10 Best Reclining Office Chairs

For those looking for an ergonomic chair, you’ll want reclining office chairs. Sitting all day can cause many problems such as having back, neck, hip, and shoulder pain. Reclining has many benefits, such as taking the load off your spine and preventing built-up pressure in your back muscles. 

Not to mention, changing positions help to increase circulation throughout your body. Of course, reclining also lets you take a break from working and lets you relax. In this review guide, we’ll explore the ten best reclining office chairs in the market and tell you what things to look for when you’re evaluating reclining office chairs. Let’s begin! 

The Best Reclining Office Chairs

• Herman Miller Aeron – Best Overall
• NeueChair by Secretlab – Best Under $500
• Staples Hyken – Best Under $200 
• Duramont Ergonomic Office Chair – Best Under $300
• Steelcase Leap v2 – Most Comfortable
• Eurotech Ergohuman – Best High Back
• Steelcase Series 1 – Best for Short People
• Secretlab Titan Evo – Best Big and Tall
• RESPAWN RSP-110 – Best with Footrest
• La-Z-Boy Delano – Best Leather 

Herman Miller Aeron – Overall Best Reclining Office Chair

Check out our guide on the Best Herman Miller Office Chairs

When it comes to the best reclining office chairs, the Herman Miller Aeron tops our list. It’s built with innovative features that relieve pressure in your body and prevent pain while sitting. The Aeron offers three sizes to accommodate a wide range of body types. Its backrest reclines into an upright, mid recline, and deep recline position allowing users to pick the back angle that best suits their preferences. As a result, it helps to take the load off your spine and lets you relax during breaks.

What puts the Aeron above the rest is its 8Z pellicle mesh material. It’s an elastomeric weave that runs across the chair. The mesh has varying levels of tension where the suspension is designed to relieve common pressure points and evenly distribute your weight. Aeron’s 8Z pellicle mesh maximizes airflow, enhances circulation, and provides a soft and adaptive feel while sitting. 

This chair also has a premium lumbar and lower back support. The PostureFit SL features two individually adjustable pads to support your sacrum (the base of your spine) and the lumbar. Consequently, users will always have ample support to ensure a healthy posture. 

Pros:

• The Aeron offers three tilt angle options to allow users to lock into their desired position
• 8Z pellicle mesh eliminates restrictive pressure points and keeps you cool
• PostureFit SL has individually adjustable pads to support the spine and lower back
• Herman Miller offers a 12-year warranty 
• Available in three sizes to accommodate users of all body types 

Cons:

• Quite expensive compared to other office chairs 

NeueChair by Secretlab – Best Reclining Office Chair Under $500

As great as the Aeron is, the price range can scare away many people. Luckily, the NeurChair by Secretlab is a great alternative to the Aeron. It has a similar contemporary design as well. 

The NeueChair features a proprietary NeueMesh upholstery that combines elasticity with breathability. The flexible nature of the upholstery allows you to be supported even as you move around in your seat. This mesh material is made of a three-layer material constructed for long hours of usage, durability, and feel on the skin. In fact, the mesh has passed some of the most rigorous abrasion and strength tests to verify its durability. 

One unique aspect of NeueChair is the Control Shift adjustment. These are levers positioned under the armrest. This means you won’t have to bend over to adjust your seat awkwardly. Simply squeeze the right lever to adjust the seat height and squeeze the left lever to set your desired backrest angle. The flexible mesh evenly distributes your weight, so you feel balanced even as you recline.

The NeueChair features a unique focus mode setting where you tuck your seat pan backward, and the backrest slides forward. This puts in a tight upright position for optimal focus and productivity. 

Pros:

• NeueMesh is flexible and designed for long hours sitting and abrasion-resistant
• Unique mesh material maximizes airflow and keeps your cool
• Focus mode tucks backrest in and seat pan back to ensure optimal position for productivity
• Users can adjust tilt angle, tilt tension, and lock into any backrest angle. 
• NeueChair has a seat pan slider to accommodate people with different heights 

Cons:

• Lumbar support isn’t depth adjustable 

Check out our guide on the Best Office Chairs Under $500

Staples Hyken – Best Reclining Office Chair Under $200 

Office chairs don’t come cheap. However, some affordable options do have quality ergonomic features to promote good posture and keep you comfortable for a long time. The Staples Hyken is an affordable office chair that covers all of your basic needs, such as a reclining backrest, lumbar support, seat adjustment, and more. 

Hyken features a reclining backrest where users can tilt it from 90 to 140 degrees. In addition, it has four tilt lock positions so that users can set the back angle to their desired position. This reclining backrest lets you rest your body and take the load off your spine. Back and hip muscles that are over fatigue can lead to chronic pain and injuries. 

In addition, the Hyken has an ergonomic waterfall seat edge design. This is where the seat edge slopes down to prevent it from cutting off circulation under your thighs. Since the chair offers a high backrest and headrest, users get full-body support. 

Pros:

• Very affordable and functional office Chair 
• Mesh is breathable, allowing airflow to pass through your seat and backrest 
• The backrest reclines from 90 to 140 degrees and has four tilt lock positions
• Lumbar support is height adjustable 
• Waterfall seat edge design increases circulation in your legs 

Cons:

• The armrest is only height adjustable 

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

Duramont Ergonomic Office Chair – Best Reclining Office Chair Under $300

Typically, price is correlated with higher quality materials and better ergonomic features. The Duramont is a step-up from the Staples Hyken. 

It offers a high-density molded foam cushion instead of a mesh seat. This cushion helps to relieve tension under your thighs and tailbone. Thus, sitting for prolonged periods becomes much more comfortable. Also, the high-density foam will not experience deformity for a long time, and Duramont offers a five-year warranty on it.

The chair itself can recline from 90 degrees to 120 degrees. This helps you rest after a long work session. It has an adjustable headrest where you can change its angle. This keeps your neck supported even when reclining.

It features lumbar support that can be adjusted in, out, and up and down. The height adjustment ensures that the support fits into the curve of your spine, and the depth adjustment lets you adjust the firmness of the support. 

Pros:

• High density molded foam cushion distributes weight evenly and reduces pressure in the coccyx region
• The backrest reclines up to 120 degrees which help to unload some pressure off the spine
• The headrest can be adjusted by angle and height 
• Smooth wheels glide on hardwood floors and soft carpets
• Lumbar support is height and depth adjustable 

Cons:

• It doesn’t have a seat depth adjustment 

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

Steelcase Leap v2 – Most Comfortable Reclining Office Chair

Although comfort is relatively subjective, the Leap V2 has continuously been praised for its extreme comfort and ergonomics. That’s because the chair is a high-performance, fine-tuned chair with plenty of adjustments and features that adapt to your unique body type. 

For instance, the V2 is designed with their patented 3D LiveBack technology, where the chair will automatically flex and respond to the changing shape of the spine as you move in your seat. The V2 functionality was designed to allow for constant movement while sitting to prevent pressure build-up and increase circulation throughout your body. 

Unlike most chairs that use either leather or mesh upholstery, the Leap V2 uses a unique 3D knit fabric. It combines the benefits of both comfort and breathability. The under-layer of polyester cushioning is designed to enhance comfort, the middle layer matches the outer color of the chair and the top layer is made to allow airflow through the seat. 

In addition, what makes the V2 more comfortable is its wide range of adjustments. The chair has five recline positions that can be locked into place. Users can enjoy varying levels of recline to suit their needs. In addition, the chair also has fully adjustable arms, seat depth, seat height, lower back firmness control, tilt tension, and height-adjustable lumbar. 

Pros:

• LiveBack technology mimics the shape of your spine and micromovements to ensure your back is always supported 
• The seat cushion has built-in pockets to relieve pressure points 
• Lumbar support can be adjusted by height and firmness for optimal lower back support
• The Leap v2 has a five-stop top back force allowing you to adjust the precise tilt angle and lock it into position
• The armrest will adjust as you recline to keep your arms comfortable in any position

Cons:

• The design of the chair looks a little basic 

Check out our guide on the Best Fabric Office Chairs

Eurotech Ergohuman – Best High Back Reclining Office Chair

If you prefer a high-quality ergonomic chair that features many adjustments and full-body support, the Eurotech Ergohuman is an excellent choice. Adjustability helps to ensure the chair accommodates the users based on their body size and seating preferences. 

Their most unique adjustments are the synchro-tilt mechanism and seat depth. Synchro-tilt means that the backrest reclines at a 2 to 1 ratio to the seat angle. This allows you to stay relatively level to the floor. As a result, the synchro-tilt opens the angle of your torso for better spinal alignment and improved circulation. Using this feature promotes more body movement, which in turn distributes weight evenly. 

A seat depth adjustment helps to accommodate your unique torso and leg length. This enables you to maintain proper back support. 

The Ergohuman also has a unique high backrest design where it covers your entire back and headrest support. The back support is broken into three components, a lumbar, mid-back, and headrest support. This ensures your back remains upright and prevents slouching. 

Pros:

• Available in six color options
• The synchro-tilt mechanism keeps your position and spine in alignment as you recline
• Back angle adjustment offers three locked positions 
• High backrest along with adjustable headrest provides complete support to your shoulders and neck 
• Full mesh upholstery allows airflow and keeps users from sweating 

Cons:

• Weight capacity is only 250 lbs meaning it’s not ideal for heavy users 

Steelcase Series 1 – Best Reclining Office Chair for Short People

Short people need a chair that meets their body type. Dangling your feet from the chair or feeling engulfed in a chair can make it uncomfortable to sit on. The Steel Series 1 has smaller specifications and a slim profile that is ideal for short people. Specifications for this chair, like seat height, seat height range, seat width, and depth, are a few inches shorter than other Steelcase chairs. 

What makes the Series 1 unique is that it allows everyday people to have access to the innovative features that Steelcase offers for an affordable price. The backrest incorporates the LiveBack technology, which flexes and bends based on the movements and shape of your body. Even as you move or change positions, the backrest ensures you’re always supported. 

The seat has proprietary built-in air pockets in the seat cushion that alleviate pressure and adapt to your moves as well. On the edge of the seat, it bends to eliminate the pressure cutting points in the back of your thighs. We’re also impressed by the myriad of adjustments like seat height, seat depth, back angle and tilt tension, and 4D adjustable arms. 

Pros:

• Smaller dimensions and slim profile of the chair is ideal for short people
• 4D adjustable armrests let you pivot in any direction to support your arms
• LiveBack technology features flexors that bend and adapt to the user’s spine movements throughout the day 
• Relatively inexpensive compared to other Steelcase chairs
• Available in many vibrant colors to match your office space 

Cons:

• Lumbar support is only height adjustable 

Check out our guide on the Best Office Chairs for Short People

Secretlab Titan Evo – Best Big and Tall Reclining Office Chair

Check out our full Secretlab Gaming Chairs Review

For people with larger frames, it can be uncomfortable to sit in regular-sized chairs. Larger individuals may feel restricted if the seat width and depth are too small. Also, the features may be positioned correctly. For instance, the legs may experience a cut-off in circulation if the seat depth is too shallow. Or the headrest might be positioned too low if a person is too tall. 

The Secretlab Titan offers three sizes: small, regular, and XL. The XL size is designed for users who weigh between 175 pounds to 395 pounds and between 5’11” and 6’9”. Evo can accommodate big and tall users because the specifications are much larger and are constructed with a reinforced ADC12 aluminum base and XL PU casters. 

Since the Evo is designed primarily for gamers, it has a deeper recline than most office chairs. The backrest can recline up to 165 degrees allowing users to take a nap and take the load off their spine. Its lumbar support can be adjusted up, down, in, and out. The support is designed to fill the gap between the chair and the curve of your spine. Based on your preferences, the lumbar support will protrude outwards as much as you like. 

Pros:

• Customers can choose between three upholstery options: NEO Hybrid Leatherette, SoftWeave Plus Fabric, and Napa Leather
• The backrest reclines up to 165 degrees which relieve spine and lower back pressure 
• The XL size supports up to 395 lbs, and the recommended height is between 5’11” to 6’9” 
• Adaptive lumbar support can be adjusted up, down, in, and out for optimal support 
• Magnetic memory foam headrest relieves pressure points in the neck and offers thermal regulation to keep you cool 

Cons:

• Only a five-year warranty compared to premium office chairs, which provide a 12-year warranty 

Check out our guide on the Best Big and Tall Office Chairs

RESPAWN RSP-110 – Best Reclining Office Chair with Footrest

Gaming chairs are quite versatile. They can be used for office work or playing video games. The RESPAWN 110 features a racing-style design similar to the interior of a race car with its two-toned colors. Its chunky and thick design suggests an exceptional level of comfort. 

However, its most prominent feature is the thick-padded extendable footrest. The footrest, along with the deep backrest angle, lets you lie back and take a nap. Having a footrest takes the pressure off your feet and legs to reduce built-up tension. This helps prevent numbness, aches, and fatigue from static muscles that stay in one position for a long time.

Also, the chair has a 4D armrest allowing users to adjust the support fully. This ensures your arms are in the right positions for optimal comfort and productivity. The armrests help relieve pressure from your neck and shoulder, having to keep your arms up. 

Pros:

• Very inexpensive chair 
• Available in many colors and offer a stylish racing car themed design
• The backrest can recline up to 155 degrees
• Includes a padded footrest that extends outward, allowing users to kick up their feet
• Armrests are 4D adjustable to support arms and relieve shoulders and neck

Cons:

• Some people don’t like a gaming style chair

La-Z-Boy Delano – Best Leather Reclining Office Chair

Check out our full roundup review of the Best La-Z-Boy Office Chairs

The La-Z-Boy Delano adds a modern, sleek and sophisticated look to your space. Furthermore, the bonded leather provides a very smooth and supple feel when sitting. Not to mention, it’s spill-resistant making the upholster easy to clean. 

Most leather seats use some form of foam cushioning to alleviate the pressure while sitting. But the Delano takes it to another level by using heaps of memory foam padding. Memory foam slowly compresses when pressure is applied and contours to your body for customized support. Also, memory foam has temperature-sensitive material allowing the chair to adjust to an optimal body temperature. 

Your blood flow tends to cut off when sitting for a long time, especially behind your thighs. The seat features an ergonomic waterfall seat edge. This extra cushion that slopes downwards helps to promote leg circulation and increase energy. Like most chairs, the Delano has a fully adjustable recline, tilt setting, and seat height. 

Pros:

• The Delano has plenty of memory foam cushioning that contours to your body for enhanced comfort
• Bonded leather upholstery provides a smooth texture and is easy to maintain
• Supports up to 350 lbs
• The chair has a fully adjustable height, recline and tilt lock settings
• Armrests are padded 

Cons:

• Armrests aren’t adjustable 

How to Choose the Best Reclining Office Chair- Complete Buyer’s Guide 

Since there are so many options to choose from, it can be quite overwhelming to choose the right one. There are many ergonomic features, style options, build quality, and upholstery materials. This buyer’s guide will help you narrow down the options so that you can find the perfect reclining offer chair that fits your needs. 

Recline and Tilt

Reclining office chairs offer plenty of benefits such as back, neck, and hips relief along with the ability to nap at work. When you tilt backward, you take the pressure off of your back and hip muscles, so that you can work with less pressure to maintain an upright posture. 

Many office chairs will offer varying degrees of back-angle capability. Some chairs like the Secretlab Titan Evo offers a deep recline, where users can tilt back up to 165 degrees. With the tilt-lock feature, users will be able to adjust and lock into different back angles. Thus, changing your sitting positions helps increase circulation, reduce fatigue or fogginess from static muscles and boost energy levels. 

Most office workers will sit for eight or more hours a day. It’s important to take a break every one to two hours of intense focus. Thus, reclining back lets you nap for 20 to 30 minutes and reduce the strains in your muscles from prolonged sitting.  

Materials and Build Quality

Office chairs typically use a handful of materials to construct their chair. The most common upholstery used is mesh, a type of fabric or leather. Each upholstery has its own advantages and disadvantages. 

The mesh upholstery provides the best airflow and ventilation to the chair to keep you cool and prevent perspiration. Low-quality mesh materials may feel rigid and stringent. Fabric also provides airflow, but less than mesh. However, they provide a soft and cozy feeling. Unfortunately, fabric materials can be difficult to clean if there are food spills or stains. Leather offers a soft, supple, and smooth texture, but they lack breathability. 

When it comes to durability, it’s important to look at a chair’s frame, base, wheel casters, and foam padding. The strongest materials for the base and frame are aluminum and steel. They provide high strength and typically will last at least ten years. Avoid materials such as nylon or plastic since they have less strength and low durability. Wheel casters can handle more weight if they are dual casters, meaning two wheels combined into one. 

Next, we recommend finding foam padding that has high-density or high resilience foam. High-density foam uses a blend of polyurethane and provides a strong foundation and shape to your seat cushion. They offer a solid firmness for the seat and helps to maintain the structural integrity of the shape. High resilience foam has higher responsiveness, thus giving you a bounciness while sitting. 

Ergonomics

An ergonomic office chair means that it’s designed to accommodate a range of people. It also ensures that users are supported and promotes a healthy posture during sitting. Thus, there are many adjustments and features we look for in ergonomic chairs. This includes adjustments like seat height, seat depth, adjustable lumbar, back angle, and armrest. Adjusting the seat height ensures that your feet are planted flat on the ground, knees above your hips, and your eyes are leveled with the computer screen. 

Seat depth ensures that the back of your knees isn’t pressed against the seat edge, which cuts off circulation in your legs. It also maintains proper back support no matter your height. Without the seat depth, you may have the circulation cut off on the knees, or you lean back uncomfortably to receive back support. 

The armrest should be adjustable so that your forearms and elbows are supported without needing to bend your wrists when using the keyboard. Also, it helps to relieve shoulder and neck strain. Some chairs have the synchro-tilt mechanism to ensure spinal alignment as you recline. It helps your posture maintain a 90-degree angle while you’re in a reclined position. 

Comfort (seat comfort, back comfort, arm comfort)

Everyone may have their own preferences when it comes to comfort. Some people want a thick padded seat, while others prefer breathability. Herman Miller provides a flexible elastomeric suspension mesh material that flexes and bends. Thus, it feels as if you’re sitting on a cloud. At the same time, you get plenty of ventilation. If you prefer soft padding, the La-Z-Boy Delano uses multiple layers of memory foam cushioning. The memory foam contours to your body shape for body-hugging support. 

We do recommend a seat that has some form of waterfall seat edge. This is when there is a continuation in seat support to where the seat edge slopes down. As a result, the seat will improve circulation and blood flow in your lower extremities.  

Office chairs should have adjustable lumbar support in their backrest. The lumbar should be height and depth adjustable. Adjusting the height of the lumbar support allows it to fit right into the curve of your spine. Thus, maintaining a good posture is relatively effortless. Adjusting the firmness or the amount that protrudes outward is the depth support. Some backrest has flexor technology that adapts and bends to your spine shape and movement. In most chairs, turning slightly would mean the chair can support you. However, if the backrest bends with you as you move, that means your back is always supported. 

The armrest should be adjustable in four directions. A supportive armrest helps to prevent carpal tunnel syndrome. This occurs when you’re hand position and wrists are in an uncomfortable position, thus adding unnecessary load to your wrists. Having a proper armrest also puts your arms in a comfortable position to type and use the keyboard efficiently. 

Weight Capacity

Weight capacity goes hand-in-hand with the build quality. Stronger materials mean that the chair can handle more weight. Most chairs with a high weight capacity use an aluminum or steel base. In addition, they’ll incorporate XL-sized casters, a larger chair frame, and sometimes higher-density foam padding. 

For example, the XL-sized Secretlab Titan Evo uses a reinforced ADC12 aluminum base. The chair is constructed with reinforced gussets and ribs for improved structural integrity. Also, having high-density foam padding maintains the shape of the padding without any deformities over time. The Secretlab Titan Evo XL can support up to 395 pounds. On average most office chairs can only support up to 250 pounds. 

Price

Depending on your budget, that will narrow down your choices. Luckily, we’ve provided many office chairs that vary in different price ranges. We recommend chairs that offer incredible value for their price points for budget-conscious consumers, such as the Staples Hyken and the Duramont office chair. These chairs offer basic adjustability, comfort and are breathable. 

Consider chairs such as the Secretlab Titan Evo, the La-Z-Boy Delano, NeueChair by Secretlab, and Eurotech Ergohuman if you want chairs in the mid-price range. These chairs offer more ergonomic features such as adjustable lumbar support or higher quality upholstery. 

On the premium end, we recommend the Herman Miller Aeron or the Steelcase Leap V2. These two chairs have revolutionary technology that adapts to your body shape and movement, thus ensuring you’re always supported. 

Recap of the Best Reclining Office Chairs

Reclining Office Chair	Best For
Herman Miller Aeron	Best Overall
NeueChair by Secretlab	Best Under $500
Staples Hyken	Best Under $200
Duramont Ergonomic Office Chair	Best Under $300
Steelcase Leap v2	Most Comfortable
Eurotech Ergohuman	Best High Back
Steelcase Series 1	Best for Short People
Secretlab Titan Evo	Best Big and Tall
RESPAWN RSP-110	Best with Footrest
La-Z-Boy Delano	Best Leather

Conclusion 

We’ve covered a lot in this article. It’s best to prioritize which features matter the most to you. Then you can narrow down the reclining office chairs. Our recommendations are a great place to start, as thousands of users already reviewed them. 

Investing in the right office chair can pay dividends long term. A high-quality reclining office chair keeps you comfortable for long work hours, lasts you for many years, and will save you some money on your insurance expenses. We hope you found our article insightful and has helped you in your quest to find a new reclining office chair.