Having a good, comfortable office chair can make all the difference when you need to carry out a day’s work. If you need to pull a long day at the office you don’t want to be distracted by any unnecessary discomfort. Your office chair also has a job to do, and has to do it well.
And the good news is such comfortable office chairs don’t have to be expensive. You can get some really good ones for less than $100.
Below, we’ve handpicked our list of the best office chairs for under $100, each with a good mix of comfort, styling, and ergonomic support at this price point.
After that, we’ve also got a handy buying guide for you which touches on everything you might want to think about before you buy.
Top 5 Office Chairs Under $100
Amazon Basics Classic Mid-Back Chair This is a great office chair from AmazonBasics that comes in under the $100 mark.
It’s very smart and sleek, with a look that’s somehow both traditional and modern.
Both the seat and the seat back are thickly padded for real comfort, and feature wear resistant black bonded leather upholstery which is very easy to clean.
You can adjust the seat in a number of different ways. For example, lowering or raising the seat easy with the simple and smooth pneumatic controls. And, you can also tilt the chair backward or forward, and you can set it to rock back and forth if you wanted to, or lock it into place so it won’t rock at all.
It’s as solid and sturdy as it looks, able to take a maximum weight of 275 pounds.
We love it’s 5 dual wheel castors which let you slide all the way from the laptop to the printer.
It also features padded armrests which in our view are perfectly positioned.
It’s available in 3 colors, traditional black, traditional brown, or stand out white, and it comes complete with a full year’s warranty to boot.
- Low cost
- Professional look
- Padded seat and seat-back
- Wear resistant upholstery
- Very easy to clean
- Lower or raise the seat
- Rocking function
- It’s solid and sturdy
- Great maneuverability
- Padded armrests
- Full year’s warranty
- No breathable mesh
Furmax Ribbed Desk Chair This is a very smart looking office chair with a ribbed faux leather style will look just as good in an executive office or a home office. Very upscale.
What we love about it, besides the smart appearance, is that the seat has been upgraded to be padded to a full 3.15 inches thick, which is just what you need for all day comfort. And for the ultimate in luxury, the seat back adjusts to full 120 degrees, allowing you to lean right back without fear of tipping the chair over.
The covering is a high quality PU leather which is very wear resistant, which is important, and also happens to be waterproof, which is great if it gets a bit hot in the office over the summer.
It has a maximum weight capacity of 280 pounds which is 20 stone, so it can accommodate most people. It’s also very stable and supportive, thanks to its 5 pointed star feet.
It’s on 5 smooth wheels which easily glide over smooth surfaces, and also glide quite well on carpet too. It also swivels a full 360 degrees which is great when you need to talk to someone else in the office. If they’re nearby you won’t need to get out of your seat.
If someone borrows your chair while you’re away from your desk, you can easily get the chair back exactly how you like it, thanks to its adjustable seat height.
It’s available in 5 different colors, including traditional black, dark brown, charcoal grey, showy white or striking red.
- Smart upscale appearance
- Provides all day comfort
- Seat back tilts 120 degrees
- Wear resistant PU leather
- Stable and supportive
- Glides around easily
- Adjustable seat height
- Great color options
- The armrests are not adjustable
- The armrests are not padded
ComHoma Ergonomic Chair This great little office chair from ComHoma comes in below the $100 limit and has a really modern look.
It features high density foam padding for great support and comfort. It’s also designed to fit your natural body curve perfectly, with extra support for your lower back. Both the seat and the seat back are covered with a breathable mesh to prevent you from getting sweaty or sticky.
It’s also very stable and supportive, thanks to its strong durable base and 5 pointed star feet, and with its 5 smooth wheels it will easily glide over smooth surfaces, and also glide quite well on carpet too. It also swivels a full 360 degrees, so in all you get great maneuverability.
This mesh task chair a has pneumatic seat height adjustment, which allows you to raise or lower the seat up to 9cm, so you're bound to get the perfect seat height for your particular desk or table.
We love that the seat back can be tilted slightly backward, when you need to take a pause from your work, thanks to the tilt-tension knob underneath the seat. And better yet, there’s also a rock function for when additional relaxation is required.
We also love the armrests, not just because they are padded, which is great, but also because you can flip them up if they get in your way. Because sometimes having an armrest in place can prevent you from tucking the chair under the desk or table.
It’s available in either black or gray, both of which are nice, but we like the black one best.
- High density foam padding
- Fits your natural body curve
- Breathable mesh fabric
- Stable and supportive
- Great maneuverability
- Seat height adjustment
- Flip away armrests
- Rocking function
- Some customers have found it tricky to assemble the chair when it arrives.
Drafting Chair Ergonomic Tall Office Chair Standing Desk Chair with Flip Up Arms Foot Rest Back Support Adjustable Height Mesh Drafting Stool, Black This is a fab little drafting style office chair from BestOffice.
As with any drafting chair, it’s a relatively tall and is not meant for use with low tables, but rather for medium and high tables and desks. But it’s not stuck at one height and the height is adjustable.
And when put to its intended use, it’s great because there’s a perfectly situated foot rest included for your feet. This is fantastic for shorter people who sometimes find that their feet don’t touch the floor when sat at a desk. And better yet this footrest is adjustable.
But that’s not the only comfort feature, you also get a high density sponge cushion for the seat, which is covered in easy to clean PU leather.
Moreover, the whole seat design is really ergonomic, with a body hugging curve that fits your hips perfectly, for proper body posture and sitting feel. This includes providing support around your lumbar region, right where you need it. And better yet this lumbar support is also easy to adjust as you see fit. The seat back is composed of a breathable mesh.
This chair can bear the weight of 250lbs, which is nearly 18 stone, and as such it's very stable and supportive, thanks to its strong durable base and 5 pointed star feet.
And with its 5 smooth wheels it will easily glide over smooth surfaces, and also glide quite well on carpet too. It also swivels a full 360 degrees, so in all you get great maneuverability.
And if the armrests ever feel like a nuisance, you can just flip them up out of the way.
- Adjustable height
- Adjustable footrest
- High density sponge cushion
- Easy to clean PU leather
- Ergonomic body hugging curve
- Encourages proper body posture
- Adjustable lumbar support
- Uses breathable fabrics
- Stable and durable base
- Great maneuverability
- Cannot be used with low down tables or desks, please check the chair dimensions on the Amazon page if unsure.
Furmax Office Mid Back Swivel Lumbar Support Desk, Computer Ergonomic Mesh Chair with Armrest (Black) If you’re looking for a bargain, then here’s one for you. This one is priced very reasonably, well below $100.
With this seat, you get a real thick padded seat and armrests that stay where they’re supposed to be.
The seat back meanwhile is composed of a breathable mesh, and again is designed to provide lumbar support as you sit.
This chair can bear the weight of 265 lbs, which is nearly 19 stone, and as such it's very stable and supportive, thanks to its strong durable base and 5 pointed star feet.
And with its 5 smooth wheels it will easily glide over smooth surfaces, and also glide quite well on carpet too. It also swivels a full 360 degrees, so in all you get great maneuverability.
And whilst it’s not made particularly clear on the Amazon page, the seat height is adjustable.
It also has a nice, gentle rocking motion you can take advantage of, if you like that.
It’s available in 4 different colors, some of them quite striking and very easy to identify in a crowded office.
- Bargain, at under $60
- Thick padded seat
- Armrests that stay put
- Breathable fabrics
- Provide lumbar support
- Very stable and supportive
- Great maneuverability
- Seat height is adjustable
- Gentle rocking motion
- The armrests aren’t adjustable
- The armrests aren’t padded
Best Office Chair Under $100 Buying Guide
There are a number of different things you might want to think about before you buy your office chair, and we’ll walk you through now. We’ll start at the beginning.
Seat Height
You will need to set your office chair in accordance with the rest of your work space, and according to your height.
When you buy an office chair online, the product dimensions are provided for you on the retailer’s website. So when you buy, it’s good to have a tape measure handy so you can see for yourself how low or high a potential purchase is, relative to both the floor and the desk or table.
You’ll be pleased to hear that all of the office chairs featured in our Top 5 picks all have an adjustable seat height, which is great if your seat tends to get borrowed by other people.
Thick cushioning for the seat
Office chairs can see many hours of use, so comfort is of the utmost importance. For this reason we recommend going for a chair with a thickly padded seat. You will find this feature across all of our Top 5 Picks.
Maneuverability
Sometimes you need to scooch over to the phone or the printer, and in such instances you benefit from a chair on smooth and reliable castors so you can swivel and glide around with ease.
This is a particularly popular feature with office chairs, and it’s for this reason that all of the office chairs featured in our Top 5 picks are all on casters.
And don’t worry office chairs on wheels very rarely tip over. The chairs in our Top 5 picks for example all feature a strong durable base with a 5 pointed star feet structure, which gives them real stability.
Breathable Backrest vs Padded Padded Backrest
One decision you will have to make is whether to go for a padded, more cushioned backrest, or alternatively, a backrest composed of a breathable mesh, to ensure that you and the seat back don’t get sweaty or sticky.
This is somewhat a personal decision, and comes down to the heating conditions where you’ll be working.
Armrests
When you’re using a keyboard and mouse all day, it’s nice to sometimes rest your arms on an armrest. On the flip side however, sometimes armrests can get in the way, and can even at times prevent you from sliding the chair under the desk or table to clean around the office space.
In our guide, we included some chairs where the armrests are fixed into place, and some where these armrests can be flipped out of the way, such as the ComHoma we showed you earlier.
Quality Fabrics
Office chairs see a lot of use, and for this reason, you should ensure, if possible, that your chair is wear resistant. You will also need your chair to be quite easy to clean. So you will need good quality upholstery on your chair, such as PU leather or synthetic mesh, which offers both qualities.
Appearance
Whether your office chair is intended for use in the company office or at your home office, then you may well want it to look the part, especially if you need to do any video conferencing. For less than $100, you can find basic task chairs with plenty of ergonomic features. These chairs will blend right into any office setting.
If you need something more sophisticated or flashy, you can easily find a nice faux leather executive style chair for under $100, like the AmazonBasics mentioned above, to make your presence known.
Other Features
There are a number of other features that you might also be interested in.
For example, when done right, the lumbar support offered by some office chairs keeps your shoulders and pelvis in alignment, and the natural inward curvature of the lower spine is maintained. Several chairs we showed you earlier have this feature.
Some office chairs tilt backward a little, which is great if you need to pause from your work for a moment, and some can even rock back and forth. A tilt range of at least 90 to 120 degrees is suitable for most office conditions. Several chairs we showed you earlier have this feature.
Another feature that might be of interest is a footrest. If your chair is slightly too high even when adjusted, a footrest can relieve some of the strain on your legs.
This is especially common with a drafting style chair. Most ergonomic chairs in this category, such the Drafting Chair mentioned above, include an adjustable foot rest bar for this reason.
Features you might not get in this price range . . .
Most office chairs in the sub-$100 price range are mid back rather than high back, and typically don’t include an integrated headrest, but we think that’s a good thing because we don’t really want you napping when you need to be doing office work.
You’ll also notice that adjustability options are somewhat limited. But the essentials, including the ability to adjust the height and tilt of the chair, are usually all we need during a normal workday.
Customer Reviews
Always check customer reviews before purchasing a lower cost chair, or any chair for that matter. For example, although the specs, looks, and general comfort features might be presented well, you never know about the product until it actually arrives.
We always check to make sure that the general consensus is positive. There may be a couple mishaps, but the manufacturer should be responsive and take quality control seriously.
Plus, customer reviews of office chairs will give you a range of opinions about how hard or easy a chair is to assemble. With a chair for under $100, assembly should be pretty straight forward. But always do your homework first.
Conclusion
You need a comfortable and supportive office chair to help you get through the workday. And if your budget is tight, it shouldn’t be a problem. There are plenty of great chairs, with nice padding, modern styling, and ergonomic features, at the lower price point out there.
If you’re looking for a basic, comfortable and professional looking chair for less than $100, we stand by our first pick: The AmazonBasic Puresoft Mid Back Office Chair. If you need something that’s a little more modern and streamlined in the mesh category, we like the ComeHoma Desk Chair.
