8 best ergonomic office chairs that make working from home more comfortable

This updated version of Humanscale’s best-selling liberty task chair is so-called because it’s made with almost 2lbs of recycled fishing net in each chair. Of course, you won’t notice this anywhere in the construction but you will notice the instant support that the form-sensing mesh back provides. This is then backed up with Humanscale’s recline tension mechanism, which automatically adjusts tension according to how much weight you’re exerting against it.

All you have to do is sit and the chair will do the work for you, leaving you to concentrate on yours. The recline is beautifully controlled and the seat pad remains independent of the mechanism, staying flat so you can still keep your feet on the ground and maintain a good working position.

The seat pad itself is nicely cushioned with plenty of room to move, and because of the automatic pivoting mechanism of the chair, the only time you’re going to need to touch a lever is to adjust the seat height, depth or to reposition the comfortable, well-padded armrests. In terms of looks, the chair is rather unassuming which will suit many office spaces, and the fact that it comes fully assembled will also be a bonus for many.

Combining a foam rubber and fabric seat pad with a mesh back rest, this chair has plenty to offer in the way of ergonomics. The moulded back rest was incredibly comfortable with a well-rounded headrest and a pronounced mound where the lower back meets the chair. This lumbar support can also be adjusted to flex more easily, if needed, which was a really great way of getting the lower back support dialled in, to maximise personal ergonomics.

From the bottom up, you feel like the chair will be able to support all-day keyboard and mouse usage, because the seat pad doesn’t let you sink too far into it and has an impression moulded in that relieves pressure. The armrests are comfortable and raise up and down, and there’s height adjustability and a recline that takes the chair back to 120-degrees. All our testers agreed that the chair had a really modern look to it with a monochrome colour scheme that would sit happily among most decors.

This futuristic looking chair will obviously fit well in a modern office space, but it’s a long way from being a gimmick. The rubber webbing that forms the backrest was supremely supportive and moves with you well; no matter how much of a squirmer you are it will always feel like this chair is supporting the S-curve.

All those holes in the backrest means that it’s very breathable when things warm up, which is a bonus if you’re using it in a home office that, most likely, won’t have air conditioning. The seat is just the right side of firm, with good depth so it supports the thighs, and the upholstery is comfortable to perch on throughout the entire day. When it comes to adjustability you have the option of tinkering with the recline tension, as well as how far back the chair goes.

In terms of its styling it’s a bit of a Marmite chair, but the fact that it was used in The Hunger Games should tell you that it has a very futuristic look that will definitely stand out in any office space. All our testers loved the aesthetics of it.

If space saving is a priority for your work from home area then this could be a good option, as the armrests flip up at 90-degrees, so once you’ve finished work you can lower the chair and tuck it right into the desk. The mesh back was hammock-like, cradling our back throughout the day and the seat pad, filled with high density foam, wasn’t too firm which allowed for all-day comfort. Adjustability comes in the form of a rocking mechanism and height adjustment, so if you’re after a task chair to use for a few hours a day then the Hbada is an excellent investment.

Another sustainable office chair, this one is made with ocean plastic and, because it’s the Aeron chair, you know it won’t end up as landfill next year – renowned as a workhorse, it’s one of the manufacturer’s most popular chairs. The all mesh back rest is breathable and had a good spring to it that seemed to encourage the micro movements that are so crucial for spine and back health.

The PostureFit SL is an adjustable support that allows you to fine tune how the mesh props up your back, with a lower and upper lumbar support that does an excellent job of reinforcing stability in this area. The recline was controlled, and supported a full range of backwards movements. Plus, you can vary the tension as well as limit how far the chair will lean back. The all-round adjustability continues with the arm rests, which raise up and down and angle in and out.

Finally, it’s mesh and exo-skeleton styling gives it a modernist look compared to chairs that are designed to hide all their inner workings away, and it comes fully assembled, so you can get working with the chair on delivery day.

If you want a task chair that you can truly personalise to your own ergonomic requirements then the gesture will be a serious contender for your office. Seat depth, tilt tension, seat height and recline are all at your fingertips, and the arm rests rotate so they are easily moved to support whatever you’re currently working on.

Rather than just tilt when you recline, the gesture’s back flexes so you can get to the angle you want with more movement going through your spine which adds to the overall comfort when using the chair at work.

Like the Humanscale liberty ocean (£881, Humanscale.com) the seat remains flat, even when you lean back, which adds to the overall comfort when sitting in the chair throughout the day. The foam and fabric are plush without it feeling like you’re sinking into the foam without any support, while the chair has a clean, professional look with a pronounced S-bend to the back rest, which will suit both modern and more traditional spaces.

Personalisation is easily achieved with the SoFi, with possible adjustments to the seat depth, seat height, lumbar support and the tilt resistance, while the recline can also be locked in place. The high, heavy duty, mesh back seemed particularly suited for taller workers, as they were supported almost to the base of the neck while the wide, well-padded seat was comfortable with nice rounded edges for good weight distribution.

The chair’s tilt mechanism allows for continuous movement when you’re working so that, unconsciously, your muscles stay activated while the constant posture changes helps to keep you focussed and productive. The padded armrests slide back, which means you can get up close to the desk for any tasks that require it, or sit sideways, which again allows for an alternative position while working. Aesthetically, we really liked the curves on the SoFi, which makes it stand out from the crowd.

This office chair from the popular outlet has a firm feel to both its backrest and the seat pad, but the curved contours of the design really do encourage a posturally positive seating position throughout the day. There’s a lot of adjustability, from the height and back tilt to the seat pad, which can move forward and back, and a backrest that can move up and down. All these adjustments were easy to make while sat down in the chair too.

The armrests are comfortable, moving forwards and backwards, and the polyester fabric covering the chair is durable and easy to care for. The built in lumbar bump does a good job of supporting the area and the smaller size of the chair, while the three colour options might make this a very good option for a children’s desk.

However, what gives this chair such high marks from us is a feature that you just don’t seem to find on many office chairs at the moment, which are the braking castors that stop the chair in its tracks when you stand up, and automatically release when you sit back down.