick. Great design!
- Super comfortable and worked like a charm for my broken back. Can’t recommend this enough to everybody out there with a back issue.
- One of the most amazing things about this chair is how little you notice it being there. It’s there when you want it, supporting your back, but it certainly doesn’t go too far. It adjusts perfectly with your spine.
Not sure how to pick the right chair? Read our guide on choosing an office chair.
#2: Steelcase Gesture Chair
Steelcase believes that technology has had the single most effect on the way we live, work and play.
Sitting at a spot, we can with the aid of technology engage in multiple tasks across different devices.
This prompted a study to see how this has affected how our bodies now operate at work.
After studying about 2,000 people across about 6 continents working in a wide range of postures, Steelcase discovered that the new behaviors prompted by the new technologies have led to the evolution of nine new postures which the prevailing seating solutions did not address.
Armed with this knowledge, Steelcase set out to design a chair that will cater for these new postures.
Thus was born the Gesture Chair.
In designing the Gesture Chair, Steelcase looked not at other chairs but at the people who use these chairs.
It was obvious that the only way to successfully design an efficient chair was to understand how the body naturally moves and the postures we take at work.
Looking at these two factors led to the all-important question – “could a chair act as a system, just like human body?”
From all these, Steelcase was able to identify three main interfaces between the human body and the chair.
These are: Core Interface, Limb Interface and Seat Interface.
The Gesture Office Chair addresses these three interface points.
The Core Interface – The back and seat of the Gesture Chair move as one to provide each user with a continuously solid support.
Regardless of the user’s posture or what work or device s/he is working on/with, the back cradles the user and continues to provide support.
The Limb Interface – We tend to sit differently when using different devices.
Our posture when we are typing on the keyboard is different from our posture when we are swiping on our tablet of typing on our mobile phones.
The arms of the Gesture Chair move like the human arm to provide support for the arms and shoulders regardless of the position.
The Seat Interface – With The Gesture Chair, even the edges are comfortable.
The flexibility at the edges allow for comfortable seating in a wide range of postures without discomfort.
The Gesture Chair is fully adjustable and has easy to use controls to enable personalization.
This chair will very easily adapt to your natural movements.
No wonder it won the Neocon Gold in 2013.
Features
- 3D LiveBack
- Automatic adjustment to mimic natural spine movement
- Adjustable 360 arm
- Two intuitive, easy-to-operate controls – Seat height and depth
- Core equalizer – provides less lumbar support in a deep recline and more lumbar support in an upright posture
- Adaptive bolstering – gives consistent comfort and support to a range of users
PROs
- Solidly built
- Easily adjustable
- Great back support
- Extremely comfortable
CONs
- Arms don’t lock
- No headrest on this model
Consumer Feedback
- I could write a 5 paragraph review about how great this chair is, but honestly don’t feel like it is needed. This is an expensive chair, and also the most comfortable computer chair I have ever sat in.
- Chair was exactly what I ordered and it feels great. No more back pain solves all my issues with positions, was a wonderful investment.
- I am actually getting more work done and I sometimes come into my office to sit down because I need some back relief. What the heck?! I’ve NEVER done that before. It was also not the nightmare of mysterious adjustments that many desk chairs are. It can be highly customized but everything is simple to use and it took about five minutes to get it where I felt comfortable. I LOVE this chair. Totally worth every penny.
#3: Herman Miller Aeron Task Chair
The Aeron Chair from Herman Miller has been trusted for many years by top offices.
Despite the general acceptance of its high quality, Herman Miller decided to improve on it and now offers the re-mastered Aeron task Chair.
Originally designed by Bill Stumpf and Don Chadwick in 1994, the Aeron Chair was made to be health-positive, inclusively sized, cross-performing and environmentally sensitive.
This was one of the first chairs to step into the world of ergonomic chairs and material innovation.
The chair broke from norm by not employing the use of foams, fabric and leather as was traditionally obtainable with office chairs.
Doing this and still providing comfortable sitting totally changed the perception of what an ideal office chair should look like.
With over 20 years of research under his belt, Herman Miller’s Don Chadwick (the original co-designer) redesigned the chair to reflect today’s realities.
The updated version of the Aeron Chair improves on all the positive features of the original chair.
It features an improved tilt mechanism, an adjustable PostureFit SL and 8Z Pellicle suspension.
The original Aeron featured an elastomeric suspension – called Pellicle – which removed circulation restricting pressure points.
In the updated chair, the new 8Z Pellicle takes this even further.
If features eight latitudinal zones of varying tension which virtually wrap around your body as you sit, delivering intense comfort and superb support.
Having totally replaced foams and fabric, the Pellicle also allows body heat, air and moisture pass through the backrest and seat.
This creates a cool, even temperature your skin will find very comfortable.
One other thing that really makes this updated Aeron rock is the PostureFit SL feature.
This feature tries to mimic the stance of the active body at its strongest position which is standing with open chest and pelvis slightly tilted forward.
The PostureFit SL achieves this with the adjustable individual pads that serve to stabilize the sacrum and provide support for the lumbar region of the spine as will be the case when an active body is standing in its strongest position.
Another improved feature in the updated Aeron is the ease with which an upright sitting position can transition to a full-recline.
Having been adjusted 1.8 degrees forward, the updated chair offers better support for the body when in an upright sitting position and other postures.
The new Aeron moves as one with the body from an upright position to a reclining position with perfect ease.
Every new feature added to the new Aeron and improvement made to old features work together to seamlessly provide comprehensive support.
Every localized support has been calculated to work together to constantly move the skeletal system into the position that offers the best spinal support at the time.
If you thought the original Aeron was awesome, then get ready to be wowed!
Like one happy customer said:
I’ve now been using the new remodeled Aeron for a few weeks and I love it. All of the flaws people had complained about in the reviews I watched have been dealt with…”
Features
- 8Z Pellicle elastomeric suspension seat and backrest
- Eight latitudinal zones of varying tension
- Improved tilt mechanism that allows the chair to move seamlessly with your body
- Three size options
- Cross-performance design
PROs
- It is well built
- Easy to assemble
- Provides good lumbar support
- Keeps you in optimal sitting position always
CONs
- It is expensive
Consumer Feedback
- Overall this is the best chair I have used. It provided better support for long computer sessions then any chair I have used. No more back pain! 🙂
- There is a reason why this is the best chair in the world. It is
- I couldn’t be happier with this piece of furniture I spend most of my waking life in.
#4: X Chair X4 Leather Executive Chair
X-Chair presents a chair with 21st century design and technology.
X-Chair believes that users do not have to choose between comfort and style.
An office chair can be both comfortable and stylish and the X4 Leather executive Chair proves this.
Featuring X-Chairs SciFloat Infinite Recline technology, the X4 allows your body stay in constant motion all day even while seated.
It is adjustable to perfectly fit specific body weight, allowing for effortless movement.
It also improves concentration, circulation and energy levels.
X-Chair understands that your arms do not stay still but is always on the move all day.
Given this fact, the X4’s arms are designed to move with your arms, providing them the support they need as they move.
These arms are adjustable for height, depth, width and angle.
To further improve your comfort level, the headrest is independently adjustable.
It can be adjusted for height and angle so that it can pivot to provide you comfort in whatever position you may sit.
The lumbar support provides tactile support as it adjusts to your body’s movement.
This will ensure that even without making fresh adjustments to your chair, you stay comfortable all day.
The X-Chair also features adjustable backrest height.
You can and should adjust the backrest so it is providing you with full support from your lumbar curve to your neck.
With the X4 Leather Executive Chair, nothing is compromised or skimped on.
It combines style and comfort, giving you the best of both worlds.
Features
- Dynamic variable lumbar (dvl) support and Scifloat infinite Recline
- Tilt Tension & tilt Lock
- Height-adjustable backrest
- Adjustable seat height and seat depth
- Adjustable headrest height and angle
- 4-Dimensional arms
PROs
- It is very comfortable
- It is solidly built
- Promotes good posture
- Has excellent lumbar support
- It is very stylish
- It is highly adjustable
CONs
- It is expensive
Consumer Feedback
- I was skeptical, but not anymore… The most comfortable task chair I’ve ever had. Zero fatigue after 6-8 hours of sitting. If you choose to recline the chair a little it’s feels like your at home relaxing. All that a great contemporary look for any office.
- I love the chair, incredibly comfortable and it allows me to sit “properly” in the chair as opposed to squirming and scooting forward to sit and type at my desk.
- This chair is as advertised. Very adjustable. Comfortable and looks good in my office. The chair was very easy to assemble.
#5: Haworth X99 Task Chair
Haworth has over the years grown and evolved into a global brand.
It has invested in research and design all aimed at consistently meeting the needs of the changing market.
More than just offering any products, backed by data from research, Haworth offers its customers products that meet their needs, helping them succeed at their work.
The X99 is one such offering from Haworth.
The X99 task Chair is an eco-friendly chair made with 38% recycled material, and is itself 91% recyclable.
Designed by Haworth, Comforto, and Germany’s ITO Design, the X99 was made for the highest level of performance.
Loaded with high-efficiency ergonomic functions, this chair is more of your partner than just a chair.
The X99 is a chair that provides solid support, is active and perfectly adjusts to your body, making it yours and yours alone.
It features a deep recliner with a flip-out tension control to regulate the level of resistance felt when reclining, a 3-point tilt mechanism and a 3-position seat depth that all work together to offer maximum comfort.
Your comfort is further improved with its soft and breathable mesh back, its adjustable 24 degree recline which improves pressure relief on the lower back and tailbone and its array of controls which offer you precise customization options.
With the precisely engineered personal adjustment options, the X99 Task Chair will respond to your every body movement, birthing a frictionless union that will promote high performance, comfort and unrelenting support.
Aside from its high-performance, the X99 is also stylishly outstanding.
However and from whatever point you look at it, whether from the highly refined Chenille polyfilament soft mesh, the luxurious leather or the fabric (whichever you choose), you will find that the X99 will add beauty and elegance to any space.
Features
- Superior ergonomic options
- Waterfall front edge
- 3-point tilt mechanism
- 3-position seat depth
- Flip-out tension control
- Chenille polyfilament soft mesh
- Made in the USA with 38% recycled material, and it’s 91% recyclable
PROs
- Very eco-friendly
- Made with top quality materials
- Is very comfortable
- Provides good support
- Is elegant and stylish
- Comes with a 12 year Haworth warranty
CONs
- It is pretty expensive
Consumer Feedback
- Sold my car and just roll this to work. So comfy. Worth it all day long. It’s green too, zero emissions.
Office Chair Buying Guide
What is an ideal office chair?
What really makes an office chair ideal?
How do I identify an office chair that is good for me?
These and more are questions that some may be asking and they are valid questions too.
Having looked at some top end office chairs, we want to take a closer look at office chairs and what features make them suitable for office use.
Types of Office Chairs
There are different kinds of office chairs suited for different uses in the office.
While there may be varying opinions on how many types of office chairs there are and what they exactly are, there are standard types of office chairs that we can easily identify.
These include:
Conference chairs – These chairs are designed for conference rooms. They are usually not mobile and have little or no adjustability. They are not suitable for very long hours of sitting.
Guest Chairs – These are usually situated in the reception for guests. You do not expect your office guests to stay forever so these chairs are usually not adjustable but just provide enough comfort and support for the short while the guests are expected to stay.
Stacking Chairs – This will usually be found in the parts of your office where you have the most number of people. Some of these could find their way into conference rooms when a lot more people than usual are expected. Many cafeterias will also have these kinds of chairs. They are usually not adjustable and have little or no extra features.
Task Chairs – These are by far the most popular of the office chairs. Almost everyone in the office has one. They are also known as computer chairs because they are usually paired with a computer desk. These chairs usually have some adjustability and feature some level of ergonomics. The ergonomic level of the chair will depend on the model.
Executive Chairs – Just as the name sounds, these chairs are usually built to be impressive. They are usually high-backed and cushioned to have a big and tall effect.
Ergonomic Office Chairs – These are chairs designed to offer maximum support and comfort. They prevent or alleviate the aches and pains usually associated with sitting for long hours by forcing the body to maintain the correct spinal position while sitting.
Active Chairs – These may not exactly fall under office chairs though many offices now use them. They are chairs that keep the user active even while seated. This kind of chair is meant to infuse activity into sedentary jobs, by keeping the muscles active even while the user is seated.
The above is just a broad classification of office chairs.
There are more types of office chairs that can generally fit under one or more of the above categories.
Choosing an Office Chair
Choosing an office chair can be confusing especially if you do not know exactly what you want.
What we listed above does not cover all the possibilities you will encounter when you begin to shop for office chairs.
To help you with this task, we will provide some factors you need to consider to help you decide what kind of office chair will be best for you.
The first factor to be considered is this – How long will I be sitting?
If you will not be sitting for very long each day, then you can basically choose whichever chair you fancy.
If you however will be sitting for long hours then you need to take your time to choose your office chair.
Another thing you need to look at is your size.
If you are extra tall and/or big, you may not be able to use a standard chair.
What will suit you is the kind of office chair known as the big and tall office chair.
These are specifically made for extra big and tall users.
The importance of choosing the right office chair cannot be over emphasized especially if your job involves staying seated for hours at a stretch.
Choosing the wrong seat will be the beginning of neck, back and waist pains that can become chronic, leading to total inefficiency at work and play.
Given the above, you need a chair that will provide you good total support and comfortable seating.
These types of office chairs are usually referred to as ergonomic chairs.
What to Look For In an Office Chair
Okay!
I now know I should get a chair that will give me proper lumbar support and comfortable seating.
How do I identify such a chair?
There are a few things to watch out for in an office chair that will show you if the chair is right for you or not.
The best office chair should have the following:
Adjustability – You should be able to adjust your office chair’s height, width, lumbar support, headrest, recline angle, tilt tension and more. This ensures you can tailor each chair’s features to fit your needs.
Seat Height – Your ideal office chair should have a height adjustable to between 16” and 21”. This is the average range. If you are however much bigger and taller, or smaller, look for a suitably higher or lower range.
Seat Width and Depth – The ideal seat should offer comfortable seating such that the width is not too wide as to make it difficult for your arms to rest on the armrest. Ideally, the width should be about one inch wider than your hips. The depth should also be deep enough for you to sit comfortably, with your back supported by the backrest and both feet planted flat on the floor. It should however not be too deep as to have the back of the knees pressing against the edge of the chair. There should be a gap of between two and four inches between the edge of the seat and the back of the knees. With adjustable width and depth, the right balance can be reached.
Backrest – The backrest is critical as this is what provides the back support. It should ideally be between 12 and 17 inches wide. If the backrest is attached to the seat, then it should be adjustable for forward or backward angles. If however it is separate from the seat, then it should be adjustable for height and angle.
Lumbar Support – The lumbar support is the part of the backrest that helps the spine maintain its natural S shape. It should be adjustable for height and depth so each user can adjust it to properly provide them with that lower back support.
Armrests – Some office Chairs do not have these but they are very important. They provide comfortable support for the arms and shoulders. The ideal office chair’s armrests are adjustable. This will allow each user adjust it to their optimal height and angle.
Seat Material – When looking at the seat material, you should consider comfort. How much padding does it have? How breathable is it? With proper padding, you will be able to sit comfortably and with a breathable material, the heat from your body will easily dissipate, cooling your body and not allowing a build-up of sweat.
Swivel – While this may look like a toy, it is very helpful and a feature every office chair should have. This allows the user turn to any side or move to pick something within a short distance all from the comfort of the chair.
The points listed above are the major things to look for in an office chair.
Once these points are satisfied, you can be sure that you will enjoy the use of your new office chair.
Do I Really Need An Expensive Office Chair?
Here’s the simple truth we just have to tell you.
You actually do not need to get an expensive office chair.
It however so happens that the best office chairs are also the most expensive ones.
So, if we were to re-ask that question, it would be – “do I really need the best office chair?”
What do you think?
Do you?
What Are The Benefits of Top Quality Office Chairs?
Let’s try to list some of the things you stand to gain by getting a very high quality office chair. Some of the benefits include:
Ergonomics – These high quality (expensive) office chairs have the best ergonomics. This means they provide full support to your body, keeping it in the right posture when you sit.
Comfort – They are made with the best of materials that provide you supple comfort so your seating experience is always enjoyable.
The Best of Technology – So much research and design time go into the making of these chairs. They are constantly updated to harness whatever latest technology can improve your seating experience.
Improved Performance – Using these chairs, your body is alert and your focus sharper. This translates to increased productivity and performance at work and play.
Bye to Aches and Pains – With the many ergonomic features these high quality office chairs offer, you can kiss aches and pains goodbye. This is applicable to both those who are already suffering back aches and those who simply want to prevent it.
Okay! Now That I Have My Office Chair What Next?
It’s good to know that you either have or are about to get your quality office chair.
Many people however make the mistake of thinking that once they have gotten an expensive office chair all their seating problems are over.
Not so fast, you still have a part to play.
True, your top quality office chair will help you sit correctly by providing proper lumbar support.
However, we need to make you understand that no matter how wonderful your office chair is, you are not supposed to be sitting in it all day.
Your body was made to be active, to move.
When you sit for very long even with wonderful support, you may not experience the aches and pains you used to, but your body will begin to become stiff.
So to help you be at your very best all the time at work, we will give you some tips to take to heart.
The first rule of thumb to abide by is not to seat for long periods of time at a stretch.
Break up your sitting time by taking short breaks if possible every 30 minutes.
Just stand up, roll your shoulders, stretch your limbs and take a little walk around if you can.
When you sit, sit with your feet flat on the floor with your thighs and knees at right angles.
If for some reason your feet cannot stay flat on the floor, get a foot rest.
Sit with your chin in. Do not sit with your chin jutting out as this strains your neck and shoulders.
Do not form the habit of crossing your legs as this disrupts the natural position of the spine regardless of the kind of chair you are sitting on.
Always use your back support when you sit.
Always use your armrest if your chair has them.
If you have to turn to get something, do not turn from your waist.
Use the swivel function of your chair.
Try to change your sitting position often.
When you seat upright for some time, try reclining for a while.
Always take the time to adjust the chair to your optimal setting. That’s why they are highly adjustable.
We hope this information has been helpful.
Following the tips above will help you get the most value from your office chair.
Conclusion
These five office chairs are the best of the best.
They are the Rolls Royce of office chairs.
However, though these chairs will significantly improve your posture, you need to be aware of the little contributions you can make to improve your seating experience.
After you have picked out the right chair, you need to form the following healthy habits to ensure you avoid back aches and enjoy the use of your new chair.
- Sit upright with both feet planted firmly on the floor. Crossing your legs does not allow your spines to take the right shape
- Ensure your legs are bent at right angles
- Always use your back support
- Use your arms rests if you have one
- Take the time to adjust the settings of the chair to suit you
- If you are using a computer, ensure you arrange your workstation so you look forward at your screen
- Do not hold the phone between your head and your neck when making calls. This will eventually cause pain
- Take frequent breaks to stretch and walk around
- If you cannot walk around, do few stretches on your seat. Roll your shoulders to loosen the muscles
These are just few tips that will help you make the most of your new top quality office chair.