11 Best Eco Friendly Office Chairs
Are you getting backaches, or losing concentration after a full day at work because you were sitting uncomfortably? The quality of our work environment can directly affect our productivity and health. But our bodies are not the only things that our work furniture choices affect. The environment bears a cost, too, choosing eco-friendly office furniture is the way to go.
In this article, we share 11 green office chairs that you can choose from when purchasing your next office chair.
11 Best Eco-Friendly & Most Sustainable Office Chairs
Below are our top choices of eco-friendly office chairs for use at the office, even if your office is at home or in your living room. You will find details on sustainability practices, design fit, and shipping options.
Quick links to our picks of the best eco-friendly offices chairs:
Related: For other eco-friendly office options, check out our guides for going zero waste in the office, reducing paper waste, and saving electricity for more ideas for a more sustainable work environment.
1. Steelcase Office Chairs
Ethical values: LEED-certified, Oeko-Tex standard 100, local manufacturing, ISO 14001 certified factory
Store location and shipping: Based in the US and ships internationally
One of the most innovative and popular Steelcase office chair offerings is the Think Chair. The design comes in many different models, some with mesh, others with leather. Some come with or without armrests, headrests, or coat hangers.
Also popular in Steelcase’s office chair lineup is the Amia chair. The chair has live lumbar technology that flexes with every move you make to provide adaptive support.
Each chair features adaptive bolstering provided by a flexible seat edge that allows the seat to support you firmly, so you don't slip off when wriggling around.
Both Steelcase chairs are made with a percentage of recycled content and are almost entirely recyclable. The finishing is VOC-free and has no heavy metals. The company has factories in North America and Europe to reduce the shipping distance to customers.
End-of-life program
Sometimes tastes and needs change, so you no longer want that Steelcase office chair you have. The Steelcase Environmental Partnership program will take back the old chair to resell or recycle it. This program makes it very easy for eco-conscious consumers to deal with furniture they no longer want.
Shop Steelcase on Amazon or Direct
2. Humanscale
Ethical values: living product certified, climate positive, energy positive
Store location and shipping: Based in the US and ships internationally
Established in 1983, Humanscale was Bob King’s idea to make furniture worker-friendly. The brand makes furniture for the home and office. Its ergonomic office chair provides lumbar support and encourages movement, helping ensure your body does not become stiff after a few hours of work.
This brand's approach to manufacturing is not just to minimize environmental impact but also to positively influence the environment. To save the planet, one product at a time, they use recycled and recyclable materials. Humanscale regularly monitors its emissions level, waste management, supply chain, and labor practices to ensure that it stays on track as a sustainable company.
Overall with a stated intent of becoming a net positive contributor to the environment, Humanscale is on the journey to ensure sustainability and advocate for better across the industry.
Best for task seating, design aesthetics, and high-end ergonomics
People value Humanscale office chairs for their easy and technologically advanced adjustment settings. They have fully adjustable arms, automatic recline adjustment, and of course, height adjustments. Not the cheapest options by any stretch, but a long-term investment in comfort and productivity.
3. Herman Miller
Ethical values: transparency, size-inclusive, cradle-to-cradle certified, clean energy
Store location and shipping: Based in the US and ships to Canada
Founded by D. J. De Pree in 1914, the award-winning Herman Miller brand has become notable for ergonomic chairs. The brand has developed many chairs over the years, but the Herman Miller Aeron remains the most iconic ergonomic office chair in its collection.
The brand uses a lot of breathable mesh in its office chairs, so they consume fewer resources. They make the Aeron chair from materials such as polypropylene glass, steel, and aluminum, 50% of which is recycled.
Herman Miller operates from a greenhouse manufacturing facility powered by renewable energy and provides connectivity to nature.
Herman Miller makes its latest offering, the Liberty Ocean Chair, from recycled fishing nets. While it also just reintroduced its iconic Eames chair, this time around made from recycled post-industrial polypropylene. They also do a standing desk line for those who prefer to work standing up.
Adjustable lumbar support office chair to suit your size and shape
Bodies are different, and therefore office chairs should provide comfort and proper posture support for all body types if they are to be ergonomically correct. Some Herman Miller chairs come in different sizes; others are personalizable and adjust to fit a wide range of body types.
4. Fully
Ethical values: B Corporation, local manufacturing, eco-packaging, recycling
Store location and shipping: Based in Belgium and offers international shipping
The Fully brand is fully committed to providing sustainable office furnishing without skimping on class. They have desk chairs, stools, and kneeling chairs. Fully has its line of office chairs but carries similar products from other manufacturers as well on its website.
Fully uses Greenguard certified materials and materials with low VOC emission. It also uses recycled car bumper plastic, an initiative that won the 2015 European Best Recycled Plastic Product Award. The brand is certified as a B Corp, which means that it meets the highest 3rd party environment and social responsibility standards.
Office chairs that allow you to define proper posture
Rather than focusing on mainstream ergonomics, this brand produces workplace seating that is truly good for the body. They believe sitting at a 90-degrees spine position throughout the workday is not good for you, even though most supposed ergonomic office chairs encourage you to do just that.
Fully chairs feature open hip angles that allow you to sit saddle style and add movement to your sitting position. Their desk chairs discourage stiff 90-degree sitting positions with a slightly relaxed back and knee support.
5. Keilhauer
Ethical values: recycled material, environmentally friendly packaging, clean energy
Store location and shipping: Based in Canada and ships internationally
Keilhauer offers an array of seating products. They have cushioned benches, stools, lounge chairs, stacking chairs, office chairs, and so on. The brand has three principal office chair collections; the executive, task, and conference chairs. Each of these collections has designs with several models under them.
Keilhauer uses renewable or recycled materials and renewable energy. The brand operates on a closed-loop production system that releases zero waste. The sustainable brand is transparent and accountable, and they provide detailed environmental impact reports for every chair. The brand is certified by LEED, SCS, and BIFMA.
Largest office chair options
Keilhauer has quite a list of ergonomic office chairs, each with unique features. They have cushioned, leather, fabric, and mesh office chairs. Their office chairs may come with or without armrests but are always adjustable and have built-in lumbar support.
6. Autonomous Avochair
Ethical values: 100% recyclable office chair, recycled materials,
Store location and shipping: Based in the US and ships worldwide
The AvoChair is an ergonomic eco-friendly office chair with an elastomeric seat and back. The rubber-like surface bounces back into shape even after supporting up to 250 pounds. The design is minimal yet curvy and roomy. The breathable mesh back provides excellent spinal support.
The environmentally friendly office chair is made with recycled materials that can be recycled again quite easily. The brand uses polyester fabric, polyurethane foam, recyclable metal, and nylon. The eco-friendly design is Gold certified by Greenguard as chemical emissions safe.
Completely adjustable office chair
Usually, an office chair is just height adjustable, but you can adjust AvoChair’s seat height, armrest, back tilt, and even rigidity. This allows you to enjoy a better-personalized sitting experience. It gives you a lot more control than a regular office chair.
7. Knoll
Ethical values: locally manufactured, recycled content, BIFMA certified, ISO 14001 certified factory
Store location and shipping: Based in the US and ships internationally
The Knoll brand wants everyone, no matter their tastes in furniture, to have an ergonomic office chair that suits them. That’s why their seating products are dimensionally and aesthetically diverse.
Knoll has its seating products split into categories; Work, High Task, Light Task, Multi-use, and Lounge chairs. The work chair models provide lumbar support. The chairs in all other categories either provide general back or lumbar support.
Knoll makes chairs with minimal mixed materials that allow the conservation of resources. About 50% of its materials are recycled, and the other portion consists of renewable bio-based material. Each chair is PVC- and VOC-free.
Super-comfortable office chairs
With decades of experience under its belt making eco-friendly office furniture, Knoll has grown to be a leading brand in ergonomic chair design.
Their high-performance office chairs are height adjustable and come in different seat and armrest sizes so that you don't have to skimp on comfortable sizing to get the best office chairs.
8. Pentatonic
Ethical values: recycling, sustainable materials,
Store location and shipping: Based in Germany
Pentatonic was established in 2015 by a sustainable supply chain innovator, Johann Boedecker, and a consumer brand and marketing leader, Jamie Hall. The brand may very well be the first technology company to work entirely on circular economy principles. The brand works with other brands to create unique circular products that encourage sustainability.
This brand makes products from 100% recycled materials ensuring that absolutely nothing goes to waste. They innovate new materials better for the environment creating one-of-a-kind products from waste. Many companies have reused the waste from their production and other activities in economically viable ways with the help of Pentatonic.
Best for unique and custom-branded office chairs
Pentatonic has worked with brands like Starbucks, Nike, and Red Bull to create iconic sustainable pieces. They provide brands who want high-end and artistic chairs with the benefits of an ergonomic and sustainable office chair. Therefore, if your company would prefer a tailor-made office chair solution, Pentatonic is worth a look.
Traditional eco-friendly home office desk chairs
For some alternative ideas for home office chairs and furniture, we’ve included some more traditional chair options below. These tend to not offer the same focus on ergonomics as those chairs above but win out on flexibility for use in the home and the home office for those working from home. These may also prove good options for anyone looking to kit out meeting rooms or non-task-based seating elsewhere in a larger office environment.
9. Jardan
Ethical values: local sourcing and manufacturing, carbon-neutral, recyclable
Store location and shipping: Based in Australia and does not offer international shipping
Jardan believes that no product is truly sustainable without quality to keep it durable and desirable over time. So they choose the best quality materials from the most sustainable sources. The brand’s timber is either certified by FSC or PEFC. The foam used in all Jardan products is free from CFC, recyclable, and certified by GECA.
All plastic components can be recyclable. The wool, linen, and feathers are responsibly sourced and have Oeko-Tex certifications. Other environmental responsibility certifications include ISO 1400, RSD, and GOTS.
Jardan is meticulous about avoiding energy and material waste. The brand manufactures locally in Melbourne, Australia saving tons of emissions from production shipping. They help customers renew old furniture and take back discarded furniture to be recycled.
A multi-task chair
Jardan only makes home furniture, but working from home is a norm in today’s world. So getting a two-in-one chair that works for dining and working is a smart idea. Their plushy eco-friendly desk chair options like Murphy, Sunday, Stanford, and Navy work great for multiple needs, including working.
10. Nikari
Ethical values: sustainable materials, non-toxic, FSC and PEFC certified,
Store location and shipping: Based in Finland
Nikari was born from the idea of merging traditional Nordic woodwork craftsmanship with modern design aesthetics. The brand has worked with over 25 renowned designers since 1967 to produce iconic home furniture. To ensure longevity and sustainability, the brand screws on upholstery so that it's easily renewed.
Nikari is careful to only partner with environmentally friendly suppliers within its environment. The brand uses renewable energy and gets its wood from sustainable northern European forests. Just like Nikari wood, other materials like leather, wool, fabrics, metals, and finishes are environmentally friendly. The brand will deliver your chair without packaging to minimize waste, but if a customer insists on packing, they use recyclable packaging.
Versatile wooden chairs with home office appeal
A Nikari environmentally friendly office chair is just what you need to set up a workstation in your minimalist home office without ruining the look or skimping on quality.
11. Viva Terra
Ethical values: fair trade, artisan support, sustainable materials
Store location and shipping: Based in the US and ships internationally
Viva Terra was born in 2004, a time when eco-friendly décor was not as popular and options were fewer. The brand blends design inspiration from cultures all over the world with modern, eco-consciousness. Their collection includes patio chairs, simple accent chairs, dining chairs, and upholstered armchairs.
This brand works with artisans from over 20 countries around the world. It is concerned not only with the people who make the products but how they make the products. So it not only encourages sustainable materials it supports the adoption of sustainable production as well. Its eco-friendly chairs are made using materials like rattan, banana tree bark, regenerated fibers, and other natural or recycled materials.
Eco-friendly desk chair
Viva Terra’s Currant bamboo chair is one part of a bamboo desk and chair office collection. They make the Danish mid-century styled desk chair in the most eco-friendly way. They don't use any chemical finishing rather, they caramelize the natural sugars in the bamboo to produce a natural stain. The stain of each Currant piece is unique.
Conclusion
When you choose sustainable office furniture, ergonomic comfort at work can combine with sustainable living. So while you should genuinely be concerned about how you sit at work affects your well-being, don’t forget that you owe it to the planet to seek comfort sustainably.
Jen’s a passionate environmentalist and sustainability expert. With a science degree from Babcock University Jen loves applying her research skills to craft editorial that connects with our global changemaker and readership audiences centered around topics including zero waste, sustainability, climate change, and biodiversity.
Elsewhere Jen’s interests include the role that future technology and data have in helping us solve some of the planet’s biggest challenges.
