Shopping Edit – the best office chairs to elevate your workspace

Add comfort and style to your space with the best office chair. They're almost guaranteed to turn heads...

MADE.com Revy Office Chair in blue velvet inside white home office with Berber rug and brass desk
(Image credit: Made)

Ah, the humble office chair. No longer created for solely comfort reasons, but a desk chair has the ability to turn even the most handsome of home offices from looking fab to drab. And vice versa! This is why it's important that you choose a new office chair from our list, as these attractive picks have been hand-selected by our Shopping Editor. 

Whether it's a modern office chair you have your eye on, or perhaps it's something with a practical and stylish edge? We've found everything from leather office chairs to striking velvet ones plus industrial-style chairs – and everything in between – below. Just take your pick and invest in the best desk chair now for maximum productivity and supreme finesse. 

These 10 designs are modern, practical and stylish. Have a glance below and give one of them a spin...

Visit our best desks shopping edit if you're in the market and are searching for something sumptuously handsome.

The best office chairs – as chosen by the Livingetc team

Livingetc knows design. We spend hours testing and comparing the latest products, bringing only our edit of the very best to you. Find out more about how we review.

1. Habitat's Alvar Faux Leather Office Chair

Habitat Alvar Faux Leather Office Chair

(Image credit: Habitat)

Habitat Alvar Faux Leather Office Chair | £85 at Habitat
The pinnacle of style and function but in the form of a desk chair, this faux leather buy from Habitat is both comfortable and stylish. Plus, there's the benefit that it has sturdy metal arms, it swivels and it's on wheels. It's even height adjustable. The seat is comfortable and wrapped in tan faux leather with a quilted finish. Not just to provide cosy protection from 9 until 5, but to ensure it looks the part in your office. Yes, please!

2. Made's Revy Office Chair

Made Revy Office Chair

(Image credit: Made)

Made Revy Office Chair | £279 at Made.com
Siting strikingly on one brass leg, this statement desk chair from Made isn't your average pick. The Revy makes it easy to make a statement in your home office – and to work comfortably. It's enveloped in a handsomely soft velvet cover which comes in your choice of four colourways. With a rounded back, it ought to offer the utmost support that you need while typing away, all while looking sophisticated at the same time. The best part? It's made using recycled materials! Win-win, we say.

3. Arne Jacobsen for Fritz Hansen Series 7 Swivel Chair

Arne Jacobsen for Fritz Hansen Series 7 Swivel Chair

(Image credit: Arne Jacobsen for Fritz Hansen)

Arne Jacobsen for Fritz Hansen Series 7 Swivel Chair | £1,740 at The Conran Shop
The striking silhouette of the swivel-based Series 7 3107 Chair was originally designed in 1955 by Arne Jacobsen, and has since become a design icon. The modern mid-century design remains timeless with a leather coat. Sitting sturdy on a steel swivel base, this office chair is also on wheels – plus, it's available in a variety of finishes to suit your home decor.

4. Soho Home Edwin Dining Chairs

Soho Home Edwin Dining Chairs

(Image credit: Soho Home)

Soho Home Edwin Dining Chairs | £595 at Soho Home (£506 for members)
A dining chair definitely can double as an office chair, especially when said dining chair looks this good. The Edwin from Soho Home is delightfully apt for a classic contemporary home. Handmade in Italy with a gorgeous rounded back and an ash wood frame, it even features a linen seat cushion. Lean back and start typing. 

5. Habitat Ari Office Chair

Habitat Ari Office Chair

(Image credit: Habitat)

Habitat Ari Office Chair | £70 at Habitat
You can't go wrong with a glass-effect office chair. Why? They are as charming as they are comfortable, surprisingly enough. They are also an indisputably brilliant addition to a small or busy room. This one from Habitat is even armless so that you can properly tuck it under your desk, while it emanates modern and minimalist vibes. Perched atop a metal frame for durability purposes, this perspex chair will be sure to stop your home office from looking overcrowded.

6. Dyke & Dean Revolving Armchair Kontor 503

Dyke & Dean Revolving Armchair Kontor 503

(Image credit: Dyke & Dean)

Dyke & Dean Revolving Armchair Kontor 503 | £443 at Dyke & Dean
Add an uplifting pop of energising colour to your home office space with this wood-stained revolving armchair. If you'd rather have something a little more understated, then opt for a natural wood finish. Its timber frame ensures this chair will last a lifetime in your home. How? This timber chair is dried for 3+ months, then saturated with 100ºC steam and finally, formed by hand into this delightful design. A striking addition to any home office.

7. Furniture123 Swivel Leather Chair Antique Ebony

Furniture123 Swivel Leather Chair Antique Ebony

(Image credit: Furniture123)

Furniture123 Swivel Leather Chair Antique Ebony | £479.97 at Furniture123
Boasting a relaxed yet sophisticated vibe, this office chair from Furniture123 would make the perfect addition to an industrial chic style office. A robust steel frame allows this desk chair to swivel, while it's bang on-trend. Simply enough, it ticks all our boxes. Comfortable? Definitely. Stylish? Absolutely. Durable? Without a doubt.

8. John Lewis & Partners Moritz Velvet Office Chair

John Lewis & Partners Moritz Velvet Office Chair

(Image credit: John Lewis & Partners)
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John Lewis & Partners Moritz Velvet Office Chair | £349 at John Lewis & Partners
If all else fails, John Lewis will always have your back (literally). A case in point is this velvet office chair. It's simple yet stylish, which means it will still allow that gorgeous desk of yours to shine. It's also comfortable since it's cocooned in a velvet fabric, with a rounded back, plus there's the benefit that it's armless so easy to tuck under your desk once you're finished with it. It can be adjusted by height to suit your desk size, and it swivels. All of this sits atop a striking black metal frame. What's not to love?

9. Dunelm's Connie Pleated Velvet Office Chair

Connie Pleated Velvet Office Chair

(Image credit: Dunelm)

Connie Pleated Velvet Office Chair | £139 at Dunelm
Inject some colour into your home office with help from Dunelm's Connie Chair. This pleated office chair brings the looks to any workspace, plus it's nice and comfortable with sloping yet rounded arms and a plush back and seat. The blush pink is also bang on-trend, and it works well paired with the opulent gold chrome finished base. Adjust the height of this chair, move around your office with ease thanks to the fact it's on wheels, and you can even spin around in circles to encourage a flow of thought. 

10. Nkuku Wamma Leather Desk Chair

Nkuku Wamma Leather Desk Chair

(Image credit: Nkuku )

Nkuku Wamma Leather Desk Chair | £495 at Nkuku
This Nkuku leather desk chair means business. With an alluring seat that's upholstered in dark chocolate brown leather and ribbed to nail the modern and industrial vibe, we love it. A thick black brushed metal frame also takes centre-stage, which boasts arms for your convenience. This leather chair is quite irresistible and what it lacks in functions it certainly makes up for in style. Although it's not height adjustable, it's undeniably handsome and statement-worthy.


What to look for when buying an office chair?

Size
It's important to measure your desk chair against the height of your new desk, just to double-check that it will tuck underneath nicely – and so that you will be able to use it comfortably. 

Features
Some people want an office chair that's height-adjustable while others aren't fussed, and then there are office chairs that come on wheels and more. Choose a style to suit you, and don't feel like you need all of the functions as you might not even use them. For example, a desk chair that will be used inside a living room or dining room might look out of place if it has wheels.

Material
Frame aside, you'll want to ensure that your new desk chair is both comfortable yet easy to clean when you inevitably spill some coffee or knock over your bowl of soup. Leather constructions will obviously be more durable but easier to clean. It goes without us saying that fabric chairs will be more uncomfortable since they are soft to the touch. The choice is yours!

Now, let's talk about the frame of your office chair. This will need to be pretty robust, especially if you'll be sitting on this chair five days a week. Normally, desk chairs have metal bases but it's always best to double check.


Where to buy an office chair?

Still yet to discover a desk chair to use with your fancy new desk? Carry on office chair shopping with help from us. Click through to browse more desk chairs below.

  • Shop John Lewis office chairs
  • Shop Made.com office chairs
  • Shop Swoon office chairs
  • Shop Dunelm office chairs
  • Shop Nkuku office chairs
  • Shop Oka office chairs
  • Shop Habitat office chairs
Lotte Brouwer

Lotte is the Digital Editor for Livingetc, and has been with the website since its launch. She has a background in online journalism and writing for SEO, with previous editor roles at Good Living, Good Housekeeping, Country & Townhouse, and BBC Good Food among others, as well as her own successful interiors blog. When she's not busy writing or tracking analytics, she's doing up houses, two of which have features in interior design magazines. She's just finished doing up her house in Wimbledon, and is eyeing up Bath for her next project.