9 Best Office Chairs for Hip Pain

From arthritis to bursitis, you could be dealing with hip pain for any number of reasons. And if you’re one of the unlucky ones dealing with that pain, you know how frustrating and irritating it feels — especially when you may have to sit for extended periods of time for your job.

That’s why it’s critical for those with hip pain to find a suitable office chair that can support their hips and lower back (everything is connected, after all!) in order to offer you some relief.

Now, even the most ergonomic chairs aren’t going to remedy your hip pain. That chair will certainly offer you some relief, but in order to rid yourself of pain, you need a steady regime of exercise and strength-building. Consult your doctor for a treatment plan that works for you.

So, what are the best office chairs for hip pain? We did the research and have the answers!

The Best Office Chairs for Hip Pain

• Steelcase Gesture – Best Overall
• Ticova Ergonomic Office Chair – Budget Pick
• Duramont Office Chair – Best Under $300
• NeueChair by Secretlab – Best Value
• Secretlab Titan – Best for Gaming
• Herman Miller Aeron – Best Mesh
• Herman Miller Embody – Best for Back Pain
• Steelcase Leap Plus – Best for Heavy People
• La-Z-Boy Delano – Best Leather Office Chair

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Steelcase Gesture – The Best Office Chair for Hip Pain

Our top pick for an office chair that helps alleviate hip pain comes from Grand Rapids, Michigan-based Steelcase. The Steelcase Gesture is a high-end, premium office chair that, while expensive, includes excellent ergonomic features to keep you sitting in an optimal, strong position.

When it comes to helping with hip pain, the Gesture features a handful of ergonomic features, including Steelcase’s 3D LiveBack Technology, which is a backrest that’s intentionally designed to flex and mimic the movement of your spine as you change positions.

There’s plenty of other things to like about this chair, including its…

• Wheels, which are great for hard floors or carpeting.
• Durability. Steelcase is known for making extremely high-quality products and the Gesture lives up to that reputation. It also comes with a 12-year warranty to back up that durability.
• Comfort. This chair, which features a 100% polyester fabric on the cushion and back, is designed for all-day comfort.

The chair weighs in at 78 pounds and has a weight capacity of 400 pounds, which is one of the biggest capacities on this list.

Of course, the biggest downside to this chair is its price. It’s on the higher end of the spectrum, but it lives up to the expression, “You get what you pay for.”

This is the type of chair that can easily last more than a decade.

You can typically get the normal colors, like black and graphite, pretty quickly. If you want something a bit more customized, like a navy blue or a saddle brown leather, expect to pay even more and wait a few extra weeks for your delivery.

Ticova Ergonomic Office Chair – Best Cheap Office Chair for Hip Pain

For those with hip pain — and on a budget — look no further than the Ticova Ergonomic Office Chair. Not only does this chair feature the ergonomic features that people with hip pain demand, but it also looks quite attractive and professional for a chair at this price point.

Let’s dive into the features of this chair:

• Deep seat. This is critical for those with hip pain. You want your thighs to lay parallel with the floor and not creep over the front. You don’t have to worry about that with this chair.
• Comfortable headrest. This isn’t always the case with headrests, but Ticova’s features a foam headrest that’s quite comfortable and effective at supporting your head.
• Metal back. This is important from a quality and durability standpoint. Combined with the elastic mesh backing, your body should be supported for several hours of work while sitting.

This is also a great chair for tall people thanks to the deep seat. In terms of weight capacity, though, it tops out at 280 pounds.

Some users have complained that the lumbar support is too supportive. For some people, depending on their size, that could be it feels like it’s potentially digging into your back.

And like most budget chairs that are mass-produced, there can potentially be some quality control issues with parts.

All of that being said, most users of this chair agree it’s comfortable and solidly built, making it the perfect chair for your home office.

Check out my guide on the Best Office Chairs Under $200

Duramont Office Chair – Best Office Chair for Hip Pain Under $300

Another budget office chair comes from the Duramont company, which mass produces office chairs overseas. Don’t let their business model deter you, however, from giving this chair a second look.

For starters, it certainly doesn’t look cheap. The all-black design looks professional, but it’s all the adjustable components that will have chair buyers — and those with hip pain — interested to learn more. In terms of adjustments, this chair can…

• Adjust the headrest height and angle.
• Adjust lumbar support height and depth.
• Adjust armrest height and distance from seat.
• Adjust the tension of the backrest tilt.

And then, of course, the overall height of the chair can adjust.

Priced under $300, the price is the most attractive feature of this chair, but we really appreciate how Duramont puts a 5-year warranty behind its products. That can help alleviate any concerns from the chair-buying community who might think this is just a cheaply made chair.

One of the downsides of this chair is that it can’t fully recline. The angle of recline is quite minimal, which makes it difficult to stretch out while sitting.

Also, Duramont says its chair is capable of being used on carpeting, but owners have said it doesn’t work that well. If your office has carpet, you likely want to purchase a chair mat.

Check out my guide on the Best Office Chairs Under $300

NeueChair by Secretlab – Best Value Office Chair for Hip Pain

If what you plan to spend on a new office chair is beyond the budget-level chairs, but not quite at the level of Steelcase and Herman Miller chairs, we recommend checking out the NeueChair by Secretlab, which is solidly built, more minimal looking, and, most importantly, ergonomic to accommodate all sorts of ailments, including hip pain.

You can tell a lot about the durability and longevity of a chair initially from the warranty that the company offers. Secretlab backs up its chair products with a 12-year warranty, which is on-par with other high-end companies, like Steelcase.

When you start looking into this chair, though, it’s not hard to see the quality of materials used.

• Hydraulics. Let’s start with something that isn’t often discussed with office chairs. The double-layer Class IV hydraulics on this chair feel ultra premium when adjusting the height of the chair. The extra layer of protection around the rod of the chair adds to its longevity.
• Aluminum alloy. The core of the NeueChair — the wheelbase and backspine — are made with aluminum alloy, which is strong and lightweight. It simply feels solid.
• Armrests. Another overlooked aspect of a chair is the comfort of its armrests. Secretlab uses PU-coated armrests, which are grippy, yet cushiony.

Most importantly, the NeueChair is designed for all-day sitting comfort. While it focuses on taking the pressure of your lower back and other muscles that are working hard to keep your spine and body maintained upright, it’s also really effective at keeping you naturally balanced. In other words, you’re not going to feel like a total stiff while sitting in this chair throughout the work day.

In terms of color, you’re limited to just black. But If you’re looking for a chair that packs a lot of value, you can’t go wrong with the Secretlab NeueChair.

Secretlab Titan – Best Gaming Chair for Hip Pain

Hip pain isn’t immune to gamers, who also need special chairs to play for extended periods of time without sacrificing comfort and performance.

The Secretlab Titan is competitively priced and looks like a very classy gaming chair. In fact, it easily doubles as a normal office chair because there isn’t a lot of flash to it, compared to other gaming chairs on the market.

We really like how you can customize the materials and colors used on this chair. Of course, the more premium the materials, the more premium the price, so make sure to figure out your budget before going crazy on customizations. If you’re not a fan of the big T on the back, you’re out of luck. That branding comes with all Titans.

Secretlab offers a five-year warranty on its products. Because you can’t purchase these chairs in a brick-and-mortar store, you can take advantage of the company’s 49-day return policy. If before those 49 days are up, you’re not satisfied with the chair, you can return it, no questions asked.

So, what makes this chair so great at helping those with hip pain? It starts with the dimensions of the chair.

With a depth of nearly 20 inches, your thighs have more than enough room to rest parallel with the floor.

Next, though, are the number of adjustments. This chair can adjust in nearly every way imaginable. We really like how those adjustment levers are closer to the armrests, making it easy to quickly adjust your position and lumbar support.

Herman Miller Aeron – Best Mesh Office Chair for Hip Pain

Check out my full Herman Miller Office Chairs Review and Buying Guide

The Cadillac company of office chairs, the Herman Miller Aeron is our pick for the best mesh backing.

The mesh backing is soft and lets your back breathe easy. It also helps with the ergonomics of this chair, helping with its promised “ultimate spinal support.”

We’ll get this out of the way first: Herman Miller chairs are the most expensive on the market and on this list. The good news, though, is that it’s not a rip-off. You’re paying for extreme quality, a beautiful design, and engineering that can let you sit comfortably all day long.

Herman Miller’s premium price tags are, in part, due to the research they put behind every piece of furniture. In the case of the Aeron, designers and engineers studied the science of sitting and figured out a design that lets you sit not only comfortably, but in a way that won’t further hinder pains, like issues with your hips.

Your lower back and hip will thank you for the incredibly easy-to-use recliner feature. The tilt lets you move your body in such a natural way that users can shift from forward to reclining intuitively. In other words, you don’t even need to think about it — this chair essentially becomes an extension of yourself.

Yes, the high price tag is really the only downside of this chair. Herman Miller also takes a little extra to make and ship their chairs, so expect a wait, especially if you’re customizing the color.

Check out my guide on the Best Mesh Gaming Chairs

Herman Miller Embody – Best for Back and Hip Pain

If you have a luxury-sized budget for your next office chair, the Herman Miller Embody is the chair for you.

It’s especially good for those dealing with hip pain. As you may know, when you have hip pain, any little movement can cause excruciating pain. When you don’t have a chair that responds to those movements, you could be in trouble.

Luckily, the Embody was designed with a backrest and seat that automatically conform to those micro-movements. It provides ergonomic support in both forward and reclined positions. And the more narrow back is intentional — it corrects your posture, while allowing you more freedom to move at your desk throughout the day.

Like other Herman Miller chairs, you can customize the frame, base, upholstery and caster of this chair. More premium materials will obviously cost you more.

There’s plenty to like about the Herman Miller Embody:

• The design. This Michigan-based company is known for its impeccable designs. So, it should come as no surprise that the Embody looks like a work of art, in addition to being super effective at supporting your body through an entire work day.
• Adjustable seat depth. The depth of your seat is one of the most important elements to supporting your hips and alleviating any pain. If you have long legs, you’ll appreciate this adjustment.
• The brackets. The backrest features several brackets that can be adjusted to be in line with your spine’s natural curve.

Check out my guide on the Best Gaming Chairs for Back Pain

Steelcase Leap Plus – Best for Heavy People with Hip Pain

Designed for larger people, the Steelcase Leap Plus features an astounding 500-pound weight capacity, easily making it the most durable chair on this list.

Touted as the company’s No. 1 ergonomic chair, Steelcase uses what it called “LiveBack” technology, which provides incredible ergonomic comfort inside an iconic design that looks great in a home office.

Let’s start with everything we love about this chair:

• Customization. Steelcase lets you choose from 12 different upholstery colors, including coconut, blue jay, and concord. Additionally, you can choose a black or platinum frame and base.
• Spinal support. When you recline, your upper spine actually moves backward, while your lower spin moves forward. The adjustment on this chair allows you to compensate perfectly for that reclined position.
• Posture. This chair does a great job at keeping you level with your desk and working in an optimal position.

For those concerned about the environment, you’ll be glad to know that this chair is made using 94% recyclable material and it’s designed for an incredibly long lifespan. It’s not uncommon to see a Steelcase chair still in use 15 to 20 years after it was purchased.

While a majority of owners love this chair some have complained that it doesn’t come with a headrest option. If that’s a dealbreaker for you, you’ll want to keep looking.

Check out my guide on the Best Office Chairs for Heavy People

La-Z-Boy Delano – Best Leather Office Chair for Hip Pain

Read our full La-Z-Boy Office Chairs Review and Buying Guide

If you’re in the market for an executive-style leather office chair, the La-Z-Boy Delano is our pick.

While it is extra plush, it does offer decent support that can help with lower back and hip pain.

When you see this chair for the first time, your initial impression is going to be, “Wow, this chair is really big.” And you’d be right. It’s a large chair weighing in at 55 pounds, but one that features a weight capacity of 350 pounds, which is more than most chairs on this list.

You can’t adjust the wooden armrests, but the height, recline and tilt settings are all fully adjustable.

As a mass-produced chair, this chair is quite affordable, but there’s a chance you could receive one with cheap parts or misaligned screw holes, as some customers have experienced. That being said, La-Z-Boy is very quick to help with returns and send new parts over.

Still, if you’re on a budget and want an executive style chair, you should go with the Delano. There is some assembly required, but it should only take you 15 to 20 minutes.

If you’re looking to test one, go to a La-Z-Boy store. Costco also occasionally carries these chairs.

Choosing the Best Office Chair for Hip Pain – Buyer’s Guide

So, what should you be looking for when shopping for an office chair to help with your hip pain? There are a number of factors to keep in mind.

Use this guide to make the best-informed purchase.

Build Quality

If you’re going to spend hundreds of dollars on an office chair, you want it to last for several years. That’s why the build quality of your chair is so important.

We like to recommend office chairs with steel bases as opposed to plastic. You can certainly purchase a chair with a plastic base, but we feel like steel lasts longer.

Many prospective office chair purchasers question mesh versus leather for the seat and back of the chair. Either should hold up nicely, but mesh will allow your back to breathe a little better.

Ergonomics

If you want to alleviate your hip pain, you need a chair that’s ergonomic.

That means a solid lumbar support to support your lower back, which can help with hip pain.

Additionally, the seat cushion needs to also include ergonomic features. That means something that’s relatively firm, but also deep enough to support your thighs.

And, assuming you use a computer and keyboard at your chair, you want your armrests that can adjust up and down so you can keep your arms and wrists at an optimal position.

Back Support

Because everything in our body is connected, your hip pain could potentially be caused by a tight lower back. If that’s the case, you need two things: An exercise and stretching regime to alleviate that pain and an office chair with adequate back support.

It’s on you to figure out the exercise part, but we can help with the office chair part.

Most office chairs feature two main features for back support: A panel that shifts up and down to support different areas of your back and a lumbar support that pushes in and out to apply pressure to specific areas of your back.

You’ll want to make sure your office chair offers both of these if you have back issues. 

Adjustability

No office chair is one size fits all, so it’s important you have plenty of options for adjustments on the chair you decide to purchase.

Most office chairs let you adjust the height and then the ergonomic features, like lumbar support.

Better chairs, though, also allow you to raise the arms up and down, and swivel them left and tight, which is helpful in preventing carpal tunnel.

For hip pain, though, you need a chair that can recline so you can stretch your back which, in return, also relieves any strain on your hips.

Seat Comfort

Even if your office chair is ergonomic and helps with your hip pain, if it doesn’t feel comfortable, it’s not going to be a good chair for you.

Look for chairs with seats that have some kind of memory foam component. This provides enough cushion for comfort, but also enough firmness to aid you in sitting up straight.

The depth of the seat is also important. For optimal comfort, you want an office chair that allows your thighs to be parallel with the floor.

Weight Capacity

The good news is that a large majority of people in the market for an office chair to help with their hip pain won’t have any issues when it comes to the weight capacity of a chair.

Most chairs feature a capacity of 250-275 pounds, with some of the higher quality chairs increasing that capacity to the 300-pound mark.

If you’re on the heavier side, know that weight capacity doesn’t mean a chair can’t support you, it just means that the chair will likely wear out quicker.

If you’re considered “big and tall” and are over 400lbs, we recommend looking into speciality chairs that can accommodate your size.

Price

If money was no object, we’d all buy a Herman Miller or Steelcase chair, no questions asked. But not everyone has thousands of dollars to spend on their office chair.

Luckily, there are plenty of great options at all price points.

Our recommendation is to determine your budget and stick to it. It’s not worth going into debt for something you sit on for work.

If your budget is on the edge of $300 and $500, save up a little more and go for the pricier option, as it will most likely be better quality and potentially be more aesthetically pleasing.

In terms of the ergonomics, a more expensive chair is going to give you more adjustment opportunities. But a $300 chair can offer similar support for your hips that a $1,000 chair can provide.

The cheapest of chairs, unfortunately, can be hit or miss at times. It mostly comes down to quality control issues, as these chairs are mass produced in factories overseas. So, you may get lucky and score a winner. But most of the bad reviews you read on the cheaper chairs are due to quality control — things like screw holes not lining up properly.

Recap of the Best Office Chairs for Hip Pain

Best Office Chairs for Hip Pain	Award
Steelcase Gesture	Best Overall
Ticova Ergonomic Office Chair	Budget Pick
Duramont Office Chair	Best Under $300
NeueChair by Secretlab	Best Value
Secretlab Titan	Best for Gaming
Herman Miller Aeron	Best Mesh
Herman Miller Embody	Best for Back Pain
Steelcase Leap Plus	Best for Heavy People
La-Z-Boy Delano	Best Leather Office Chair

Conclusion

As you can see, you have plenty of options when it comes to purchasing an office chair to help with your hip pain.

While there aren’t too many brick-and-mortar stores around today to test out office chairs, if you can find out, definitely make the most of the opportunity. Know that you can likely get the best deals online, though.

Best of luck in finding an office chair that can help make your hip pain feel like a thing of the past.