Best ergonomic office chair UK 2026: the seat height for your height, in feet and inches, and the HSE footrest rule
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The best ergonomic office chair is chosen by a figure almost no listing publishes: the seat height it reaches. Of the five compared here, our pick is the SIHOO M57 for anyone who sits every day, the SIHOO M18 if budget decides, and the SONGMICS OBN37BK for short sessions. Work out your seat height below before you buy.
Office chair seat height calculator: how high your seat should be for your height, in feet and inches
Office chair seat height calculator for your height, in feet and inches
A seat height calculator is only as good as the figure it starts from, and this one starts from the standard that defines an office work chair: EN 1335-1 says a Type A chair has to cover a seat height of at least 40 to 51 cm, and that this covers people from 1.51 to 1.92 m. Spread over your height, that becomes the seat height you need, shown in inches and centimetres. Ready-made example: from 5 ft 5 in to 5 ft 8 in, your seat should sit at 17.7 in (45.0 cm), inside the range of any standard chair, and with a fixed desk of about 27.6 in (70 cm) the calculator adds a footrest; up to 5 ft 1 in, the seat falls at the bottom edge of what a standard chair is designed for.
Measured from the floor to the top of the seat. A Type A office chair has to cover at least 15.7 in to 20.1 in (40 to 51 cm), so that height is within its range.
40 cm · 15.7 in51 cm · 20.1 inWhat to ask the seller: the seat height range in centimetres or inches, not the word "adjustable". Of 869 different office chair listings with a price read on 16 September 2026 in Spanish shops, 435 said the height adjusts and only 2 gave that range; 61 stated a maximum weight. Without those two figures, the chair is bought blind.
The full sum: a Type A office chair under EN 1335-1 has to cover at least 400 to 510 mm (15.7 in to 20.1 in) of seat height and is meant for people from 1.51 to 1.92 m (4 ft 11 in to 6 ft 3½ in) weighing under 110 kg (17 st 5 lb), with backrest tension adjustable between 44 and 105 kg. Those are the figures of the 2000 edition as Spain's INSST sets them out in its technical note NTP 1129; the current BS EN 1335-1:2020+A1:2022 widens the Type A seat range to 400 to 520 mm, with at least 130 mm of travel. Here the range is spread in a straight line between the two heights the standard says it covers, and that spread is m8d's, not the standard's: take it as the point to start adjusting from, not a reading of your legs. HSE's display screen rules require a seat adjustable in height and a footrest for anyone who wishes one; the fixed desk of 70 cm (27.6 in) and the 40 × 40 cm footrest adjustable from 5 to 25 cm come from INSST technical note NTP 242, because HSE gives the rule without figures.
Office chair height for your height: from under 5 ft 2 in to over 6 ft 3 in, band by band
The question people ask is concrete, what chair height for someone who is 5 ft 2 in, and the answer comes from spreading the standard's range over the heights it covers. These are the seat heights the calculator gives for the middle of each band, from the floor to the top of the seat. They are where to start adjusting, and the rule to finish is HSE's: forearms roughly horizontal at the keyboard and feet flat on the floor, or on a footrest.
What HSE's display screen rules say about an office chair and a footrest
If you work at a screen, the chair is not only a purchase: in a workplace it is a legal requirement. The Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations 1992 set it out in a few lines of their Schedule, and HSE's own checklist turns them into questions an employer, or you at home, can answer in a minute.
The Regulations do not name a brand, a price or a centimetre. They name adjustments, and a footrest for anyone who asks.
m8d rule: At work, a chair whose seat does not adjust in height and whose back does not adjust in height and tilt does not meet the Schedule of the DSE Regulations, whatever its listing calls it. If your feet do not rest flat with the seat at the right height, the footrest is not a favour: the Regulations say it shall be made available to anyone who wishes one.
What "ergonomic" means in figures: the Type A chair of BS EN 1335-1, and what changed in 2020
Anyone can write ergonomic in a listing. What does have a definition is the office work chair of EN 1335-1, adopted in the UK as BS EN 1335-1. In the 2000 edition, the one HSE's guidance on the DSE Regulations (L26, second edition, 2003) refers to and the one Spain's INSST sets out figure by figure in its technical note NTP 1129, a Type A chair has a seat that travels at least from 400 to 510 mm, adjustable seat depth, a seat at least 400 mm wide and backrest tension adjustable between 44 and 105 kg, for users from 1.51 to 1.92 m and under 110 kg.
The standard was revised in 2020. FIRA, the UK furniture industry's research body, notes that the new edition "replaces all previous versions", adds a Type Ax with even wider ranges, and that features that complied with the old standard "may not comply" with the new one. In the current edition's table of dimensional requirements, Type A asks for at least 400 to 520 mm with 130 mm of travel, and Type B, which SBS, an Italian furniture laboratory, describes as roughly the old Type A, asks for 420 to 510 mm.
An office chair for long hours and back pain: what changes when the chair is used all day
For a full working day, what matters is what you do not see in the photo. The seating advice of Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (version 7, 10 July 2024) puts the basics plainly: "Your feet should be flat on the floor and your bottom should be at the same height as your knees", the seat "tilted forward (5-15 degrees)" with "height adjusting arms" and "well defined lumbar/pelvic support", and a reminder that "No one should sit for more than one hour."
- Seat depth that adjusts. It stops the front edge pressing behind the knee. The 2000 edition of EN 1335-1 asks for it on a Type A chair, and listings rarely mention it: 8 of the 869 in m8d's Spanish count did.
- Backrest tension set to your weight. The range the standard asks for runs from 44 to 105 kg (6 st 13 lb to 16 st 7 lb): if the back pushes too hard, you end up perched on the edge.
- A backrest that locks in several positions. So you can change posture without the chair always throwing you back to the same place.
- A footrest if the desk is fixed. It is not part of the chair, and at work it has to be made available to anyone who wishes one: paragraph 2(e) of the Schedule to the DSE Regulations 1992.
- And when a new chair is not the answer. If yours reaches your seat height and the only problem is that your feet do not rest flat, the missing piece is not a new chair: it is a footrest.
Before replacing a chair that already reaches your seat height, we would try a footrest. HSE's seating guidance says any worker who cannot easily place their feet flat on the ground, with the seat at the correct working height, needs one, and the footrest in this guide declares the 0 to 15 degrees of tilt that Spain's INSST sets for it.
The five chairs compared by what each maker publishes, not by what the listing says
| Model | Seat height range | Declared maximum load | Recline | Warranty | Who it is for | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 SIHOO M57 view › | Not on its page | 150 kg (23 st 9 lb) | Up to 126° | 3 years | A full working day, lumbar in two directions | View › |
 SIHOO M18 view › | Not on its page | Not on its page | Up to 126° | Not on its page | A full day with fewer adjustments | View › |
 SIHOO M102C view › | Not on its page | Not on its page | 110° to 130° | Not on its page | Narrow desks, flip-up armrests | View › |
 SONGMICS OBN37BK view › | Not on its page | Not on its page | No recline declared | No data sheet | Two or three hours a day | View › |
 Yaheetech Office chair with lumbar support view › | Not on its page | Not on its page | No recline declared | No data sheet | Entry-tier alternative | View › |
Each cell comes from the maker's own page for the exact model: SIHOO's UK store read on 22 September 2026, the SONGMICS and Yaheetech sites read by m8d on 16 September 2026. "Not on its page" means the page exists and that figure is not there. None of the five publishes its seat height range.
The only one with lumbar adjustment in two directions and a published maximum load. If you weigh over 110 kg (17 st 5 lb), its 150 kg rating is the figure to check.
See it on Amazon ›The five chairs one by one: the one that publishes its figures, its two siblings, and two for the entry tier
SIHOO M57 view ›
For anyone who sits at it every day, and not because of the mesh: of the five chairs here it is the one whose maker publishes lumbar adjustment in two directions with its travel, the recline angle, the maximum load and the years of warranty. It does not publish the seat height range either, and that still has to be asked.
- The lumbar support moves 4.8 cm up and down and 3 cm forward and back, as SIHOO's UK page states it (read on 22 September 2026). HSE's posture guidance asks for a seat back that gives good lower back support; this is the chair in the guide that puts figures on it.
- It reclines up to 126 degrees and the headrest moves 10 cm in height and turns 45 degrees, on the same page. Those are figures you can compare with another listing; the seat height range is on neither.
- Its maker declares a 150 kg maximum load, 30-day returns and a 3-year warranty on its UK store. EN 1335-1 is written for users under 110 kg, so this model goes beyond what the standard chair has to carry.
- SIHOO's page does not give the seat height range, the one figure that decides whether it fits your legs: ask for it, in centimetres or inches, before you pay.
- Lumbar adjustable in two directions, with its travel in centimetres
- 150 kg maximum load and a 3-year warranty, declared by its maker
- Recline and headrest travel published with their figures
- Does not publish the seat height range, the figure that decides whether it fits you
- Seat depth is not published either: worth asking if you are tall
Of the five chairs in this guide, only one maker publishes the recline, the headrest travel, the lumbar adjustment in centimetres and the years of warranty on its UK page. It is not a prize for the brand: it is the criterion of this page. What can be checked can be claimed.
SIHOO M18 view ›
The younger sibling of the pick: the same 126 degrees of recline and a mesh back, with dual-adjustable lumbar support instead of the M57's published travel in two directions. It is the one to look at if the day's price difference matters to your budget.
- Its UK page states the recline and the lumbar adjustment, not the maximum load. Read on 22 September 2026: the 126 degrees of recline, the dual-adjustable lumbar support and the height-adjustable armrests are there; a weight figure is not. If a listing gives one, ask SIHOO to confirm it, because the figure you can hold a seller to is the maker's.
- The W-shaped cushion and the mesh back are the same arguments as the rest of the range; what changes against the M57 is that the lumbar support is described as dual-adjustable, with no travel in centimetres.
- Its armrests are described as height-adjustable, while the M57's move in height, depth and rotation.
- Recline and lumbar adjustment published on its UK page
- Same family as the pick, with fewer adjustments
- W-shaped cushion and mesh back
- No maximum load on its UK page
- No lumbar travel in centimetres, unlike the M57
SIHOO M102C view ›
It is on the list for its armrests: HSE's checklist points out that chair arms can stop you getting close to the desk, and flip-up ones get out of the way. Its UK page publishes the recline range but not the load or the warranty, so it is bought on fewer published figures than the M57.
- The 3D flip-up armrests are what set it apart: they fold out of the way, which is what lets you pull the chair in under the desk. HSE's checklist warns that chair arms can stop you getting close enough to the desk.
- SIHOO's UK page gives it a recline between 110 and 130 degrees, a 2D headrest and independent lumbar support (read on 22 September 2026). It gives no maximum load and no warranty period for this model.
- Like the other two SIHOO chairs, it does not publish its seat height range: ask for it before you pay.
- 3D flip-up armrests that let you get close to the desk
- Recline range published: 110 to 130 degrees
- High mesh back with a 2D headrest
- No maximum load or warranty period on its model page
- Seat height range not published
At the entry tier you nearly always lose the same things, and it is not the mesh: seat depth adjustment, backrest tension set to your weight and a backrest that locks in several positions. All three are in the standard and all three show over a long day. What a gas lift usually does give you is seat height travel, though the range is still worth asking for. That is why a well-chosen budget chair works for sessions of two or three hours, and stops working when the day is a full one.
SONGMICS OBN37BK view ›
For two or three hours at a time and a study desk it does the job, and the flip-up armrests are what let it fit under a small desk. For a full working day the gaps show: no declared recline and no seat depth adjustment, two of the adjustments a full-day chair needs.
- The armrests flip up, which is the only way a whole chair fits under a narrow desk. At a small desk that decides more than the mesh.
- The brand's own page for this model, read by m8d on 16 September 2026, publishes neither the seat height range nor the maximum weight: what it has is the colours and the material.
- It has no headrest. That is not a defect for short sessions, and it is the chair to keep in mind where a high back will not fit under a shelf or a window.
- Flip-up armrests: it fits under a narrow desk
- Mesh back and seat at the entry tier
- The brand's page publishes neither seat height nor maximum weight
- No declared recline or seat depth adjustment
Yaheetech Office chair with lumbar support view ›
The second option at the entry tier, for when the other sells out or goes up. Same bar: adjustable height and lumbar support advertised, and no maker's data sheet to check the centimetres. At this level that is the norm of the market, not a quirk of this chair.
- It is the back-up at the entry tier: when one budget chair sells out, the next one at the same level brings the same advertised adjustments. That is why the list carries two and not one.
- The brand sells this chair in several finishes and publishes no data sheet per model with the seat height range or the maximum weight (checked by m8d on 16 September 2026 on its site).
- With a padded seat instead of mesh, the breathability argument goes, and in exchange the padding spreads pressure over long sessions.
- An alternative at the same tier when the other sells out
- Padded seat
- No data sheet per model on the brand's site
- No mesh on the seat: less breathable than the ones above
What height should my office chair be?›
High enough for your feet to rest flat on the floor with your knees level with your hips or slightly below. In figures, EN 1335-1 asks a Type A chair for a seat that travels at least from 40 to 51 cm, covering people from 1.51 to 1.92 m (4 ft 11 in to 6 ft 3½ in). The calculator in this guide turns your height into that number, in inches and centimetres.
What is the ideal chair height for someone who is 5 ft 2 in?›
About 41.7 cm (16.4 in) from the floor to the top of the seat, on the calculator's line over the standard's range; the 5 ft 2 in to 5 ft 4 in band, taken at its middle, gives 42.3 cm (16.6 in). With a fixed desk, a footrest is likely at that height: the seat sits below the middle of the range, so reaching the desk means raising the chair.
What makes an office chair ergonomic?›
The word is not protected, but the Type A office work chair of EN 1335-1 is defined: a seat height range of at least 40 to 51 cm in the 2000 edition (40 to 52 cm in the 2020 one), adjustable seat depth, a seat at least 40 cm wide and backrest tension adjustable between 44 and 105 kg. In a UK workplace, the DSE Regulations add a seat adjustable in height and a back adjustable in height and tilt.
Is a cheap ergonomic chair worth it?›
For two or three hours a day, yes, if its seat height reaches yours. For a full working day it falls short in what the photo does not show: seat depth adjustment, backrest tension and a backrest that locks in several positions.
How much weight can an office chair take?›
EN 1335-1 is written for users up to 110 kg (17 st 5 lb), with backrest tension adjustable between 44 and 105 kg. Above that, look at the maximum load the maker of the exact model declares: in this guide only the SIHOO M57 publishes one on its UK page, 150 kg.
When do you need a footrest?›
When the desk is fixed and the chair has to go up to reach it, so your feet stop resting flat. HSE's seating guidance says anyone who cannot easily place their feet flat on the ground with the seat at the correct height needs one, and at work the DSE Regulations say a footrest shall be made available to any user who wishes one.
Does my employer have to provide an ergonomic chair?›
The DSE Regulations 1992 require the work chair of a display screen user to be stable, with a seat adjustable in height and a back adjustable in height and tilt, and a footrest for anyone who wishes one. They do not require a particular model or the word ergonomic: they require those adjustments.
Mesh or padded seat?›
The standard does not choose. Mesh breathes better and padding spreads pressure better over long sessions. Decide the seat height range and the seat depth first; the material comes after.
Reviewed on 22 September 2026. The starting point was the catalogue, not the products: m8d counted 869 different office, desk and ergonomic chair listings with a price read on 16 September 2026 in five Spanish shops, one by one, to see what each one declares. With that count in front of us, the selection criterion is documentation: models whose maker publishes figures that can be checked and claimed get in, and the page says so when that page does not exist or does not carry the figure. Model availability varies from one country to another, and the buttons take you to Amazon's store for yours.
The UK sources were read on 22 September 2026: the DSE Regulations 1992 on legislation.gov.uk, HSE's display screen checklist and posture page, HSE's HSG57 on seating and its L26 guidance, FIRA's note on the 2020 revision of BS EN 1335-1, the seating advice of Cambridge University Hospitals and SIHOO's UK store. The standard's figures come from EN 1335-1 as Spain's INSST sets them out in NTP 1129 (2000 edition) and from Table 2 of the 2020 edition. The seat height in the calculator is a straight-line spread of the standard's range between the two heights it says it covers, and the tool says so: it is the point to start adjusting from, not a reading of your legs.
Read on 22 September 2026 unless stated. The rules are UK public documents; the chair figures come from the standard and from each maker's page.
- legislation.gov.ukThe Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations 1992, ScheduleParagraph 2(e): seat adjustable in height, seat back adjustable in height and tilt, a footrest for any user who wishes one
- HSEDisplay screen equipment workstation checklist (CK1)Chair adjustments, feet flat or a footrest, chair arms that stop you getting close to the desk, eyes level with the top of the screen
- HSESeating at work (HSG57)Paragraph 26: a footrest for any worker who cannot easily place their feet flat on the ground, large enough for foot movement and not so light it moves accidentally
- HSEWorking safely with display screen equipment: good postureSeat height that supports the thighs; good lower back support
- HSEWork with display screen equipment (L26)Guidance on the DSE Regulations, second edition 2003; refers to BS EN 1335 Part 1: 2000 for chair dimensions
- FIRA InternationalBS EN 1335-1 has been revisedThe 2020 edition replaces all previous versions and adds Type Ax; features that complied with the old edition may not comply with the new one
- CEN, adopted in the UK as BS EN 1335-1:2020+A1:2022EN 1335-1:2020, Table 2: dimensional requirementsSeat height: Type Ax 400 to 540 mm, Type A 400 to 520 mm, Type B 420 to 510 mm, Type C 430 to 480 mm, with their minimum travel
- SBSThe new EN 1335 standard for office chairsClass B is more or less the old Class A; the new Class A needs at least 13 cm of seat travel from 40 cm
- INSST (Spain)NTP 1129: ergonomic criteria for choosing office chairsType A of the 2000 edition: seat 400 to 510 mm, users 1.51 to 1.92 m under 110 kg, backrest tension 44 to 105 kg. Spanish-language document
- INSST (Spain)NTP 242: ergonomic analysis of office workspacesFixed desk of about 700 mm; footrest of 400 x 400 mm, 50 to 250 mm high, tilt of 0 to 15 degrees. Spanish-language document
- Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation TrustSeating and ergonomicsFeet flat, bottom level with the knees, seat tilted forward 5 to 15 degrees, no more than an hour sitting. Version 7, 10 July 2024
- SIHOO UKSihoo M57 Classic Office Chair150 kg maximum load, lumbar 4.8 cm up and down and 3 cm forward and back, recline to 126 degrees, headrest 10 cm and 45 degrees, 3-year warranty
- SIHOO UKSihoo M18 Classic Office ChairDual-adjustable lumbar, 126 degrees of recline, height-adjustable armrests
- SIHOO UKSihoo M102C Ergonomic Office ChairRecline between 110 and 130 degrees, 3D flip-up armrests, 2D headrest
- m8d.iom8d's count of office chair listings869 distinct office, desk and ergonomic chair listings with a price read on 16 September 2026 in five Spanish shops
Buy the seat range, not the word. If you sit every day, we would take the SIHOO M57, and the reason can be checked: its maker publishes the lumbar adjustment in two directions, the recline, the 150 kg maximum load and the 3-year warranty. The M18 does the same with fewer published figures, and the SONGMICS OBN37BK works for short sessions and narrow desks. And if your desk does not come down, the footrest is not a whim: it is the piece that makes the height add up, and at work the DSE Regulations say you can ask for one.
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