Choosing the right office chair is essential for a comfortable, safe and efficient workspace. An office chair is a piece of furniture that can affect your overall professional performance as well as health and wellbeing even long after you retire.

While an average office employee spends about 8 hours per day at the workplace, an office chair is responsible for their posture, mobility at the office and safety during the workday. A good office chair will prevent back pains and muscle strains – the main reasons for lower productivity or frequent sick leaves. At the same time, a high-quality office chair is durable and will serve for many years being a smart investment into the business assets.

But how much should a good office chair cost? Sometimes you can see two models that may look absolutely alike but have a tremendous difference in price. It is pretty natural that people often question the pricing of office chairs when they see so many analogues on the market with such different price tags.

In this article, we shall talk about features that define the cost of an office chair, from the most obvious ones like the quality of materials and durability to more specific ones like shipment, maintenance, etc. That way, you will be able to make an informed decision and get the right office chair for your business at a perfectly justified price.

 

Quality and structure of an office chair

There are two main factors that depend on the quality of an office chair and therefore its price. Roughly they can be divided for:

  • Exterior;
  • Structure.

The exterior of an office chair is defined by the materials used in it as well as design and craftsmanship.

The upholstery of your office chair can be made out of natural or synthetic materials, and their accessibility and cost can form the lion's share of the chair's price. At the same time, the design effort and craftsmanship, skilled labour and technologies involved in manufacture are even more important as they can highlight or otherwise weaken the aesthetic effect of the materials.

The quality of the structural elements of your office chair, its frame, wheels, mechanisms, etc., might be less visible but even more important factors when we define the quality of office furnishing. Except for the comfort and ergonomics of the chair, they define its durability, safety and lifecycle.

It is pretty natural that the initial price for a high-end office chair will be much higher. However, if you evaluate the long-term perspective and see buying an office chair as an investment into your business, cheaper options that will need frequent replacement and maintenance may not be the best solution.

From this point, it may be reasonable to consider buying second-hand office chairs. This option allows you to afford high-quality items, enjoy their benefits and obtain a valuable asset for your business while staying within your budget.

 

Maintenance and adjustment of your office chair

Although the modern market offers an endless choice of office chairs, you may still need to make certain adjustments to the chosen item.

All people are different, have different heights and weights, postures and habits. That is why in many cases, the same model of an office chair that works perfectly for your colleague may appear uncomfortable for you.

The more customization and adjustment options your office chair has, the higher are the chances that you will get a perfectly comfortable workplace. Of course, those options will influence the cost of an office chair greatly.

At the same time, there is always a risk of manufacturing defects or just common pitfalls of particular models. That is why buying an office chair, it is essential to pay attention to customization options and maintenance perspectives, which will determine your after-purchase spending on the office chair.

Many people recommend buying refurbished or second-hand office chairs. Except for saving your money, this approach has some other benefits:

  • It allows you to study reviews thoroughly and get a well-tested item instead of buying a "pig in a poke";
  • It guarantees that the previous owner or refurbisher have adjusted and eliminated all possible defects;
  • It provides more customization and adjustment options.

 

Additional costs

The price of your office chair is not entirely determined by its materials and structure quality. There are numerous additional costs that influence the price tag.

Packaging is one of the primary factors that affect the price of any product. When it comes to an office chair, the packaging cost can reach up to 15% of the price. It can depend on many factors, from the materials of the office chair and their fragility to the shipment distance.

Shipping is another additional cost you should consider while buying an office chair. Although most sellers will promise you free shipment, it only means that the cost of transportation is already included in the price.

Buying a second-hand office chair is a great way to avoid most of those additional costs. Shipping from local warehouses will definitely be cheaper than international transportation. At the same time, those chairs come assembled, which reduces packaging and installation costs, saving you time and effort along with money.

 

Buying an office chair for your business, it is essential to look beyond the pictures on catalogues and consider all factors that determine the final price tag of the item. Such solutions like buying second-hand or refurbished office furniture provide you access to a broader inventory, allows you to choose from advanced models while staying within the budget and minimizing additional costs.