The Best Office Chairs for Long hours
We have recently seen major changes in workplace dynamics. Work from home was a rare phenomenon limited to a few avenues till some time back. Today though, it has more or less become the new normal.
With an increased requirement of working from home on a full work schedule, most houses are turning into home offices. If you are planning a work setup at home, to ensure that long work hours won’t affect you physically, you must buy an ergonomically designed chair for long hours of sitting.
We have reviewed and made a list of some of the best office chairs for long hours, with an emphasis on ergonomic design, quality, and different prices. Read ahead to know our list of the best comfortable office chairs for long hours.
How we arrived at our list for the best office chairs for long hours:
Our team spoke to some doctors and physiotherapists to understand what kind of chairs are best for long hours. We scoured the internet to find the products that match these requirements. Then, we filtered products based on ratings and reviews.
Our team spent hundreds of hours poring through various product websites, review sites, and forums. After consolidating all the data available and a thorough analysis and review we were able to arrive at our final list of the top five best office chairs for long hours of sitting.
What to look for when buying the best office chair for long hours:
When you are working for long hours, whether from the office or home, one of the most common problems you may face includes discomfort, aches, and pains. Incorrect sitting positions, wrong angles, and incorrect posture can create pressure on your spinal cord, lumbar region, neck, and shoulders leading to short term and long term pain.
Once you plan to buy a chair for long hours, the first crucial factor you need to look into is the ergonomics. The chair should have ergonomic features such as height adjustments, inclination, swivel, proper cushioning and padding, etc. These features will ensure a good sitting position and help you avoid slouching.
The chair must be made from breathable material. It must provide comfort, air circulation, and temperature control. Durable and top quality design and build is always a bonus when selecting your chair for long hours.
Our Top picks for comfortable office chairs for long hours 2020
These chairs are the crowd favorite among our team and the reviewers and users
1. ETH Buying Gaming Chair
Best Premium Segment Chair
When buying a gaming chair for long hours, one of the important considerations is the ergonomic design. Whether you spend long hours on the chair working or gaming, the chair should have the perfect settings to support your height, spine, lumbar region, neck, and shoulders. Since long work hours can lead to back and neck problems, you must buy an ergonomically designed chair.
The ETH Gaming chair delivers perfectly as far as the ergonomics is concerned. The chair features a new-age design and incorporates durable material. If you are planning to buy a premium computer chair for your office space or your game room, you must consider buying this comfortable chair for long hours of sitting.
Features:
This chair is built keeping pro-gamers in mind but is a perfect fit for an office chair too. In terms of features and construct, this chair stands apart from the crowd. It has all the ergonomic features needed for long gaming or working hours.
It features adjustable armrests that can be easily controlled with a one-touch button. You may need different armrest heights when working and playing. Simply press the button to change heights depending on what you are doing.
You can recline the chair to an angle of 150 degrees and lock the setting in place. Tired of continuous work? Do you want to lie down for a bit and probably take a power nap? The chair has an in-built footrest system that turns the chair into a make-shift bed at a full recline position. This is a wonderful way to catch a break in between long work hours or during a gaming session. Essentially this is a computer chair that can even double up as a computer bed when needed.
The chair height also can be adjusted with a one-touch control button to the height of your choice. Always ensure that your feet completely touch the ground, and you should adjust your chair’s height to achieve that
It comes with a patented headrest waist-rest system. This system consists of ergonomically designed cushions that you can adjust to suit your resting or working position. The cushions ensure full lumbar and spinal cord support. Do cushions feel too much of a bother? Just remove them when not necessary.
In case you want to take a complete break from work, your chair turns into a rocking chair giving your perfect moments of relaxation. Have a cup of coffee or relax with a book and enjoy your break.
To sum up, the chair features all the standard ergonomic settings like armrest height adjustment, backrest height adjustment, chair height adjustment, and chair incline, along with a footrest system. all these features make the ETH gaming chair your perfect companion during long gaming or working hours.
Design:
The design of this chair ensures complete support to your spinal cord, lumbar system, and your neck and shoulders. While the headrest waist-rest system offers all the necessary support, the overall backrest design perfectly supports the S-shape of your spinal cord at any angle of inclination or sitting position. So whether you are working or gaming, you can be sure that your chair is taking care of your spinal and lumbar health.
A sturdy ergonomic metal frame forms the centerpiece of the chair. You now know that the foundation of your chair is ergonomically strong, a feature that travels through the rest of the chair to provide maximum protection and comfort. The strong metal frame also ensures the longevity of the chair.
Another ergonomic feature of this chair is the 360-degree swivel which ensures that you can reach anything you may need in your work area or game room without having to get out your chair. The chair sits on a sturdy five-point base which can bear weights of up to 300 pounds.
You can move the chair around with the help of heavy-duty, durable caster. The wheels provide a smooth movement on any surface and you needn’t worry about using your chair on carpeted or even hardwood floors.
Upholstery:
This is the most attractive part of the ETH gaming chair. The chair is upholstered with high-quality premium bonded leather that adds a sheen to the chair. The material is quite smooth so you can relax on a soft surface as you work or play. The material succeeds in making you feel pampered through your long hours.
Bonded leather also goes into the making of the neck and waist support pillows. The pillows have the right combination of plushness and firmness and provide the support your back and neck need.
Assembly:
The assembly of the chair is quite easy. You will get all the hardware and necessary instructions along with the chair. The process doesn’t take much time.
Verdict:
The ETH Gaming Chair was a crowd-favorite with our team. The chair is a good value-for-money buy in the premium segment. The full range of ergonomic features with a unique style and build make this chair the perfectly comfortable office chair for long hours.
2. AKRacing Office Series Obsidian Ergonomic Computer Chair
Best Overall work chair
Pros
- Premium quality material used at every stage of the build and design
- All necessary features of an ergonomic chair included
- New-age design, a perfect addition to your office, home office, or even a game room.
- Most of the parts come with manufacturer-backed warranties.
Cons
- A couple of reviewers mentioned that the caster wheels could be slightly better.
Our team picked this chair from AKRacing as a second choice for the best chairs for long hours of sitting. The design is quite minimalist and sober. The make is sturdy and incorporates all state-of-the-art materials and technology, making it functional and durable. The chair also reclines completely into a make-shift bed, giving you the luxury to relax or quickly take a nap between long work sessions.
Features:
The AKRacing office series computer chair packs all the standard features of an ergonomically designed chair, providing excellent lumbar, neck, and shoulder support through your long working hours.
Ergonomically designed chairs go a long way in providing proper support at all the right places like your lumbar region, spinal cord, and shoulders. When you are working long hours, you sometimes tend to sit in incorrect positions or even slouch. This may feel comfortable at that moment but does a lot of damage to your body in the long run.
Do your friends complain of constant backaches or pain in the neck? Badly designed chairs are largely to blame. Once the damage is done, rectifying it becomes a tedious and time-consuming task. To avoid all these roadblocks that may otherwise damage your work-life balance, you should invest in a good ergonomically designed chair.
The AKRacing chair allows for one-touch handrest height adjustment. A unique feature of the AKRacing office chair is that it comes with 4D armrests which allow for four kinds of movements. Your armrests will move up and down, back and forth, and even rotate to the sides. The flexibility of the armrests is immense making long work hours much easier.
The chair also provides for a full 180-degree backrest recline. You can set your chair to four modes- work mode, idle mode, work break mode, and chill mode, with the chill mode being the complete recline position at 180 degrees. So you can automatically pick the angle depending on whether you want to take a break, or lie down, or simply do nothing for a few minutes. You can also alter the heights of the chair and the headrest to suit your individual comfort levels.
Design:
At the core of the AKRacing Office Series Obsidian computer chair lies the strong and sturdy ergonomically designed steel frame that comes with a 10-year warranty. The frame is covered with anti-corrosion paint, increasing its durability by many times. When you know that the foundation of your work chair is strong, you will be confident in buying the product.
The backrest of the chair snugly fits into the lumbar curve and the spinal cord of your body. This extremely important ergonomic feature goes a long way in ensuring minimal to no back problems despite the long working hours.
The chair sits on a durable five-star heavy-duty base fit with easy-rotating caster wheels which can move easily on any surface. The chair can swivel to a complete 360-degree angle. These design features ensure that you can move around easily. A class 4 gas life ensures easy one-touch height adjustments of your chair. The complete base of the chair is strong enough to hold weights of up to 330 pounds easily.
Upholstery:
The chair is upholstered in exclusively designed PU leather that comes with a five year backed manufacturer warranty. PU leather is stain-free and easy to clean and maintain. It is also quite durable, giving you complete value for your money.
All the cushions are made of cold-cured foam offering durability and the maximum sitting comfort. The foam goes through multiple stress tests to ensure that it adheres to the highest standards that are the hallmark of the brand AKRacing. The foam holds on to its shape through the years, so you wouldn’t need to think of upholstering the chair after using the chair for a few years.
Adjustable headrest and lumbar pillows provide additional comfort and flexibility.
Assembly:
The assembly of this chair is very easy. As you would expect out of any reputed company, AKRacing sends all the instructions and necessary hardware for assembly along with the chair. You will get an instruction booklet with written instructions with pictorial representations making the whole assembly process easier for you.
Verdict:
We do think that the AKRacing gaming/computer chair is the best office chair for long hours. Given the quality of the build and features, we think that this chair is a truly great addition to your office space. If you are looking for a durable office chair to accompany you through long working hours, we highly recommend this chair.
This chair finds a spot on our list for being extremely affordably priced and still packing all the features of a basic ergonomic chair. Reviewers and users were in love with this chair for its looks, easy installation, comfort levels, and reasonable pricing. If you are looking for a chair for long computer hours and are on a tight budget, you can pick this chair.
Features and design:
The armrests are ergonomically designed and padded for maximum comfort. The shape of the armrest ensures that your arms align well with spine and neck rest and you maintain the right ergonomic posture while sitting.
An adjustable lever towards the base of the chair allows for easy height adjustment. You can lock the height once you select the appropriate height setting.
Do you love taking breaks in a rocking chair, but don’t have one? The Smugchair office chair doubles up as a rocking chair. Simply take a break in between work contemplating life or thinking nothing at all, all the while sitting at your workstation.
If you do not want to rock but want to sit in an inclined position, you can lock the tilt function. Tilt lock and tilt function, both can be easily controlled with well-functioning levers and switches present at the base of the chair.
The seat height is adjustable too, so you can set it at a proper height to support your neck and head. If multiple people are using the chair, each person can personalize the chair when using it. So if you are planning to buy this chair for your home office, the other members of your family can use it too.
Though the armrests cannot be adjusted in terms of the heights, the ergonomically designed and padded armrests more than compensate for it. The design of the armrests aligns well with your natural body shape, ensuring that you are placing your hands and arms at an appropriate position.
The base of the chair is heavy duty and is made of high-quality and durable material. The well-designed caster wheels allow easy movement from one area to the other. The wheels are highly durable and quite soft, leaving no scratches or damage to the flooring. The wheels allow for easy movement on carpeted floors too.
Upholstery:
The chair is covered with high-quality faux leather giving it a plush look and a soft and comfortable feel. Pleather makes the chair easy to maintain and stain-resistant. The contrast color theme on the chair offers a unique look to the chair.
The design pattern and the color contrast together give the chair a unique new-world styling. The material is skin-friendly and breathable allowing for good air circulation and making sure that you don’t sweat during your long work hours.
The unique design of the backrest adds to the overall look of the chair. The backrest fits exactly into the S-curve of your spinal cord. This design ensures a good sitting posture and makes sure that you aren’t slouching.
An incorrect sitting position, especially slouching when you are sitting, is responsible for most of your back and neck problems. An ergonomically designed chair makes sure you don’t slouch when sitting. Look for this factor when you are buying a chair.
The padding through the chair has an appropriate combination of softness and firmness giving you the maximum comfort while sitting and at the same time ensures good ergonomics. Cushions that are too soft may feel comfortable but aren’t good for your body in the long run. The chair, overall, offers the best combination of comfort and ergonomics at the price point.
Are you looking for a chair that matches the interiors of your work area or game room? Then, you are in luck. The Smugchair executive office computer chair is available in a range of colors including black, white, grey, blue, and red. You can choose the best color to match your room’s color pattern. We must admit though, blue seems to be the most popular color choice with most of the reviewers we spoke to opting for the blue-black color option.
Assembly:
This is another factor where the chair won points from many of the users and reviewers. The chair itself is light-weight making the box that it arrives in easy to handle. All the necessary instructions and hardware arrive with the chair making the assembling process hassle-free for you.
Verdict:
This is a perfectly priced chair for those on a tight budget, but still looking to buy an office chair for long hours of sitting. Features, design, and build ensure that you get the best bang for your buck.
Our next pick is the Healgen office chair. This chair scores high on its sleek design, ergonomic features, lumbar support, and durability. This is another decently priced chair though you cannot compare it to Smugchair in terms of the price point. Among the reviewers we spoke to, this chair was popular for its full-recline capability, footrest, easy assembly, and pricing. Another winning point is the availability of this model in multiple colors giving you the choice of buying a color that matches your interiors. The in-built massage feature is a surprise package.
Features:
A unique feature of this chair is the massage lumbar pillow that turns your chair into a make-shift massage chair. The massage component can be powdered through an in-built USB.
The Healgen office chair comes fully loaded in terms of the ergonomic features. Adjustable seat height, backrest recline, padded linkage armrests, anti-slip cushions, retractable pillow, 360-degree swivel are some of the key ergonomic features included in the chair.
This chair can recline between angles of 90 degrees and 155 degrees and gives you four recline options to choose from – comfortable work mode, reading mode, movie watching mode, and resting mode. At the resting mode, the chair reclines to a full lie down position, with the footrest pulling out to provide leg rest. The footrest present at the base of the chair seat pulls out as per your need and it can be rotated to 360 degrees.
The seat comes fitted with anti-slippage cushions providing for extra comfort and convenience.
Design:
The armrest is ergonomically designed with padding and linkage armrests. While the padding is firm and soft enough to provide an ergonomic arm resting surface, linkage armrests provide for added mobility and flexibility. Linkage armrests are unique and very few models have this feature, making this chair a cut above the rest. The linkage armrest feature offers additional support and customization over the regular armrests.
The design of the armrests also aligns with your body and spinal cord shape and makes sure that you have a proper sitting posture. Cushions on the armrest offer extra support and comfort while sitting.
The headrest is thickened with cushioning to provide backrest with a full S-curvature that fits snugly into your spinal cord’s natural curve. This design ensures the most appropriate sitting posture and helps you avoid slouching. The removable lumbar pillow provides extra lumbar support when you need it.
Upholstery:
The chair is upholstered in PU leather making it soft but firm, easy to clean and maintain, and durable. The material is also breathable allowing for free air circulation and temperature control during long work hours. High-density memory foam provides for comfortable surfaces and additional ergonomic support.
Assembly:
The assembly of the chair is easy with all the instructions and hardware being provided along with the chair.
Verdict:
This is one of the best comfortable chairs for long hours. The Healgen office chair is fully-loaded in terms of features. The design and build are durable and of the highest quality material. Overall this is a perfect office chair in our books.
Another pick for the premium segment, the AKRacing Obsidian ergonomic chair is our final pick for the best chairs for long hours of sitting. The brand AKRacing is known for its high-quality build and design and the use of top-notch material. This brand has a fan base of its own when it comes to gaming chairs and office chairs. This is the second product from the brand to feature on our top pick list.
Design and Features:
This chair comes with all the standard features of an ergonomic office chair. The height of the backrest and armrest is adjustable. The armrest is pretty basic in design and serves the purpose of providing ergonomic support. The height of the chair is adjustable to suit your personal preferences. Well-functioning levers and controls ensure that you can control all the adjustments with minimum effort.
You can recline the backrest of the chair to a complete 180-degrees when needed. The backrest of the chair is designed to accommodate the S-shape of your spinal cord perfectly. The chair also features an adjustable headrest and lumbar pillows for added support and comfort.
The makers have added 3D armrests for added convenience, giving you the options of turning the armrests up and down, to the side, and even rotate them
In terms of features and design, this chair provides all the basic features that you would expect from a comfortable chair for long working hours. The chair itself is constructed around a strong and sturdy metal frame that comes with a five-year guarantee from the manufacturers.
Upholstery:
The chair is upholstered in breathable fabric making it soft and convenient to use, especially in hot and humid conditions. Apart from making your chair breathable, the fabric is easy to clean and maintain and is durable.
High density, foam-cured cushioning adds to the comfort and durability of the chair. The foam is soft and firm at the same time and is the perfect mix of comfort and ergonomics.
Assembly:
The assembly, as with the other chairs, is quite easy. You will get all the instructions and the necessary hardware along with the chair. The process itself takes about 15 minutes.
Verdict:
The AKRacing office series Opal fabric office chair is a decently priced mid-segment product. Being from a reputed brand, the material, and the build is of the highest quality. If you are looking for a high-quality product at a medium price point, you can pick this office chair.
Also Check: Best office Chairs for Back Pain
Conclusion:
This is one of those times when our team struggled to pick a favorite among the five picks. While ETH gaming chair won as a premium segment product, there was a tie between the AKRacing Office Series Obsidian ergonomic chair and the Healgen Office Chair. After much deliberation, we picked three favorites, which for us are the best office chairs for long hours.
Buying guide for the best office chair for long hours
When buying an office chair for long hours, you should look for a chair that offers the best sitting position.
- The chair should allow for your feet to touch the floor completely, your arms should be leveled with the desk.
- Your thighs to the knee area should be completely parallel to the floor.
- The chair should prevent any slouching and give your back complete support so that you can sit upright for hours without feeling uncomfortable.
- A chair that allows for this position is ergonomically most suitable for sitting for long hours.
So how will you know if a chair is ergonomically designed? Look for these factors:
Seat height adjustment:
Your chair should allow you to easily raise or lower the seat height so that your feet touch the floor completely. Most of the chairs are equipped with levers that help you adjust the seat height as per your necessity.
Armrest height adjustment:
Look for a chair that allows for height adjustment. This will allow you to adjust the armrest to level with the work surface, so there is no stress on your shoulders or upper back during your long working hours.
Backrest incline:
Some chairs are available with backrest inclination feature, where the backrest is separate from the seat. Such chairs allow you to recline positions, some even allowing you to fully recline at a lying down position.
Alternately you can look for chairs that are available in the rocking model, where the backrest and the seat are a continuous unit and the chair itself will incline, allowing you to relax and take a break.
Seat width and depth: You should buy a chair that has a seat width of at least 17 to 20 inches. In terms of depth, you should look for a chair that leaves a gap of 2 to 4 inches between the seat part of your chair and the back of your knees.
Swivel:
Apart from the above, your chair should also have features such as 360-degree swivel which will allow for easy access without getting up from your chair.
Upholstery:
The upholstery of your chair is a crucial factor in ensuring comfort when sitting and breathability. Look for chairs made with material that is breathable, meaning that they allow for free air circulation. Imagine sitting continuously for hours attending calls and meetings. Getting sweaty really adds to the discomfort.
The cushions and padding should be firm enough to provide full ergonomic support and soft enough to provide a comfortable sitting surface. Look for a chair that meets both the criteria.
Of course, the upholstery should be easy to clean and maintain, stain-resistant, and durable, other factors when deciding which material to opt for.
Material:
The chair should be made with good quality material. Your wheels, especially, should be made of good quality and be smooth with easy movement, and durable as well. They more or less carry the weight of the chair on them. Bad wheels will reduce the functionality of your chair to a large extent.
Easy controls:
Every ergonomic chair comes with a set of controls that are responsible for various settings such as height, inclination, etc. Easy controls will make life all the more easier for you.
While the budget is one of the important considerations when buying a chair for long hours, keeping the above factors in mind will help you buy a comfortable office chair for long hours.