Best desk chairs under $300
Under $300 you can get real adjustment: seat depth, lumbar and armrests, not just height. What you give up is build quality, and the cheapest chairs skip the adjustments that matter most.
4 products ranked Updated
Our rankings are built from published testing by named outlets, not from our own lab. We earn a commission when you buy through our links, and it never changes the order.
The short answer
- 1 Boulies EP200 Best for most people $299.99
- 2 Sihoo M57 Best cheap chair $239.99
- 3 Hbada Office Task Chair Cheapest that will do Just over $100, per Tom's Guide
- 4 Boulies OP300 Over budget unless on sale $369.99 list at Boulies
Prices checked 14 September 2026. They move constantly — the retailer's own page is the authority.
Boulies EP200
4.5 / 5
Our reading of TechRadar — their best value office chair, their chair editor's daily chair for over 3,000 hours , 2026
TechRadar's chair editor has sat in this for over 3,000 hours and still calls it one of the most comfortable chairs they have tested for the money. At $299.99 it has the adjustments that make a chair fit you, seat depth and lumbar depth included, with a headrest in the box. The mesh seat is firm, and Boulies also sells a foam version for anyone who wants something softer.
Pros
- Seat depth, lumbar, 3D armrests, headrest and recline
- Long-term comfort, per TechRadar
- Quick assembly
Cons
- Firm seat
- Clunky mechanisms compared with premium chairs
- Two-year warranty
- Recommended user height
- 5 ft 5 in to 6 ft 3 in, per TechRadar
Where these findings come from
- TechRadar: best value; the chair editor's daily chair for over 3,000 hours without fatigue or discomfort; adjustable lumbar depth, seat depth, headrest, 3D armrests, tilt and recline; 20-minute assembly
- TechRadar: firm mesh seat may feel hard on the tailbone (a foam version exists); mechanisms feel clunky next to premium chairs; not for chronic back pain; two-year warranty
Sihoo M57
4 / 5
Our reading of TechRadar — their best cheap office chair , 2026
TechRadar is refreshingly blunt: it is an unremarkable chair that will not hurt your back, and that is exactly what many people need. Adjustable lumbar support and 3D armrests at this price are real features, and the 330 lb weight limit is the highest here. If you are tall or sit for long days, spend the extra on the Boulies.
Pros
- Adjustable lumbar and 3D armrests
- 330 lb weight limit
- Three-year warranty
Cons
- Not for tall users
- Fiddly assembly
Hbada Office Task Chair
3.5 / 5
Our reading of Tom's Guide — their best budget office chair under $150 , 2026
A starter chair for a tight budget or a spare room: a mesh back with a built-in lumbar bump, and armrests that flip up so it tucks under a desk. Tom's Guide is clear that you get what you pay for, since the only real adjustment is height. Fine for a few hours a day. No photograph and a quoted price: Hbada sells several similar chairs, so the link is a search for this one.
Pros
- About $100
- Flip-up armrests
Cons
- Height is almost the only adjustment
- Not for larger users
- No photograph or verified price
Where these findings come from
- Tom's Guide: best under $150; foam seat and mesh back with built-in lumbar support; armrests flip up out of the way; three-year warranty
- Tom's Guide: almost no adjustment beyond height (17.7 to 21.2 in); not ideal for larger users; 250 lb limit
Boulies OP300
4 / 5
Our reading of Tom's Guide — their best budget office chair for comfort , 2026
Over this guide's ceiling at list price, and here because Tom's Guide notes it is often discounted by nearly $100, which brings it under. It was the most comfortable budget chair their editor used, through full workdays for a month. The lumbar support is fixed, so if it does not sit in the right place for your back, it cannot be moved. No photograph here, since the price is the reason to wait for a sale.
Pros
- Most comfortable budget chair, per Tom's Guide
- Recline, seat slide and adjustable headrest
Cons
- $369.99 at list, over budget
- Fixed lumbar support
Where these findings come from
- Tom's Guide: best for comfort; used daily for a month with no discomfort after full workdays; seat slide, recline to 113 degrees, adjustable headrest and armrests; 20-minute assembly
- Tom's Guide: fixed lumbar support; awkward height adjustment; two-year warranty; often discounted by almost $100
What actually matters under $300
Seat depth adjustment. The edge of the seat should stop two or three fingers short of the back of your knees. Without seat depth, tall and short people are stuck with a seat that does not fit.
Lumbar support you can position. It should sit in the curve of your lower back. Fixed lumbar support works only if it happens to be at your height.
Armrests that drop low enough to sit under the desk and let your shoulders relax.
Your height and weight. Budget chairs have narrower ranges. Check the recommended user height and weight limit before buying.
What you give up
Build quality and warranty. Premium chairs have smoother mechanisms and warranties of ten years or more; most chairs here have two or three. TechRadar makes the point that a long warranty can make an expensive chair cheaper per year of use.
Where this comes from
We do not test chairs. This guide combines TechRadar, which has tested 100 office chairs over long periods of daily use, and Tom's Guide, whose editor uses each budget chair as a daily chair for a month or more.
What we are leaving out
Gaming chairs, which prioritise looks over adjustment, and chairs over $300 that are never discounted below it.
Where this comes from
We did not test these. These people did.
Every score on this page rests on the testing below. The ranking is ours; the measurements are not. How we research.
- TechRadar — 100 office chairs tested by a panel over weeks, months and years of daily use, with seat dimensions, adjustment ranges and assembly times recorded. Updated September 2026.
- Tom's Guide — Budget chairs used as daily chairs for a month or more by an editor with over 5,000 hours of office chair testing. Updated July 2026.
Questions people ask
Mesh or foam seat?
Is a headrest worth having?
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