This post isn't an attempt to convince anyone to buy an extremely expensive office chair, but rather, to educate and highlight the benefits of going with a more expensive option as opposed to a cheaper one. Below, we cover four main features that set low cost chairs and more expensive office chairs apart.

Lumbar Support

Lumbar support is the lower back support you see in chairs that work to support the curvature of your spine to aid in a healthy sitting posture. You will typically see lumbar support features in an office chair over $100.

Adjustable Arms

Adjustable arm height/width can make all the difference. We covered a lot of good information in a past blog post about office chair armrest adjustments. The long and short of it is, is that the more expensive the chair, the more adjustment features you will typically see, and this includes adjustable armrests. Cheaper chairs typically cannot be adjusted, while more expensive chairs allow you to adjust the height and pivot of the chair arm.

Adjustable Seat Pan

More expensive office chairs (typically over the $200 range) feature a seat that can be adjusted forward or backward for optimal seat depth. An office chair seat pan should be deep enough so that the back of your knees don’t touch the seat.

Adjustable Tilt Tension

Make sure when you’re looking for an office chair that you consider the back tilt and tension control features. You won't typically see this in chairs under $200. The tilt tension feature is incorporated to support the weight of your upper body and can provide some relief to your back when it's adjusted. Sitting in a neutral, upright position is usually the best posture to have while sitting and this helps with that.

If you're looking for more information on the ergonomic chair features, then we suggest you check out one of our past blog posts covering how to choose the best ergonomic chair here.