Office Chairs | ChairCritics

You might not be aware of this fact, but the chairs we sit in have to do a lot with our body posture and our blood circulation. This, in turn, affects our health physically and mentally. And especially when it comes to working in an office, or from home, where people tend to spend most of there time earning their livelihood, it is very important to prioritize your health. Standard timings of a job are 9 to 5, but in practicality, we often tend to surpass these limits. This means we spend more time working and sitting on a chair. So, it is very important that you sit in the right chair. Office chairs come in varieties and it is very important that the company owners as well the employers are aware of the importance of having the right chair. This article brings to you the best office chair under 200 dollars, which not only addresses you with finding the right chair but also puts a focus on the budget-friendly element. Our sitting posture if not correct can be a reason for a lot of health problems, ranging from headaches and muscle pain to more severe nerve problems. Ergonomic office chairs are built in a way that addresses all of these health issues and provides mechanisms that not only give you comfort while sitting but also look after your blood circulation and avoids any strain over your body. Let’s have a look at the best office chairs under 200 and help you find what’s best for you. Best Office Chair Under $200 ImageNameRatingsCheck Price Big and Tall Office Chair [Editor's Choice]4.8/5Check Latest Price Office Factor Chair [Best Overall]4.7/5Check Latest Price Alera Neratoli Chair4.6/5Check Latest Price Serta AIR Executive Office Chair4.6/5Check Latest Price Hbada Ergonomic Office Desk Chair4.4/5Check Latest Price YAMASORO Office Chair4.5/5Check Latest Price SPACE Seating Office Chair4.2/5Check Latest Price Homall Gaming Chair4.4/5Check Latest Price Modway Mesh Office Chair4/5Check Latest Price Flash Furniture Desk Chair3.9/5Check Latest Price 1. Big and Tall Office Chair 500lbs Desk Chair This ergonomic office chair is made up of breathable faux leather which provides proper ventilation to prevent overheating of the back. Not only that, the plush cushiony chair molds into your body shape and gives the comfort you would seek. This ensures to keep you safe from any strain in the body. This chair has the capacity to support 500lbs and it allows manual adjusting of height, thus, making it flexible to fit all sizes. The chair comes with nylon casters that allow smooth mobility of the chair and the heavy metal base of the chair gives it the right amount of stability. The chair also has a 360 swivel feature which is very helpful in workplaces. It is very easy to set up this chair and it takes barely 10-15 minutes to get the chair ready. The tall structure of the chair makes it plausible for people with varying heights. The product has fixed armrest and a fixed back so its flexibility gets restricted in that matter. This has been done to ensure the safety of the person from falling off the chair. The sleek design of the chair makes it very office-friendly and adds class to your workplace, whether it be in an office set-up or at home. Pros Easy to set-up Compatible to all shapes and sizes Sleek design 360 swivel Inexpensive Cons Manual adjusting Fixed armrest No reclination Not eco friendly Heavyweight No headrest Check Price On Amazon 2. Office Factor Executive Ergonomic Office Chair This ergonomic chair comes with a thick cushioned seat with about a density of 55kgs that definitely provides extra comfort to your hips and thighs. This chair has the capacity to hold 250lbs and comes with a mesh back to support good ventilation. The meshed backrest provides good lumbar support to support your body curvature. This ensures that one can sit it for very long hours on this chair and still not feel tired. To make this chair attractive for users’ eyes, it comes with movable armrests and a reclining back which locks at four adjustable positions. Hence, your safety is assured. The flip-up armrests make it easier to get in and out of the chair even in compact spaces. To add a cherry to the cake, the armrests are padded to provide more comfort to your arms. This product also has a five-arm base which provides swift mobility on all surfaces. It comes with a handy gear of gas lift to help you adjust the chair according to your convenience. The task of adjusting got more effortless. With such great features of safety, flexibility, mobility, one can definitely consider buying this chair. Pros Flexible armrests Good lumbar support Reclining backrest Tilt and lock system for safety Sleek design Easily adjustable gear Inexpensive Light-weight Cons No swivel Assemblage issues Not eco friendly No headrest Check Price On Amazon 3. Alera Neratoli Mid-Back Swivel/Tilt Chair This classy looking white chair is a delight to many eyes. Its slim profile makes it more user-friendly as it can fit in compact spaces as well and still not give a suffocating or clumsy appearance. Since the chair is white in color, it is natural to think about stains on it. Knowing this, the manufacturers used a stain-resistant faux leather material for the chair to henceforth remove this worry. The seat has a waterfall edge that helps reduce pressure from the knees and back and serves the function of an ergonomic chair. Not only this but to make your time in the chair more soothing, padded armrests were provided as well. It has a pre-installed gas lift mechanism to help in adjusting the chair height and also a lock system for safety measures. Moreover, the chair has the 360 swivel feature to support efficient movement in your work setting. Adding on to the list, it comes with strong five-arm base casters with wheels to facilitate movement from one place to another without costing you any physical labor. Pros 360 swivel Stain-resistant material Waterfall edge seat Inexpensive A gas lift adjusting mechanism Tilt and lock system Cons Not environment friendly Heavyweight No headrest Check Price On Amazon 4. Serta AIR Health and Wellness Executive Office Chair This Serta Air health chair has a lot of promising features. To begin with, this chair comes with layered pillows for extra lumbar support and comfort. It has padded armrests to cater to the comfort of your arms while working. Not only this, but the lumbar support cushions tilt as per your movement so that the head and neck are at ease. This also helps in improving body posture. The seats are made of leather and have mesh around to keep the air circulation good through the seat and your body. Not to forget, the waterfall edge supports the legs and thighs, thus reducing pressure on them. Talking of more technical features, the chair has cable actuated levers for height and recline adjustments. This lever also acts as the lock and tilt gear, thereby making it multi-functional. The width of the seat is spacious to accommodate people of all sizes. The headrest is an attractive feature of the chair as it acts as an added luxury for a chair below 200 dollars. Not to forget that this chair cares for your safety as well. The chair is light-weight too and its five-arm base casters provide smooth traveling in your workspace. Another feather in the cap is the 360 swivel feature that facilitates navigation. This is a remarkable product at such a low price. Pros Headrest provided Layered pillows for extra lumbar support Good ventilation Multi-purpose gear/lever Lightweight Inexpensive Cons Not eco-friendly Limited warranty Check Price On Amazon 5. Hbada Ergonomic Office Desk Chair The Hbada Ergonomic office desk chair has been designed in a manner that if automatically adjusts to your body’s curvature and keep your spine in alignment. Its design is such that no extra efforts from your side are needed to adjust the chair to your likeliness; its adaptability allows the chair to relieve us from any possible lower back and thigh problem. The adjustments that you would need to do include the regular height and recline adjustments. The chair provides amazing lumbar support, not to forget to mention, the added headrest makes the experience much more enjoyable. Moving on to the material, it is made up of breathable mesh to supply adequate air regulation to keep your body temperatures cool and your blood regulation healthy. It also keeps you sweat-free and makes working for longer hours easy! The chair has a five-arm base caster and provides with the 360 swivel option as well. The steel base of the casters ensures stability and the strength of the chair. The wheels are made up of wear-resistant nylon to endure long term durability. The armrests of the chair are flexible to a certain point. Moreover, to astonish everybody, this chair has been designed in an eco-friendly manner to help preserve nature. It is lightweight and hence very efficient to relocate it in your workspace. What else could one ask for if s/he is a nature lover! Pros Eco-friendly Headrest Good lumbar support (90-125 degree reclination) Breathable mesh Inexpensive Lock system for safety Lightweight Cons Restricted armrest movement No cushions on the seat Check Price On Amazon 6. YAMASORO Ergonomic Executive Office Chair This beautifully crafted chair is very eco-friendly. It is made up of soft and durable PU leather and is water-resistant and also doesn’t fade easily which means the luster of the material stays intact. The chair is made of high-density foam to give you the necessary comfort and this foam gives it a spring-like addition which further minimizes any risk of injuries. This comes in with height adjusting and tilt function systems with a lock to ensure the safety of the user. For these functions to be executed, a gas-lift technology has been installed in the chair. The back can be reclined at any angle between 90 and 135 degrees and can be locked in too. This chair thus not only makes it office efficient but also is good for napping! This product comes with a spacious seat and padded armrests. For everyone’s liking, the armrests can be folded any time you want. The product is supported by a very strong and stable steel base with five-arm base casters. More so, it comes with 360 swivel which is always essential for any office chair. The chair has excellent lumbar support in reference to the foamy seat and can eliminate any form of back pain. This chair comes with a headrest as well which has been added in a very unique style unlike in other chairs where headrests tend to just pop-up like an extra accessory. The headrest in this chair blends well with its structure giving a classy look. To add on to the list, the product has flip-up armrests and in all, the chair has a capacity to support 300lbs at max. Pros Eco-friendly Headrest Tilt function Lumbar support Foam seats Water-resistant Flip-up armrest Cons Heavyweight Limited warranty Check Price On Amazon 7. SPACE Seating Professional AirGrid Dark Back Office Chair A chair with a simple design, it has been made up of eco-friendly leather and mesh. The mesh improves air supply and keeps the body temperature cool hence, encouraging sitting on it for long hours to work. It is accompanied by soft padded adjustable armrests and adjustable height of the chair monitored by a one-touch pneumatic gear. Though it has a way simpler look than other office chairs, it still serves to be a great ergonomic chair. The chair provides good lumbar support for your spine as well. To justify itself as an environmentally friendly product, this product has been certified as emitting low emissions henceforth enabling to have better air quality around your surrounding. This chair is extremely lightweight and comes with a double wheeled five-arm based caster which is made up of nylon for better sturdiness and strength of the base of the chair. And not to forget to mention, it even gives you the 360-degree rotation feature for easy access to the material at work. Therefore, even with a simple and minimalistic exterior, this product offers a lot to the customers. Pros Eco-friendly Inexpensive Double wheeled casters Low emissions Recyclable material Lumbar support Flexible armrests Good ventilation Lightweight Cons No headrest Check Price On Amazon 8. Homall Gaming Chair Office Chair High Back Computer Chair This extremely stylish chair has a lot to give indeed. This chair is made up of extremely high-density foam and leather which is skin-friendly and wear and tear-resistant. The chair can support weight up to 300lbs. To mention its features, it supports recline functioning giving a recline between 90 and 150 degrees, has a 360-degree swivel, allows height adjustment with the help of a Class-3 gas lift, a five-arm base caster made with rubber to give a smooth experience while moving. The chair comes with an amazing headrest with a mini-pillow and has good lumbar support. It can be best used for gaming purposes and as desk chairs. Pros Headrest with pillow Recline function with lock Very stylish Skin-friendly Wear and tear-resistant Cons Heavyweight Not eco-friendly Non-flexible armrests Check Price On Amazon 9. Modway Articulate Ergonomic Mesh Office Chair With a capacity to support 330lbs of weight, this simple yet classic chair comes with a thick cushion-like seat and a breathable mesh. This chair also provides one-touch adjustable chair height function, tilt, and lock gear, 360 swivels. These features make the chair easy to use. More so, it comes with adjustable armrests, five-arm base dual-wheeled casters for more stability, and swift movement over hardwood and carpets as well. An added advantage to this chair is that you can even tilt the seat as per your convenience. To maintain an ergonomic nature, the chair provides good lumbar support. This chair is a good option for an office setting and computer desks, this chair is lightweight and can prove to be a good buy for those who want all the features and yet prefer a simple look. Pros Lightweight Flexible armrests Tilt and lock system Lumbar support Flexible seat One-touch height adjustable Inexpensive Cons Not eco-friendly Assemblage issues No headrest Check Price On Amazon 10. Flash Furniture Desk Chair with Wheels This Flash furniture desk chair has a foam-based seat covered with leather to give you a cushioned feel and yet look classy. The transparent meshed backrest allows good air circulation and provides lumbar support to your body, thereby keeping away any sort of physical pain and muscle fatigue. It comes with padded flip-up armrests to support your shoulder and arms and also allows you to move in and move out of the chair. The seat allows 360 swivels and height adjusting along with the reclining feature as well. The seat has a waterfall edge to provide more comfort to your legs and help in swift blood circulation. The tilt system comes with a lock feature for your safety and also has a controller to control the pressure or force you need to incline or recline the chair. The nylon-base double wheel casters promote movement in hard surfaces as well. It is a lightweight chair and is best suited as an office and desk chair. Pros Lumbar support Good ventilation Padded flip-up armest Waterfall edge seat Tilt and lock system. Lightweight Inexpensive Cons No headrest Not eco-friendly Check Price On Amazon Buyer's Guide Proper acquisition of knowledge is always better before buying a product. It helps you in making the right choice and makes you regret less later. In this section, we would like to point out certain things that you should keep in mind while buying your best first ergonomic office chair. And if the criteria is to buy a chair that is a pocket-friendly chair, in this case, the budget being under 200 dollars, you should consider these factors. ❖ Material: even though low-budget but the material of the chair matters the most. For one to feel comfortable while sitting on a chair, the material has to be comfortable and airy. Mesh material keeps the air well-ventilated (this shall be discussed in the following points). Hence, always check the material that is comfortable for you before you purchase one. ❖ Ventilation: a well-ventilated chair has a few advantages- (a) it keep you sweat-free, (b) it lets air pass through the air thereby maintaining a cool temperature,(c ) it allows you to work for longer durations, (d) it encourages better blood circulation in the body and maintains body temperature. Reading these benefits, and caring for your health and comfort, it is recommended to buy chairs that have mesh on their seats because the mesh allows passage of air. ❖ Adjustability: an office chair under $200 may not have motor/ electronic adjustable gears for height and tilt adjusting, but it should definitely have the lever system. Any office chair should provide the facility of being able to able to adjust the height of the chair because there are natural height-differences in people and also the height of the desk may vary and adjusting to that requires the chair to offer this facility. Tilt adjusting provides more ease to work and it is a win-win situation if you find a chair with both these features under this budget. So, make sure that whichever chair you buy it offers this gear. ❖ Lumbar support: an ergonomic chair’s basic service is to provide lumbar support irrespective of the price of the product. Lumbar support is essential to support your lower back and reduce pressure on your things and legs. This saves you from incurring any lower back problems and gives you ease and a good body posture. Hence, to save yourself any medical issues, it is wise and recommended to buy chairs that provide lumbar support. ❖ Wheelbase: a strong and sturdy wheelbase is necessary for smooth navigation and also more importantly for the safety of the user from tripping off of the chair. A low budget chair doesn’t require the user or the manufacturer to compromise on the base of the chair and the user’s safety. So it is always wise to check the material of the casters. ❖ Headrest: giving support to your head is as much important as to support to your spine. Hence, chairs with headrests are one of the best buys you can get. The headrest keeps your muscles relaxed and allows you to work for longer hours in a productive manner. Some even provide a headrest pillow for more ease at work. ❖ Swivel base: swivel base allows for easy movement from one corner of your workplace to another. Most chairs under $200 come with swivel bases. It is a basic quality of an office chair. So it is advisable to not buy static chairs and compromise on your comfort. ❖ Safety lock: safety locks are important to avoid any mishap while you are sitting on the chair. While tilt functions are not always available under this budget, few manufacturers succeed in providing that (discussed in the following points). And whether this option is available or not, the safety lock is a must. The safety lock system safeguards you when you adjust the height or the recline and holds the chair in that position until you change it. Therefore, make it an essential in your list for any chair you opt to buy. ❖ Tilt function: in a working setup, the office chairs need to have a tilt mechanism to allow you to stretch yourself while working for such long hours. The tilt function ensures better body relaxation during stressful periods and encourages one to work for even longer durations. Though not all products have been able to include this feature, there are still a good number of manufacturers who provide this feature under this budget as well. ❖ Flexible armrest: some of you might think flexible armrest would seldom be a feature of a chair under $200. But to your surprise, office chairs come with flexible flip-up and down armrests. The benefits of having a flexible armrest can be quite a few- it provides support to your shoulders and arms while working on computers for long hours and prevent and muscle pull or pain in your hands; it also provides you with the option of lifting the armrests to allow free movement of your arms and prevent muscle fatigue. Also, in compact workspaces or in conference rooms, it acts advantageously since it gives you more space to move in and out of the chair. These are a few important pointers to help you know about what things and facilities that you can avail yourself of under $200. And it is advised to not compromise on these things when you choose your office chair even under this budget, cause you have been made aware of what you have access to and whatnot. FAQ’s People have different opinions and these differences lead to the origin of doubts and queries. However, certain queries are very common and are asked by several people usually. Q1. Are these chairs for all sizes? Office chairs are mostly made keeping in mind the compatibility of the chairs to all sizes. Since a workspace contains people of all shapes, sizes, and appearances, office chairs tend to be designed in a manner that can accommodate all sizes. Q2. What are the benefits of office chairs over other wooden chairs? The first trait that differentiates office chairs from wooden chairs and gives it an upper hand is comfort. Office chairs are made up of soft breathable material, unlike wooden chairs. The former is designed to be used for long hours and in such a manner, that the user is at ease throughout. Office chairs are specially designed for office settings and hence gives one the professional feeling. Q3. How can one know if an office chair is ergonomic? To determine if an office chair is ergonomic or not, one should look for features like it has an adjustable height (with the help of a pneumatic lever), an adjustable armrest, a sturdy caster base, reclining adjusters, good lumbar support, 360-degree rotation. Ideally, an office chair with all these features will cost more than $200. But even if the budget is under it, office chairs come with height adjusting, lumbar support, 360 rotation, good casters. Q4. Does the back of an office chair tilt forward and backward? Yes, office chairs tilt forward and backward during its use because the prime purpose of these chairs is to provide you comfort at/while working. Q5. Can one remove the armrests of the office chair? Armrests are an essential element of an office chair. It helps you provide support to your arms and prevents any strain on them. So its a no to being able to completely remove them from the chair. However, certain products have the option of flipping the armrests so that when required your arms can dangle freely. This feature is however not very common in chairs under the budget of $200. Conclusion It can be rightfully said that office chairs have been made to serve humans. Its features and looks can tempt anyone in a workspace or studying to buy them. But buying requires money and that’s where all the ifs and buts come in. However, everything is possible and these office chairs as we can see are available under a budget of $200 as well. And to note, more importantly, there is no compromise on the features of the products that are available. These office chairs under 200 may not have the latest technology installed in them, but they still have all the basic features of an ergonomic office chair. No compromises on health have been made in constructing these chairs apart from the availability of a headrest. However, a few even have a headrest. Along with the health safety of the user has also been prioritized by the manufacturers. All the chairs reviewed are marvelously crafted but a few of them like the Serta Air health and wellness office chair, the Office factor executive ergonomic chair, the Yamasoro ergonomic executive chair are worth having an eye on. The manufacturers of these products have tried their level best to give the experience of an ergonomic office chair with a budget of 200 dollars. Alas, everything has been presented in a non-biased manner and you have a handy guide ready to be implemented before you make a purchase. These instructions will definitely help you buy the best office chair under $200.