Best Office Chairs For Lower Back Pain | Ultimate Buying Guide

On an average, it involves 10 to 12 in an office every day that requires prolonged periods of time sitting. Just imagine when you have to sit and concentrate your work but you are not comfortable on your chair and that is causing you pain. Sitting for a long period of time causes low back pain and if you have any back problem it can worsen it. The reason behind it is a static posture that increases stress in the back, arms and various other parts of the body. Due to inappropriate posture, it can add a large amount of pressure on muscles and spinal disc.

In order to avoid compounding back problem, it is essential to have ergonomics chair that supports the lower back and promote appropriate posture.

What Kind of Ergonomic Office Chair is good?

Opting for a right office chair that enhance your comfort, health, and productivity. There are few things to consider that supports your back and reduces lower back pain. A quality office chair must have lumbar support as well as some cushion that improves you sitting straight and alleviates pressure. There is no particular chair like one size fits all, it is essential to find one that provides adjustable features including height, back support and armrests for your comfort.

Choosing an essential part of your work system, a chair, should provide you comfort, health and enhance your productivity. The quality chair should give preference to lumbar support. They come with a cushion that promotes sitting straight and alleviates pressure on the back. There are various types of ergonomic chair available in the market for office use. There are essential features to look for a good ergonomic office chair. As per individuals, there are various chairs that work as per their specific needs and work well as per their convenience.

Beyond sitting and comfortable there are numbers of things an ergonomic chair should include.

• Seat Height – Usually a chair that ranges from 16 to 21 off the floor is ideal for most people.
• Seat Width and Depth – An ideal chair should have 17 – 20 inches is standard width while the depth should be enough to provide backrest properly.
• Lumbar Support – Lower back support is important, a chair should have lumbar adjustment including height and depth to a user can get support on the inward curve of the lower back.
• Backrest – It should be of 12 to 19 inches wide. It should be eligible to support the natural curve of the spine.
• Seat material – The material should have enough padding for comfortable seating for long working hours.

There are chairs that cost below $100 and over $100. The best budget chairs start around $50 to $75. We have listed some of the best office chairs for lower back pain that will help you buy for new and saying goodbye to old ones.

Best Overall Chair: Herman Miller Embody Chair

This chair is ranked first on our list being top ergonomic office chair as per features it possesses. The chair provides immense relief and includes best features. Designed by Bill Stumpf, it is successful amongst the office goers. The chair would provide you with relaxation and focused by encouraging oxygen and blood flow.

Its designs are more like the human spine, exoskeleton attached at the back of the chair. This exoskeleton is flexible and moves as per the posture of the body, it boosts to keep proper body posture. It is built with aluminum base and wheels are available in a wide range of colors.

Features

• Keep the spine aligned and reduces the lower back pressure.
• It circulates proper circulation of air and oxygen This, it keeps us cool no matter for the time we sit.
• It minimizes spine compression and reduces the loss of fluid from discs.

Pros

• Warranty provided of Herman Miller for 12 years
• Tested for use up to 300 pounds.
• It is made with recyclable materials
• Exoskeleton reduces muscle pain and works related issues. It cares for your back by giving correct posture and reduces the pressure on the spine and lower back caused due to sitting.

Cons

• As a chair, there is negative about its features. But if one factor we have to mention is that would be its price.

Herman Miller Aeron Office Chair

Herman Miller Aueron has a strong emphasis on health. Its designs and shape are built to reduce strain on the back, making it ideal for people who sit and work for several hours a day. It has tilt function and limiter also arms can be lowered, heightened, removed or angled till 30 degrees. It is specially designed with “posturefit”, that give natural curvature to your back. With its special design, it reduces strain and provides comfortable support. The amount of padding is low in the chair but still gives you comfort.

It is made of recycled materials due to this it gives benefit for you and the environment as well. The chair is light in weight about 48 pounds with casters on its base.

Features

• Posture Fit that fits as per curvature of your back
• Fully Adjustable Arms
• 12 Year Warranty

Pros

• Provide support to your spine. It helps to maintain tilt that prevents slouching.
• Eliminates lower back pain
• Compatible with various sizes
• 12 year Herman Miller Warranty

Cons

• Its bit pricey for mid-budget office chair users.

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Haworth Zody Chair

Zody could easily fit in any office because of its aesthetics. It comes with impressive mirror polished parts material and custom fabric. The chair is highly customizable, it can be adjusting in arms, seat pan, seat height, recline tension and lumber. It gives the option of setting recline posture to a relaxed one or aggressive posture. The lumbar support is made of concentric plastic ribs that give enough firm to your lower back. You can move forward or backward its tension and height also can be customized. Although, this is an extra feature compare to the lumbar pads that are offered by most of the competitors. It is officially endorsed by Physical Therapist Association.

Its I good in the price range as there are few parts of plastic but ultimately it’s at top notch. It earns a good grade in working conditions of 10+ hours per day without any problems. It is made of 50% of recycled materials. The cool features make a product stable, comfortable along with various features.

Features

• Three-point tilt mechanism with multiple positions. 
• Comfort with sustainability.
• Offer asymmetrical lumbar adjustments.
• 50% recycled content
• Fully adaptable
• It is endorsed by the American Physical Therapy Association

Pros

• It is approved by the American Physical Therapist Association
• Asymmetrical lumbar adjustment
• Idea size fits anywhere

Cons

• Plastic components
• Expensive

Steelcase Amia – Office Chair for Lower Back Pain

The design is sleek, simple and adjustable. It is ideal for those suffering from lower back pain and/or hip pain. It offers a lot of adjustability in terms of seating and budget wise.

The seat depth and height can be easily adjusted along with various features. With its flexible seat, it relieves pressures when you lean forward or recline. It provides lumbar support and tilts for flexors that contours to adjust with your spine. Another benefit that Steelcase chairs are hot selling because of their adjustable arms. The arm with a width range of 15 to 20 inches also height can be adjusted to fit into almost any body structure. The arm pads can move in, out, forward and backward.

It is ideal for mid-range priced ergonomic chair with various adjustments. It offers 30 days’ free trial period and 7 years’ desk warranty option. It comes in various color options.

Features

• Back includes a system of flexors
• Flexible seat edge relieves pressure on the back
• 4 ways adjustable arms
• Warranted up to 300 lbs
• Comes with 10-year steel case warranty.

Pros

• Lumbar support adjustable as per your back
• Various seat adjustment options
• Sleek designs

Cons

• No headrest
• Heavyweight

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Ergohuman High Back Swivel Chair with Headrest Review

This is one of the tops and most premium chair available in the market. It is the most appropriate executive chair that gives top-notch features. The high back chair provides a high-end solution for most seating problems. It is designed for office workers by health specialist proving to be the most ergonomic and healthy possible. You can choose this for perfectly tailored seating option personalized as per your requirement. It provides self-adjusting lumbar support that automatically adjusts its tension depends on the way you sit. It comes with an auto-tilt mechanism on the recliner that moves to the center of gravity of a chair. 

In terms of design, it is pretty and comes with a high back mesh cover that gives better breathing option. It eliminates a lot of sweating or odor that usually people when they sit for long hours. With its exclusive features, it provides constant back and lumbar support. The versatile chair comes with a wide range of ergonomic adjustment that can be customized and fit with almost any person. An instant lift seat can be adjusted by level located beneath and the seat height can be adjusted from 18.1” to 22.9”. The depth of seat can be adjusted to accommodate as per your convenience. You need to simply pull back lever below the lower rear and release the seat depth lock.

It is a quite heavy chair with 66lbs. It comes with included mesh headrest that can be adjusted as per height and angle. Adjustable armrests allow you to give rest to your elbow at a proper 90 degrees’ position also providing exceptional comfort and support.

Features

• Headrest height and angle adjustment
• Swivel Chair for easier to rotate
• 4D armrest adjustment
• Automatic Flexible Lumbar support
• Slight and Quick backrest tilt tension
• Seat height and seat slide adjustment

Pros

• Fully adjustable
• Comfortable mesh backrest
• Sturdy Construction

Cons

• Difficult assembly
• Armrest don’t lock

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What are the difference in casual chairs and the best desk chair for back pain?

With technology there comes comfort-ability and style. Usually, the traditional chairs that they are designed as per one size that fits everyone. However, it’s not true in all cases. There are various issues caused due to improper seating. The truth about seating hairs for hours can cause unpleasant things to occur in your body, that can lead to back pain. Due to this pain, you are not able to work properly and can cause many problems. Your core muscles will start to weaken while working that is a major contributor in back pain.

Sitting for a prolonged period is not natural, it can pinch and strain nerve, that causes pain in different parts of the body. When people don’t use office chairs for bad backs it can cause them to slouch. If you are not sitting in an ideal position, then with time you will get hunch over without having an idea of it. This can cause pain in your back and slowly you would observe your head pulling forward and spine curves over.

The foam padding is flattening in a major traditional chair that does not support underneath. Poor posture over time can lead to an unhealthy spine and may cause serious health problems.

Factors to be considered for buying office chairs for lower back pain

• Price

Usually, office chairs come in a range from under $100, that provide limited options and average quality. While there are other chairs that range between $500 to $1300 with a wide array of customization and adjustability. There are affordable office chairs that’s fits your budget but limit the features while expensive one gives you better features and save you from doctors. But an ideal chair is one that being budget friendly would give you extra features.

• The time you spend on a chair

Beyond money, the most important factor is time. It completely dependent upon you how much time you need to spend on office chair. If you don’t spend heavy working hours on your desk, then the basic chair would satisfy your demands. If a job requires sitting for long hours, then specific chair features would be better. Make sure those chairs should include lumbar and back support, adjustment on armrest and footrest.

• Supports your posture

A good office chair should always support your changing posture at the time of your work. Before buying look for a chair that’s good in leaning, straightening and shifting before you buy it. The lower portion of the spine is naturally curved inwards. A lumbar supports promotes good posture and fills gaps between spine and seat. If you have sit on a chair for working or reading for long time than you need to think about it before buying.

• Material

Mesh is a material good for chairs for bad backs. It allows to permit air flow and stay cool within an office atmosphere. Mesh material provides good ventilation with minimal maintenance. Usually, the chairs are usually stained or embedded with unpleasant odor but with mesh, it is not possible. It is easy to maintain and wash. 

• Flexibility and Functionality

In your workplace, you need to have flexibility or space that allow a worker to seek out working environments best suited for them. Office chairs play a vital role in office environment. Chairs are used for various tasks including brainstorming sessions, meetings, works and much more. If a chair offers mobility and adjust ability, it would implement a flexible environment in the office. Office workers are part of our family and we don’t want someone to be not comfortable in our family with chairs for bad backs.

• Durability

Although, most office chairs are durable as they are made of either plastic or aluminum. Usually, office chairs require less replacement and maintenance. It is ideal to choose the best office chair for lower back pain with high durability, as it would not save your money but would go for a long run.

Summing Up

The lumbar spine is a matter of concern to injury and pain. It doesn’t have to be a major traumatic injury, it could be avoided by picking the right piece of furniture for your working area. Pay attention the way you move, sit, walk or lift that can surely save you from pain also choose the best office chair for lower back pain that could provide you with some assistance.

Managers should consider the need of staff and choose office chairs for lower back pain ideally making workplace convenient. Low back office chairs would care for your employees and let them enjoy comfort at their workplace. This will not only would improve their healthy environment but would result in better productivity. Well, selected office chairs would decrease the amount of discomfort and increase comfort ability.

Investing in the right chair for bad backs would help you relieving from spasms, pinched nerves or general soreness. An ergonomic office chair should be designed and adjustable for each individual.

Although, there is no chair that is best suited for everyone. As everyone has their own limitations and choice, choose right office chair for bad backs as per your demands and needs.