The 5 Best Office Chairs for Wide Hips in 2023

Choosing the Best Ergonomic Office Chair for Wide Hips – What to Consider

When choosing an office chair, you should never base your decision solely based on looks. You have to consider numerous other vital factors to pick a chair that fully meets your needs and expectations. Below are some of the essential things to consider.

Chair Dimensions

To begin with, the first thing you should check when looking for an office chair for wide hips is its dimensions, seat width in particular. Ergonomic office chairs built for wide hips are usually at least 27 inches wide. However, the widest chairs can be up to 32 inches wide. To ensure that the chair you are thinking about buying can accommodate you, the best thing to do is to measure your body’s width from hip to hip. Additionally, if you are tall, consider options with a high backrest.

Material

Wide seat office chairs are made from a variety of materials. Most of these chairs are made from synthetic leather, easy to clean and polish. On the other hand, most ergonomic wide office chairs are made from fabric and mesh, which can absorb stains and moisture and are generally more challenging to maintain. If you’re looking for breathable mesh options, check out our list of the best mesh office chairs.

Weight Capacity

The maximum weight capacity determines how much weight a certain desk chair can handle. People with wide hips are usually heavier than slim people; therefore, they should consider options with a high weight capacity. Luckily almost all wide seat office chairs have a heavy-duty weight capacity. We recommend choosing an office chair that can handle at least 400 lbs.

Adjustable Features

Another factor to look out for is adjustable features. Most office chairs have some sort of adjustable parts, but only some are fully ergonomic. For maintaining a healthy posture, the most vital feature is adjustable lumbar support. Other helpful adjustable features to look for include adjustable headrests, armrests, backrest recline, seat depth, tilt mechanism, and recline tension control. The more adjustable features a desk chair has, the more users can customize it to their body shapes needs.

Reviews

Online reviews are something that many online shoppers often forget about. They give you an insight into what previous buyers think about a home office chair. For best results, we recommend only choosing chairs with a positive overall review rating and a large amount of total unique reviews (at least 100).

Manufacturer’s Warranty

For some, the manufacturers’ warranty is the most crucial aspect when looking for office equipment online. The warranty will cover the buyer in the event of chair failure. Most brands would offer you a refund, repair service, or a replacement if the failure happened within the warranty-covered period. The longer the warranty the better. We recommend going for wide seat chairs covered by a warranty that’s at least five years long although you only get that with premium brands.

The Pros and Cons of Wide Seat Office Chairs

As with all office chair types, wide seat office chairs have their advantages and disadvantages. Let’s start by going through the pros below.

Pros of Wide Seat Office Chairs:

• Suitable For Plus-Size Users – Because of their size in terms of width and height, wide-seat office chairs are suitable for plus-size and tall users. They are about 6-10 inches wider than regular office chairs.
• High Weight Capacity – The majority of office chairs for wide hips have heavy-duty weights capacities between 400-500 lbs. That’s about 150 lbs more than regular office chairs.
• Affordable Price – You can find affordable computer chairs for wide hips; many are priced below $300 and some even below $200. However, if you want a premium-brand office chair, expect to pay more.
• Ergonomic Capabilities – Adjustable features such as lumbar support, 3D armrests, adjustable headrests, etc., are not uncommon with wide office chairs. These ergonomic features help users maintain the correct posture, which has many health benefits, including reduced back pain and neck pain.
• Easy Maintenance – Most task chairs made for wide hips are made from synthetic or genuine leather. Leather office chairs are known to be very easy to clean as they don’t absorb moisture or stains.

Cons of Wide Seat Office Chairs:

• Shorter Warranties – Compared with regular home office chairs, the warranties provided by most wide seat office chairs are generally shorter (1-2 years). This may be because the brands think wide users are heavier and more likely to damage the chair, which is not always the case. Steelcase is perhaps the only brand that can provide a wide office chair covered by an extra-long warranty. 

Final Thoughts

In summary, investing in an office chair specially built for your body shape is certainly a wise idea. After all, you are working sitting down for long hours, so making sure you’re comfortable is vital. If we had to recommend one chair from our list of best office chairs for wide hips, it would be the Steelcase Leap Series. Mainly because of the high quality construction, the durability of the chair,  and the outstanding warranty.

If you struggle to sit down for these extended hours, consider investing in a standing desk. Standing desks allow users to regulate the desk height to switch between standing and sitting throughout their working day; additionally, they come with many physical and mental benefits.

Before you go, don’t forget to thoroughly read the things to consider section of this guide and carefully check the width of your chosen chair so that it perfectly suits your body width. Thanks for reading. We hope that our guide has helped you find the ideal chair for you. If you have any inquiries or comments, feel free to contact us. Below you can find some of the frequently asked questions about office chairs for wide hips.

FAQs

Which office chair is the widest?

Our extensive market research found that the Steelcase Leap Plus Series is the widest office chair on the market, measuring 31.75 inches wide. That’s almost enough to accommodate two slim people.

Why do some chairs cause hip pain?

Some chairs are too small for wide hips, which can cause pain over time. However, people mainly experience hip pain because of incorrect sitting positions and simply sitting for too long. To balance the time spent sitting and standing, we recommend trying adjustable standing desks.

Are wide seat office chairs expensive?

Generally, wide seat office chairs are relatively affordable, with options starting at $200. The average price is around $300. However, if you want a premium-brand wide-seat office chair, expect to pay at least $800.