Best Office Chairs for Lower Back Pain: A Buying Guide

Back pain is one of the most common medical problems in the United States, and the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) lists a sedentary job as a possible risk factor, especially when posture is poor or you sit all day in an uncomfortable chair. MedlinePlus says it affects 8 out of 10 people at some point in their lives.

Sudden (acute) back pain usually lasts a few days to a few weeks, according to NIAMS, and MedlinePlus describes chronic back pain as lasting more than three months. A chair is one part of the picture, alongside movement, strength and general health.

NIAMS advises getting up and moving during long periods of sitting and changing positions often, and it recommends avoiding bed rest in favor of limiting only the activities that hurt. MedlinePlus similarly warns that staying in bed for more than 1 or 2 days can make back pain worse.

In practice that means a chair should make it easy to shift between upright and slightly reclined postures, not lock you into one position. OSHA makes the same point in its workstation guidance: change position often with small chair adjustments, stretching and short walks.

OSHA's computer workstation guidance describes a chair with a height adjustable lumbar support that can be fitted to the small of your back, a backrest that reclines at least 15 degrees from vertical and locks or has adjustable tension, and a seat pan you can adjust for depth. Seat height is right when your feet rest flat on the floor and the back of your knees sit slightly higher than the seat.

None of this is a promise of relief. It is a checklist of adjustments that let a chair be matched to your body instead of the other way around, which is the same logic the ranked list on this page uses.

The picks above come from the back pain list, which includes only chairs whose listings state a lumbar support and some form of lumbar type or adjustment. Within that group, chairs are ordered by Ergo Score. The table shows lumbar support, lumbar adjustments and armrests side by side so you can see what each listing actually states.

Where a listing does not state a feature, the table says so. That is a gap in the listing, not proof the chair lacks it, so check the Amazon page before you buy.

• Lumbar support with a stated adjustment: the Ergo Score gives points for a lumbar support being present and further points for height, depth or tension adjustment, which maps to OSHA's advice that lumbar support fit the small of your back.
• Seat depth adjustment: the score awards 5 points for it, because OSHA wants the front edge of the seat clear of the back of the knee.
• Seat height range: the score gives 4 points for a stated adjustable seat height and 2 more for a range of 4 inches or more, so your feet can rest flat with the back of your knees slightly higher than the seat, as OSHA describes.
• Recline with tension control: points go to chairs whose backrest reclines to 100 degrees or more, plus tilt lock and tilt tension, so you can change position through the day.
• Adjustable armrests: OSHA says they should support the lower arms while the upper arms stay near the body and the shoulders stay relaxed; the score gives them up to 10 points.

1. Sit all the way back in the seat so your hips touch the backrest, then set the seat height until both feet rest flat on the floor.
2. Slide the lumbar support up or down until it fills the small of your back without pushing you forward.
3. Adjust seat depth, if available, so the seat edge does not touch the back of your knees, as OSHA advises.
4. Set the recline tension so the backrest follows you when you lean back, and use the lock for a position you want to hold.
5. Bring the armrests to a height that keeps your elbows close to your body and your shoulders loose.
6. Stand up, stretch or walk for a few minutes regularly; no chair setting replaces moving.

Talk to a health care provider if your back pain does not improve after a few weeks, or if it is severe or not relieved by medication. NIAMS also lists numbness or tingling, leg weakness or pain, trouble urinating, fever and unintended weight loss as reasons to seek care. MedlinePlus advises contacting a provider if the pain has not improved after three days. Contact a provider right away if you have back pain after a severe blow or fall, with an unexplained fever, with difficulty walking or keeping your balance, or if you lose control of your bladder or bowels or have weakness or numbness in your buttocks, thigh, leg or pelvis. MedlinePlus lists these as reasons to call your provider without waiting.

A better chair can help posture and comfort; it is not a medical treatment. If pain persists, see a healthcare provider. Rankings come from specifications; we have not tested these chairs in person.