Mesh vs. Fabric Chair: Which Is Best for You?

You’re looking for a comfortable office chair that you can put some long hours into, which is why you’re thinking of buying a fabric upholstered chair. Then again, you’d prefer your chair to be breathable, so maybe mesh is better. You’re having a hard time deciding! Of the two materials, mesh and fabric, which is best?

Mesh chairs offer superior breathability, and they’re often more comfortable than they seem. Upholstered fabric chairs are even comfier and add an air of professionalism to your workspace. Choosing the right chair for you will be a matter of budget and personal preference. 

I’m here to make your decision easier. In this Mesh vs Fabric chair guide, we’ll break down the advantages and disadvantages to both mesh and fabric office chairs. I’ll also put the two chair materials head to head in areas like maintenance, cost, and durability. By the time you’re done reading, you’ll be able to shop for your next office chair with confidence.

Mesh Chairs Overview

There’s a reason that many office chairs include mesh panels if the seating isn’t made from mesh outright. That reason? Breathability. 

As I talked about when comparing mesh and leather office chairs, mesh chairs are woven, knitted, or laced. The fabric features intentional openings throughout that allow air to pass through. 

Not only can air enter and exit the openings throughout the mesh fabric but so too can sweat exit. 

If you have a high-pressure deadline coming up, you can work up a sweat sitting in your cubicle. Gamers who are trying to beat the big boss can get a little sweaty as well. Those who live in warmer climates also have to deal with sweating even in the autumn and winter when most people are bundling up and freezing. 

If you’ve ever used a less breathable office chair in any of the above scenarios, then you know how stifling it can feel. The sweat has nowhere to go nor do you get any airflow passing through the chair. Within weeks of regular use, the chair smells. By making the switch to a mesh chair, you’ll notice a big difference. 

One of the most beloved mesh office chairs is the Staples Hyken technical mesh task chair. For under $209, the Hyken proves that modern, appealing mesh office chairs don’t have to cost an arm and a leg. 

From the headrest to the seatback and the curved seat itself, mesh covers the Hyken. Working long hours will be no sweat in a chair like this, quite literally!

I of course have to mention what’s arguably the best-known office chair period let alone the best-known mesh chair. I’m talking about the Herman Miller Aeron, an award-winning office chair outfitted in the brand’s 8Z Pellicle mesh.

Pellicle fabric is a premium mesh that shows what mesh office chairs can really do. The tautness of the mesh is customizable. Across the seatback, the mesh moves and flexes with your upper back to support you during your workdays. Near the edges, the mesh is even tighter. 

The cost of the Aeron compared to the Staples Hyken is more than $1,000 higher, but not all mesh office chairs have to be that expensive. 

Check out our guide on the Best Mesh Gaming Chairs

Fabric Chairs Overview

Next, let’s discuss upholstered fabric office chairs. Upholstered fabric is any type of textile used for furniture such as couches, sofas, loungers, and office chairs. 

Since the definition of upholstered fabric is so vague, the fabric that covers your office chair can vary depending on which brand you choose. It’s not even necessarily that investing a lot of money into your office chair will guarantee high-quality fabric, either.

Take, for example, the Steelcase Leap V2. In that review, one of my biggest complaints was the polyester fabric used throughout, which Steelcase calls Buzz 2. I can understand why Steelcase chose polyester. As far as fabrics go, it’s breathable, but it’s also cheap. 

Yet the cost of the Leap V2 isn’t. This chair retails for close to $900, rivaling any Herman Miller office chair on the market. 

Speaking of Herman Miller, the brand doesn’t only produce mesh office chairs, but upholstered fabric chairs as well. The Embody is available in one of two Herman Miller fabrics called Sync or Grotto. It costs around $1,600 like most Herman Miller chairs.

According to the Herman Miller website, most of their upholstered fabric is 100 percent recycled. That includes the Terra material, which is biodegradable polyester. The textiles known as Crepe, Mellow, and Scatter are all produced from ocean-bound plastic.

Fabric chairs are quite comfortable if the material is plush enough. From the headrest to the seat, you’re surrounded by softness. Although fabric doesn’t do anything for ergonomic support in your office chair like mesh can, it still feels great. That alone can be good for a sore back or neck.

However, fabric isn’t very breathable. Polyester might breathe to an extent, but not anywhere on the same level as mesh. Sweat can get trapped within the fibers of your upholstered chair, causing odors and even staining. 

Yet if you live and/or work in a cold part of the world, sometimes mesh is a little too open. You’ll appreciate the almost insular qualities of a fabric chair.  

You’ll also like fabric chairs if you’re a color lover. From Herman Miller to Steelcase and many other brands in between, you can select from a rainbow of colors for your fabric office chair. That will brighten up even a drab cubicle. 

Check out our guide on the Best Fabric Upholstered Office Chairs

Mesh vs. Fabric Chairs: What’s the Difference?

With those introductions out of the way, let’s take a deeper dive into what separates mesh and upholstered fabric office chairs. This section will be a big help in your decision on which chair to buy. 

Comfort

Determining which is more comfortable between mesh and fabric is not easy. The first inclination is to give this category to fabric upholstered chairs. Being enveloped in the soft, plush fabric feels great from your head to your lower back. 

Yet sitting in a sweaty, stinky chair does nothing for your comfort, and that’s a risk you run by choosing a fabric chair. It’s also worth mentioning that the fabric of your upholstered chair does nothing to increase the ergonomic support available in your chair.

That’s not the case with mesh. Not every mesh chair is necessarily super ergonomic, but the Herman Miller Aeron especially features great ergonomics in part thanks to the 8Z Pellicle mesh fabric. 

The breathability of mesh also aides your comfort except for when in a cold environment. Then the mesh would be a detriment, as all that airflow will leave you shivering. 

As for how comfortable it is to sit in a mesh chair, that very much depends on which chair we’re talking about. Cheap mesh chairs are prone to fraying. The mesh may have plastic in it or other rough materials that don’t feel great to sit on for long periods. If you’re wearing shorts or a sleeveless shirt especially, the mesh and bare skin contact can be rough.

If your mesh is cheaper, then it might be too tight across the seatback or too saggy, neither of which feels great. Also, the narrow frame that’s included with some mesh office chairs can be problematic for larger users. 

Durability

Neither mesh nor fabric is impervious to damage from long-term use. This wear and tear usually include fraying. 

Frayed mesh is not something you can fix once it happens. Since the mesh is already weak in that area, continuing to use the chair will only cause the frayed area to grow in size until you’re forced into buying a new chair. 

If you’re handy with a needle and thread, then you can repair torn upholstery. Then again, it depends on how bad the tear is. If it’s a small tear, then sure, sew it up, but make sure you use high-quality thread that won’t come out easily.

For tears that are so large that the foam of the seat is visible, then you’re better off buying a new office chair, as yours is pretty severely damaged. 

Maintenance

A clean chair is a happy chair, and it looks good even if it’s several years old. Unfortunately, both mesh and upholstered fabric can stain, and cleaning neither material is easy. 

The problem with mesh is how it eats up paper towels. All those openings that make mesh so breathable will also catch your paper towels and leave you with tiny pieces to remove from the mesh. That only complicates your cleaning efforts.

Yes, you can use a microfiber cloth for cleaning mesh, but you still need to get between all those little openings, which is quite time-consuming. You can vacuum dirt and crumbs as well, but only if they’re not ground in.

You can clean a fabric chair with a vacuum the same way. To remove stains and ground-in messes, you’ll need a cleaning product like vinegar, rubbing alcohol, or dish detergent. If none of those products do the job, then you’ll have to invest in an upholstery cleaner. 

After sudsing up your cleaning product of choice, you’d have to then rinse away any residue of the cleaner from the fabric. Finally, you’d have to let it air-dry so it doesn’t get moldy or mildewy. 

If you’ve ever cleaned a fabric couch before, then it won’t be too difficult to remove stains from an upholstered office chair. That doesn’t make cleaning your chair convenient, though.  

Aesthetics

Both mesh and fabric office chairs are appealing in their own way. 

Mesh chairs have a no-frills style that’s modern yet timeless. They look upscale in a home, a cubicle, or in an office. Fabric chairs prove to everyone that you care about your comfort. These chairs are soft and often colorful, especially compared to mesh. 

Whether the look of a mesh or fabric chair speaks to you more is a matter of personal preference. 

Price

Which of these two office chair materials is the more expensive? That’s the thing, they’re really about the same. 

This depends very much on the chair brand you buy, of course. For instance, the mesh Staples Hyken chair is under $250, as I mentioned. Fabric office chairs can be just as inexpensive, such as the Secretlab Omega with SoftWeave fabric. This chair retails for under $500.  

You’re not necessarily saving more money with a mesh or fabric upholstered office chair, so that shouldn’t be a deciding factor for you. If you have a reasonable office chair budget ($500 or so), then you can buy a solid mesh or fabric chair. 

Mesh vs. Fabric Chairs: Pros and Cons

Are you still on the fence? This succinct pros and cons section will highlight what’s good and what’s bad about both mesh and fabric office chairs. 

Mesh Chair Pros

• Mesh is the king of breathability in the world of office chairs. 
• Since sweat can pass through, mesh chairs don’t get stinky or stained easily.
• Besides great breathability, mesh can also support your back for added ergonomics.

Mesh Chair Cons

• Mesh office chairs usually come in pretty utilitarian colors like black, white, or gray; this is boring to some people.
• If you live in a colder climate, the airiness of mesh office chairs can make you colder.
• Cheap mesh can fray and be uncomfortable to sit or lean on, especially with bare skin. 

Fabric Chair Pros

• Fabric has a premium look that mesh office chairs simply lack.
• You have far more color variety with upholstered fabric chairs than you do mesh. 
• Fabric office chairs make for quite a comfortable sitting experience. 

Fabric Chair Cons

• What upholstered fabric means varies by manufacturer, so you could get a cheap polyester fabric chair or one made of premium recycled materials.
• Fabric just does not breathe well enough to be usable in warm climes regularly.
• Unlike mesh, fabric doesn’t enhance the ergonomics of your office chair.

Tips for Choosing a Mesh Office Chair

Are you thinking that a mesh office chair might be the right pick for you? Here are some tips that will help you find the best mesh-backed chair. 

Set Your Budget

Since the price of mesh chairs can be anywhere from $200 to close to $2,000, you definitely don’t want to start shopping without a budget. I mentioned this in my article about mesh vs. leather chairs, but it’s worth saying it again now. Paying a bit more money for a mesh chair is worth it to ensure its quality. 

Decide How Much Mesh You Want

The great thing about mesh office chairs is that you can buy one that’s all mesh or has only mesh panels. For those who need the breathable relief of mesh, then shop for a chair that’s mesh from the headrest to the seat. If you live in a chilly part of the world, a chair with mesh panels will keep air moving but not leave you shivering and shaking in your chair. 

Try the Chair Out

No number of descriptions, images, and videos can tell you how comfortable or taut the mesh of your chair is. That’s something you can only experience firsthand by testing the chair out. This is a great chance to try all the chair adjustments as well.   

Tips for Choosing a Fabric Office Chair 

Perhaps your mind is nearly made up and you think you want an upholstered fabric office chair. Check out these tips as you start shopping. 

Research the Fabric

As I talked about earlier, the type of fabric your upholstered office chair uses can vary wildly. You also can’t use the price of the chair as an indicator. The only way to know what you’re getting is by researching the chair. 

Test the Chair

Like I suggested when buying a mesh office chair, if you’re looking for a fabric chair, you also have to test it out. Sit in the chair as you would yours back home. Is the material soft? Does the chair feel good or are you achy and uncomfortable already? 

You can also get a decent idea about how breathable the fabric chair might be when sitting in it. Take advantage of tinkering with the adjustments on your chair test drive too. 

Think Long-Term When Choosing the Fabric Color 

The afforded color variations in fabric office chairs are very appealing. You might want to go nuts and choose a crazy bright color, but think twice. You’re going to hopefully have your fabric office chair for at least the next couple of years, perhaps even the next decade.

Picking a color of the moment could leave you filled with regret years from now. I’d suggest selecting a color that won’t fall out of style in two years. 

Mesh vs. Fabric Chairs: Which Is the Best for You? 

Okay, it’s decision-making time. Is a mesh or upholstered fabric office chair the better choice for you? 

These two materials share a lot in common. Both materials can be inexpensive or quite pricy depending on the brand. Neither material cleans particularly easily and one isn’t too much more durable than another. 

Your choice will come down to a few factors then. The first is which material is more aesthetically pleasing to you. You also have to decide how much you care about breathability. If the answer is very, then your best pick is a mesh office chair. Yet if breathability isn’t high on your priority list, then you might select fabric instead.    

Conclusion 

Mesh and fabric upholstery are two top material choices for today’s office chairs. Although these materials couldn’t look more different, they’re alike in a lot of ways. The one factor that clearly separates them is breathability. Well, that and color selection.

I hope this article has helped you pick the material for your new office chair!