Best Office Chair for Pregnancy

Pregnancy is a wonderful thing … except the aches, pains, and general lack of comfort. To minimize this pain and discomfort, you may want to invest in a new office chair.

We know that it may not be at the top of your list for new furniture that you need to buy, but trust us – it has its perks.

Carrying a baby hurts your whole body at times. Your back hurts, your ribs are being kicked, and your ankles are so swollen that you think they might just burst at any given moment.

Well, we can’t help much with the ribs or ankles, but the backache can be drastically improved with just one adjustment in your daily routine.

Sitting for eight hours a day with bad posture can really accentuate this pain in your lower back, and it can even cut off circulation to your legs.

Opting for a new office chair that helps you improve your posture will greatly improve some of the pain that you’re feeling. Moreover, good lumbar support will further cushion your lower back.

Below we’ll be looking at five of the best office chairs for pregnancy, as well as a few of the most important things to look out for when choosing the right chair for you and your body.

Best Office Chairs for Pregnancy

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EDITOR’S CHOICE

WorkPro Quantum 9000 Series Ergonomic Chair

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The Quantum 9000 Series chair is well respected for how many adjustments that you can make to it, ensuring that you’ll have a comfortable chair no matter how your body changes throughout your pregnancy. Tweak the chair every day without hassle to keep you and your baby relaxed.

Adjust the height, tilt, and height and width of your armrests. The backrest is made from both fabric and mesh, ensuring a constant flow of air reaching your back. Keeping yourself cool throughout the workday is essential for efficiency.

The lumbar support keeps your spine in an ergonomic position to mimic the natural curvature of your spine. The seat itself boasts a waterfall cushion, keeping the blood flowing to your legs and feet, preventing cramps or swelling.

Plus, you’ll benefit from a 10-year limited warranty.

You can read our full overview of the Quantum 9000 Series right here.

Pros:

• Plenty of adjustments that can be made easily.
• Breathable fabric and mesh backrest.
• Waterfall edge.
• 10-year warranty.

Cons:

• Not the best customer service.
• One customer found that their chair had a strong plastic smell.

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BEST VALUE

Lorell High-Back Chair Mesh Black Fabric Seat

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Next up is an office chair from Lorell, with a multifunction that allows you to adjust the backrest and seat independently from each other.

This simply adds another layer of adjustability to keep you as comfortable as possible throughout your working day. You can also adjust the height and width of the armrests.

The backrest is shaped ergonomically and reaches high enough to allow you to rest your neck and head on it when you need to take a break. It’s made of mesh to keep your back cool even on the hottest days, or through the hot flashes coming from your hormones.

The levers used to adjust the different aspects of your chair are positioned underneath the seat. However, they reach out generously so that you don’t have to struggle to use them too much. This is a great benefit during the later months of pregnancy when your range of motion isn’t as impressive as it normally would be.

Pros:

• Adjust the backrest and seat separately.
• Breathable fabric for the backrest.
• Easy to use levers.

Cons:

• A few customers found that their seat lowered itself.
• The seat doesn’t offer as much lumbar support as other alternatives.

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Herman Miller Embody Ergonomic Office Chair

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Next up is a chair from the popular brand Herman Miller. This chair offers an ergonomic backrest that has been developed by over 20 physicians and PhDs specializing in physical therapy and ergonomics.

The chair aims to evenly distribute pressure, keep your spine naturally aligned, and make you as comfortable as possible.

The fabric is made of pixels to ensure that your weight is distributed evenly to avoid sore spots. The fabric also encourages you to move, which will keep you comfortable so that you don’t sit in one position for too long.

If this chair wasn’t already impressive enough, the multiple layers of fabric keep you cool during your pregnancy, and the high backrest offers more support and comfort than that of a standard office chair.

Pros:

• Over 20 specialists have come together to create the best ergonomic chair possible.
• Your weight is evenly distributed to prevent sore spots.
• The breathable fabric keeps you cool and comfortable. 

Cons:

• Higher price point than other options. Check out a Herman Miller alternative if this is a concern.
• Difficult to assemble with only one person.

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Gaiam Classic Balance Ball Chair

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A surprise entry to the list is the Balance Ball Chair, which is incredibly popular amongst pregnant women. The exercise ball is 20.5 inches in diameter and fits perfectly into the chair stand. You’ll get an air pump, four wheels, and an adjustable backrest.

Exercise balls are a great alternative to traditional office chairs as plenty of people have agreed that it soothes backache. If you’re pregnant, chances are that you’ll have noticed the constant back pain that comes with growing a child.

You can boost your energy levels and focus by practicing active sitting. The slight bounce of the ball may also reduce pain in your hips and keep sufficient blood circulating throughout your legs.

These aspects are very beneficial during pregnancy, especially during the second and third trimester.

Pros:

• Great alternative to an office chair.
• Back support to allow you to sit for longer.
• Prevents aches, pains, and cramps.

Cons:

• Might take a long time to get a replacement part.
• The chair sits low to the ground.

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Best Office Chair for Pregnancy Buying Guide

Unfortunately, not many manufacturers cater to the niche market of office chairs primarily for pregnant women.

You are usually expected to opt for other accessories that can make you more comfortable.

For this reason, we have to get more creative with how to determine whether an office chair is going to be good for pregnancy or not.

To do this, we must look at the facts. Pregnancy hurts your back, ankles, adds more pressure onto your hips while you’re sitting, and can reduce the overall comfort of your body. Finding a chair that can accommodate all of these ailments and work to fix them is a hard feat.

Luckily, we’ve had a long time to debate this and come up with the most important factors to consider when choosing the best chair for pregnancy. Make sure to keep these in mind so that you don’t only realize the issues of the chair once you receive it.

Lumbar Support

Perhaps the most important factor of an office chair for pregnancy, the amount of lumbar support a chair offers is essential information. The lower back is the section of your back that gets hit hardest as you move along the pregnancy timeline, so you need sufficient support to alleviate the pain as much as possible.

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Lumbar support can come in the form of an additional pillow to perch at the bottom of the backrest, or a curved backrest that guides your spine into correct posture. This is often a great selling point of an office chair, so you won’t have to read too much of the advertisement to see whether or not the chair has lumbar support.

We’d also advise looking to the customer reviews to see how others have found the lumbar support. Pregnancy calls for a lot of back support, so never leave this feature out of your office chair search.

Waterfall Edge

A waterfall edge of an office chair is where the edge of the seat drops down rather than simply stopping. This allows more room for your legs and prevents the sharp edge of a chair from cutting away the circulation from your legs.

Pregnant women would benefit from this as their circulation is often reduced as it is during the second and third trimester. Using a chair without a waterfall edge may make this worse. Poor circulation can also contribute to the swollen ankles and feet, so a waterfall edge might be able to alleviate some of this pressure.

Cushioning

Having a growing human inside of you can cause some discomfort on your hips as you sit down for long periods of time. As getting up to move every two minutes might interrupt with your work schedule, you should pay attention to how much cushioning comes with your new office chair.

You want to find a thick cushion that is not too hard that it’s uncomfortable, but not too soft that it affects your posture. We know that this sounds near impossible, but there are chairs out there that manage to hit the nail on the head with just the right cushioning.

A high-quality memory foam might be a good material to look for, or high-density cold-cure foam. Whether you want a harder or softer seat will all depend on your personal preference, of course, just don’t go so soft that the lumbar support is effectively useless.

Material

What would be more comfortable for you to sit on – a patent material or a softer fabric? PU leather and real leather are very popular in office chairs, although this is not ideal for every pregnant woman.

Women are more likely to feel hotter during pregnancy because of the changes to their hormones and an increased blood supply to the skin. This may cause you to sweat more (see where we’re going with this?).

Patent materials may become uncomfortable during these sweating spells as the fabric might stick to your skin. On this other hand, fabric may retain the heat more and cause you to be even hotter than before.

If you’re suffering from hot spells during pregnancy, a mesh backrest might be the best option for you. This is because there will be a constant flow of air around your body. However, this might not be as comfortable as a padded backrest. Some chairs provide the best of both worlds, with layered mesh fabrics for breathability supported by firm but comfortable padding.

Height of Backrest

The higher the backrest, the more back support you’re going to get. You’ll also have somewhere to rest your head when you need a break. Provided that the backrest is comfortable and ergonomic, we’d suggest looking for a chair with a high backrest.

In general, you want to keep contact with the entire backrest of an office chair, so your back and neck stay supported, and you don’t lean forward much. A high backrest will help. If you need additional support, look for a chair with a headrest as well.

Tilting Capabilities

Opting for a seat that can tilt back and forth with your motions might be a great beneficial feature of your office chair. Having a chair that mimics your natural movements will likely be more comfortable than a chair that does not rock with you.

Some chairs even come with a feature that allows you to lock the tilting mechanism if you don’t want to use it for that day. Having the option is much better than not having it at all. Many pregnant women like to rock on a chair or exercise ball as it’s more comfortable than remaining stationary.

Generally, a decent ergonomic office chair should have a tilt range of at least 90 to 120 degrees.

Armrests

Armrests are another option for added comfort. Most office chairs come with armrests, but some do not, so it’s helpful to know whether you want a chair that comes equipped with them or not.

Adjustable armrests can be opted for to ensure that you can make yourself as comfortable as possible. You’ll also be able to reposition yourself better on your chair with the help of armrests. For maximum comfort, look for armrests that are padded.

You can also add an armrest cushion, as many mesh task chairs do not included this feature.

Ease of Use

Depending on what trimester you’re in, it might be difficult for you to reach different levers and buttons to adjust your chair. Of course, you don’t want to ask anyone for help and show your weakness, so choosing an office chair that is easy to adjust by yourself, even while carrying a baby, is often essential.

Customer reviews are often a good place to start when trying to determine whether a chair is easy to adjust or not. Previous users will tell you if they had an issue with assembling or adjusting their office chairs.

A standard ergonomic chair that’s suitable for pregnant users should have a safe and reliable pneumatic height adjustment, smooth casters for moving and swiveling, and easily accessible knobs and levers to adjust tilt, tension, and lumbar support (if applicable).

Related Resource: How to sit in an office chair during pregnancy