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. Although you normally won’t have to disassemble an office chair to move it to a new house or apartment, it’s still worth knowing how to take your chair apart.

How to set up your work from home ergonomics

By carefully selecting and arranging these elements, you’ll create a work-from-home setup that not only looks great but also supports your health. Also, the features in high-quality ergonomic chairs help increase productivity. Some apps even guide you through quick stretching or exercise routines designed for office workers.

• You also don’t want a chair that stands out too much in an office environment or one that doesn’t mesh well with the rest of your home office decor.
• Sure, you can get a no-frills chair for less but oftentimes, an office chair with a unique design can tie your whole home office together, especially if you’re going for a particular look.
• After testing the best office chairs for the past four years, I can’t stress enough how important having a well-built, supportive chair can be, especially when you’re working for long hours at a time.
• This faux fur seat gets high enough that you won’t have to bend down to pet your dog or cat when they inevitably enter your home office to distract you.
• Decide what you’re OK sharing, respect others and speak up if you feel uncomfortable

We tested the version with a foam seat and a mesh backrest and headrest but you can get this chair with a mesh seat instead. Doing so does cut down the color options from seven to just two but this is a great option to have. Like the X-Chair X3 below, the EC100 features a mesh backrest and headrest combined with a foam seat.

I spent over 5,000 hours testing all the best office chairs — here are my top picks

A makeshift desk at the kitchen table or a temporary bedroom office are common. These new work arrangements combined with the additional stressors of working at home may be taking a toll on our health. Here are some tips to optimize your telework environment and help manage stress during these challenging times. By prioritizing ergonomics and following these guidelines, remote workers can create a comfortable, efficient, and healthy work environment that promotes long-term success and well-being.

The Monitor Stands

When you look forward, your eyes should align with the top of your monitor or laptop. That might mean finding a chair that can adjust up and down, elevating your laptop with a stand, or raising the height of your monitor. This puts less pressure on your neck and spine—you shouldn’t be craning your neck up or down. Sitting for too long in a day is not good for your health, no matter what chair you use. If you can, a 40-minute walk per day can, according to a recent study, make a big difference in countering some effects of a sedentary lifestyle. If you’re dealing with back pain, your first step is to consult your physician.

Head office AND MANUFACTURING

Make sure your legs aren’t dangling or that you’re not using the rungs of your chair to prop your feet up. When it comes to your computer mouse, Dr. Bang recommends using an ergonomics mouse verse a traditional mouse. A normal computer mouse forces your wrist to twist, which can irritate carpal tunnel syndrome or give you general wrist pain. An ergonomics mouse allows the wrist to maintain a neutral position, almost like you’re shaking someone’s hand. These four fundamentals are the golden rules of ergonomics (whether you’re working in the office or remotely). “When it comes to good ergonomics, it’s really about positioning yourself to avoid injury, pain and fatigue and just improve your overall work performance,” says Dr. Bang.

“A position for the body that you can sustain with minimal effort and that gives you biomechanical advantages to do your work. Good ergonomic habits take practice no matter the setting, but it’s especially hard in this current situation. Perhaps, at first, your office said staff would be working remotely for a week or two, so you simply grabbed your laptop and left.

Your head position

Office chair armrests used to only go up and down but more and more chairs now come with 4D armrests instead. One thing to keep in mind with 4D armrests though is that some move too easily. If this is something you’re concerned about, look for a chair with ones that lock in place.

• Once you’ve vacuumed your chair, you then want to wipe it down with water and a cloth.
• Well, the biggest reason for doing so is to swap out your old casters with new ones.
• For a long-term setup, consider mounting your laptop on a laptop riser and using an external keyboard and mouse.
• It has plenty of adjustment points too, including motorized adjustable lumbar depth.
• When buying a more expensive office chair, keep in mind that you don’t want to go too far beyond your budget as then you won’t have much left to furnish the rest of your home office or workspace.

Some work from home ergonomic equipment includes keyboard trays, standing desks, laptop stands, ergonomic mouse, kneeling chairs, subtle cheers, etc. If you use a laptop, then you will need a detached keyboard to be able to maintain proper ergonomics. A flat keyboard makes it easy to have good keyboard ergonomics compared to a negative tilt. With the negative tilt, your wrist will bend while you type, which can be pretty uncomfortable. However, a flat keyboard will make it easy to type with a straight wrist, thereby reducing your pains.

How do you remove wheels from an office chair

If the chair is too low, the knees will be higher than the hips, shifting your bodyweight backwards and puts pressure on the sitting bones. If the chair is too high, it can put pressure on the area behind the knee and hinder circulation. The correct ergonomic chair height can be achieved if your knees are bent at 90 degrees and parallel to the hips. Your thighs should be parallel to the floor, with both your feet flat on the floor. Setting up an ergonomic desk at home doesn’t have to be expensive or take a lot of time to put together. This page will provide tips on how to help ensure you are working from an ergonomic home set-up.

We’ve rounded up several tips on how to set up your desk properly here, and how to avoid tech neck, but here are a few highlights. “I think companies are going to re-assess what can and can’t be done from home – office space is expensive. I think that’s going to be something that comes out of this pandemic,” Hallbeck says. “A reassessment of what it means to work from home… and what a home office looks like. People are going to have to learn how to set up their ergonomic settings themselves.” One of the lasting effects of Covid-19 could be that more companies will allow people to work from home in the future.

Is it bad to work from a laptop at home?

You’re also going to want a chair with plenty of adjustability, the right casters or wheels for carpet or hardwood and one that’s easy to clean and care for. These are the work from home ergonomics best office chairs for comfort, ergonomics and adjustability And if you’re sitting in one of those hard wooden chairs, Hallbeck recommends sticking a small pillow behind you at your waist to provide easy lumbar support.

Monitor arms allow you to adjust for proper viewing distance and heights relative to your keyboard and other working devices. Part of maintaining good posture is making sure you stretch and move around to give your body time to adjust. To reduce strain, make sure that wherever you’re sitting doesn’t have you hunched over a keyboard. When you pull out of the office parking lot, you can take a deep breath and know you’re free for the rest of the day. But, when you’re already at home, distinguishing where work ends and the rest of your life begins can be difficult.

The Herman Miller Aeron is responsible for popularizing ergonomic chairs in the first place and for good reason. It’s designed to help you maintain optimal posture so you can work comfortably and focus on the task at hand. The Aeron is the ultimate home office investment and if you’re thinking of upgrading to one, keep an eye out for sales as it does see the occasional discount from time to time. The Haworth Fern checked all of the boxes for me when it came to comfort and adjustability.

The Steelcase Karman is a one-of-a-kind office chair that like the Aeron carries a premium price. However, after trying out the two chairs, the Karman is far more comfortable in my opinion and I still can’t get over how incredibly light it is. The Karman is quite a bit different from the other office chairs I’ve reviewed over the years but it’s definitely worth considering if you want a chair that’s as comfortable as it is supportive. After testing countless chairs over the years, I was immediately surprised by what LibreNovo has managed to achieve with the Omni as a newcomer.

Like the Intermix textile on the Steelcase Karman, it too is designed to move with your body as you shift in your chair throughout the day. The Hinomi X1 with its split, butterfly-style backrest and adjustable lumbar support made from soft, flexible Thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU) is a great choice for those dealing with back pain. It’s also a very adjustable office chair with a whopping 15 adjustment points and some other standout features like its pull-out footrest. The ErgoChair Pro gives you a lot of adjustment points to lock in the perfect fit for you. You can change the position of its armrests, move its lumbar support up or down manually as well as lock it in place and there are five different levels of recline.

Avoid These Chairs

Although big and tall users have the most options, those on the shorter side are also going to want to shop carefully when looking for a new office chair. Ideally, you want your feet to be able to rest firmly on the floor while sitting in your chair and for some people — especially those below five feet tall — this can be almost impossible with some chairs. While I personally enjoy having a chair with a headrest or a high back for extra support for my shoulders and neck, many ergonomic chairs like the Aeron don’t even come with this option. The reason being is that headrests can lead to passive sitting and slouching which is certainly bad for your posture. It’s a matter of work from home ergonomics personal preference but definitely something you want to consider when choosing the right chair for your needs. Just like with the best standing desks and other home office furniture, office chairs range widely in price, from just over $100 up to $2,000 and beyond.

For example, if you’re tall, you might not need a footrest if your feet can comfortably reach the floor with your chair adjusted to the proper height. However, if you’re shorter or your desk isn’t adjustable, a footrest can be a game-changer for your comfort. He also reviews standing desks, office chairs and other home office accessories with a penchant for building desk setups. Before joining the team, Anthony wrote for ITProPortal while living in Korea and later for TechRadar Pro after moving back to the US. Based in Houston, Texas, when he’s not writing Anthony can be found tinkering with PCs and game consoles, managing cables and upgrading his smart home.

Corrections and Clarifications

• After this is done, you want to let your office chair air dry completely before using it again.
• If you have hardwood floors, then you’re going to want a chair with soft casters that can glide across the floor without damaging it.
• Place your feet flat while you sit and ensure your thighs are parallel to the floor.
• The ErgoChair Pro gives you a lot of adjustment points to lock in the perfect fit for you.
• Just like the tires on your car, office chair casters can wear down over time from heavy use.
• Work from home ergonomics is essential to prevent back strain and other potential posture problems.

Flash Furniture Kelista (★★★★☆)If you want a very budget-friendly office chair with standout looks, you’re best option is the Flash Furniture Kelista. It’s not nearly as adjustable as the other chairs on this list but its arms do swing up when you want them out of the way. The best part, it frequently goes on sale for just over $100.Read our full Flash Furniture Kelista review. I tested the Karman a few years back and no other chair has impressed me quite like this one. However, at the time, I was a bit disappointed it wasn’t available with a headrest.

“Whenever you get stuck doing the same thing, you’re going to get injured. Along with the lumbar support pillow, you can get a chair cushion, which is also going to help distribute your weight. Some cushions have a cut out for your tailbone, which is a common complaint, either from a previous injury or from childbirth. Luckily, there are tips and tricks to setting up your office (or makeshift home office) to achieve good posture and ergonomics. Chiropractor Andrew Bang, DC, discusses what to keep in mind to avoid discomfort and injury. Since few people build home office furniture as often as I do, I take a lot of notes while putting each chair together to see how easy or difficult it might be for someone with less experience to do so.

Best Office Chair Under $300

• “Even if I sit in the best possible position, if I stay there for too long, it’s going to cause me some pain and discomfort,” says Dr. Bang.
• Definition and importance of ergonomics, with emphasis on fitting jobs to workers to prevent injury.View
• These are the best office chairs for comfort, ergonomics and adjustability
• When you look forward, your eyes should align with the top of your monitor or laptop.

The ProtoArc EC100 gives you the best of both worlds with plenty of ergonomic features and adjustments without carrying a high price. It’s a great budget pick and one I can definitely recommend to those who want a full-featured office chair for less. The EC100 does lack some of the premium features found in the chairs below but at this price, it’s hard to complain. This sleek hybrid chair gives you the comfort of a gaming chair with the support and ergonomics of an office chair. It comes in multiple two-tone colorways, has plenty of adjustment points and features both lumbar and thoracic support.

More expensive chairs feature higher-quality components and materials throughout while cheaper ones may come with sticky, plasticky-feeling mesh to cut a few corners for example. Likewise, the materials used in less expensive chairs are more likely to break down over time whereas a more expensive chair can last for years if cared for properly. This ergonomic task chair gives you the best of both worlds with a mesh back and a fabric seat cushion. There’s also another all-mesh version of the HON Ignition 2.0 available at a slightly higher price.

Step 2: Desk and Workspace

Basically, you’re going to follow the assembly instructions but in reverse. Mesh provides better airflow and keeps you cool while upholstered chairs tend to feel more comfortable and provide added warmth in colder environments. There are also hybrid chairs that have a mesh backrest and an upholstered foam seat to give you the best of both worlds. A tilt mechanism is a feature that allows an office chair’s backrest and potentially even its seat to tilt backward. If you want a better overall experience while reclining in your chair, then you’re going to want to look for one with a synchro-tilt mechanism.

Several companies have successfully implemented ergonomic programs for their remote workers. Similarly, IBM’s «Remote Work» program includes a comprehensive ergonomics guide, which has led to a 20% reduction in worker’s compensation claims and a 10% increase in job satisfaction. These real-world examples show us that creating a comfortable and ergonomic home workspace is feasible and effective. Some adjustable-height desks let you save settings, so multiple users can quickly access their preferred desk height.

You will likely be using a laptop for the home office; however, they are not very ergonomic. Since the keyboard is connected to the laptop screen, it is challenging to obtain a good posture while typing. Place your feet flat while you sit and ensure your thighs are parallel to the floor. If the chair makes it difficult to keep your knees at the same height as your thighs, pad with a cushion to adjust the height. The suitable desk for you depends on whether you intend to stand or sit to do your work.

The Monitor Stands

Avoid sitting right next to a window, which may cause a glare on the computer screen. Since you’re not in an office, there’s no more walking to the printer or over to talk to a colleague, or popping down the street for lunch. “When you have set yourself up appropriately in your chair put your hands in your lap comfortably. Where your elbow lands is the same height that you want your table top to be. To check, sit side on to your table; if you have to lift your arm to reach the table top you are too low. You should be able to slide your arm over the table without lifting your shoulder up.”

Both the original Karman and this new version are exceptionally comfortable but if you want a bit more back support, you can also add an optional lumbar support bar to the back of the chair. I spent some time with the Aeron myself back when I visited my local Herman Miller store but our U.S. He spent a few weeks trying it out and not surprisingly, found it to be one of the most comfortable chairs he ever sat in. Mike also really liked just how adjustable the Aeron was and found it easy to get its fit just right for him. The reason I’ve decided to replace the X-Chair X3 with the LiberNovo Omni as my top pick for long hours is not just because of how comfortable it is to sit in. When paired with the Omni’s optional footrest, you can sleep in this chair if you want a quick power nap to recharge.