Best Drafting Chair for Your Standing Desk: Our Top 10 Picks

Bringing one of the best drafting chairs for standing desks into your workplace can be an ideal way to occasionally take some of the pressure off and give your feet, legs, and back a well needed break.

Still, that begs one very important question:

What exactly is the best drafting chair on the market today?

To find out, the Office Chair Picks team put scores of this year’s best-selling products through their paces to come up with the following top 10 picks.

Top 10 Best Drafting Chairs for Standing Desks 2022

1. Office Star Deluxe Mesh Back Drafting Chair

Specifications:

Dimensions (LxWxH): 23″ x 26″ x 50.25″

Height adjustment range: 24.25″ – 33.75″

Weight Capacity: 250 lbs

We start our guide with the Office Star Deluxe Mesh Back Drafting Chair, our pick of the all-round best drafting chair for standing desk users.

The breathable mesh back ensures air can circulate while you work, avoiding all that uncomfortable sweating that can soon build up after a long day at the grindstone.

Speaking of comfort, that same backrest also offers built-in lumbar support to prevent back pain, stiffness, and soreness, as well as an adjustable footrest designed to really help you take the pressure off after a long period of standing.

Combine that with an affordable price tag, easy-to-use pneumatic height adjustment and super-strong construction, and the Office Star Deluxe is well deserving of its first-ranked place in our top 10.

Pros:

• Choice of either mesh fabric or vinyl finish
• Large height adjustment range makes it suitable for users of all sizes
• Heavy duty nylon base provides ample stability and support.

Cons:

• Assembly could be much easier
• Lacks lockable casters.

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2. Boss Office Products Be Well Medical Spa Drafting Stool

Specifications:

Dimensions (LxWxH): 25″ x 25″ x 47″

Height adjustment range: 28″ – 34″

Weight Capacity: 275 lbs

One of the main reasons why we love the Boss Office Products Be Well Medical Spa Drafting Stool so much is all down to the brand itself.

Boss Office Products have built up a solid reputation for themselves in the world of standing desk seats, offering a wide range of stools and chairs to suit all users and environments. Indeed, this is only the first of three times you’ll see their name mentioned throughout this guide.

Why is this such a big deal?

Simple:

When a brand specializes in anything, they get to know their audience really well and ultimately produce products that are incredibly well aligned with what that audience actually wants.

The Be Well Medical Spa Drafting Stool is a perfect example of this. The combination of an ergonomic design which promotes good posture, a molded foam padded seat finished in tough Caressoft vinyl, and the solid chrome finish of the base, frame, and footrest all ensure it delivers in every way that counts.

Pros:

• pneumatic lift ensures smooth, effortless, and noiseless height adjustment
• Wide foot ring for added support
• 3” thick cushion for maximum comfort.

Cons:

• Limited height adjustment range
• Foot ring isn’t adjustable.

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3. Office Star Sculptured Drafting Chair

Specifications:

Dimensions (LxWxH): 22.75″ x 17.5″ x 48.5″

Height adjustment range: 23″ – 33″

Weight Capacity: 250 lbs

Much like Boss Office Products, Office Star are another brand who really knows what they’re doing when it comes to creating the best drafting chairs on the market.

Need proof? Look no further than the fact that the Office Star Sculptured Drafting Chair is the second of their chairs to feature in the top three.

There’s a good reason for that too.

The chair boasts expet ergonomic design in the form of a padded backrest with a smooth curve that reflects the natural curve of the spine and an equally as curved padded seat which provides more than ample support.

What’s more, that backrest can be fully adjusted to help you personalize the seat to your liking. Combined with the agreeable seat height and depth adjustments, the Office Star Sculptured Drafting Chair is one of the few on the market that offers such a high level of customization.

Pros:

• Large, 10″ seat height adjustment range
• Footrest is fully adjustable to help to create the most comfortable position
• Black vinyl finish makes the seat durable and easy to clean.

Cons:

• Backrest doesn’t recline
• Assembly instructions aren’t easy to follow.

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4. Safco Products Vue Mesh Extended-Height Chair

Specifications:

Dimensions (LxWxH): 25″ x 25″ x 49.5″

Height adjustment range: 22″ – 32″

Weight Capacity:  250 lbs

If you want all the health-promoting features that you’d get with the best ergonomic office chairs combined with the convenience of a standing desk draft chair, this one may be a top contender for you.

As its name implies, the Safco Products Vue Mesh Extended-Height Chair features a breathable mesh backrest to keep you cool and comfortable throughout your working day.

Other ergonomic features include the waterfall-edge seat design and adjustable foot ring. Together, these help to ease off on the pressure at the back of the legs that can lead to fatigue, ensuring you stay energized and focused throughout the day.

Pros:

• 10″ adjustable height range
• 5-star base protects against damage and provides lasting durability
• Comes with excellent tilt tension control features.

Cons:

• Some users report that they have trouble keeping the footrest in place
• Very expensive compared to other drafting chairs.

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5. Modway Thrive Drafting Chair

Specifications:

Dimensions (LxWxH): 24.5″ x 25″ x 43″

Height adjustment range: 20″ – 28″

Weight Capacity:  330 lbs

The first thing you notice about the Modway Thrive Drafting Chair is its unique design.

Looking like nothing else on the market, the chair’s striking appearance would make it a great fit for any contemporary office space, but obviously, looks aren’t everything.

This sizable chair boasts the largest weight capacity of any in this guide, making it the best choice for big and tall users, while the well-designed lumbar support also makes it a great pick for those looking to alleviate back pain.

Pros:

• Higher than average weight capacity
• Comes with breathable mesh back to promote airflow
• Includes in-built lumbar support and waterfall-edge seat for ergonomic support

Cons:

• Lower than average height adjustment range
• Can be tough to assemble.

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6. Hylone Drafting Chair

Specifications:

Dimensions (LxWxH): 26.5″ x 26.5″ x 47.8″

Height adjustment range: 21.7″ – 29.7″

Weight Capacity:  285 lbs

Another top choice for fans of good quality ergonomic design, the Hylone Drafting Chair is one of the very few standing desk chairs to feature flip-up arm rests.

Sure, they lack the multi-directional adjustable armrests you get with a standard office chair, but this is still a very worthwhile feature.

Of course, the Hylone is no one-trick pony. A breathable mesh back with lumbar support and wide, soft mesh seat help to eliminate pressure and pain points while sitting, and the heavy duty base supports an impressive 285 lbs.

Pros:

• Uses a commercial class-3 gas lift for safe,easy height adjustments
• Nylon dual-wheel casters roll smoothly and quietly across both carpet and wooden floors
• Includes adjustable foot rest.

Cons:

• Expensive price tag
• Seat presses down when sat upon, ultimately lowering the height.

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7.  Boss Office Products Ergonomic Works Drafting Chair

Specifications:

Dimensions (LxWxH): 25″ x 25″ x 44.5″

Height adjustment range: 21.7″ – 29.7″

Weight Capacity:  275 lbs

Another excellent product from Boss Office Products, their Ergonomic Works Drafting Chair is proof positive that low cost doesn’t have to mean low quality.

For a pretty attractive price tag, what you get here is one of the most well-constructed chairs on the market. It would be a push to call it indestructable, but you’re certainly going to get a level of stability and lasting durability that puts other chairs at this price range to shame.

Add in the substantial 27″ nylon bass, double-wheel casters and the option to upgrade to an arm-rest version for just a few dollars more, and what you’ve got here is further evidence that Boss Office Products are among the very best at what they do.

Pros:

• Contoured, ergonomic backrest and seat designed to relieve back pain
• Pneumatic gas lift makes seat height adjustment easy
• Better than average wheels roll smoothly over carpet.

Cons:

• May be too tall for smaller users
• Foot rest is non-adjustable.

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8: Modway Charge Drafting Chair

Specifications:

Dimensions (LxWxH): 26.5″ x 27.5″ x 44″

Height adjustment range:  22 – 29.5″

Weight Capacity:  264 lbs

With the Modway Charge Drafting Chair, the Modway brand once again proves their uncanny ability to combine innovative, modern design with the kind of comfort-promoting features so essential to a good draft chair.

The wave-design of the backrest immediately jumps out at you as a bold design choice, but those striking curves are all part of the ergonomic design, helping to provide ample lower back support.

The same goes for the seat.

The prominent dip of the waterfall edge seat isn’t just there to look cool, it’s there to prevent pressure off your back and thighs and ensure you maintain perfect posture.

Pros:

• Mesh backrest and seat to help you keep cool
• Includes flip up armrests
• Includes tilt tension control.

Cons:

• Expensive cost
• Only offers a 7.5″ height adjustment range.

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9. HON Volt Armless Task Chair

Specifications:

Dimensions (LxWxH): 29.5″ x 27″ x 49.88″

Height adjustment range:  18” to 22″

Weight Capacity:  250 lbs

The HON Volt Armless Task Chair comes from a brand renowned for its premium quality chairs.

This is the same brand that gave us the super-sturdy HON Exposure and the best-selling HON Ignition range, so it was almost a given that they’d appear on this list sooner rather than later.

With the Volt, HON has come up with a truly gorgeous-looking drafting chair, as smooth as it is bold and beautifully minimalist.

In terms of comfort, the ergonomic backrest and extra-thick padded seat are finished in HON’s trademark  SofThread leather seat to create a winning combination of luxurious softness and superior support.

Combine this with adjustable backrest, footrest and, of course, seat height, and the Volt more than justifies it’s very expensive price.

Pros:

• Synchro-tilt backrest encourages good posture and support
• Five-star base for added stability
• Arm rests can be raised and lowered.

Cons:

• Very small height adjustment range
• Most expensive chair in this list.

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10. Flash Furniture Mid-Back Mesh Drafting Chair

Specifications:

Dimensions (LxWxH): 28″ x 28″ x 49.5″

Height adjustment range:  24.5″-32″

Weight Capacity: 300 lbs

Last but not least, we round up our guide to the best drafting chairs for standing desk users with the Flash Furniture Mid-Back Mesh Drafting Chair.

This is another excellent demonstration of the fact that great-looking design and exceptional functionality don’t have to be mutually exclusive.

The melrose-gold frame and sleek, curved design ensure that the Flash Furniture chair will be a talking point in any office environment, while the tilt tension adjustment, 2-to-1 locking synchro-tilt adjustment and seriously heavy-duty 5-star nylon base all help you to really tailor your seating to just the way you like it.

Pros:

• Superior 300 lbs weight capacity
• Waterfall edge seat design
• Mesh backrest

Cons:

• Expensive price tag
• Foot rest doesn’t always stay in one place.

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How to Choose the Best Drafting Chair for Standing Desks: Your Complete Buyer’s Guide

So, you’ve read our verdict on the ten very best drafting chairs for standing desks, but how exactly did we decide to include just those ten chairs out of the countless options out there.

While cost and existing customer reviews certainly influenced our decision, we were mainly concerned with how each chair performed in terms of ergonomics, adjustability, and overall comfort level.

Below, we explain exactly what we looked for in each category and what difference it may make to you when it comes to buying a drafting chair of your own.

Ergonomic Support

The reason most people buy a standing desk in the first place is to prevent many of the health problems that can build up through poor seating positions, so the last thing you want is a drafting stool that’s going to put you right back into those very same positions.

With that in mind, ergonomic support was our number one concern, and it should be yours.

Lumbar support, a back rest that’s designed to support the natural shape of your spine (thus ensuring good posture) and a waterfall edge seat to prevent fatigue-inducing pressure build up all make a world of difference to the benefits you get from your chair.

Height Adjustment

If you read through our reviews, you’ll notice that we really liked chairs with a 10” range of height adjustment.

This is because they provide maximum flexibility, not only ensuring you’re more likely to find a comfortable position regardless as to how tall -or small- you may be, but also because they’re a great choice if you like the freedom to work from a sit-stand desk at different height levels.

Other Adjustment Features

It’s very rare to find a good drafting chair that doesn’t feature a foot rest these days, but it’s even better if that foot rest is adjustable.

That way, you don’t have to lose the benefit of it being there if you raise the seat too high, nor do you have to keep your knees uncomfortably bent if you’re down low.

If you can adjust the footrest along with the seat height, you can always maintain that ideal seating position no matter where you decide to set the height.

Not that this is the only adjustable feature worth considering.

Adjustable seat-depth, arm-rests and tilt will all help you to better customize the chair to your precise liking.

Seat Comfort

You could have the most ergonomically-designed drafting chair in the world, but if that seat cushion feels like sitting on a rock -or even if it’s so soft that it provides practically zero support- it’s hardly going to do you much good.

A thick, padded seat that offers just the right combination of firmness and softness will go a long way to ensuring you really enjoy every moment you’re sat in that chair.

Top 3 Alternative Seating Options for Standing Desks

1. Seville Classics Airlift 360 Ergonomic Sit-Stand Stool

Specifications:

Dimensions (LxWxH): 16.1″ x 16.1″ x 28″

Height adjustment range: 20″ – 28″

Weight Capacity: 300 lbs

Balance stools like the popular Seville Classics Airlift 360 Ergonomic Sit-Stand Stool make a popular alternative to drafting chairs, allowing you to take the pressure off your feet while still engaging your core, back, and leg muscles.

Topping our list of this year’s very best ergonomic stools, the Seville Classics Airlift 360 uses a gas pneumatic cylinder with an airlift adjustment ring to give you an 8″ height adjustment range.

While that might be smaller than you’d get with some of the drafting chairs we’ve looked at, it does make this one a great choice if you’re the type who likes to use a standing desk converter to switch between sitting and standing during your workday.

Pros:

• Premium molded foam seat for maximum comfort
• Excellent weight-bearing capacity
• Leather cushion cover provides lasting durability

Cons:

• Lacks the lumbar support you get with a draft chair
• Height range may be too small for some users.

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2. Safco Products 3001BL Twixt Active Seating Stool

Specifications:

Dimensions (LxWxH): 14.5″ x 14.5″ x 32″

Height adjustment range: 22″ – 31.75″

Weight Capacity: 250 lbs

If you like the idea of an active seating stool rather than a drafting chair but the limited height range of the Seville Classics option above just wasn’t enough for you, this one may well be.

Safco Products 3001BL Twixt Active Seating Stool boasts a substantial 9.25″ height adjustment range, making it easier to get a comfortable position no matter what your size and no matter how you prefer to work.

Elsewhere, the aluminum base is lightweight enough to ensure maximum maneuverability yet strong enough to provide stability, durability, and lasting support.

Pros:

• Available in five attractive color choices
• Great value for money – continues to perform well even after years of use
• Very easy to assemble

Cons:

• Some users complain that it gets very noisy on hardwood floors
• Seat padding may be too firm for some users.

No products found.

3. Boss Office Products DOT Drafting Stool

Specifications:

Dimensions (LxWxH): 25″ x 25″ x 31″

Height adjustment range: 18″ – 23″ or 26.5″ – 31″ (depending on which model number you order)

Weight Capacity: 250 lbs

If you like the idea of a trustworthy brand with a reputation for quality and expertise but prefer an adjustable stool rather than a full-on drafting chair, the Boss Office Products DOT Drafting Stool is definitely worth a look.

In many ways, the DOT drafting school is a lot like the brand’s best-selling Be Well Drafting Stool that we looked at earlier, albeit without the backrest.

It also swaps the Be Well’s chrome base for a nylon one, and replaces its Caressoft Vinyl with a mesh fabric finish.

Otherwise, in terms of style, functionality, and adjustable height range, the two are practically identical.

Pros:

• Smooth dual-wheel casters ensure effortless maneuverability
• Wide chrome foot ring for taking the pressure off your feet
• Six attractive color choices

Cons:

• Lacks the backrest that you get with the Be Well stool
• Some may prefer a chrome base to a nylon one.

No products found.

Frequently Asked Questions:

What kind of chair is best for standing desks?

This largely depends on personal preference. While drafting chairs are best for lumbar support and getting a full rest from standing at all, standing desk stools are also popular as the best option for people who want the benefits of active sitting while working at a standing desk.

Can you use a drafting chair with a regular desk?

Technically, you can use a drafting chair with a regular desk, especially if it has a large enough height adjustment range to make it suitable for both standing desks and regular desks. However, if you’re only ever working at a regular desk, there are much better options out there.

What is the most comfortable drafting chair?

The Office Star Deluxe Mesh Back Drafting Chair earned our vote as the most comfortable drafting chair thanks to its lumbar support, mesh back, and ergonomic features.

Are drafting chairs bad for your back?

Ergonomic drafting chairs should prove to be better for your back than drafting stools as they provide proper lumbar support and backrests which encourage you to maintain good posture while you work.

What is the Best Drafting Chair for Standing Desks? Our Final Verdict

If you’ve stuck with us throughout this guide, we hope you’ll agree when we say that the best drafting chair is going to be different for every standing desk user.

If you value style and contemporary design more than anything else, the Modway Thrive Drafting Chair may well be your favorite.

If you want best-in-class ergonomic support, the Boss Office Products Be Well Medical Spa Drafting Stool is a tough one to beat, but if you simply want the absolute best drafting chair on the market today, then we have to give it to the Office Star Deluxe Mesh Back Drafting Chair because it so perfectly combines good-quality ergonomics with lasting durability and effortless adjustability. In other words, it’s got everything you could possibly want, all in one affordable chair.