The Best Chairs For Programmers in 2024

Sitting at an office desk is not the most comfortable task, even if you have the most interesting programming task in front of you.

If your back is aching, your shoulders are constantly tense, and your knees feel weaker than ever before, the root of your discomfort might lie in your chair.

Given the long hours that programmers spend in their chairs, a good office chair isn’t just an investment, it’s a necessity.

A “good” desk chair is designed to support your back, your neck, and your body to prevent discomfort. Without one, you will not only feel discomfort but can do long-term damage to your body over time.

The good news is that, as always, we at Maker’s Aid have got you covered. We spent hours scouring the Internet and looking for the best office chairs for programmers so that you won’t have to.

Let’s get started!

Homall Gaming Office Chair

Gamers have it all sussed out when it comes to office chairs. While programmers certainly are not gamers, they should certainly take a leaf out of a gamer’s book and invest in a seriously comfortable chair. 

The Homall Gaming Office Chair is ideal for programmers who work long hours in a day. Made of a high-density shaping foam, the chair works similarly to a high-quality memory foam mattress.

It will form around your body without sinking and will revert to its original shape when you’re not sitting down. Not only is this comfortable, but it also extends the chair’s service life. 

The chair itself has been raised and shortened with a gas lift and features quiet rubber casters that don’t scratch the floor.

It can swivel in any direction and will rock back and forth with the optional rocking function. The chair comes with moveable armrests to prevent repetitive strain injuries in your elbows and wrists from typing. 

All in all, the Homall Gaming Office Chair is a sturdy chair with a thick steel frame, ensuring that it can carry people up to 300 pounds. Plus, it comes in a variety of colors if you care about it matching the decor of your office. 

When testing this product, we appreciated how it comes with two removable cushions to support the neck and lower back.

Pros

• Shaping foam: Designed to ergonomically and comfortably support the body
• Multi-functional: Comes with swivel, rocking, reclining, and heightening functions
• Affordable: One of the most budget-friendly chairs on the market 

Cons

• Faux leather: While comfortable, the faux leather material can make you sweat in the hot summer.

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Gabrylly Ergonomic Mesh Office Chair

Something that gaming chairs often lack is adequate ventilation. When you’re sitting down for hours, your body is going to emit heat against the chair – especially in hot summer.

So, if you don’t want to peel yourself away from a sticky surface like leather, you’ll need a chair that is designed for air circulation. 

The Gabrylly Ergonomic Mesh Office Chair is ideal for use throughout the year, which is ideal if you work in a stuffy office without air con in the summer.

This chair is made of a breathable mesh back, seat, and headrest to allow for proper ventilation. The mesh is also surprisingly comfortable to sit on and lean against. 

Basically, this chair is all about comfort. The adjustable height, backrest, flip-up arms, and handy headrest help to keep your spine aligned while working long hours.

The polyurethane wheels are smooth and silent, so you don’t have to worry about stretching the floor or waking anyone up when working during the night in the home office. 

Many customers appreciate how straightforward this product was to install.

The chair comes with tools and instructions if you wish to install the chair by yourself, which will take about 15 minutes. (If not, you can always pay extra for expert assembly.)

Pros

• Well-ventilated: Mesh material is both comfortable and breathable
• Ergonomic: Adjustable recline and headrest keep your spine aligned 
• Easy installation: Comes with tools and instructions to install within 15 minutes 

Cons

• Not great for tall people: The headrest is slightly too low for people over 6 feet tall

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Sihoo Ergonomic Office Chair

Something that is particularly annoying about sitting in a chair while you work for 8 hours a day is that your legs and feet lose out on essential circulation.

You might not have time to walk around on your lunch break, so how do you keep your body well-circulated without disrupting your workflow? 

The Sihoo Ergonomic Office Chair has got you covered. This chair comes with an additional footrest, which isn’t typically found in most office chairs.

The footrest can be adjusted to different heights and lengths (depending on how long your legs are) and helps to keep your legs elevated to promote circulation.

Plus, the footrest is super comfortable. 

The chair itself is made primarily of a hardy mesh material to provide proper ventilation, helping you to relax in the chair.

This material is surprisingly strong and will last many years of use without loosening. 

Not only does this product come with a footrest, but it’s also equipped with a headrest, adjustable armrests, 360-degree rotation, and an adjustable seat height.

As the name suggests, this chair is designed for ultimate ergonomic comfort. 

When researching this product, we appreciated the adjustable lumbar pillow located at the bottom of the backrest, as it helps to support the lower back even more.

Pros

• Footrest: Feet can be elevated to improve circulation
• Lumbar pillow: Helps to support those with lower back pain
• Breathable: Mesh material maintains air circulation to keep the user cool 

Cons

• No recline: Does not recline at 180 degrees, unlike other chairs 

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GTPlayer Gaming Chair

If you are a programmer by day and gamer by night, then why not kill two birds with one stone and buy a chair intended for both office and gaming use? 

This GTPlayer Gaming Chair is ideal for those who require an ergonomic chair for sitting at a desk – whether it’s to work on computer programming or to stream a video game.

Consisting of a built-in metal frame and soft faux leather padded material, this chair is designed for years of use. 

The best part about this chair is that if you’re bored of sitting straight, you can stretch your legs out on the foot rest and lean back to make use of the recline.

The additional headrest is also useful for those tired days when you can’t seem to keep your head upright. 

Everything about the GTPlayer Gaming Chair screams comfort. The whole body of the chair (including the armrests, headrest, and footrest) is covered in a high-density shaping foam, which is ideal for supporting your spine and limbs.

The padded armrests are particularly useful for protecting the elbow from a hard surface, which would otherwise cause discomfort. 

We like how the polyutherane leather material makes the chair super easy to clean by just wiping the surface. While the material isn’t as breathable as mesh, this is still a nice benefit.

Pros

• Ultimate comfort: Padded foam body, headrest, armrests, and footrest to keep you as comfortable as possible 
• Footrest: Stretch your legs out with the adjustable footrest and recline feature 
• Easy to clean: PU leather can be wiped easily with a damp cloth 

Cons

• Breathability: Not well-ventilated thanks to lack of mesh material 

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Sidiz T50 Home Office Desk Chair

If you’re not bothered about fancy extras like footrests, and you’re just looking for a high-quality ergonomic chair for working as a programmer, then look no further. 

The Sidiz T50 Home Office Desk Chair is ideal for programmers who work from home or those in an office environment.

Not only does its sleek design look modern and simple, but the chair is highly durable thanks to its heavy-duty metal frame and padded mesh seat.

While it might be heavy to carry, this is just a sign of its durability. 

The mesh material helps to keep the user cool and comfortable, along with the ergonomic forward tilt and adjustable seat slope to help your concentration.

Plus, the ability to move into different postures will help prevent back pain and boredom. This chair features 5 tilting angles to help this. 

The chair comes with a useful headrest to support the neck and head whenever you need to rest from staring at a screen.

It also comes with padded lumbar support at the back to keep your lower back aligned, which is great for those with lower back pain. 

When testing this product, we appreciated the attention to detail with the easily accessible adjustable handles and buttons.

Also, those with visual impairments can benefit from the braille embedded into these levers. 

Pros

• Tilting angles: 5 adjustable tilting angles to improve comfort while keeping the back aligned
• Durable: Built-in metal frame extends the service life of the sturdy chair
• Accessible: Easy-to-reach levers and handles include braille for those with visual impairments 

Cons

• Armrests: While helpful, the armrests are slightly too short to support the full arm

Buyer’s Guide

For anyone who works at a desk – whether it’s as a programmer or software engineer – it’s essential to invest in a suitable ergonomic chair.

These chairs are designed to keep your spine aligned to prevent back pain – plus, they’re super comfortable to sit in. 

Here’s our handy buyer’s guide to help you look at the factors to consider when buying a chair for programmers!

Material 

The material of an office chair actually makes far more of a difference than you might think. There are three common types of materials found in office chairs, and these are mesh, faux leather, and vinyl. 

Mesh is arguably the most popular material in an ergonomic office chair. Not only is the mesh comfortable and surprisingly durable (and not prone to breaking), but the tiny holes in the mesh helps to provide air circulation.

This is important because it will prevent the user from overheating, which will only help to improve their comfort. 

Faux leather, also known as PU leather, is a soft surface that covers a densely padded foam to provide ultimate comfort against the skin.

It’s no doubt that this material is far softer than mesh, but faux leather can be sticky against bare skin.

This is because it provides no ventilation, so whether it’s summer or not, you’re probably going to stick to the chair at some point. 

Vinyl is the least common chair material out of the three. Still, it’s a highly resistant material that helps to maintain and extend the chair’s service life. Vinyl is also easy to clean, like faux leather. 

The material you choose ultimately comes down to personal preference.

Some prefer the faux leather seats thanks to the additional comfort of the material, while others prefer the breathability of mesh to keep them cool. 

Adjustability

There shouldn’t be a “one chair fits all”. When buying an office chair, ensure that the chair has suitable adjustability.

This means the height should be easily adjustable, as well as the angle of the seat, the tilt, and the rotation. 

Not all office chairs offer tilting functions, as it’s not often deemed a necessary feature.

However, even the slightest tilt and recline can help to loosen your back and relieve you from the discomfort of sitting up straight (no matter how good it is for your posture). 

Comfort

Ultimately, the most important factor to consider when buying a chair is its comfort! Of course, when you buy something online, you won’t know its true comfort until you’ve assembled it. 

So, make sure you check out the manufacturer’s return policy. The general return policy is within 30 days with a money-back guarantee, which is a good amount of time to test the chair’s comfort. 

Some chairs need a little more time to break into than others, but if you don’t find the chair comfortable at all (even with the aid of cushions and blankets), then it might not be the chair for you. 

Lumbar Support

A key feature to look out for in an office chair is something with adequate lumbar support.

This is found at the back of the chair with either a padded or firm curved feature that sits at the bottom of your back.

This is designed to support the lower back to improve posture and align the spine. 

Not only is this essential for keeping your posture in the right position, but lumbar support is also ideal for those with back problems.

If you’re used to sitting in a dining chair or on a couch to work, then transferring to a chair with proper lumbar support will soothe any back pain. 

Extra Support

While these features aren’t completely necessary, they do help to enhance your overall chair experience.

After all, the key to finding a chair for programming is to find something that is comfortable and supportive.

Just keep in mind that you will probably have to pay slightly more for chairs with these added features. 

The main added extras in office chairs are headrests and footrests. Headrests are more common than footrests.

And work to provide support for the neck and head if you find yourself slumping over your desk. This will help to reduce tension in your neck and shoulders. 

However, the one downside to headrests is that they’re not often adjustable to height. So, if you’re slightly too tall, the headrest might not provide any support at all. 

Footrests aren’t so essential, but they are a handy addition to a chair.

Sitting in an upright seated position for hours a day can limit the blood flow and circulation in your lower legs and feet.

Which can lead to achy joints and blood rushing to the feet (which is why some people develop swollen ankles!). 

If you’re not actively moving throughout the day (such as going for a walk at lunch or keeping your feet moving), then a foot rest will provide the right amount of elevation to improve your blood circulation.

Plus, it’s often comfortable to provide a change in your seated position to have your legs lifted. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Mesh Or Leather Office Chair Better?

There are pros and cons to both mesh and leather office chairs, so it mostly comes down to personal preference.

People would argue that leather chairs are far more comfortable than mesh thanks to the softer surface, but they are prone to causing people to sweat when in contact with bare skin. 

Mesh chairs might not have the same softness as leather chairs, but the material is breathable and provides better ventilation. This helps to keep the user cool and comfortable.

Plus, mesh chairs are typically less expensive than leather chairs, which is ideal for those on a budget.  

What Is The Difference Between A Gaming Chair And An Office Chair?

The main difference between a gaming chair and office chair is that, while both are ergonomically designed, gaming chairs are generally intended to be more comfortable than office chairs. 

Depending on your personal preference, you can use a gaming chair or office chair interchangeably to save money.

Just keep in mind that while gaming chairs are comfortable and more padded, office chairs are certainly better suited for working at a desk for extended periods.