How Much Does an Average Office Chair Cost? 

Office chairs are an integral part of an office or living space. Whether you’re working remotely or in an office, office chairs are a staple furniture piece that keeps you comfortable and pain-free. 

You probably already know the importance of office chairs, but how much do they cost?  By understanding the quality of chairs you get at specific price ranges, you’ll know what to expect from a chair based on the price. We’ll cover the factors that affect the price and what you should expect based on the chair type and price. Let’s get started! 

What’s the Average Office Chair Cost?

On average, most office chairs cost between $100 to $400. Premium chairs can cost as high as $2000 or more, while affordable chairs can cost under $100. While it may sound absurd that an office chair would even cost over $1,000, office chairs are an invaluable staple in your life. Most people spend six to eight hours in their chairs. A quality office chair can easily last 10 to 20 years if properly taken care of, while a cheap chair can only last one or two years. The good news is that there are office chairs that suit anyone’s budget. On average, most people fall on the lower end of the price spectrum and pay about $250 for an office chair.

Factors that Determine the Cost of an Office Chair

There’s a lot that goes into the cost of an office chair. Factors like brand, where it’s made, the build quality, design, features, and warranty all play a huge role in the pricing of the chair. As a consumer, it’s best to recognize what qualities you need in your office chair and see if that fits within your budget. For example, let’s say you really need an ergonomic back chair to help support back pain. You’ll probably want a mid to high-priced chair to receive the features you’re looking for. 

Brand

Just like any other purchase, a chair brand is a significant factor in determining cost. A premium brand will obviously charge more for their chairs compared to a knock-off brand. Well-known and established brands are going to offer better customer service, longer warranties, refined testing processes, and improved build quality.

Luxurious brands will often justify their price by offering unique designs and better build quality. For example, ever noticed how Herman Miller chairs look entirely different than the standard office chairs? Their proprietary designs and functions give them a competitive advantage and allow them to charge higher. 

Also, by charging higher prices for their chairs, they attract a segment of the population who can afford their chairs. That’s why brands like Steelcase also appeal to businesses that have office space because they are people who can afford their products. 

Conversely, unknown brands typically compete in the marketplace by targeting price shoppers. They can undercut their competitors in price and offer attractive prices to prospective buyers. The downside is that buyers are sacrificing quality, service, and durability for the product. 

Where it is Manufactured

The location of manufacturing can be an important factor in the overall price of the office chair. Chairs that are manufactured in other countries like China, India, or Mexico may use lower quality materials and thus, charge a lower price. They often like to compete in the market based on price and therefore may cut corners by sacrificing quality. 

In contrast, brands in the United States or Europe tend to utilize better quality control. That means they’ll invest in resources to ensure the quality meets their brand standards. For example, all products are sent to third-party organizations like ANSI and BFMI for additional testing and quality control. 

While there are certainly exceptions to the rule, generally speaking, chairs made from outside countries like China or Mexico tend to have lower-quality standards, which means the price of the chair is much lower as well. 

Materials and Build Quality

The price of an office chair is usually directly tied to its build quality. Higher-quality chairs use more expensive components that last longer; thus, manufacturers charge more. Cheap chairs use more plastic or low-quality components so that they’re able to charge lower. Parts like the mechanism, frame, base, and wheels are important aspects of the chair to look at. 

Cheap cylinders will have a short height adjustment range and only be able to hold 150 to 200 pounds. Comparatively, premium cylinders are capable of adjusting five inches or more and sometimes hold over 500 pounds. While these cylinders can cost three to five times more than the low-quality ones, they give users better durability and functionality to the chair. Similarly, this holds true for other components as well. Chairs with a steel or aluminum frame will be stronger and last much longer than plastic or nylon frames.

Another aspect of build quality is the upholstery used. The most common types of upholstery are leather, mesh, and fabric. Each of these upholstery options will vary in quality. For instance, bonded or faux leather are prone to cracking, peeling, or changing colors quickly. Conversely, higher grades of leather, such as full-grain leather, are built from the toughest part of the animal skin. It has a grainy feel yet has a more breathable surface due to the pores. Bonded leather isn’t breathable at all and will retain more heat due to the polyurethane that is coated for the leather to produce a leather appearance. 

Mesh will also vary significantly in quality. While both materials are breathable, a knitted mesh is coarse and feels rough on the skin. In addition, they’re very rigid and won’t provide much protection against the chair frame. In comparison, a high-quality mesh is softer, more flexible, and alleviates the pressure on your body. 

Design

High-end chairs will offer plenty of customization options and have more unique designs compared to cheap chairs. For example, Herman Miller and Steelcase let you adjust the features of the chairs, such as the adjustability of the armrest, the headrest, colors, wheels, and more. 

Additionally, high-end chairs don’t always look like your typical task, executive, or office chair. Look no further than chairs such as the Herman Miller Sayl, Embody, or Aeron. They were designed by world-class designers and refined by many ergonomic experts and Ph.D. health professionals. Their sole focus is to design a chair that feels comfortable to the user. 

For instance, a waterfall seat edge is a design that reduces the pressure behind the knees to prevent numbness and aches in your lower body. Some chairs are designed with wide dimensions to give users more room to work with. While it may not be the main factor that contributes to price, the design can give you insight as to why a chair is priced higher than others. 

Features

One of the primary factors that determine the cost of an office chair is its features. The better the features, typically, the higher the price tag. That’s why cheap chairs tend to have little to no adjustments in them. High-end chairs have a lot of adjustable options such as a recline function, tilt-tension, synchro-tilt, seat height, seat depth, armrest, headrest, lumbar support, and many others. 

Everyone is unique in their body type and sitting preferences. Adjustments let users customize the chair to fit their needs. For example, tall and short people should find chairs with lots of adjustments to ensure they can maintain a good posture while sitting. 

High-end chairs will offer dynamic features that can adapt to the user’s needs. For example, the Steelcase office chairs offer a Liveback technology, where the flexors in the chair back and seat will optimize its support based on the body’s movement. This supports changing postures and unique body types to provide a better experience. 

Another example is the Herman Miller Aeron which offers a unique PostureFit SL function that supports both the lumbar and base of your spine. Or the Embody, which provides a BackFit adjustment that helps to align the backrest to your entire spine. 

Low-quality chairs tend to lack unique features. It’s important to view chairs in different price ranges so you get a good idea of the various features available. 

Warranty

Warranties offer peace of mind to customers because it guarantees customers that they’ll have a fully functional chair. A warranty is a company’s way of showing their confidence in their office chair by giving a customer a certain time frame that they can repair or replace the product if it is deemed defective. However, some brands offer very generous warranties with longer time periods and more favorable terms, while other brands offer warranties that aren’t very customer-friendly. 

Cheaper office chairs tend to offer limited lifetime warranties that only extend to certain parts of the chair. For example, they might only guarantee a limited lifetime warranty for parts like casters, cylinders, and arms while not covering other important aspects like the foam and fabric of the chair. Higher quality brands will offer longer warranties that extend to all parts of the office chair. 

Low-priced chairs tend to have warranties within a short time frame. For example, chairs that are $300 or less tend to provide only one to three years of warranty. Mid-priced chairs about $500 or less may provide about five years of warranty. And high-end chairs that cost over $1,000 have warranties that last between 10 to 15 years. 

Additionally, some brands won’t cover the cost of labor or shipping, meaning repairs may cost you money, or you have to pay for the entire cost of shipping. It’s important to note that all brands won’t tolerate any non-intended use of the chair, such as exceeding weight capacity or modifying the chair. 

Warranties aren’t profitable for manufacturers. So if a brand doesn’t have a strong warranty, it’s likely that they aren’t confident about their product and know that the parts can deteriorate quickly. Warranties can justify the price of the product, so it’s something to look for when making your decision. 

What to Expect From an Office Chair Based on Price

Most consumers already have a budget in mind when shopping for office chairs. It’s important to understand the differences in build quality, features, durability, and other aspects that may affect your decision. Obviously, the more expensive chairs will have more premium features, but how much better are they? And is it worth the extra cost? Here are differences in office chairs based on price: 

Office Chairs Over $1,000 

If you’re looking for the highest quality chairs to maximize your comfort, then office chairs over $1,000 should be the chairs you’re looking at. Some of the best chairs in this range include the Herman Miller Aeron, Herman Miller Embody, Steelcase Leap, and Steelcase Gesture. Many of these chair manufacturers are based in the United States as well.

One of the biggest selling points of these chairs is their phenomenal build quality. With these chairs offering 12-year warranties, they are promising these chairs are still highly functional even after 12 years of use. Many of these chairs use high-quality base materials like steel or aluminum, along with even reinforced parts. 

Additionally, the fabric is much more flexible and adaptable. For example, the Aeron uses a soft mesh and flexes in response to your body’s movement. In comparison, cheaper chairs use a coarse knitted mesh material that feels rough on the skin, isn’t flexible, and offers a very little cushion against the chair’s frame. 

Another unique aspect of these chairs is their innovative and advanced ergonomic design. Steelcase Leap uses its unique back flexors that flex and contract based on your body’s shape and movement. This helps to relieve tension and pressure, which virtually eliminates the pressure buildup that causes pain. Many chairs in this price range offer unique features like the Steelcase Gesture, which offers a 360-degree armrest adjustment. 

Office Chairs Under $500

Office chairs under $500 are in the perfect price range to receive the essential features of premium chairs without paying for the extremely high cost. Some of the best chairs under $500 include the Herman Miller Sayl, Steelcase Amia, and Nouhaus Ergo 3D. 

These chairs have some advanced designs that can conform to your body. For example, the waterfall seat edge and the dynamic lumbar support from the Nouhaus Ergo 3D are great examples. They personalize the support based on your weight and pressure placed against the specific area. 

In this price range, you’ll find these chairs have a wide range of adjustments, such as a 3D or 4D armrest, a tilt function, seat height, seat depth, and lumbar adjustments. Seat depth is one of the most overlooked adjustments as it prevents the seat edge from pressing against the back of your knees. 

As far as warranty goes, you can expect these chairs to have a warranty of about five years. They also come in larger boxes with many of the mechanisms already pre-assembled. Often, these chairs only take about 15 minutes to put together. 

Office Chairs Under $300

Quality office chairs within the $300 range are a great price range for college students or entry-level workers. They are affordable yet still provide enough basic adjustability and comfort for most people. Some of the best ergonomic office chairs within this price range are the Sihoo and Duramont office chairs. These chairs have a firm-padded cushion along with an adjustable lumbar support and mesh backrest. 

While these chairs are still manufactured in China, they do offer a longer warranty, usually about two to three years. Some chairs in this price range even offer a weight capacity of 250 to 330 pounds, which is useful for heavy people. 

Where these chairs may fall short of more expensive chairs is their advanced ergonomic design, warranty length, and packaging. Expensive chairs will have more adaptive features to promote a good posture, while chairs in this range may only include lumbar support. Additionally, chairs in the higher price range have warranties that run for 5 to 12 years. As for packaging, chairs under $300 usually don’t come with much padding and require a much longer assembly time. 

Office Chairs Under $100

Office chairs that cost under $100 usually are constructed with low-quality materials, with little to no adjustability, and aren’t very durable. You’ll notice that most of these office chairs don’t have any adjustments, except perhaps a height adjustment. In addition, they use low-quality fabrics or cushions that tend to fall apart with excessive pressure. 

Not to mention, these chairs typically will only have a year of warranty or less. The warranty tells you a lot about how confident a manufacturer feels about their product. If they can only ensure one year on the parts and fabric, that means the parts are likely to deteriorate quickly. 

While the chair may only cost under $100, you’re paying for it in other ways. For example, you may only get one year of good use out of the chair before it begins to break down. It’ll likely cost you in comfort as well. These chairs are often uncomfortable to sit on with little cushion.

The leather chairs in this price range will use low-quality faux leather or bonded leather that is prone to peeling or cracking fairly quickly. A mesh chair might feel rigid, and users often report feeling the frame of the chair while sitting. This means it can lead to pressure buildup causing pain throughout your body. 

It’s rare that’ll you find much ergonomic functionality in these chairs. There won’t be any lumbar support or headrest, so you’ll need to purchase them separately; otherwise, it can lead to low back and neck pain. Another ingredient missing from the chair is adjustable armrests. They help to ensure that your arms are parallel and keep your wrists and arms in a comfortable position to prevent hand strains. 

Average Office Chair Cost By Type

Office chairs will also vary in price based on the chair type. For example, ergonomic office chairs have more innovative features and tend to cost more than executive office chairs. Here is a cost breakdown based on the chair type. 

How Much Does an Ergonomic Chair Cost?

Ergonomic chairs tend to vary in cost between $200 to over $2000. These chairs are any office chair designed to support good posture to prevent common ailments like back pain, neck pain, and others. However, since ergonomic chairs are known for having a lot of adjustments, it’s likely they’ll be $300 and above. Many of these chairs have posture-correcting features like adjustable lumbar support, adjustable headrest, synchro-tilt to keep posture aligned even during recline, and more. 

How Much Does an Executive Office Chair Cost?

While executive office chairs can run the gamut in price, they generally range between $200 and $700. A great example is the Serta executive office chair which costs about $300. Executive office chairs are typically designed with lots of padding and cushions along with leather upholstery. 

While they are the most comfortable chairs to sit on, they lack adjustments. Most executive office chairs will only have a seat height adjustment and tilt function. However, the thick and dense padding means that executive office chairs provide pressure relief throughout your body. They tend to feature dense cold-cured foam padding or memory foam padding.

How Much Does a Fabric Office Chair Cost?

Like most other chairs, fabric office chairs can cost between $100 to over $2,000 as well. On the high end, chairs like the Steelcase Gesture and Herman Miller Embody use multiple lightweight fabrics to maximize breathability and comfort. On the other hand, inexpensive fabric office chairs utilize low-quality fabrics like polyester that are less breathable and prone to tearing. Since fabric materials can hold sweat and absorb smells, it’s vital to find a quality fabric that can repel moisture. Not to mention, low-quality fabrics are more prone to staining and fading over time. 

How Much Does a Task Chair Cost?

Task chairs range from $100 to $800. However, you’ll find that most task chairs fall in the low-to-medium price range of $200 to $500. Task chairs typically comprise a mesh fabric with lots of adjustments such as tilt function, seat height, armrest, and more. Think of chairs like the Staples Hyken and Duramon chair that fall into the category of a task chair. 

The downside of task chairs is that they won’t come in leather as executive chairs do. So if you’re looking for the coziest and most comfortable experience, they might not be for you. However, they are quite ergonomic in design, which helps to support good posture and prevent back pain. 

How Much Should You Spend on an Office Chair?

When it comes to calculating your office chair, there isn’t one price that fits all. However, based on your needs and budget, you can easily determine how much you should spend on an office chair. First, determine what’s most important to you. Do you value durability, comfort, and customization? If so, you may want to look at chairs between $1,000 and above since they will provide what you’re looking for. 

Chairs in the $500 to $700 range are best suited for people who want some of the features that high-end chairs provide but don’t feel the need to have all of them. For example, while the Herman Miller Sayl doesn’t offer the innovative back support that the Aeron, Embody, or Steelcase chairs provide, the back is incredibly flexible and comfortable. Not to mention, the chair is still backed with a 12-year warranty. 

Or maybe you’re someone on a tight budget but still, want enough adjustments to feel comfortable. In that case, go for a chair within the price range of $100 to $300. Chairs like the Staples Hyken, Duramont, and Sihoo office chairs are perfect choices. 

If your budget is really tight, you can always find chairs under $100. However, you’ll be sacrificing quality. Before making a purchase, it’s important to project how many years you’ll likely have the chair. Start by looking at the warranty length. A $1,000 chair with a 12-year warranty means you’ll be paying less than $100 per year to have a very high-quality chair. Compare that to a $300 chair with a 2-year warranty where you pay about $150 per year for it, and the quality will be noticeably worse. 

Conclusion

Finding the perfect office chair for your home or workspace can be a difficult process. There’s a lot to consider, including the cost of the chair along with its features. Fortunately, there are chairs in just about any price range. If you’re set on a budget, then you can simply narrow down your options based on what you’re looking for. 

However, if you’re flexible on price, it’s best to take your time and research the features, warranty policies, build quality, and chairs available in different price ranges, so you can see what the chairs best suited for you are. Now, you’re ready to start digging in and finding specific office chairs to fit your lifestyle.