We often underestimate the importance of a great office chair. When in reality we really shouldn’t. We spend the majority of our day sitting on chairs, whether we’re working in our home office or a corporate one. Hence, this piece of furniture needs to be not only comfortable but ergonomic, and aesthetic as well. And we’ve curated a collection of chair designs that meet all these criteria! From a task chair that is made using 70% recycled materials to a fortune cookie-inspired wooden work pod – these innovative chair designs are not only a boon to your back, and help you maintain a healthy posture, but are also super comfy to sink into, and will perfectly match the interiors of your modern office. Enjoy.
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Click here to cast your vote! (Voting is open till April 23rd 23:59 (CET)
1. The Coffin Office Chair
Are you someone who absolutely despises your dead-end corporate job, well then, we may have found the chair for you! Shaped like a coffin, this wooden chair recently took the internet by storm. A Twitter user shared it on September 7th, and everyone who’s downright fed up with their jobs completely resonated with it.
Why is it noteworthy?
The conceptual coffin chair perfectly represents all the dreaded emotions employees feel throughout the entirety of their workday. It reflects the feeling of doom one experiences, as they have to sit through another pointless meeting that could have been an email.
What we like
- Inspired by Rene Magritte’s painting titled The Balcony (1950)
- Perfectly captures the feeling of having a dead-end job
What we dislike
- It’s a concept!
- There’s no cozy cushioning to get comfy in
2. D-Tach
D-Tach is a versatile stool that transforms into a small workspace designed to accommodate today’s mobile work culture. With each day, our world seems to become more and more mobile. Mobile offices, working from home, and freelance careers are increasing in popularity as we move away from corporate offices. With work culture making such a big shift towards mobile lifestyles, our home offices and furniture should reflect that.
Why is it noteworthy?
Industrial design student Andrew Chang decided to create a chair that fits the bill. D-Tach is a modular stool design that functions as a traditional office chair, only to disassemble into parts that provide a small working space on the go.
What we like
- Transforms into a small workspace
- Fits into most modern offices
What we dislike
- We’re unsure how comfortable would the small workspace be to actually work in
3. The Fortune Chair
Designed by Hyeyoung Han and Hanyoung Lee, the Fortune Chair is really a mix between a bean bag, chair, and a pod, and it also happens to look like a fortune cookie. Much like its name suggests, the Fortune Chair is, in fact, inspired by a fortune cookie.
Why is it noteworthy?
Once you crack upon a fortune cookie, which is a pretty exciting process by itself, you’re rewarded with an inspirational little note that provides you a sneak peek into your future or gives you some cliche motto to live by. Although the experience is quite old-school now, there’s no denying that it’s quite fun and amusing as well. And these are the sentiments that the designers wanted to capture in their chair.
What we like
- The chair includes a fortune cookie-inspired wooden outer wall, which functions as a covering frame that surrounds the user. This outer wall creates a cozy, comfortable, and private space for the user to sit in
What we dislike
- The chair may not complement the aesthetics of modern contemporary offices
4. The Liberty Ocean Chair
Designed by the office furniture brand Humanscale, the Liberty Ocean chair, was as its name signifies, created using almost one kilogram of abandoned fishing nets found in the ocean.
Why is it noteworthy?
The Liberty Ocean chair range claims to be “first task chairs made from recycled fishing nets”, and is a brave and commendable effort on the part of Humanscale to tackle the evergrowing issue of ocean plastic.
What we like
- The Liberty Ocean range features Humanscale’s form-sensing mesh back. The intriguing back automatically adjusts and merges with the form and contours of the user’s body, in turn functioning as a rather comfortable and ergonomic seat
What we dislike
- Aesthetics are quite unassuming, quite similar to other office chairs on the market
5. The Peacock Chair
The Peacock Chair tries to solve some of the issues that may arise like “privacy, distractions, noise, and the ability to maintain a work/life balance”, according to the designers.
Why is it noteworthy?
From the name itself, this chair has a peacock-like shroud that will give a signal to the people around you and also give you a sense of privacy and temporarily put away the noise around you. When the shroud is in a downward position, this means you’re in a more casual situation, letting people know they can talk to you and you can talk to them. In this position, the shroud doesn’t really have any other purpose except to be sort of decorative. When the peacock’s “feathers” are up, obviously the one sitting on the chair wants to be left alone to focus and work or read or have some sense of peace.
What we like
- Dampens the noise around you
- Gives you a sense of privacy
What we dislike
- There are similar products on the market
6. The 5° Chair
Ever since I was a kid, I’ve leaned back in almost every chair I sit in. If I have the room, I’ll tilt back until I hit that sweet spot and let the chair teeter back and forth. Some of us have fidget spinners and some of us lean our chairs all the way back. Designed specifically for those of us who share that same tendency, Seoul-based design firm 250 Design built the 5° Chair, an office chair that can rotate 360°, lean back and forward, and tilt from side to side.
Why is it noteworthy?
The chair’s seat plate cozies up to and hugs your hips for support from the bottom, with added cushion for comfort. Similarly, the backrest plate forms the shape of your back to bolster your posture and encourage an upright spine. The 5° Chair’s legs are reinforced in the core with angled wave springs that can tilt in any direction, while the chair’s spindle can lean from side to side, 5 degrees from its center point. The rotatability of the 5° Chair allows it to adjust to your body’s natural movement, offering support from every angle.
What we like
- Adjust’s to your body’s natural movement
- Embedded wave springs provide the chair with stationary mobility
What we dislike
- Does not feature wheels
7. uuma
This portable table and chair combo is made from fiberglass, which offers the unit much-needed portability and durability. Fiberglass by virtue is a sustainable and pretty affordable material, it is also lightweight and robust in nature. The customizable furniture unit comprises four parts primarily that can be removed or put together with minimum know-how. The modular parts of the uuma include a height-adjustable metal leg – forming the central frame – and the lower and upper table layers.
Why is it noteworthy?
During the work-from-home regime, there may be times when you want to move to the balcony/garden and work while soaking in some sun. It seems easy with the choice of outdoor furniture, but if you have tried – you know – meeting the comfort of the workstation outside is not possible, and you end up cutting the adventure short, only to return to the more efficient work environment. With the umma the scenario is alterable. You can have a comfortable seat that can raise or lower on demand and can be clipped open to reveal a height-adjustable table. This table and chair can then be equally comfortable whether you choose to place it outside or inside in your home office nook. This means, with uuma you can work wherever and whenever you can find the right motivation and creativity you need for your work.
What we like
- Can be used in multiple settings both indoors and outdoors
- Highly portable and durable
What we dislike
- The design may not be very ergonomic or comfortable to work on for long hours
8. The Sia Task Chair
The Sia Task Chair aims to bring a product that is well-designed and can be comfortable to use. But it also boasts the fact that it uses 70.6% recycled materials and does not even use any adhesive in putting the chair together.
Why is it noteworthy?
The company says it is its most sustainable product to date.. There are also several different colors available and if you’re ordering in bulk, the colors can be customized as well.
What we like
- The chair itself has a soft-lined frame and a mesh that makes it comfortable, especially if you’ll be sitting on it for long periods of time during the day
- When it reaches the end of life, 99.4% of the entire chair can be recycled
What we dislike
- It looks like any other task chair available on the market
9. The Reversible Chair
Nicola Stäubli is a Swiss architect and designer who created the Reversible Chair more than a decade ago. So it’s an old project, but it’s proof that a good design never goes out of style.
Why is it noteworthy?
This thing is reversible as you can quickly flip the rear legs. Doing so will transform the chair into a lounge chair. It also comes with a reversible cover so you can enjoy two color versions of the textile. With the two forms and several colors, you can get different objects. The set of steel tubes and the fabric is considered smart. You can assemble four different seats to match your need and style. All you need to do is flip over the rear legs to have a new chair.
What we like
- The pipe pieces can be pulled apart and combined to create a new chair.
- The design is efficient, convenient, and easy to understand
What we dislike
- It’s an old design
10. The HÅG Capisco Chair
The HÅG Capisco chair ergonomic office seat is an innovative chair design that’s been amped with a variety of active sitting options, that ensure you don’t have to sit still all day long! It pairs perfectly with standing desks, or desks with an adjustable height. It comes in twelve different upholstery options, as well as three different color options.
Why is it noteworthy?
The chair works well for all kinds of people. Whether you’re a fidgety personality who loves to move around, or someone who enjoys stretching and practicing yoga – this chair works perfectly for everyone! It supports any seating position you may occupy – whether you sit backward, sideways, kneeling, cross-legged, squatting, or more.
What we like
- Adjustable height – 15″ to 40″
- Supports a maximum weight of 250 pounds
What we dislike
- The chair’s quirky form may not merge harmoniously with modern office spaces
Check out the winners of the LEXUS DESIGN AWARD 2023 and now YOU have the opportunity to cast your vote for your favorite design and help them win!
Click here to cast your vote! (Voting is open till April 23rd 23:59 (CET)