7 Best Budget Office Chairs In Australia For 2024

You’re looking for the best budget office chair for your WFH setup. The money is tight – it’s 2024, after all. We’re not exactly splurging this year. But the good news is that buying an office chair that you buy for less than $300 can still be pretty good.

Harvard professors, chiropractors, physiologists, engineers, and other “authorities” like to suggest that unless you spend over $2,000 on the best ergonomic office chair, you’ll develop musculoskeletal problems and wind up looking like Quasimodo.

There is some truth to that.

But it’s also true that many budget office chairs have more ergonomic features than their expensive cousins.

Fortunately, I’ve been in this game for a while, so I’ve done the research for you. Here is a list of the best office chairs for people on a budget.

1. Sihoo M57 Office Chair.

Best overall budget office chair.

Above: The Sihoo M57 punches well above its price tag when it comes to build quality and design.

High-end budget office chair? Yes, you read that correctly.

While that might seem like an oxymoron, and while it’s natural to be suspicious when buying an ergonomic office chair under $350, the Sihoo M57 is a solid performer.

(Related: Sihoo M57 Comprehensive Review: Best Budget Chair?)

Its build quality is superb. The solid aluminium frame feels more expensive than its 150 kg rating.

Its contoured waterfall arc design conforms to the shape of your legs, preventing circulation problems, while the W-shaped seat pan creates a snug fit around your butt.

The office chair’s lumbar support is top-notch, too, and can adjust for height and depth.

Yes, the mechanism itself is quite primitive, but it’s something I’m prepared to ignore in a budget office chair.

It even has a headrest!

So many office chairs don’t bother with headrests – even premium ones.

This is a rare treat for a $350 budget chair.

Sihoo M57’s headrest can be adjusted to a 45-degree angle and moved up or down 9 cm to accommodate height, which is especially useful for tall people who suffer from neck pain due to a tendency to lean forward for balance.

Reasons To Buy:

Reasons To Avoid:

My Verdict.

Above: All-mesh construction and 3-D armrests with soft caps are fully visible here.

The Sihoo M57 took out the first spot in my review of the best budget office chairs in Australia because it offers a surprising amount of features for a low price.

You get an aesthetically pleasing chair with seat height and backrest tilt (with lockable tension control) adjustments, 3D armrests, 2-way adjustable lumbar support and a 2-way adjustable headrest.

But this isn’t a chair for extremely tall people. If you’re above 185 cm in height, you will feel like you’re sitting in a kids’ chair.

All-mesh construction will keep you cool during long workdays. I find the mesh a bit rubbery, but this also makes it very easy to clean.

How Does The Sihoo M57 Stack Up As A Budget Chair?	SCORE
Ergonomics	5/5
Comfort	5/5
Aesthetics	4/5
Build Quality	4/5
Ease Of Assembly	4/5
Price	5/5
Warranty	3.5/5
Return Policy	3.5/5
OVERALL	4.3/5

2. Artiss Eamon.

Most stylish budget office chair.

Above: Chrome and faux leather everywhere. The Eamon looks surprisingly stylish, but you notice the cheap construction when you get close.

The Artiss Eamon is one of the cheapest chairs in this review. It’s not very durable and not very comfortable, yet you’ll find it in many Australian homes.

You won’t find an extensive range of ergonomic knobs and levers. In fact, you’ll find just two essentials: recline tension and seat height.

Yes, the armrests don’t adjust for height, reach or pivot, but are covered in a nice leatherette material, giving the Eamon a little sophistication.

Think of it as a display chair you put in your hallway, or one you use to take a 20-minute phone call.

My Verdict.

Above: PU leather covers all chair surfaces, including seat pan, backrest and armrests. It feels soft to the touch but doesn’t appear to be very durable.

The Artiss Eamon is my pick if you need a stylish budget chair that is intended for occasional use.

I’ve seen it used in countless reception areas and meeting rooms. Now that you’ve seen it, I’m sure you will, too,

If you need an everyday work chair, I suggest you save more money and stretch to a $350 Sihoo M57.

Your back will thank you.

Reasons To Buy:

Reasons To Avoid:

How Does The Artiss Eamon Stack Up As A Budget Chair?	SCORE
Ergonomics	2/5
Comfort	3.5/5
Aesthetics	4/5
Build Quality	4/5
Ease Of Assembly	4/5
Price	5/5
Warranty	3.5/5
Return Policy	3.5/5
OVERALL	3.7/5

3. Artiss Nile.

Most “ergonomic” budget office chair.

Above: The Nile is surprisingly handsome for a $100 chair.

The Nile is the best cheap office chair in this review.

Let’s be real. This isn’t a chair that will set the world on fire, but it offers a lot for about $100.

Its best feature is its flip-up armrests, which allow you to tuck the Nile under your desk when the chair is not in use. It’s a nifty space-saving feature that will appeal to those living in smaller apartments.

The Nile is reasonably comfortable, but it’s not a chair in which you should plan to spend long workdays. Rather, it’s great for people who need to spend 1-2 hours per day on Zoom calls or sign some paperwork.

(Related: Sihoo M57 Review: Better Than The Ergotune?)

The lumbar support adjusts in height only, and feels quite nice on the back. Like Sidiz’s lumbar support, it has a smooth yet progressive feel.

My Verdict.

Above: The foldable armrests are visible in this shot.

Think of the Artiss Nile as the perfect “casual” office chair. If you need a chair to plant yourself in every now and then, the Nile is a great choice.

It could also double up as a decent chair for teenage kids doing homework, studying for exams (or launching their YouTube channel).

Reasons To Buy:

Reasons To Avoid:

How Does The Artiss Nile Stack Up As A Budget Chair?	SCORE
Ergonomics	2/5
Comfort	3/5
Aesthetics	3.5/5
Build Quality	3.5/5
Ease Of Assembly	4/5
Price	5/5
Warranty	3.5/5
Return Policy	3.5/5
OVERALL	3.5/5

4. Desky Racing Chair.

Best if you want a gaming chair for your home office.

Above: The racing bucket aesthetic is striking, but unlikely to appeal to women. Men older than 25 years of age will also prefer a more sober design.

You’re probably wondering why I’ve slipped a gaming chair into an article about budget office chairs. I haven’t lost the plot, I promise you.

It’s budget-friendly, and it’s excellent quality. And yes, some people use gaming chairs for work.

At least, not in the home office.

Its black PVC leather is easy to wipe down and won’t pick up stains or absorb smells like its mesh and upholstered counterparts – which is particularly good if you have pets who try to usurp your throne the moment you stand up.

With its impressive adjustable tilt feature, the Desky will allow you to rock back by 150 degrees.

While there’s more to ergonomics than recline, if you like to live life on the edge and work at extreme angles, you’ll have a lot of fun with the Desky Racing chair.

Most people don’t work productively while reclining so far, but I find that reclining further back is conducive to brainstorming and when I take phone calls because I’m more relaxed.

(Related: 7 Best Home Office Chairs In Australia).

You might also find taking a mindfulness break from time to time reduces stress and refreshes your mind.

My Verdict.

If you struggle to catch a lunch break during the day and find yourself routinely eating at your desk, then the Desky Racing chair is worthy of consideration.

I still suffer from PTSD due to the time I spilled my morning coffee over my Herman Miller Embody. (I will never, ever go with a light neutral fabric again!)

While they’re not as sophisticated as those belonging to the best office chairs, at least you can remove them.

While they’re not as sophisticated as those belonging to the best office chairs, at least you can remove them. That said, for almost the same price, you can grab a Sihoo M57 with an adjustable lumbar support (height and depth).

And if you’re working from a home office, chances are that hardly anyone is going to see it, except on Zoom calls (if you happened to not be sitting in it).

And I guess it goes without saying, but I’ll say it anyway…

Reasons To Buy:

Reasons To Avoid:

How Does The Desky Stack Up As A Budget Chair?	SCORE
Ergonomics	1/5
Comfort	5/5
Aesthetics	3.5/5
Build Quality	4/5
Ease Of Assembly	4/5
Price	4/5
Warranty	3.5/5
Return Policy	3.5/5
OVERALL	3.6/5

5. Sidiz T50 Office Chair.

Very good-looking (but flawed) budget office chair.

Above: The T50 is surprisingly attractive.

Yes! A mesh backrest and a padded fabric seat. Why compromise when you can have the best of both?

I find mesh chairs great, but not everyone shares my enthusiasm. Some people have a strong preference for sitting on fabric.

You get the ventilation of mesh in your backrest and the familiar feeling of a padded memory foam seat pan.

Unfortunately, the fabric itself feels quite cheap to the touch. This is a surprise in a chair with a $600 sticker price, which puts it at the upper end of the budget spectrum.

This theme of cheap parts continues through to the armrests and the headrest. They’re flimsy and not at all nice to touch.

I believe it’s one of the best-looking chairs on the Australian market.

The sculpted, sleek, minimalist design and sleek contours make it quite a striking specimen.

It’s not a statement piece that will draw attention, but it’s certainly a sophisticated piece of office furniture.

Ergonomic options are also on par.

The seat angle can also be adjusted from flat to slightly lean forward. Just hit a lever, and the entire seat pan will lean forward.

If you often lean forward — say, if you have short arms or if you’re a designer drafting some concepts — this will keep you fully supported. It’s a feature found in the Herman Miller Aeron chair (which costs almost four times as much).

The Sidiz T50 offers 3-way armrest adjustment, but the mechanism itself is notchy and not pleasant to use.

(Related: Ergotune Supreme Review: Is It Worth $750?)

My Verdict.

Above: The foam seat will bottom out if you weigh more than 90kg.

If you’re tall, you might want to strike this one off your list.

The 52 cm backrest isn’t high enough to provide adequate shoulder support. I much prefer the Sihoo M57, which has full back and shoulder coverage at a height of 60cm.

The whole chair feels somewhat small. If you are less than 170 cm in height, you’ll find it a perfect fit; anyone taller than this will be more comfortable in the Sihoo M57.

The two-way adjustable lumbar support is one of the best I’ve experienced on an office chair—regardless of price. It’s gentle yet progressive in feel.

While The Sidiz T50 is a stylish chair, when you inspect it up close, you realise it is manufactured almost exclusively from low-end plastics.

If it was priced at $400, I’d consider it a good deal. At $600, it’s merely good enough for the 5th spot. Barely.

Reasons To Buy:

Reasons To Avoid:

How Does The Sidiz T50 Stack Up As A Budget Chair?	SCORE
Ergonomics	4.5/5
Comfort	4/5
Aesthetics	5/5
Build Quality	1/5
Ease Of Assembly	3.5/5
Price	3/5
Warranty	3.5/5
Return Policy	3.5/5
OVERALL	3.1/5

6. Ikea Markus.

Good budget office chair (if you love Ikea).

The Ikea Markus is the OG (original gangster) of budget chairs. But before I delve into the details, the 10-year guarantee deserves special mention.

That’s almost unheard of for a budget office chair and is something you only typically expect from a high-quality ergonomic chair (for instance, the Ergohuman Luxury range has a 10-year guarantee).

The Sihoo M57 comes with a three-year warranty on parts.

While the warranty is impressive on paper, Ikea knows you’re more likely to throw the Markus out after a couple of years after bothering with warranty claims.

What about the chair itself?

The Markus is tall, standing at 140cm compared to the 115cm of the Sihoo M57.

Its backrest is lofty and looks more like an executive office chair than your typical squat and compact budget office chair.

It has a synchronised tilt mechanism that allows the office chair to move with you – meaning that when you lean back, the backrest moves rather than the seat, so your torso and hips open up, enabling you to alternate effortlessly between sitting positions.

It feels like something you’d expect to experience in an Aeron

Not only that, but it has adjustable tilt tension that allows you to fine-tune the resistance to suit your movements and weight.

The armrests are static and a letdown, as they offer little support and comfort. They are too thin and weirdly arched making them an unnatural resting platform for your arms.

My old man’s first desk chair had static narrow armrests over thirty years ago.

And I’m scratching my head, wondering if I’ve been transported back in time.

If there was an option to upgrade the Markus’s armrests, I’d happily part with a little extra cash for some adjustability and extra cushioning.

Also, since the armrests aren’t adjustable, you can’t lower them to tuck your ergonomic chair under the desk, which is a tad annoying.

My Verdict.

It’s a budget office chair that doesn’t look like a budget office chair. Its aesthetic has design elements that remind me of the $2,500 Herman Miller Cosm – except you get it for about $250.

Unfortunately, the sleek design isn’t backed up by solid build quality.

It’s a budget chair that starts to look cheap as soon as you get close to it. And it feels even cheaper once you start interacting with it. You’re much better off adding $100 to your budget and getting a Sihoo M57.

Reasons To Buy:

Reasons To Avoid:

How Does The Ikea Markus Stack Up As A Budget Chair?	SCORE
Ergonomics	2/5
Comfort	4/5
Aesthetics	4.5/5
Build Quality	2.5/5
Ease Of Assembly	3/5
Price	4/5
Warranty	5/5
Return Policy	4.5/5
OVERALL	3.7/5

7. Alfordson Velvet Swivel.

Good budget chair for arty people.

Seriously, what’s the obsession with black and white these days?

Whether it’s phones, cars, TVs, appliances, or other gadgets, we’re so obsessed with the idea of compatibility that we limit our choices and live our lives in monochrome. It’s the same with ergonomic office chairs…

Going to work shouldn’t feel like you’re going to a funeral; jazz it up, and you’ll feel invigorated at the start of each working day!

This solid chair is a statement piece that’s impossible to ignore.

Its lustrous velvet is the softest of textures and makes a nice change from mesh. If you wear shorts or skirts, coarse meshes (like the Artiss Nile) will leave imprints on your thighs, whereas the softness of velvet is a delight against the skin.

However, if you sit in for longer than a couple of hours, expect to get a little sweaty.

From an ergonomics perspective, you have few features to play around with other than the chair’s adjustable seat height.

Considering its visual appeal, you might expect it to attract a high price tag, but it comes at a stellar price and won’t cost you much more than the Artiss Eamon, which has a similar range of ergonomic functionality.

While the Nile has better ergonomics (adjustable armrests, lumbar support, and tilt recline), the Alfordson is by far the more comfortable of the two – proof that ergonomics doesn’t always mean comfort.

My Verdict.

Only those working in a cool or air-conditioned office should consider buying a velvet chair. Long and intense work periods will likely get hot and sweaty (sorry, but you need to know).

It would be more appropriate as a task chair. If you typically spend four to six hours per day sitting in a chair, you’ll likely develop pressure points.

As well as a jazzy home office chair, it doubles up as well as a vanity chair or a chair kids love doing their homework in.

Certain industries and businesses would benefit from these, particularly beauty parlours, fashion boutiques, hair salons, travel agencies, and others where creating an inviting and customer-friendly ambience is important.

Reasons To Buy:

Reasons To Avoid:

How Does The Alfordson Stack Up As A Budget Chair?	SCORE
Ergonomics	1/5
Comfort	4/5
Aesthetics	4/5
Build Quality	3.5/5
Ease Of Assembly	4/5
Price	4/5
Warranty	4/5
Return Policy	3/5
OVERALL	3.4/5

Finding The Best Budget Office Chair.

So there we have it: Australia’s top 7 budget-friendly office chairs. It’s been emotional! Well, not really, but it could get a lot more emotional if you stray from the advice dispensed within. You have been warned!

Okay, I’m being a little dramatic, but I hope you’ve found the best office chair and gained some insights. Remember…

Frequently Asked Questions About Budget Office Chairs.

If you’re looking for the best office chair while on a budget, you’re probably wondering…

1. What’s a reasonable amount to spend on an office chair?

Reasonable is subjective, and prices for office chairs range from $100 up to around $3,000 for the critically acclaimed Herman Miller chairs – which some would argue are reasonably priced considering the longevity and durability.

You may have heard savvy bed and mattress companies peddling soundbites about how we spend over a third of our lives in bed, and that choosing the right mattress should be a matter of quality and preference rather than cost.

But some of us probably spend more than a third of our lives sitting in office chairs. Regardless of your budget, you should never sacrifice comfort just to save a few bucks.

2. Is it worth getting an ergonomic chair?

Absolutely, unequivocally, emphatically yes.

The choice between an ergonomic office chair and a standard desk chair is really a choice between comfort and discomfort – and a choice that affects your physiological health.

With cheap office chairs, you’re at greater risk of developing poor posture, back pain, neck strain, and other musculoskeletal issues. Always go ergo!

3. How often should I replace my office chair?

The lifespan of each chair varies and depends on factors such as quality, usage, and maintenance. Ultimately, the decision to replace your office chair should be based on its condition and on how well it supports your comfort and productivity.

But generally speaking, a budget office chair that’s been used every day will need replacing every five to ten years.

A high-quality chair like the Herman Miller Aeron is likely to come with a manufacturer’s warranty of ten years or more.

4. Why is the Herman Miller Aeron chair so popular?

The Herman Miller Aeron shot to fame when it was released back in 1994 and revolutionised the office chair industry. The Aeron is often regarded as a pioneer of ergonomics.

Since then, Herman Miller has continued to innovate with a series of other launches such as the Aeron 2.0, Embody, Cosm, and others. They’re among the priciest office chairs out there, but the price is justifiable considering their credentials and sophisticated designs.

5. How often should you be standing up if you work at a desk all day?

Different authorities have different answers to this, with some suggesting you should stand up every 20 minutes and move around for 20 seconds, while others suggest a standing break of 10 minutes for every half hour of sitting.

While there is no consensus on how long sitting sessions should last, most agree that a sit-stand desk (also known as a standing desk) is the best option to promote physiological health while at work.

6. What should I look for when choosing the best ergonomic office chair?

When choosing the best ergonomic office chair, you should check to see if it is accredited by organisations like ANSI or BIFMA.

They have stringent standards for what constitutes an ergonomic office chair. They factor in tonnes of different qualities such as adjustability, safety, durability, and comfort.

Choosing the best ergonomic office chair often boils down to personal preference. Where possible, I highly recommend you find a local stockist and testing them out.

7. Where should lumbar support be placed?

I get this question a lot. And there is no one-size-fits-all answer for where a lumbar support should be placed. Most people find that the lumbar support is most comfortable when pressed against the natural curve of your spine, directly above your belt line.

However, if your lumbar support is just below your shoulder blades, it’s way too high.

A lumbar support that’s too high will cause you to lean forward and slouch.

An ergonomic office chair will either have a fixed, adjustable, external, or dynamic lumbar support. I’d recommend all types with the exception of fixed.

Tommy