WIRED’s updated guide to the best office chairs 2026 puts Branch’s $499 Ergonomic Chair Pro at the top for most home offices, after its reviewers tested about 70 chairs over more than seven years. The ranking matters because office chairs are one of those boring purchases that become very exciting the first time your back starts filing complaints.
WIRED says gear editor Julian Chokkattu has personally tested more than 60 chairs, with reviewer Mathew Korfhage and other staff adding roughly a dozen more. The publication says many of its leading picks were tried by multiple people with different heights and body types, which is the least gimmicky way to test furniture that has to fit actual humans.
The August 2026 update adds the LiberNovo Omni Pro to WIRED’s top selections, moves the Staples Essentials task chair into an honorable mention slot, updates pricing and links, removes discontinued models, and adds more context on lumbar support, according to WIRED.
What is the best office chair in 2026?
WIRED’s answer is the Branch Ergonomic Chair Pro, which it chose as the best home office chair for most people. The publication cited its mix of price, build, comfort, ergonomic features, and adjustability.
The Chair Pro costs $499 and includes armrests that move vertically, forward and back, angle inward or outward, and shift wider or narrower to fit different bodies, according to WIRED. The seat depth can be changed for shorter or taller users, the back can lock upright or at several recline positions, and the lumbar support can be set deeper or shallower.
WIRED’s testers also noted a mesh backrest, a foam cushion, an aluminum base, smooth-rolling casters on hardwood, a seven-year warranty, and upholstery choices including mesh, bouclé, vegan leather, and leather. The complaint list is shorter: Chokkattu found the recline tension knob did little. Taller buyers may need Branch’s $29 tall cylinder, according to the review.
Which other office chairs did WIRED recommend?
For buyers willing to spend far more, WIRED named the Steelcase Gesture its premium pick. The chair is listed at $1,510 on Amazon and $2,075 from Steelcase, with a 12-year warranty and a 400-pound maximum capacity. Chokkattu praised its adjustable lumbar support, easy assembly, flexible armrests, and unusually useful headrest, while warning that the all-foam design may run warm and that upholstery wear has been reported after years of use.
WIRED’s budget pick is the Branch Ergonomic Chair, listed at $389 on Amazon and $369 from Branch. It was WIRED’s previous top choice before the Pro replaced it. The older model still offers adjustable armrests, seat depth adjustment, recline lock, lumbar support, color options, and an optional headrest, according to WIRED. Chokkattu, who is 6 feet 4 inches tall, found it comfortable, as did his 5-foot-1 partner. The tradeoffs: no forward tilt, no tall-cylinder option, pet hair cling, and some pilling on the seat fabric.
The most expensive highlighted pick is the Herman Miller Embody, which WIRED frames as its long-haul chair and lists at $2,255 from Herman Miller. WIRED also says its broader guide includes choices across budgets, including a Staples chair previously treated more prominently and now listed as an honorable mention.
What makes an office chair ergonomic?
An ergonomic chair is adjustable enough to fit the person sitting in it, rather than forcing that person to adapt to a fixed plastic throne. WIRED points to lumbar support, seat-depth control, armrest adjustment, recline settings, and breathable materials as features that can affect comfort during long desk sessions.
WIRED discloses that its editors independently select featured products, but the publication may receive compensation from retailers or from purchases made through its links. That does not invalidate the testing, but it is useful context before treating any shopping guide as holy writ.
This story draws on original reporting from WIRED.
