The best budget office chairs that still support your back

The best budget office chair for most people is the Sihoo M57: mesh seat and back, a lumbar pad that moves up, down, in and out, a tilting headrest and 3D armrests, which is a lot of chair for the money. The Sihoo M18 keeps the same lumbar pad and headrest with a foam seat and simpler armrests, and it is usually cheaper in the US. The IKEA MARKUS is the safe classic with a 10-year warranty, the IKEA SMÖRKULL is the pick if you prefer fabric to mesh, and in France the Amazon Basics high-back mesh chair is the cheapest certified chair we found.

A cheap chair is not automatically a bad chair. What you give up at this price is usually fine control (seat depth, armrests that move in every direction), premium materials and a long warranty, not basic support. What you should never give up is a backrest that holds the curve of your lower back and a seat that goes to the right height. Every chair below gets those two right.

How we picked

• Lumbar support you can feel. A built-in or adjustable pad in the curve of the lower back, not just a curved backrest.
• Certified for office use. Most picks carry BIFMA or EN 1335 certification, a sign the mechanism and base were tested for daily use.
• Warranty as a signal. From Amazon's legal two years in France to IKEA's ten. We say which, for each chair.
• Honest about fit. Budget chairs rarely adjust seat depth, so we say who each one suits.
• Markets noted. Four picks are sold in the US and in France; the Amazon Basics chair is sold in France only. The product cards show current prices where you live.

Best overall: Sihoo M57

The M57 is Sihoo's long-running budget mesh chair, here in gray, and it is the one we would buy first. Back and seat are both mesh, so it stays cool in summer, and the backrest is shaped to follow the S curve of your spine. The lumbar pad moves up and down and in and out, so you can put it exactly in the curve of your lower back. The headrest rises by 10 cm and tilts 45 degrees, and the armrests adjust up and down, forward and back, and rotate.

One handle sets seat height and recline, which goes up to 126 degrees. Sihoo rates it for 150 kg (330 lb) and covers it for 3 years, and it is certified to BIFMA and SGS standards.

Sihoo / Chair

Sihoo M57 Ergonomic Chair (Gray)

Setuplify score: 7.6/10

A budget all-mesh office chair with two-way adjustable lumbar support, a tilting headrest and 3D armrests.

Ergonomic mesh

$239.99Check priceat Sihoo(Affiliate link)

Skip it if you need seat depth adjustment (the seat is fixed at 46 cm deep) or a soft seat: mesh feels firm at first. One French owner around 1.75 m tall also finds the headrest a little low even at its highest setting.

Best budget pick: Sihoo M18

The M18 is a popular first ergonomic chair, and it shares the M57's best idea: a lumbar pad that adjusts both up and down and in and out. The back is breathable mesh, the seat is a W-shaped foam cushion, the headrest moves 10 cm and pivots 45 degrees, and the back reclines to 126 degrees. Sihoo rates it for 150 kg (330 lb) with a 3-year warranty.

The savings show in the armrests, which only move up and down, and in the simpler tilt. In the US it costs noticeably less than the M57. In France the two were priced about the same when we checked, and then the M57 is the better buy.

Sihoo / Chair

Sihoo M18 Ergonomic Chair (Black)

Setuplify score: 7.2/10

A budget ergonomic chair with a mesh back, a padded seat, a two-way adjustable lumbar pad and a tilting headrest.

Ergonomic mesh

$169.99Check priceat Sihoo(Affiliate link)

Skip it if you type with your forearms on the armrests and need them closer or further away, or you run warm: the foam seat holds more heat than the mesh back.

Longest warranty: IKEA MARKUS

The MARKUS has been IKEA's default office chair for years, and it is certified for business use (ANSI/BIFMA and EN 1335). You get a tall mesh back with a padded headrest, a built-in lumbar pad, synchronized tilt with tension adjustment and a three-position tilt lock. The castors lock when nobody is sitting on it, and the 10-year warranty is unusually long at this price. The seat goes from 46 to 57 cm high; the US version is tested for 276 lb, the European one for 110 kg.

IKEA / Chair

IKEA MARKUS Office Chair

Setuplify score: 7.6/10

IKEA's high-back office chair with a mesh back, built-in headrest and lumbar support, and a 10-year warranty.

Task chair

$299.99Check priceat IKEA(Affiliate link)

Skip it if you are much shorter or taller than average. The armrests are fixed hard loops, the lumbar pad does not move and the seat depth does not adjust, so the chair has to fit you as it comes. In the US it also costs more than the M57.

Best fabric chair: IKEA SMÖRKULL

If mesh feels too firm or too technical for your room, the SMÖRKULL is IKEA's upholstered answer. The high back and seat are covered in a dark gray fabric that zips off and goes in the washing machine, which is rare and useful. A lumbar support is shaped into the back, the synchronized tilt sets its tension automatically from your weight, a three-position lock holds the angle you like, and the armrests move up and down. Like the MARKUS, it is rated for business use and has a 10-year warranty, and it was the cheapest IKEA pick here when we checked.

IKEA / Chair

IKEA SMÖRKULL Office Chair with Armrests (Gräsnäs Dark Gray)

Setuplify score: 7.2/10

An upholstered IKEA office chair with a high back, built-in lumbar support, height-adjustable armrests and a 10-year warranty.

Upholstered

$199.99Check priceat IKEA(Affiliate link)

Skip it if you want a headrest (there is none) or adjustable lumbar support. Owners also describe a firm seat.

Cheapest in France: Amazon Basics high-back mesh chair

Sold only on Amazon.fr, the Amazon Basics high-back mesh chair (it used to carry the Movian name) has more adjustments than most chairs at its price: the headrest, the armrests and even the seat depth adjust, and the tilt senses your weight and locks in two positions. Seat and back are padded mesh on a nylon frame and base, and it is certified to the EN 1335-2 and BIFMA office chair standards. Amazon rates it for 125 kg.

Amazon Basics / Chair

Amazon Basics Ergonomic High-Back Mesh Office Chair (Gray)

Setuplify score: 6.2/10

Amazon's own high-back mesh chair with an adjustable headrest, seat depth and armrests and a weight-sensing tilt, sold in France.

Ergonomic mesh

Not available in United StatesNot available in United States

Skip it if you sit at your desk ten hours a day. The listing does not say how far the lumbar support adjusts, the base is nylon rather than metal, owners give it a middling 3.7 out of 5, and only Amazon's legal two-year guarantee applies.

Worth stretching for: Sihoo Doro C300 and C300 Pro

If your budget can move a little, the Sihoo Doro C300 is the step that changes the most. It is our best office chair for most people: all mesh, a lumbar pad that follows your spine on its own, a recline that sets its resistance from your weight, and 4D armrests that move with the backrest. The Doro C300 Pro adds what the C300 lacks for long days: an adjustable seat depth, a larger seat and armrests with six adjustments.

Sihoo / Chair

Sihoo Doro C300 Ergonomic Chair

Setuplify score: 8.0/10

An all-mesh ergonomic chair with self-adjusting lumbar support, 4D armrests and a weight-sensing recline, at a mid-range price.

Ergonomic mesh

$279.99Check priceat Sihoo(Affiliate link)

Skip it if you sit only a few hours a day, or you know your back needs firm lumbar support you can place yourself: the M57 and M18 let you move the pad, the Doro's automatic pad does not.

Set up a budget chair properly

A cheap chair set up well beats an expensive one set up badly:

1. Seat height first. Feet flat on the floor, knees at about hip height. If your desk forces the chair up, add a footrest such as the IKEA ÖVNING.
2. Lumbar in the curve. On the M57 and M18, slide the pad to the curve of your lower back and push it in until you feel it, not more.
3. Armrests level with the desk, or lowered out of the way if they are fixed and too high.
4. Recline unlocked for reading and calls, locked upright for typing.

Our ergonomic desk setup guide walks through the rest of the desk, from desk height to the monitor.

Quick summary

• Most people on a budget: Sihoo M57.
• Cheapest with adjustable lumbar (US): Sihoo M18.
• Ten-year warranty, simple and proven: IKEA MARKUS.
• Fabric, washable cover: IKEA SMÖRKULL.
• Lowest price in France: Amazon Basics high-back mesh chair.
• A little more for all-day comfort: Sihoo Doro C300, or the C300 Pro for seat depth.

Building a student room? Our student setup pairs a budget chair with the rest of the desk. Gamers on a budget can also look at our best gaming chairs, and the Amber Den setup shows the MARKUS in a real room. Try a chair in the Setup Builder or browse all chairs.