How we test

Most "best ergonomic chair" lists are the same eight products in a different order. Here is what we do instead, including the parts we cannot do.

What we actually check

• Adjustment range against real bodies. A chair that only fits people between 5'8" and 6'0" is not ergonomic, it is ergonomic for some people. We record the seat height, seat depth and armrest ranges and say who each product excludes.
• Whether the adjustment is usable. Lumbar support that requires standing up and turning a knob under the seat gets set once and never touched again.
• Long-run owner reports. We read the one- and two-star reviews at 12 months and up, where gas cylinders sag and foam flattens. Launch-week reviews tell you nothing.
• Warranty terms as written. "12-year warranty" often means 12 years on the frame and two on everything that breaks.

What we do not claim

We are not a lab. We do not have a pressure-mapping rig, we have not run a controlled trial, and we cannot tell you that one chair will cure your back pain, because nobody honestly can. Where we cite ergonomics research we link the study so you can judge it yourself.

We also have not personally sat in every chair on this site. Where a recommendation is based on specifications, owner reports and published research rather than hands-on time, the page says so.

When we say buy nothing

A large share of home-office discomfort comes from screen height and desk height, both of which are usually fixable with a stack of books and fifteen minutes. We will tell you that before we tell you to spend money, even though it earns DeskGauge nothing.

Corrections

Specifications change without notice and we get things wrong. Mailhello@deskgauge.com and we will fix the page and note the change.