There are many Office Chairs on the Australian market. And it can be challenging to find the best Chair for your home office. These chairs, come with various features and functionalities that drive their pricing up the more sophisticated they get.
To save you time and mental energy, we categorised office chairs based on their price range to help find the best for your budget. Overall, we have high-end, mid-range, low-end and cheap office chairs. Let’s dig deeper.
1. High-End Office Chairs
The best quality and the highest price range are found in this category of office chairs. High-end chairs are highly durable; they last long and come with very generous warranties of 5 to 10 years. They have quality replaceable parts that are sturdily constructed and feature exquisite designs and ergonomic properties.
High-end office chairs are the perfect combination of design and performance—their construction exudes comfort and class. Deciding to buy a high-end office chair goes beyond the price, it is about exclusiveness and extreme flexibility. The price range of these top-quality office chairs typically starts from $1,000 and can go as high as $2,500.
Examples of High-End Office chairs
- Herman Miller Cosm
- Elite Office X-Ergo Range
2. Mid-Range Office Chairs
The mid-range is the best value-for-money office chair. They have prices that range between $450 to $1,000. Most often, the differences between these chairs and the high-end ones are not so much. The difference mostly lies in the number of ergonomic features or adjustability, and building material choice. Still, they are comfortable and excellent in design.
Mid-range chairs have good ergonomic features such as adjustable seat pans, armrests, lumbar support and recline tension. The common tilt mechanism in this group is the weight-sensitive mechanism. They also come with a good warranty, typically around 5+ years.
Examples of Mid-Range Office Chairs
- Desky Pro+ Ergonomic Chair
- Buro Tidal Mesh Back Chair
- Ergotune Supreme V3 Office Chair
3. Low-End Office Chairs
Chairs in this group have basic features and designs. Extra ergonomic features like adjustable lumbar support are usually absent. For those that have, the lumbar support is unadjustable. Low-end office chairs barely come with an exquisite design. Albeit you will find some like the SIHOO M57 that do a good job at balancing pricing with design.
They are also built with inexpensive materials; hence, their low pricing. They have a low warranty that averages 3 or fewer years since they are mostly designed to be disposable after a few years. The centre-tilt mechanism is common in this class of office chairs. The price of low-end office chairs ranges between $250 to $450.
We do not generally recommend low-end office chairs due to their limited flexibility. But if you must, the examples below excellently stand out in the category.
Examples of Low-End Office Chairs
- NOUHAS Posture Ergonomic Chair
- SIHOO M57 Ergonomic Office Chair
4. Cheap Office Chairs
There are office chairs below the low-end baseline. Cheap office chairs have prices that fall below $250. These chairs are devoid of ergonomic features or any aesthetic value, they are just for sitting. Their extremely low prices are due to the very basic quality materials that are used in making them.
Chairs in this category are mass-produced and commonly seen in workplaces with a huge number of workers needing to sit for a few hours. They are in no way suitable for long hours of sitting, and we do not recommend them due to their lack of ergonomic features. They can predispose to back aches and discomfort if used for long hours.
You'll find desk stools and chairs within this price range that offer better ergonomics than cheap office chairs. If your work schedule requires that you sit at your desk for less than three or four hours, choose a desk stool instead.
Summary of Office Chair Price Range
Overview of chair pricing in Australia.
| High-End | Mid-Range | Low-End | Cheap | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ergonomics | High | High | Moderate | None |
| Aesthetics | Extreme | High | Minimal | None |
| Design / Build | Top Quality | Quality | Average | Basic |
| Pricing | High | Medium | Low | Cheap |
| Warranty | 10+ | 5 - 10 | 1 - 5 | 1 - 3 |
Factors That Affect the Price of Office Chairs
The prices of office chairs vary based on some factors. These factors include the building materials, the ergonomic features, and the manufacturer, among others. We look at all these below.
#1 - Material and Design Quality
The price of a chair is significantly influenced by the quality of the chair and the materials used to create it. Often, high-end chairs constructed of premium materials cost more than chairs made of less expensive materials. A move away from high-end chairs sees a consequent drop in price and material quality.
The design quality is equally directly proportional to the chair price. High-end chairs are designed to offer the best comfort and be sightly pleasing to the users. Hence, they are more highly-priced than low-end or cheap office chairs with no aesthetic features.
#2 - Ergonomics and Adjustability
The price of an office chair is also influenced by its ergonomic features. The cost of chairs with advanced ergonomic features, such as lumbar support, seat depth, tilt recline, adjustable armrests, and adjustable height, are typically higher. These are important features that make the chair comfortable for long hours of work—think 8+ hours daily.
Office chairs without ergonomic features are generally cheap since they cost less to be produced. Ergonomics and adjustability in office chairs are costly additions by the manufacturer, and as such, drive up the selling price. These features are directly associated with the level of comfort the office chair can offer.
#3 - Brand Reputation
Office chair prices are likely to be higher for well-known and reputable brands than for lesser-known or emerging ones. This is especially true for brands that have established a reputation for quality and dependability.
There are brands that have classed themselves as premium producers, while some have targeted the low ends of the market by producing cheap products. Brands like IKEA have a lot of cheap and low-end office chairs while Herman Miller for instance is known for high-end chairs.
#4 - Warranty Policy
When purchasing office chairs, the warranty policy is another factor that contributes to the price. The longer the warranty, the higher the price of the chair. High-end chairs have the longest warranty of over 10 years and they are also the most expensive and durable option.
The manufacturer will determine the warranty based on the quality of materials and design of the chair. It is not a surprise that as the quality drops, so is the warranty and ultimately the price. When choosing an ergonomic chair, the warranty often is a gauge of the quality of the product.
What Chair Price Is Good for Me?
Making a purchase decision in isolation based on pricing alone is not a wise step. An office chair should be considered against other factors like purpose, frequency of use, ergonomics, etc. Our detailed office chair buying guide goes in-depth on everything you must consider.
The rule of thumb is to take time to evaluate office chairs based on your budget to find the best choice. The examples we included are some of the best options in each category, and you can start from there. We also have a detailed read of the best ergonomic office chairs which includes these chair options to learn more about them.
Bear in mind that prices are good indicators of the quality of an office chair; you get what you pay for. So, don't choose price over good value.
