Last updated: January 13th, 2026
If you have a penchant for office furniture with elaborate and – let’s be honest – somewhat pretentious backstories, this list of expensive office chairs is for you.
Whether you think expensive chairs are indulgences for shallow people or must-have items for your next Woollahra mansion, I hope you get what you came here for.
Be informed and mildly entertained, dear reader – but don’t succumb to the vapours. Here are the most expensive chairs in Australia for 2026.
(Related: Most Ergonomic Office Chairs In Australia).
1. Poltrona Frau Cockpit.
Price: $23,000
Above: you can have your Cockpit Chair in carbon fibre construction.
Petrolheads of the world, rejoice.
Ferrari has partnered with Italian brand Poltona Frau to create an office chair that resembles the driver’s seat of a sports car.
Despite being one of the most expensive office chairs on the market, the Cockpit Chair isn’t immediately available to anybody who can write a hefty cheque.
- Lead time is 16-20 weeks, and you’ll need to be deemed worthy by Ferrari before you get the opportunity to sign up.
(Related: How To Choose An Office Chair).
2. Eames Executive Office Chair.
Price: $10,000
Above: also known as the Time-Life chair, the Eames Executive was originally conceived in the 1950s as a feature piece for the headquarters of Time magazine.
A timeless classic or a dated relic? You decide.
Either way, this vintage Herman Miller leather office chair is a minimalistic lounge chair that takes cues from the larger Eames lounge chair while adding the corporate aesthetic to match the offices of post-war America.
Eames Executive chairs don’t get thrown out or worn out. They get worn in, then age gracefully, becoming more and more comfortable over time.
You’ll probably keep this expensive chair the rest of your life – or sell it about 10 years later to another Eames fan, who will probably happily use it for another 10 years.
- They have a loyal, cult-like following, with men dreaming of owning one until they can finally afford it (or find a sufficiently inexpensive second-hand example).
(Related: Most Comfortable Office Chairs In Australia).
3. Wegner Swivel Chair.
Price: $36,450
Above: not ergonomic nor very comfortable by modern standards, the Wegner is nonetheless interesting for its obsessive commitment to craftsmanship.
First revealed in 1955, the Wegner Swivel Chair was one of the first expensive chairs built with ergonomics in mind.
- The shape of a propeller inspires the backrest’s shape and can be made from oak, ash or cherry.
The chair is handmade from 200-year-old trees by a crack team of joiners, upholsterers and blacksmiths who don’t use machinery.
This probably explains – at least in part – its $13,000 price tag.
4. Vitra Grand Executive Highback.
Price: $4,800
Above: not my cup of tea, but I can see it appealing to the CEO of an Italian maritime construction company.
There’s something unmistakably Italian about Vitra’s design.
Curved lines of the single-piece egg chair frame combine with an automatic weight adjustment system to create a dignified yet highly usable seating experience.
Fully wrapped in Italian leather, the Vitra costs $4,800 and comes with a free adjustable neck cushion.
(Related: Best Office Chairs For People With Bad Backs).
5. Eames Soft Pad Management Chair.
Price: $7,500.
Shown above: lashings of polished aluminium and fine leather strapped together by a rudimentary (but effective) reclining mechanism, add up to create one of the most iconic – and expensive – office chairs around.
This office chair was designed for corporate offices of 1960s Manhattan.
Since then, it’s become an icon, showing up in home offices, meeting rooms and boardrooms worldwide.
- The Eames couple created this plush soft leather chair to bring comfort and simplicity to the office environment.
It doesn’t exactly sport a modern ergonomic design, but that’s not the point. Surprisingly, the 50-year-old chair design offers some fixed lumbar support.
But what I love the most about the Eames is that it feels like a combination of a task chair and a lounge chair.
(Related: How To Adjust Lumbar Support On Your Office Chair).
What About The Controversial $1.5 Million Chair?
Shown above: handsome and very competent, but certainly not worth more than a few thousand dollars.
You may have seen roundups of the most expensive office chairs that list the Pininfarina Xten Ergonomic Chair as the most pricey chair in the world, at 1.5 million dollars each.
Sorry to spoil the hype party. That figure has been misquoted.
- It was the chair’s development that cost $1.5 million.
You can pick one up for about $2600 if you’re hell-bent.
The patented gel was an example of marketing drivel, dreamt up by MadMen marketing types, probably while sitting in expensive Eames chairs.
Not everything you read on the Internet is true – who knew?
Steven
Cody says:
Hi,
Do you know 9am HOME standing desks?
I want to know how about their desk.
Steven McConnell says:
Hi Cody, I’ve never seen them before but I took a quick look for you and I’m 90% certain it’s another Jiecang desk. You can tell by the design of the feet and the lowest height (60cm). Desky, Omnidesk, Stand Desk are all pretty much the same.
Cody says:
Which one do you mean? Pesk or Robin series? I am interested in their Robin series, it looks unique and beautiful. I can’t find anyone like it in Desky.
Steven McConnell says:
I was talking about the Pesk Series. Robin series does look attractive and unusual, but I’m usually not a fan of tubular legs as they tend to be more prone to wobble. I can’t say whether this is the case in this instance, as I haven’t physically tested the desk myself. The 10 year warranty is reassuring, however. I wish they offered a risk-free trial to let you test out the legs!
Cody says:
Thank you very much, Steven; I will take your comments into consideration.
Erin says:
Do you know much about Kangadesks? There are Australian as well.
Steven McConnell says:
Hi Erin, its another Jiecang standing desk. Same as Desky, Omni, Stand Desk etc. The design of the feet and 60-125cm height range gives it away. The desk appears to currently be currently on sale for $299, which is an absolute steal and I’m wondering why they’re selling their stock at 1/3 of RRP. Regardless, even if they’re about to go bust, I’d still buy one at that price.
EDIT: Be careful. Fakespot showed these warnings while browsing their website: “Multiple eCommerce scam experiences detected, Poor customer service”
Suzy says:
Hi – given all the desks are so similar, is it possible to mix a desk from one brand with a drawer accessory from another? I don’t like the UpDown desk metal drawer (hangs very low so likely to impede leg space) but don’t mind the Desky one – can these be mixed and matched?
Thank you for the reviews! Super helpful.
Steven McConnell says:
Yes, it’s possible to play switcheroo. But you may want to consider that UpDown design is curved, so it will hurt less if you do jam your thighs into it. Desky’s meanwhile, is quite angular. Pro tip: you can also find a bunch of inexpensive slimline desk drawers on Amazon.
jason says:
I’ve spent far, far too much time agonising over which desk to get haha, definitely more than a week. Very happy that you’ve added the omni-desk to your catalogue. That was the one I was considering the most untill you came you with a review saying that it was more wobbly!
Anyways, do you have an opinion on the new updown desk KLIK Series? Its advertises to be significanlty ligher while having better (on paper) specs
Thanks!
Evelyn says:
Hi Steven, great blog post – thank you! I’m also wondering whether you have any opinion or insights on the new UpDown Desk KLIK series…they come at $100 more expensive (for the same size/table top) but seem to be ‘better’ according to the UpDown website.
Cheers!
Steven McConnell says:
Hi Evelyn, thanks! I will have a full review of the KLIK up around February 2025. It’s not necessarily a better standing desk – but it is lighter, less bulky and promises easier assembly.
Ben Clements says:
Hi. I’m interested to know more about whether I actually could fit the Desky cable management system in the Omnidesk? I’ve had a look at the omnidesks in person at the showroom and it looks like their cable management trays screw on (vs the clip in at the edges of the desk with the Desky tray). The desky system also has the power plugs that snap into place in the tray.
So I’m curious to know if you have you tried it, and if so how did you do it please? Or is your thinking that you’d just buy the power boards and plugs from Desky and rest them in the Omnidesk tray?
I’m stuck, because I prefer the Omnidesks but I really love the idea of a single power lead!
Thanks
Steven McConnell says:
I just had a new Omnidesk delivered to my house. Give me about two weeks to assemble it, test it out and report back.
Sunni says:
Thanks for your very helpful (and funny) review. I used the information to to buy a Desky standing desk in record time – no consumer agonising for weeks, as is my usual practice. It has a pneumatic up/down mechanism, so lets see how that goes.
Steven McConnell says:
Ha! You’re welcome, Sunni. Glad I helped you cut down on the agonising. The pneumatic mechanism is an interest choice – let me know what you think of it?
Amber says:
Hi Steven,
Really great and insightful review. It was refreshing to see something that wasn’t filled with ChatGPT affiliate link garbage!
I’m curious about your opinion on L-shaped standing desks? I know that Desky, UpDown and a few other retailers offer these types of desks and I would assume they are more strong and stable, but I’m not an expert and I can also imagine the opposite being true due to the irregular shape. I’ve been looking at these types of desks because I think their shape suits my space the best. Do you have any knowledge on this or do you only have experience with regular rectangular shaped desks?
Steven McConnell says:
Thanks, Amber. Did you know that I have a L-shaped standing desk review? Search for “arielle best corner standing desks” and you’ll find it.
Melissa says:
Hi Steven great article thank you!
I’ve spent way to much time on this, and I’m now leaning towards the Artiss thanks to your review.
I’m wondering if you have any insight into ergonomic chairs for the home office also?
Steven McConnell says:
Hi Melissa, thanks! The Artiss is a great budget pick. I’ve written numerous ergonomic chair reviews – Google “arielle best ergonomic office chairs” to find them 🙂
tania says:
hey are there any other manual desks apart from the ikea ones you don’t recommend, that you would recommend? I prefer the idea of not needing electricity to move between stand up and sit down but maybe that doesn’t really exist?
Steven McConnell says:
Hey Tania, all of the premium brands (UpDown, Desky, etc) offer a manual crank model. Definitely the way to go if you want to avoid electronics. But TBH I suggest you reconsider. Electronics are very reliable these days – and hand-cranking your standing desk is more annoying than you’d expect.
Adam says:
Hi, do you know much about the UpDown Klik vs Pro system?
Steven McConnell says:
The company has shipped their new Klik standing desk to me yesterday. Stay tuned!
Scott Long says:
You mention in your review of the Up Down Pro that you would get the cable holes and grommets done, but it looks like your (very pretty) Messmate desk doesn’t have them. Is your recommendation a hindsight reflection, or did you choose not to spoil the look of the desk with the grommets? Without the grommets can you can still run the cables behind the desk and into the cable management tray? Cheers!
Steven McConnell says:
Scott, I said in the review that grommets and holes are a great idea, not that I have them. They’re less important if your standing desk faces a wall. But if you have an open-plan style home office like mine, they’ll make your workspace look much cleaner. PS You can still run cables into the tray without the holes and grommets – the cables will simply run behind the desk.
Isaac Jenkinson says:
Hello,
Have you had a chance to try the new UpDown Lyft model? Curious about its stability vs the pro.
Steven McConnell says:
Isaac,
Not yet. On first glance, it looks like a budget alternative to the “big brothers”. It’s probably pretty good (UpDown has a reputation to maintain), but I’m of the opinion that buying cheap means you pay more in the long term. I’d save up another few hundred bucks and get the Pro. You can often get a melamine or bamboo-topped model on sale for around $900.
David says:
This is a great site and will help me decide on which desk to buy. Have you heard any good/bad reviews about the Blacklyte Atlas Lite or Ergo-Rise II from BDO furniture?
Steven McConnell says:
David, thanks for the kind words. Never heard of the Atlas Lite until you mentioned it. Looks like a decent gaming desk that borrows heavily from Secretlab Magnus – but why not just buy a real Magnus instead?
As for the Ergo-Rise – looks like a decent desk, but its height controller is outdated. The best standing desk brands have upgraded to OLED controllers.
Ben says:
Thank you for writing this review Steven; really helpful to break through the BS.
By any chance have you used or hold an opinion on Vertilift desks?
Steven McConnell says:
You’re welcome. God, I haven’t even heard of them – but thanks for the heads-up. There are too many standing desks on the Australian market. Obviously I haven’t used these in person, but I’m almost certain they’re yet another Jiecang variant (i.e., frames are identical to Desky). You can tell by the identical max and min heights, as well as the design of the foot.
Eloise says:
Hey Steven, I was recommended the Alwyn or Octavia (Living Fusion) 140cm sit and stand desks from Temple and Webster which don’t even get a mention in your review. Would you bother with any of their brands ? (I may have dodged a bullet by finding your review!)
Steven McConnell says:
Hi Louise, I haven’t had first-hand experience with the T&W standing desk (must add one to my list!).
However, I had a look through the specs for you.
It doesn’t look too bad, actually – considering the price. If you can’t stretch your budget to ~$950 for an entry-level UpDown or Desky, this could be a good option.
Jordan says:
Hi Steven, Thanks for the review! I am starting out with a home office set up and need a new chair and sit stand desk. I’m a student but I prefer to buy things I know will last, but I don’t have too much experience with sit stand desks. I initially thought to buy the Artiss but have considered buying the Acacia UpDown Pro+ so I know it lasts and I don’t have to buy another desk in a couple of years. Is it worth the price jump for me? Thanks!
Steven McConnell says:
Hi Jordan, the Artiss and the UpDown desks sell at two very different price points. If you have the budget, I suggest you stretch to the UpDown standing desk – you won’t regret it.
jason says:
I know you’ve disqualified the flexispot e7 pro so the e7 max plus would probably also be disqualified, but a quad motor 4 column desk frame at a prices competitive with UpDown desk is incredibly tempting. Plus 15 year warrenty (if the company lasts that long)
Have you had a chance to take a look? Its like half the price of the desky quad!
Steven McConnell says:
Hey Jason, great observation. I haven’t included quad standing desks here because they’ve traditionally attracted a niche consumer – someone who needs to place a tonne of gear on the desktop and doesn’t mind paying 2X the usual price. But Flexispot’s sharp pricing on their quad desk certainly changes things. I haven’t seen one in the wild yet – but the specs look promising.
Steven