5 of the Best Armless Office Chairs

Well known for their distinctive designs and well-loved for their exceptional comfort, the best armless office chairs can make a great addition to any work environment.

These space-saving models offer adaptable, affordable, and ergonomic alternatives to traditional office chairs with armrests.

Always striving to be your trusted source for all things office seating, we’ve given this year’s best-selling armless office chairs a serious run for their money, giving each one a trial run to help us determine the very best of the best.

Below, we’ve ranked our top five chairs in terms of quality, comfort, and aesthetic appeal. We’ve also provided you with an in-depth buyer’s guide so you can determine which chair to spend your hard-earned money on.

In a hurry? Here are the top picks:

1. HON Volt Leather Task Chair:  Best All-Round Armless Office Chair
2. HERCULES Series Big & Tall Executive Ergonomic Chair:  Best Executive Armless Office Chair
3. YAHEETECH Adjustable Task Chair: Best Designed Armless Office Chair
4. AmazonBasics Low-Back Office Chair: Best Budget Armless Office Chair
5. Giantex Home Office Leisure Chair:  Best Luxury-Look Armless Office Chair

5 Best Armless Office Chairs

Now let’s take a closer look at each of our top five picks for the best armless office chairs in 2020.

1. HON Volt Leather Task Chair – Best All-Round Armless Chair

As you’ll see in our buyer’s guide later, the three main factors we took into consideration when picking the best armless office chairs were comfort, quality, and style.

The HON Volt Leather Task Chair earns top marks in all three categories, offering everything you could possibly want from an office chair and then some.

The generously sized 18″ width seat and effortless adjustability ensures maximum comfort no matter your size, while the synchro-tilt capability of the backrest allows it to tilt at a 2 to 1 ratio. This means you can lean back easily without taking your feet from the floor, perfect for stretching out after a long day at the desk.

Unlike lesser-quality chairs, all those adjustments and flexible features don’t come at the cost of quality. Make no mistake about it, this is one seriously well-built chair, with a strength and durability which belies its surprisingly agreeable price tag.

Finally, though it may not be the most important factor, the HON Volt Leather Task Chair looks the part too, with a minimalist elegance and smooth leather finish that would make it an attractive addition to any office space.

On the downside, this isn’t the easiest chair in the world to put together, but if you’ve got the time to invest in assembling this one-of-a-kind armless chair, it’s going to be well worth it.

Pros:

• Synchro-tilt capability for added comfortable
• 18″ width seat and 18” to 22” seat height adjustment make it suitable for people of all sizes
• Affordable price tag.

Cons:

• Not easy to assemble.

Related: This chair is also featured in our list of the best leather drafting chairs.

No products found.

2. HERCULES Series Big & Tall Executive Ergonomic Chair  – Best Executive Armless Chair

Boasting an impressive 400 lbs weight capacity, Flash Furniture’s HERCULES Series Big & Tall Executive Ergonomic Chair is, as the name implied, the perfect chair for larger-bodied executives, but that doesn’t mean you won’t find a lot to love about it even if you’re of smaller stature.

Finished in a gorgeous soft leather with a modern chrome base, the HERCULES Series chair is as attractive as it is ergonomic.

The high back design, inviting lumbar support, and well-made headrest are all-purpose-made to relieve tension and prevent muscle strain, while the ample plush padding ensures you’ll enjoy the ultimate in comfort no matter how long you have to spend at your desk.

Though the price tag may make it one of the more expensive office chairs we’ve come across, there’s no doubting that you get your money’s worth.

Along with all of the above, the chair also features a waterfall-style front seat edge for improved circulation and a pneumatic adjustment lever that means even the biggest and tallest of users can adjust the whole thing to a comfortable height with absolute ease.

Pros:

• 400 lbs weight capacity
• Perfect for larger-bodied users
• Pneumatic adjustment lever
• Built-in lumbar and headrest support

Cons:

• Doesn’t recline
• Expensive.

No products found.

3. YAHEETECH Adjustable Task Chair  – Best Designed Chair

The YAHEETECH Adjustable Task Chair may not offer the same kind of ergonomic comfort that you get with other chairs, but what it lacks in that department it more than makes up for in style.

Narrowly missing out on a place in our recent guide to the best white leather office chairs, this sleek piece of furniture comes in a white PU leather finish, complemented by a cool chrome frame that gives the whole thing a certain sense of contemporary elegance.

Such is its aesthetic appeal that we’ve seen many people buy these chairs for use in beauty salons, or simply to use in conjunction with their own vanity table at home, but it works just as well in any modern office environment.

Having said all that, there’s more to the YAHEETECH Adjustable Task Chair than just great design.

With a maximum load-bearing weight of 265 lbs, solid construction, and damage-resistant PU leather, this one is always remarkably durable, ensuring that it will last you for years to come, no matter how you plan to use it.

Pros:

• Beautiful contemporary design
• 360° swivel
• Soft, foam-padded seat for extra comfort.

Cons:

• Chair wheels can be difficult to put in place.

No products found.

4. AmazonBasics Low-Back Office Chair – Best Budget Chair

Let’s face it: Not everyone wants to spend hundreds of dollars on an office chair.

Whether you’re starting a new business and need to keep your costs as low as possible, or you simply don’t see the point in paying so much for a chair that you’re only going to use occasionally, there are lots of reasons why you might be in the market for a budget-friendly office chair.

Whatever those reasons are, the AmazonBasics Low-Back Office Chair is almost guaranteed to match your needs.

The best armless office chair for under a hundred dollars that you’ll find anywhere around, the chair’s low cost is no indication of low quality.

This is still a sturdy piece of furniture with a solid 250 lbs weight capacity, much more than you’d expect from such a chair that only weighs 17 lbs.

It also offers a decent level of comfort, maybe not as much as some of the higher-priced chairs, but certainly enough that you could spend an average day in the office using the AmazonBasics Low-Back Office Chair without complaints.

The best part is that the whole thing takes no more than five minutes to put together, making it the perfect choice if furniture assembly isn’t your strong point.

All in all, a great, no-frills, back-to-basics chair that provides great value for money.

Pros:

• Low cost
• Easy to assemble
• Lightweight and moves around easily.

Cons:

• Lacks the ergonomic design of other chairs.

No products found.

5. Giantex Home Office Leisure Chair – Best Luxury-Look Chair

A perfect addition to any study, library, or traditional-look office, the Giantex Home Office Leisure Chair is one of those great pieces of furniture that looks like it cost a small fortune even though it’s relatively affordable.

The handsome, leather-look finish gives this one a certain luxury appeal, lending an air of sophistication and refined style to any room it’s placed in.

However, like all good office chairs, there’s more going on here than charming beauty.  The ergonomic back support and extra-wide, 23″ seat also lend it a superior level of comfort so that you could sit in this for hours without any tension or muscle strains.

On the downside, the chair doesn’t have much recline to it, so if you’re the sort of person who likes to lean back and relax every now and again, this may not be the chair for you.

Otherwise, it’s by far the best armless chair to buy if you want to add a stylish talking point to your office space.

Pros:

• High-quality design at a cost-effective price
• 23″ wide seat
• Easy assembly

Cons:

• Limited recline.

No products found.

Armless Office Chair Buyer’s Guide 2020

Even if you opt for a model at the lower end of the price scale, buying an armless office chair is a pretty big investment. After all, you’re going to be spending countless hours in this chair for at least the next 5 – 10 years, if not longer, so it’s important to choose a chair that you’re going to be completely happy with.

Not sure where to start with that? Here are a few factors you’ll need to take into consideration to help you choose the best armless office chair for your space.

Will I Be Comfortable in This Chair?

You could have the most beautiful chair in all the land, hand-stitched in the finest of fine leathers and built from the most durable material known to man, but if it’s quite literally a pain in the butt to sit in, then it really isn’t much use to you.

Again, you’re going to spend a significant amount of time in this chair, so if there’s one thing you need to consider more than any other, it’s comfort.

Pay attention to the ergonomics and look for those chairs that have built-in features such as lower-lumbar support, headrests, and waterfall edge seats to improve leg circulation, as well as those that boast extra foam padding in the seat. Just like the best saddle style office chairs we’ve reviewed, these armless chairs and stools should not skimp on padding or ergonomics where it counts.

Keep size in mind too. If you’re on the larger side, then look for a chair that can support your height and weight.

Most chairs will list both their weight capacity plus the height adjustability range, so check those out or run the risk of trying to cram yourself into a tiny chair that’s just not fit for purpose.

How Well Made is It?

So, your chair is as comfortable as any armless chair could be. Sitting down feels like you’re sitting on a cloud sent straight from heaven and you’re all set to enjoy a few hours at work when the chair base buckles.

Or maybe there’s a tear in the leather finish, creating an unsightly blemish on an otherwise gorgeous-looking piece of office furniture, or the reclining function gets jammed and spoils your enjoyment.

Whatever the case may be, not giving careful consideration to the quality of your chair could cause problems later down the line.

Not that we like repeating ourselves or anything, but it’s important to remember that this is a long-term investment you’re making here, so your new chair really needs to be built to last.

On a related note, look at the warranty too, so that even if something does happen to your chair, you can enjoy the peace of mind that comes from knowing that getting a replacement won’t be a problem.

How Does it Look?

Style may not be the most important factor, but it still matters.

Think about it:

Who wants to spend day after day, week after week, year after year sitting in an ugly chair that completely clashes with everything else in the room?

Not you, that’s who.

While the classic black leather office chair tends to go well with everything, others are better suited to particular environments.

Our third-placed pick, the YAHEETECH Adjustable Task Chair, for example, is ideally designed for offices with a contemporary minimalist vibe whereas the Giantex Home Office Leisure Chair with its handsome features and classic design would be much better suited to a study or office space with a more traditional aesthetic.

How Easy is it to Assemble?

Even the most sophisticated armless office chair in the world shouldn’t take you any more than an hour to assemble, but do you really want to spend that long on it if you’re the kind of person who isn’t exactly renowned for their DIY skills?

If you think you might struggle with putting the whole thing together, look for a chair that promises easy assembly, then check out the user reviewers to make sure the manufacturers have actually stuck to that promise.

Frequently Asked Questions About Armless Office Chairs

Are Armless Office Chairs Better Than Chairs With Arm Rests?

There are arguments for both sides here. Armrest aficionados insist that an office chair with armrests is better because they provide better support for the upper part of the body, reducing pressure on the lower back and resulting in poor posture.

Meanwhile, others counter with the argument that armless office chairs don’t lead to shoulder shrugging, forearm pressure, and leaning postures that can be terrible for the back.

The best armless office chairs also offer other significant space-saving advantages and tend to give you more freedom to move around and find a comfortable seating position in a way that you just can’t do when you’re caged in by armrests.

What is Waterfall Seat Design?

As you start shopping around for an armless chair, you’ll notice that the majority come with “waterfall seat edge design.” This is just a fancy way of saying that the front edge of your seat is designed with a smooth, downward curve that resembles a cascading waterfall.

With chairs that don’t feature waterfall design, the back of your knees ends up resting against the edge of the seat and this cuts off the circulation. Waterfall seating is therefore a good option for improved circulation and all-round health benefits.

How Hard is it to Assemble an Armless Office Chair?

Nowhere near as hard as you might think. Every chair is different and some are, by design, more complex to put together than others, but even the most difficult can be easily assembled with little more than a screwdriver and an hour of your time.

Conclusion: Which is the Best Armless Office Chair to Buy This Year?

On the face of it, anyone of our top five armless office chairs would make a worthy addition to your office space.

The lack of armrests means you’re no longer boxed in when sat at your desk and no longer forced to sit in a way that, let’s be honest, just doesn’t feel right. What’s more, you can tuck that chair right under your desk when not in use. It’s a minor detail, sure, but it does mean that your chair uses up far less space and leaves your whole environment looking far less cluttered.

So far, so good, but that doesn’t really help you if you’re trying to decide which one to spend your hard-earned money on, does it?

If you want our final recommendations, here they are:

If you’re a larger person looking for the most comfortable seat to support your size, the HERCULES Series Big & Tall Executive Ergonomic Chair, with its 400 lbs weight capacity and generous height adjustment range is purpose-built just for you and maybe one of the best investments you ever make as far as your office is concerned.

If you’re simply looking for a decent chair that won’t break the bank, our budget pick, the AmazonBasics Low-Back Office Chair, will set you back far less than most chairs while still offering a relatively good level of comfort.

Yet if you want the absolute best armless chair money can buy, then our top pick, the HON Volt Leather Task Chair is the one for you. Combining everything we love about armless chairs into one remarkable design, no other model comes close to matching this one in terms of comfort, quality, and style.