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 modular chair that transforms into a small workspace to an office chair that looks futuristic but with ergonomics from the past – 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!
1. 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
2. The FLO Concept
When you’re working all day on your desk, the last thing you need is a chair that makes the work even more tiresome, not to mention actually dangerous to your health. The FLO concept tries to change the equation by designing the casual swivel chair as a more visually whole shape. Of course, the chair is actually made of different parts that you do have to assemble, but once connected, it would seem as if the chair came out of the factory as a single piece, except for the base and swivel cylinder, of course.
Why is it noteworthy?
This design allows the eyes to smoothly follow the contour of the chair like flowing water, hence the name. Perhaps almost as a side effect, the overall design of the chair looks futuristic and something from a utopian office. The sleek form and twisting structures of the armrests and the bent shape of the backrest give it an almost otherworldly appearance, definitely not something that would fit in today’s office settings.
What we like
- Visually striking
- The structure of the chair is actually designed to provide more stability and durability, especially when leaning back
What we dislike
- The shape of the backrest itself might not be that comfortable after long hours of use.
3. 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
4. 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 to 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
5. uuma
This portable table and chair combo is made from fiberglass, which offers the unit its 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 setting 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
6. The Axis Stool
Stools, often, make a better seating option in the office, than chairs! Designed to guarantee comfort and instantly increase concentration and physical fatigue, the Axis stool is, according to the designer, the first ergonomic stool created from sustainable materials. The stool is intended primarily for the demanding needs of a flexible office environment, for which, it is made lightweight and stackable – two essentials of a modern office where space comes at a premium.
Why is it noteworthy?
In addition to its ergonomic design, sustainability is at the Axis’s core. The seat is made from injection molding bio thermo-polymer, which makes it a biodegradable and recyclable seating unit for the greener offices of the future. To create more impact with little mechanical intervention, the entire stool – the base and the seat – are held together using a single screw. The convenient manufacturing makes it possible that the specially engineered seat on the top can tilt in any direction so the users don’t feel the pressure while leaning from one desk to another. The base and the seat are placed inches apart from each other to allow 360-degree tilting without friction between the two components.
What we like
- Created from sustainable materials
- The entire stool is held together using a single screw
What we dislike
- We’re not sure how comfortable it would be to work on for long periods of time
7. 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 one 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
8. The Commute Chair
To give you the feeling of working from the office while working from home, designer Andrew Mangelsdorf created the Commute chair.
Why is it noteworthy?
The name commute chair might give you the idea that it helps you recreate the journey (maybe it’s a variation of floo powder that transports you while sitting in place), it literally helps create a barrier between your home and workspace. Designing a home office is a luxury not everyone can afford – we often convert our bedroom into the workroom and the dining table into a desk for the day. Commute lets you mentally transform yourself by pulling up the partitions of this ingenious chair. The chair also comes with multiple accessories like a swiveling tabletop and a table light – all integrated to create the perfect desk set up in the form of one simple chair.
What we like
- The chair has USB ports
- Holds deep pockets to hold all your knick-knacks that you need during work
What we dislike
- No complaints!
9. Flowspace
Draped in gray felt, Flowspace comes with automated privacy panels that create a hybrid of a conventional desk and round pod. As currently conceptualized, each pod comes with its own desktop computer, desk, and stool. The desktop computer’s monitor spans almost the entire panel inside the pod, making it an ideal screen for heavy workloads and even presentations.
Why is it noteworthy?
The pod itself comes in two halves to combine and provide plenty of privacy amidst busy work zones. Whenever you want to get back to the WFH grind, Flowspace creates a temporary sanctuary for focus and deep work. With the so-called ‘new normal’ making its way around the globe, we’re all eager to have a little bit of both–the charm of working alone and the excitement of collaboration.
What we like
- Automated privacy panels
- Features an ideal screen for heavy workloads and even presentations
What we dislike
- No complaints!
10. That Stool
That Stool is comprised of only a few parts: a seat rest, five legs, a couple of star-shaped spindles, and some connecting nuts and bolts. All contained within a flatpack corrugated cardboard box, the parts of That Stool are easy to assemble with no additional hardware required. Following the imprinted instructions on the underside of That Stool’s top cover, users will first attach each leg to the corresponding screws on the star-shaped spindles. From there, connecting fasteners secure the legs and spindles in place, providing a sturdy bolster for the seat rest to mount.
Why is it noteworthy?
Small stools can come in handy anywhere. From empty art studios to crowded offices, stools can make the simple difference between sitting on the floor and having a seat. They especially come in handy when they’re designed for easy assembly and storage. Developed by Alondra Elizalde, That Stool is a flatpack DIY small stool designed with easy assembly to provide a practical means of having a stool anywhere, at any time.
What we like
- Flatpack design
- You can build it yourself!
- Can be assembled in 4 steps
What we dislike
- Looks like any other regular stool on the market
