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Need a new office chair? Experts reveal their recommendations, advice and top exercises and stretches to keep good posture and relieve back pain.

Whether you’re working from home or in an office space (or a hybrid), office chairs — and they way we sit in them — is an important topic to consider. 

After all, we know that sitting down for eight hours a day isn't good for us, so it’s worth taking a moment to discover how you can improve matters. And it could be as simple as investing in one of our expert-approved best home office chairs, designed to help take care of your back, neck, shoulders and posture. 

Our experts tell us exactly what to look for in an office chair, how much you should budget for a good quality chair, and even explain the best stretches and exercises for your back and neck, to help alleviate back pain and more. 

So, read on for the full scoop and stop adding additional strain to what we’re sure is already a challenging enough work day. 

Read more: The best ergonomic office chairs for ultimate support

There are several factors to consider when searching for the best office chair, so we spoke to our experts to make sure we covered them all.

Jo Blood, Managing Director at ergonomic supplier Posture People, thinks that the key to a good office chair is adjustability. ‘Everybody is a different shape and size, so you want to be able to alter a chair to suit you,’ she says.

‘An office chair should have height adjustment as a standard feature, but the extras you want to look for are an adjustable backrest, an adjustable lumbar support, and height adjustable armrests. The chair gets extra bonus points if the armrests are width adjustable too,’ she continues.

Another feature to ideally have on your desk chair is the ability to alter the depth of the seat. ‘This is sometimes called a seat slider’, says Blood. ‘It’s important that the chair  doesn’t press into the back of your knees. If it does, you’ll end up not sitting at the back of the chair, and not getting full back support.’

Lalitha McSorley, owner and lead Physical Therapist at Brentwood Physiotherapy Calgary, treats athletes from Cirque du Soleil and other professional and Olympic teams.

She recommends a contoured seat, which can help distribute your weight evenly and reduce pressure points.

‘The most comfortable desk chairs are breathable, with soft padding and good mobility, which can also help to reduce fatigue and make it easier to stay focused throughout the day,’ she says.

‘Investing in a high-quality chair can help prevent a wide range of posture-related problems, from back and neck pain, to headaches and fatigue, so it may be worth the investment in the long run,’ says McSorley.

Blood agrees. ‘Although you can buy cheaper, I would recommend spending between £300 - £500,’ she says. 

You may balk at the expensive price tag, but chairs in this price bracket are supremely well made. 

They usually ‘have a good level of adjustability, which is key to finding a chair that is comfortable for you. They also tend to look a bit more stylish and modern, which is important if it’s going into your home,’ Blood finishes. 

As an ergonomic supplier expert, Blood comments that one of the most important things to know for correct posture when sitting at a desk, is how to adjust your chair to suit you.

‘The best office chairs for posture have a variety of settings, so take your time to read the instructions and set it up to properly accommodate you,’ she advises. 

‘You want to sit right at the back of the chair, then relax your shoulders, and bend your arms to form a right angle at your elbows. Your elbows and forearms should be parallel to your desk, as this helps to reduce strain on your neck and shoulders,’ she adds.

If you are sitting like this but your feet don’t reach the floor, you should use a footrest, but there’s no need for one if your feet do reach the floor.

Blood’s last piece of advice is not to forget to move, recommending to set a timer so that every 40 minutes you get up, move around, then sit back down to work.

Helen O'Leary, physiotherapist and founder of Complete Pilates has worked with professional athletes at London Wasps Rugby and Cirque Du Soleil.

O’Leary states that rather than there being a best office chair for back pain, the key is actually to set up your workstation correctly.

‘Ensuring your laptop or computer is set up in the correct way will help to relieve back pain,’ she says.

‘Your desk should be at the recommended work height. This means that you can sit at it comfortably with your feet on the floor and your arms at a comfortable height. Your computer monitor or laptop should be no more than an arm’s length away, and should line up so when you’re looking straight ahead, your eyes are at a height of 25 - 30% below the top of the screen.’

This will help prevent back and neck strain.

O’Leary further recommends using a separate keyboard and mouse, so your arms are supported by your desk or table, as opposed to your lap.

She also advises to move before your back pain sets in. 

‘If you have pain after sitting for 20 minutes, move after 15 minutes,’ she says. ‘Taking breaks, moving regularly and stretching your muscles all helps to avoid back pain. You are also helping to give your eyes and mind a rest too.’

Follow expert physiotherapist Helen O’Leary’s five simple exercises to do during breaks from your desk. 

‘Sit down and let yourself relax into the chair, making sure your bottom is at the back of the seat. 

‘Gently turn your head to look over one side and then the other. 

‘The aim is not to force the movement but simply to allow your head to move.’

Watch Helen's video on performing perfect neck rotations here.

‘Sit at the front of your chair with your feet flat on the floor.

‘Cross your hands over your chest and turn your body to face one side of the room. Try to keep your head in line with your breastbone.

‘Pause into your rotation and take a big breath into the side of your ribs. As you exhale, allow yourself to turn a little further.

‘Repeat on the other side, trying to allow your rib cage to stay on top of your pelvis rather than your body extending.’

‘Settle into the back of your chair, using the backrest for support. Take one arm across your chest and loop the other underneath it to hold onto the upper arm.

‘Gently pull your arm across your body and at the same time pull the stretching shoulder backwards to stop you rotating.

‘Repeat on both sides, holding each for a couple of breaths.’

Watch Helen's video on performing perfect posterior shoulder stretches here.

‘Look forward and take your arms to your side. Lift them up to approximately a 45 degree angle and hold them there.

‘Slowly shrug your shoulders up towards the ceiling, allowing your shoulder blades to slide upwards on your rib cage. 

‘Pause and hold it at the top before controlling the movement down again. Try to keep your arms out to the side as you do these.’

‘Sit on one hand with the palm facing up. Looking forward, tip your head to take your ear to the opposite side shoulder. Feel the stretch in the side of your neck, then gently nod your chin forwards to your chest to send the stretch more to the back, and up to the ceiling to take it into the front of your neck.

‘Move slowly and gently and find where you would like the stretch to be before staying there for a few breaths.

‘If you want to feel the stretch more in the side of your neck and upper shoulder, keep looking forwards as you tip the ear to one side and gently pull the opposite shoulder down to the floor to stretch the muscle more.’

So we’ve covered the features to look for in a top office chair, how much you should budget and how to sit correctly to relieve back pain and improve your posture. 

Now, read on for our top picks of the best office chairs to suit a range of wants and needs…

‘This chair has many adjustments and features that you would normally only find on a much more expensive chair,’ reveals Blood.

‘It has a nice high back which suits people who want lots of support, right up to their shoulders. The backrest can move up and down so you can alter it to support your lumbar area, and the armrests are adjustable so you can alter them to suit your height, which means there is less strain on your shoulders when you are sitting.’ 

In our opinion, this would also be the best office chair for long hours.

This office chair comes specially recommended by Camille Querubin, Buyer at Currys.

'I like the curved head and back, shaped especially for comfort, and the breathable mesh back of this chair,' she says.

'It features adjustable height, an adjustable arm rest and an adjustable head rest, and has a tilt lock function so you can find a comfortable and suitable angle to work at.'

Querubin also has some advice to get the most out of your office chair.

'Make sure your chair moves with you and doesn’t get stuck in a static position. We may have been told to sit up straight at school, but the best for your back is to keep moving whilst seated,' she advises.

For the price, we think that this is a great office chair for home or office working.

Cute and inexpensive is this best budget chair from Wayfair, which we can see slotting into the smallest of work-from-home spaces.   It comes in a dusty blue and a professional grey, and has a contoured seat, hooded double caster wheels for easy movement and a 360° swivel mechanism. 

Happy reviewers mention how easy it is to assemble and how comfortable it is for working all day, making this type of chair a winner for us. 

If you’re after a smart leather office chair, this is just the ticket for a snazzy piece of office furniture, or for home working or gaming.

Enveloped in a chic black PU leather, the seat is filled with soft foam and offers a stylish ribbed design, complete with a height adjustable function and a lockable tilt mechanism, allowing you to perfect the positioning based on your height and angle to your screen.

A flexible mesh fabric backrest is the star of the show in this comfortable chair, though we are also fans of the leather panelling and  soft fabric seat. The backrest also enables you to adjust the seat angle and lean back (say whilst you're on a phone call) and can be conveniently locked into your desired position. 

A high quality office chair, we like that both the seat and armrests are height adjustable, which is all-important to help keep your posture aligned whilst sitting all day.

Happening upon this chair immediately made us smile — we love its small size and can see it positioned in plenty of home offices. It consists of high density foam, encased in faux leather, with design features including an adjustable height and a 360° swivel.

We like this stylish white (albeit dangerous if you’re a serial tea or coffee drinker) but it also comes in six other colours, and you can choose whether you want the wheels to be all black, or to have a fancy chrome trim.

The best office chair to take care of your back, neck, shoulders, posture and more is an ergonomic office chair, so we would recommend investing in the Viasit Drumback Creation Chair. Voted the number one chair by our posture expert, though it may be pricey, it will last you a lifetime if you look after it well.

If your budget doesn’t allow for such an investment, we’d go for the LOGIK Tilting Executive Chair next, thanks to its complete adjustability, breathable mesh and tilt lock function.

Whichever office chair you choose, remember to set up your laptop or computer at the recommended work height, to move every 40 minutes and to follow expert physiotherapist Helen O’Leary’s five simple neck, shoulder and back stretches.

Jo Blood is Managing Director of Posture People and is especially talented at finding comfortable ergonomic solutions for people with disabilities. Extremely knowledgeable on the themes of office ergonomics and workplace wellbeing, Jo has appeared on the BBC to give expert advice.

Lalitha McSorley is founder and owner of Brentwood Physiotherapy Clinic. Her special interest is orthopaedic conditions, vestibular rehabilitation (balance and dizziness disorders) and sports injuries. Lalitha initially worked at South Africa’s King Edward VIII Hospital, the largest teaching hospital in the southern hemisphere. 

Helen O’Leary is a Chartered Physiotherapist and Clinical Director of Complete Pilates. She has worked within a world class multidisciplinary team at London Wasps Rugby Club, and travelled with Cirque Du Soleil in 2011 for two and a half years as one of the two physiotherapists on the show. Helen is now settled in London, but continues to work with various Cirque Du Soleil shows around the world as well as with British Gymnastics. 

Prices updated on 13/03/2023. We are not responsible for any changes to the prices mentioned above.

Having worked at Marie Claire and trade beauty magazine, Scratch, Emma Hobday is a beauty and fashion expert who aims to help readers choose perfect products. When not engrossed in glossy magazines, Emma loves walking her dog and attending West End shows.

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