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If you’re looking for a new office chair but have a limited budget you need to stick to, there are many options available. Whether you’re working in an office or working from home, your chair is an important part of your workday.
This guide will help you decide which one might be right for you. These are six of our favorite budget office chairs that are under $50. These desk chairs provide maximum value for their price.
The 6 Best Budget Office Chairs Under $50 for Your Home Office
- Furmax Mid Back Office Chair
- Yaheetech Ergonomic Mesh Office Chair
- BestOffice Ergonomic Office Chair
- OFM Essentials Collection Armless Upholstered Desk Chair
- AmazonBasics Low-Back Desk Chair
- Direct Ergonomic Office Chair
What makes them good options? We’ll, we’ve tested them and even use some of them daily. Additionally, others who have spent time sitting in the chairs and using them have good things to say.
Let’s take a closer look at each of these to see why they’re the best office chairs on a budget.
Table of Contents
This is my top choice for the best budget office chair under $50. It’s the one I’m currently using and I’ve found it to far outclass its price — I think it’s more comfortable than many chairs three or four times it’s cost. I’ve had this chair for over six months and it’s proved to be comfortable, supportive, and durable.
The Furmax Mid Back has good ergonomic and lumbar support which sets it apart from many budget office chairs. I’ve found the mesh back coupled with the plastic lumbar supports work particularly well for this chair. One downside is that the arms are not adjustable in any way. The desk chair supports up to 250 lbs and has 360 degree swivel wheels.
It has a modern office design and it comes in 9 different colors. It’s on wheels and you can recline in it, lock the recline position, and adjust the chair’s height. Overall, it’s everything you’d want.
Related: Best High Back Office Chairs
KEY FEATURES:
- Adjustable recline feature
- Ergonomic lumbar support
- Breathable mesh material
- 360 degree swivel wheels
SPECIFICATIONS:
- Weight: 25lbs
- Dimensions: 23.2 x 11 x 22.8 inches
- Supports up to 250lbs
- 9 colors
Pros
Cons
- Lumbar support
- Breathable mesh back
- Adjustable recline feature
- Variety of color options
- Arms are not adjustable
This is my second choice for a great office chair that won’t break your budget. It’s similar in style and features to the Furmax chair with an ergonomic design and lumbar support. While I tested this chair, I don’t own it so I can’t speak to its durability. However, reviews generally say that it holds up.
The chair has a soft, thick cushion which is always good if you’re sitting for long hours at a time. I found that it was easy to put together and feels sturdy and it’s lightweight so it’s easy to move around the home or office and rolls well on multiple surfaces. You can adjust the office chair’s height and it also can be reclined.
This chair comes in three colors, including the classic black. It looks stylish and offers good lumbar support and supports up to 250 pounds. However, the arms are not adjustable. If I didn’t already have a Furmax chair, I’d get this one in a heartbeat.
Related: Best Armless Desk Chairs
KEY FEATURES:
- High density foam
- Height adjustable seat
- Ergonomic backrest design
- Reclinable
SPECIFICATIONS:
- High density foam
- Height adjustable seat
- Ergonomic backrest design
- Reclinable
Pros
Cons
- Lumbar support
- Stylish
- Easy to put together
- Arms are not adjustable
Now, I wouldn’t choose an office chair without arms for myself, but this one made me reconsider. It’s ergonomically designed, lightweight, and rolls easily on hardwood and carpet.
Like our top two picks for budget desk chairs, this office chair has a mesh back that is breathable. However, it lacks the additional lumbar support. It’s smaller in size so do take that into consideration — it’ll be great for some spaces and some people and not as much for others. It supports up to 250 lbs.
The cushion is a little thinner than the others and I could notice it after a full day of testing. However, this chair is easy to put together and comes in five different colors. It has adjustable height but does not recline.
KEY FEATURES:
- Durable breathable mesh
- Adjustable height
- 360 degree swivel wheels
SPECIFICATIONS:
- Durable breathable mesh
- Adjustable height
- 360 degree swivel wheels
Pros
Cons
- Easy to put together
- Ergonomic design
- No additional lumbar support
- Thinner cushion
This desk chair is great if you’re looking for something basic, inexpensive, and solid. It’s a little wider than other chairs by a couple of inches which makes it a top choice if that’s a feature you need. Additionally, it has a low back and it’s got a upholstered cover which looks stylish.
The chair rolls well and fits well into different desks and spaces. The chair height is adjustable but otherwise there isn’t much you can do. This office chair doesn’t recline and offers little lumbar support.
It supports up to 250 lbs, is on wheels, and comes in black.
Read more: Best Standing Desks for a Home Office
KEY FEATURES:
- Upholstered
- Adjustable height
- 360 degree swivel wheels
SPECIFICATIONS:
- Dimensions: 27.2 x 22.8 x 37.8 inches
- Supports up to 250 lbs
Pros
Cons
- Wider design
- Stylish
- Lack of lumbar support
- Not very adjustable
This is another good option for a low back office chair. I found this chair to be lightweight, compact, and surprisingly comfortable for its simple style.
It rolls decently and can support up to 225 pounds. It has an adjustable height but not much adjustment for the back. The cushion was pretty comfortable, even after testing for a full day.
The chair has a mesh back so it’s breathable and it’s pretty compact so you can make it work for just about any space. It was easy to set up and the height is easy to adjust. However, there isn’t any additional lumbar support. Overall, like the name says, it’s a good basic option.
KEY FEATURES:
- Adjustable height
- Mesh covered seat and back
- 360 degree swivel wheels
SPECIFICATIONS:
- Weight: 16.75 lbs
- Dimensions: 18.7 x 17.7 x 38.2 inches
- Supports up to 225 lbs
Pros
Cons
- Compact
- Easy to assemble
- Doesn’t support as much weight as other chairs
- Back isn’t adjustable
Last on our list of office chairs under $50 is this one from Direct. It has a similar style to the Furmax and the Yaheetech. Like the Yaheetech, it comes in a variety of different colors — great if that’s something you’re looking for in a chair.
The back is mesh and there is some lumbar support. I found it wasn’t quite as supportive as the Furmax. The seat cushion is made of a spongey, dense material and was pretty comfortable. After a full day’s use I wasn’t really feeling any discomfort.
Overall, we found this to be a good chair at the price. However, it was a little difficult to set up. Some of the assembly was unnecessarily complicated and some customer reviews said that parts don’t line up (we didn’t have that experience).
KEY FEATURES:
- Adjustable height, mesh back
- Comes in a variety of colors
- Lumbar support
SPECIFICATIONS:
- Weight: 23.8 lbs
- Dimensions: 22 x 22 x 40 inches
Pros
Cons
- Compact
- Easy to assemble
- Doesn’t support as much weight as other chairs
- Back isn’t adjustable
Getting a that you can sit in for long periods of time is key for anyone’s workday. As someone who has worked from home and in an office, I’ve had a lot of good chairs and a lot of bad chairs. These are some of my favorites that fall under $50 and what I think are the best office chairs on a budget.
Related: Best Office Chairs Under $100
What to look for when buying a budget office chair
As I said, there are a lot of bad chairs out there, especially when you’re on a tight budget and need to make the most of your money. Here’s what I kept in mind when I was shopping for a chair under $50:
What factor matters most to you?
The reality with a cheaper desk chair is that you probably won’t get all of the features you want. While the chairs in this list do the most with what they have, they don’t have every feature of an expensive chair. Determine what’s most important to you (cushion, material, arms, lumbar support, style, etc.) and go from there.
Always check for quality
One of the pitfalls of buying any cheap product is not having it last. Make sure the item is quality so that you’ll get use out of it for a long time. I’ve had my Furmax chair for a couple years now — that’s a great return for a chair that cost me less than $50.
Comfort should be king
While different factors have different importance to each of us, if you’re using a chair for work and sitting at it for hours each day, you need it to be comfortable. You shouldn’t be in pain after a day of sitting in it. If you do, it’s probably not the right chair for you.
How We Review: Our Office Chair Ratings Methodology
At Overheard on Conference Calls, we take pride in how we review office chairs. Our team of office chair experts spend hours researching and reviewing dozens of products before they even start writing their review or article. Our goal is to bring you honest and unbiased information to help you make an informed choice that will be the best for you. Our recommendations are not for sale and they are not influenced by any of the manufacturers we review.
When reviewing an office chair, there are numerous factors we analyze to determine our recommendations. Here are our four most important:
- Comfort: Comfort is key to a good office chair. It’s likely you’ll be sitting in it for hours so you’ll want something that won’t cause you aches and pains after hours of use. We gauge comfort by testing for 4+ hours as well as looking at the thickness of the seat cushion and its material.
- Durability: Not all office chairs are built the same. Our durability factor looks at the quality of the materials and how sturdy the chair is after assembly. Because we have a limited tested period, we also conduct customer research of longtime users.
- Lumbar Support: While this is an ergonomic feature, we made this its own separate rating factor because of how important it is to your overall posture, health, and comfort. We analyze each chair for its lumbar support or lack thereof.
- Ergonomic Features: In addition to lumbar support, we also look at other ergonomic features such as the armrests, height adjustment, reclining, seat ergonomics, and more. The better it is for your ergonomics and the more features/adjustability, the better.
Why isn’t price included on that list? Fair question! We do consider price in the order of our recommendations but because everyone has their own budget in mind, we won’t rule a chair in or out just because it has premium or budget price.
Our team has researched and reviewed hundreds of chairs and we’re confident in our recommendations. We strive to only recommend the best products and we periodically refresh our reviews and rankings.
