The best desk chair under £200 that will protect your back

Protect your back and your wallet with these comfortable and affordable options.

Woman working from home on the best desk chair

by Eleanor Weaver |
Updated on

With more of us working from home than ever before, finding a quality desk chair that provides you with all the padding, support, tilts, and adjustments to make your time whittling away at work as comfortable as possible is a necessity. But add a price cap - we'll say £200 - and your options become extremely limited if you want the best support for your money. Luckily, we've done the hard work and found the best desk chair under £200 that'll not only look good in your home but keep you supported. You won't need to break the bank, or strain your back in the process!

Working from home has us sitting more than ever, and studies have suggested that prolonged periods of sitting can pose a risk to your health, adding tension and stress to the neck, spine, and back. This can have a prolonged effect on your posture and potentially lead to chronic pain and premature degeneration with the discs being compressed in your spine.

Black Friday deals on desk chairs under £200

We interrupt the regularly scheduled content to let you know that although Black Friday is over, there are still plenty of discounts to take advantage of, including a whole host of Black Friday deals on desk chairs. Want to grab a bargain? These are the retailers that still have the best deals live, or keep scrolling to continue reading our buyer’s guide.

Shop the best desk chair Black Friday deals: Amazon UK | The Range | Wayfair | Posturite | Very | Argos

Save £30 with voucher: BASETBL Executive Office Chair, WAS £119.99, NOW £84.99
Save 20%: COMHOMA Desk Chair, WAS £99.99, NOW £79.99
Save 20%: Hbada Ergonomic Desk Chair, WAS £199.99, NOW £159.99

As well as reducing your sitting time and taking the opportunity to move during the day, even if it's just for one or two minutes, choosing an ergonomic chair will help prevent poor posture and support the spine. It'll help to ease the seated suffering you may already be experiencing and make for a much more comfortable, less stressful, and healthier working day.

With the surge in home working, plenty of desk chairs have popped up across the market. However, it's hard to sift through all the options, especially when comfort isn't guaranteed! Many people assume that 'ergonomic' means a chair has to be expensive - but that doesn't need to be the case! We've found the best desk chairs under £200 that'll not only look good, but they'll also be a treat to sit in. Already got a desk chair and just need to improve your back support? Check out our pick of the best back supports for office chairs to alleviate back pain as you work.

Best desk chair under £200 at a glance

• Best small desk chair: Life Carver Mesh Middle Back Office Chair
• Best desk chair with foldable arms: Flash Furniture Ergonomic Office Chair
• Best high back desk chair: Habitat Alma High Back Ergonomic Office Chair
• Best desk chair with flip up arms: Hbada Ergonomic Desk Chair
• Best luxe office chair for under £200: Habitat Alvar Faux Leather Office Chair

Best desk chair under £200

Best small desk chair

Life Carver Mesh Middle Back Office Chair
Price: £49.99

Description

This breathable mesh-backed Life Carver Mesh Middle Back Office Chair is ideal for casual use in

Pros

  • Great value for money
  • Curved lumbar support

Cons

  • Some may prefer a seat with armrests

Best high back desk chair

Description

Pretty in pink or grey if that's more your style, this gorgeous Habitat Alma High Back Ergonomic

Pros

  • Includes tilt, swivel and local mechanism
  • Mounted on castors for easy mobility

Cons

  • Self assembly required

Best colourful desk chair

On Sale

Tate Mesh Back Desk Chair
Price: £60.99 (was £64.99)

www.wayfair.co.uk

Description

While the armrests may be fixed, you can get great support and adjustability with this Tate Mesh

Pros

  • Available in orange, blue, white and black
  • Ergonomic lumbar support

Cons

  • Some reviewers found the chair to be narrow

Best desk chair with flip up arms

On Sale

Hbada Ergonomic Desk Chair

Rrp: £199.99

Price: £159.99

Description

The Hbada Ergonomic Desk Chair's S-shaped mesh backrest offers great lumbar support that mimics

Pros

  • Backrest fits the shape of the human spine
  • Armrests can be folded up 90° to help you save space when not in use

Cons

  • Some reviewers wished the armrests were more padded

Best luxe office chair for under £200

Save 20% with code FURN20

Description

Are you looking for a more luxe-looking desk chair for your office? This one from Habitat is a

Pros

  • Looks sophisticated
  • Tilt, lift and swivel capabilities

Cons

  • Some reviewers felt the seat could have been a little wider

Best casual desk chair

Description

Combining old-time charm with cosy comfort, this ANYDAY John Lewis and Partners Hinton Office

Pros

  • Armrests lift up so you can neatly tuck the chair under your desk
  • Added lumbar support

Cons

  • May not be the best option for someone working from home full time

Best desk chair for preventing neck strain

Description

Offering the perfect combination of executive sophistication and everyday comfort, the Habitat

Pros

  • Adjustable arms
  • Available in black and grey

Cons

  • Has a user weight limit of 110kg so may not be suitable for those over this weight

Best desk chair for full body support

On sale

COMHOMA Desk Chair

Rrp: £99.99

Price: £79.99

Description

If you're limited on space, you'll be pleased to know you can flip the arms up on this chair so

Pros

  • Seat is designed with a waterfall edge to take pressure off your legs
  • Curved backrest for ergonomic support

Cons

  • You may need two people for the assembly, as some reviewers mentioned it was hard to put together on their own

FAQs: Best desk chair under £200

Our verdict: what is the best affordable desk chair?

The best affordable desk chair really does depend on your budget. If you're looking for a chair that's cheap but comfortable and supportive, the Life Carver Mesh Middle Back Office Chair is great value at less than £50. The backrest features a curved contour line and lumbar support to keep your back comfortable and you can adjust the height to get it in the perfect position for sitting at your desk. You may prefer to have a desk chair that has armrests though.

If you've got a little more to spend, we'd recommend the Hbada Ergonomic Desk Chair. It's the best desk chair under £200 for anyone that needs to sit at their desk for long periods of time. It has adjustable height sitting as well as a reclining function, plus the armrests can be folded up to save room when you're not using it. We also love how it has a thick seat, which will be comfortable for sitting on all day and relieve the pressure on your hips.

What to look for in a desk chair

While it might seem necessary, it is actually important to remember that padding isn’t everything when looking for comfort in an office chair. While an extravagantly padded chair might seem like the obvious choice for back and body comfort, such a design is likely to set you up for an unpleasant time. The padding will store up body heat and paired with an unbreathable material, the chair will become increasingly uncomfortable over time.

For these reasons, contemporary office chairs tend to focus on utilising meshes, breathable materials, and ergonomic shaping to provide a high standard of comfort that can accommodate extended use throughout the day. Another benefit of mesh backing is that, unlike traditional padding, its bounce and comfort don’t degrade over time.

What is the best height, width and depth for an office chair?

According to Spine-Health, seat height that ranges from about 16 to 21 inches off the floor should work for most people. This will allow you to have your feet flat on the floor, with your thighs horizontal and your arms even with the height of your desk.

The standard seat width is usually 17 to 20 inches while the depth needs to be enough so you can sit with your back against the backrest of your chair while leaving approx. two-four inches between the back of your knees and the seat.

Eleanor Weaver is the Deputy Homes & Garden Product Editor for Yours, specialising in home décor, furnishings and appliances. Having worked commercially on Yours magazine and Yours.co.uk for the past six years, she's previously hosted Yours Live events and loves looking for home inspiration online.

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