8 Best Office Chairs For Back Pain Of 2023 To Stay Healthy Through Hours Of Sitting

To be blunt: Humans were not built to sit down all day. Our ancestors were constantly in motion—a far cry from the singular seat many of us spend eight or more hours in each day. While standing desks and foldable treadmills can minimize sedentary time, if you're going to sit, the best office chairs for back pain will help keep your body healthy.

Even if you live an active lifestyle outside of work, meeting your fitness goals and moving your body often, sitting for prolonged periods can have significant effects on your physical and mental well-being. Research shows that too much sitting can compromise your metabolic health and increase your risk of premature mortality1. And if you're sitting in the wrong chair, it can lead to acute or chronic back pain.

Sitting is such a simple activity, and yet it can cause us so much discomfort and even pain. Why? Well, according to Lalitha McSorley, lead physical therapist at Brentwood Physio, many of the chairs we use are not designed with our spines in mind.

"When you're not sitting up straight, your muscles have to work harder to keep you in that position, which can lead to fatigue and pain," McSorley says. "Sitting puts your spine in a C-shape, which is not ideal. Your head weighs as much as a bowling ball, and sitting with your neck at a 45-degree angle exerts around 55 pounds of force on shoulders and back muscles."

That's why when patients come to McSorley complaining about lower-back pain, one of the first things she recommends is that they experiment with the settings on their office chair, to find a position that feels better. While she doesn't consider ergonomic chairs to be a cure-all, McSorley says they can improve posture and alleviate back pain.

The internet is flooded with fancy office gear that promises to make your work setup more comfortable than you could ever imagine—so how do you separate the best from the rest?

As physical therapist Dave Candy puts it, "The more adjustments the chair has, the better." That way, you can find the best angle for your body and make micro-adjustments as needed.

Being able to adjust (and readjust) your seat to best align with your posture is critical for maintaining support for your upper back. This chair allows for just that, offering an adjustable headrest and armrests, with customizable height and tilt tension. Plus, the 3D lumbar support responds to the precise amount of pressure you exert, providing just the right level of cushioning for your back.

Beloved by many gamers for its sturdy yet comfortable lumbar cushion and headrest pillow, this Amazon bestselling chair was made with all-day comfort in mind. You can even tilt it as far back as 150 degrees for a nice, quick stretch (extremely beneficial during a long workday). The wheels make it easy to move throughout your office space or home, but it's built with a sturdy, high-quality steel that's meant to hold up over time.

Yes, technically this is a gaming chair. But it has features that work great for an office chair, too. The chair is fully loaded with an adjustable headrest, lumbar support pillows, and even an extendable footrest—talk about comfort. It has a 130-degree tilt recline, with fixed, padded armrests and a padded leather seat. You can choose from several colorways, along with a few different models.

If you tend to feel confined by armrests, this chair is a great choice. The best news? You don't have to sacrifice lumbar support to get a breathable, armless design. This chair has a contoured mesh back to align and support your spine, plus adjustable seat height and an extra thick, nontoxic foam seat cushion. You'll have plenty of room to stretch while staying supported and comfortable throughout each day. Even better, it costs less than $100.

Short on space? This chair comes with all the spine-supporting features we love, plus it folds up for easy storage. It swivels, has a secure seat lock, adjustable height, and flip-up armrests. The ergonomic backrest supports the natural curve of your lower back, which helps alleviate tension and pain. You can also tilt the chair with a simple push of its lever.

Our editor has (and loves) the Branch standing desk and has been eyeing this ergonomic chair for some time. Its simplistic design comes in three colorways for the seat and two for the frame. You can customize a whopping eight points of adjustment (including unheard-of features like armrest width, lumbar support, and seat depth) to best fit your body. This innovative piece is great for keeping your spine aligned, reducing pressure points, and maintaining good posture.

The chair has a 4.6 overall rating on the brand's website, with over 3,000 reviews. One reviewer who says she and her husband fight over this chair writes, "We'll definitely be purchasing another Branch chair soon so we no longer have to duke it out. We both have bad backs (my husband has had 3 lumbar surgeries and he's barely 30 years old) and this chair relieves so much tension; my own posture is better and I love how customizable it can get."

Short on space? This chair comes with all the spine-supporting features we love, plus it folds up for easy storage. It swivels, has a secure seat lock, adjustable height, and flip-up armrests. The ergonomic backrest supports the natural curve of your lower back, which helps alleviate tension and pain. You can also tilt the chair with a simple push of its lever.

Constantly feeling pressure on your lumbar? This ergonomic office chair is an ideal choice for relieving lower-back pain, thanks to its adjustable lumbar support. With just a turn of its dial, you can shift your support 1.9 inches up or down and 1.2 inches forward or back. Plus, the W-type cushion evenly distributes your hip pressure—another bonus for your lower back.