6 Best Office Chairs Reviewed for 2021: Herman Miller Aeron vs. Steelcase Leap vs. Secretlab OMEGA vs. NeueChair vs. Ergohuman vs. ErgoTune Supreme

Shopping for an office chair is not an easy task. There are several brands, several designs, and several price points to choose from.

How are you supposed to know which is the best fit for you?

We get it – that’s why we bought (yes, with our own money) some of the most popular chairs in the market to help you out with an honest and objective review. Since we sell and specialise in ergonomic chairs, we’re pretty confident that we know what to look out for and what to avoid.

Have a look at what we have to say, and how our own chair fares against its competitors:

*Note: The prices listed were last updated on 16th August 2021.

At A Glance

What is our review process?

Scrolling through forums and peeking at what others have written about the chairs online is not what we want to do, since that’s what you can do. Instead, we purchased and assembled all the chairs ourselves, so that we can fully experience and understand the entire user journey to give genuine feedback.

This started early in 2021, and our entire marketing team then took turns to sit on each chair for at least 1-2 weeks to get a good feel of the support, comfort, and adjustability of the chair.

How did we assess the chairs?

Once we’ve used a chair for a while, we gave it scores from 1 to 10 (10 being the best) for a few categories that we thought were paramount for an office chair. These include:

• Quality/Finishing
• Overall Seat Comfort
  
• Back Support
• Neck Support
• Arm Support
• Ease and Variety of Ergonomic Adjustments
• Customer Support (Assembly, Shipping, and Warranty)

We then added up the scores for each chair, and divided that sum by the number of categories applicable to the chair to get an average score.

For example, Herman Miller Aeron’s score was derived as such:
(8+9+10+6.5+8+9) / 6 = 8.4

Secretlab OMEGA’s score was derived as such:
(9.5+7+3+4+8+4+7) / 7 = 6.1

Comparing the 6 Best Office Chairs 

1. Steelcase Leap ($1,581)

Steelcase needs no introduction – we all know it’s one of the heavy hitters among office chair brands, and the Steelcase Leap is a product of over 100 years of research, development, experience, and several user reviews.

This is ours:

Comparable to the Herman Miller, the Steelcase Leap is defintely a chair worth investing in if you have the means to.  

Quality/Finishing: 9

Despite using (high-quality) plastic for its frame, the Steelcase Leap does not look cheap at all thanks to its plush fabric seat and backrest. 

No scratches or imperfections were found on the chair either, so it gets a high score of 9/10.

Overall Seat Comfort: 8

If the Herman Miller Aeron gave us the feeling of floating on clouds (scroll down to read why), the Steelcase Leap had us feeling like we were sinking into a bed of marshmallows.

The thick padding of its seat and backrest cushions were just the right balance of soft and firm, resulting in a highly comfortable and supportive chair.

The only downside is the heat, since it is way less breathable. Without air-conditioning, it didn’t take long to feel stuffy and sweaty.

Back Support: 8

Using what’s known as the LiveBack, the Steelcase Leap’s backrest is separated into two parts – the upper back and lower back – that function independently, just like your spine. This allowed us to fidget all we wanted whilst enjoying complete lumbar support, which greatly reduced our tendency to hunch and slouch.

It felt very natural for us to sit upright without feeling like we were forced to do so.

Neck Support: N/A

The Steelcase Leap does not come with a headrest, so this category does not apply. This disappointed some of us because they wanted to be able to take power naps while seat on the chair, but alas – you’ll have to use your own neck pillow, which is not very ergonomic at all.

Arm Support: 7.5

With 4D armrests, the Steelcase Leap fares relatively well in terms of arm support.

The armrests are also covered with a thick, padded cushion that feels almost like foam, which were a delight to rest our arms on.

Unfortunately, the Steelcase Leap only comes in one size, and even when the armrests are at their closest to each other, the distance between was still too wide for our most petite member, who stands at 158cm and weighs about 48kg.

Ergonomic Adjustments: 8.5

In terms of adjustability, the Steelcase Leap can do just about everything except adjusting the height of the backrest.

This is a trade-off to allow the backrest its increased flexibility and dual segments, which most of us are agreeable with.

What we unanimously appreciate, however, are the labels everywhere. We never forgot how to use the Steelcase Leap for adjustments, because we were always reminded what each adjustment lever or knob was for!

The user guides hidden beneath the armrests were especially helpful.

Customer Support: 10

The Steelcase Leap was delivered preassembled, so that made things very easy for us as users. The chair also comes with an amazing warranty period – lifetime for some parts of the chair, and 12-years for others! 

2. Herman Miller Aeron Remastered ($1,989)

Here's a proof shot for you!

We bought the Graphite Herman Miller Aeron Remastered. We didn’t purchase a headrest from a third party since not everyone does so, and this is what we thought: 

Hands-down, this was one of the best mesh office chairs we’ve ever sat on. 

Quality/Finishing: 8

Let’s start from the top – at first glance, the Herman Miller Aeron looks rather flimsy for a chair that costs $2000. We deducted some points because of this unfortunate disparity. That said, it appears this way because of the plastic and mesh used, but in fact, they are both of very high-quality.

The plastic allows the frame to be durable yet incredibly lightweight (enough for a petite person to lift it up without difficulty), and the mesh is a unique elastomeric material known as the 8Z Pellicle. We’ll dive deeper into that in the next few categories.

Overall Seat Comfort: 9

Oh goodness – it felt like we were floating on clouds. Alternatively, it felt like we were bouncing on an exercise ball, because that was how delightfully soft and springy the seat was.

While it definitely did not offer the feeling of sinking into a plush cushion, it was unanimous in the office that this refreshing feeling was preferred for work, since it energised us more. We did take into account that some might prefer the latter though, so we deducted a point.

Since it’s mesh, we also didn’t have to worry about feeling warm or sticky in the seat.

Back Support: 10

Remember the 8Z Pellicle?

Its best feature is its ability to have varying tensions across 8 different zones in the chair’s seat and back – tighter at the edges, and more forgiving in the centre, where the body often makes contact.

This allows the chair’s backrest to fit flush against your back like a second skin, giving you the necessary lumbar support without feeling like it’s being forced into the curve of your spine.

Neck Support: N/A

Unfortunately, the neck support is a dud since it didn’t come with a headrest. We understand the reasoning behind it, though – a headrest can do more bad than good if it’s not tailored to your body, so sometimes it’s better to do without one. 

Arm Support: 6.5

One of the good things about the Herman Miller Aeron is that it comes in 3 available sizes: A (Small), B (Medium), and C (Large). Depending on your height and weight, you may select the chair that best suits you – in general, B is meant to suit most average people.

However, because each chair is tailored to a certain group of individuals, it may be hard for a family or couple to share a single chair if they’re of quite different builds, which is why we gave it 6.5.

For our review, we purchased size B. While the back support and overall seat comfort was satisfactory for our entire team, the arm support was lacking for the more petite members, who were less than 160cm in height.

How so?

Ergonomic experts recommend our shoulders to be relaxed with our arms to be close to our sides and parallel to the floor when we’re at our desks. This means that your elbows shouldn’t jut or point outwards as much as possible, but because the armrests for Herman Miller’s size B chair were so wide apart, those who were of a more petite build had no choice but to either jut their elbows out like a chicken, or leave them hanging without support.

Besides that, it had decent height and angle adjustments, was thick and plush, and very comfortable to rest your arms on.

Ergonomic Adjustments: 8

We deducted points for the limitations of the armrests, but everything else such as the backrest, seat depth, and seat height offered a wide range of adjustability.

The only other downside was that the adjustment knobs did not have any form of marked gauges to assist with the adjustment process, so it took quite a bit of trial and error to adjust the chair to our needs.

Customer Support: 9

The Herman Miller came assembled, so that definitely made things a lot easier for us as a consumer. This, coupled with the 12-year warranty, gave the chair the high score in this category.

Unfortunately, because Herman Miller does not have an actual store in Singapore, we deducted a point – even if you purchase from an authorised dealer in Singapore, all warranty claims after 12 months of purchase will subjected to a nominal transportation fee.

3. ErgoTune Supreme ($599)

The ErgoTune Supreme, our pride and joy.

Driven by the desire to have a high-quality chair at a budget-friendly (Read: Not over a thousand dollars) price, we created the ErgoTune Supreme in 2019.

Contrary to popular belief, ergonomics does not have to be complex to be “good”. Strip away bombastic terminology and fanciful features, and at the core of it all, the key ingredient that makes an ergonomic chair “good” for as many people as possible is adjustability.

So, we designed the ErgoTune Supreme to be incredibly adjustable across 11 points, from head to toe, allowing just about anyone to achieve a perfect ergonomic fit.

Here’s our very honest, very objective take on the ErgoTune Supreme – we promise!

TL;DR, it’s obviously not a god-tier ergonomic chair, but for a sweet price of $399 - $599, it gives the most bang for your buck. 

Quality/Finishing: 7

Since the ErgoTune Supreme uses high-quality plastic for most of the chair’s frame, it does have the same, less-than-luxurious appearance as compared to the Secretlab OMEGA and Steelcase Leap. The plastic can also get scratched quite easily if you don’t make a conscious effort to take good care of it.

However, the chair uses aluminium alloy for the base and first-rate components sourced from all over the world, including South Korean Class IV hydraulics system and a unique mesh upholstery weaved in Germany, so it is pretty sturdy overall.

In fact, we’re so confident that it will last you through the years that we’ve a 12-year limited warranty period.

Overall Seat Comfort: 7.5

One of the many things we’re very proud of is the DuraWeave™, which is a unique mesh and fabric hybrid material used for the chair’s backrest and seat.

Woven in Germany, it combines the durability and comfort of fabric with the breathability and flexibility of mesh – the result is a springy, supportive hybrid mesh that will neither sag nor tear easily!

Long hours of usage also did not result in any abrasion or soreness, so it gets a green light from everyone on the team. The only reason why we deducted some points was because it didn’t provide us with the same, floaty feeling as the Herman Miller Aeron. Some people may also prefer the mesh to be slightly softer.

Back Support: 9

Another proud achievement of ours is the development of the ATLAS™, which is short for Auto Tuning Lumbar Area Support.

You could say that this is the hallmark feature of the ErgoTune Supreme, since the ATLAS™ automatically shifts according to your body position to match and support your spine’s natural curvature.

This makes it able to provide the necessary back support for almost just about anyone, so long as they are between 150cm to 190cm tall.

Neck Support: 9

We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again – a headrest is only value-adding if it is highly adjustable. If it cannot be adjusted to fit properly at the base of your head and in the curve of your neck, it’s not going to be able to offer full support for your head and upper spinal columns, making it a huge waste of your money.

Our ErgoTune Supreme’s TriTune™ headrest is – as its name suggests – a 3D headrest. This means that you can adjust its height, depth, and angle.

That said, the more petite members of our team were too short to fully enjoy the original version of the headrest. Standing at 158cm tall, our colleague had to use the newer version of the headrest instead, which was just released not long ago and can be lowered further than its predecessor.

Arm Support: 10

Be prepared to feel like a Transformer when fiddling with the ErgoTune Supreme’s armrests.

Also known as the GyroBrace™ 5D Armrests, we’ve unabashedly given our chair the best arm support rating in this list because it’s so much more adjustable than the rest!

Besides being height adjustable, it has a unique pivot angle of 270-degrees – this allowed us to angle the armrests for practically every sitting position imaginable, and we could even extend the reach of the armrests, and move it inwards or outwards to fit various body builds.

Ergonomic Adjustments: 8.5

As mentioned earlier, the ErgoTune Supreme has a whopping 11 points of adjustability. This alone was enough to give the chair a full score in this category, but points were deducted because we felt like it could be more user-friendly.

There are no labels on the adjustment levers and knobs of the chair, so if you ever forget what each one is for, you’re going to have to refer back to the user guide that comes with every chair.

Customer Support: 7

While we do offer free delivery island-wide, assembling the chair will require a small assembly fee. If you prefer to assemble the chair on your own, it may require 2 people to do so because some parts of the chair can be rather heavy. Because of this, we took away some points for this category. That said, we are one of the few in the market at this price range to offer such a long warranty period – 12 years!

4. NeueChair ($799)

Our NeueChair in Silver

Meant for those who do not fancy Secretlab’s signature gaming chair design, NeueChair is the company’s ergonomic office chair.

Here’s our review:

It’s half the price of a Herman Miller, but it's also (almost) half the quality. 

Quality/Finishing: 6.5

Visually, the NeueChair looks sleek and shiny thanks to its aluminium alloy frame. It feels pretty sturdy as well and came without any scratches, but somehow its backrest tilt mechanism broke not long after we purchased it, so there goes some points. Thank goodness for warranty! 

Overall Seat Comfort: 6

The chair’s signature NeueMesh is a 3-layered material that’s a combination of mesh, polyester, and DuPont yarn.

Compared to the rest of the mesh chairs that we purchased, it geared towards the firmer side of the spectrum, with Herman Miller Aeron’s springy mesh being on the other end.

This made it less comfortable to sit on for long periods, and caused the lumbar support to feel too pronounced when you’re seated flush against the backrest.

That said, since it is mesh, we liked that it was very breathable and suitable for Singapore’s weather.

Back Support: 6.5

On a whole, NeueChair’s back support is decent. It is highly adjustable – the most important quality of a good lumbar support – so you may freely adjust the height and depth to fit the natural curve in your spine just right.

However, there are two main pitfalls.

1) As mentioned above, the back support was a tad too firm, which forced us into a very rigid, upright seating position – that’s bad.

As humans, we’re meant to fidget. A good ergonomic chair isn’t meant to stop you from fidgeting; a good ergonomic chair is supposed to encourage good posture and most importantly, provide necessary back support for every seating position, so that it takes the stress off your muscles and prevent injuries.

2) The lumbar support is hard to adjust for the more petite. In order to do so, you’re supposed to reach your arms back to lift the backrest frame, which can be difficult if you have short or weak arms. This means that you’ll have to get up from the chair to adjust the lumbar support, sit back down to test the fit, and repeat the steps if necessary.

Neck Support: N/A

We didn't opt for the headrest add-on, so we won't be rating the NeueuChair on neck support.

Arm Support: 6

Again, we weren’t crazy about the NeueChair’s armrests, but we didn’t hate them either.

It was easy to adjust their height, and the pivot angle does not pale in comparison to that of most other chairs. Also, they were firm, but cushioned regardless and didn’t feel painful to rest on for long periods – that is, if we could even rest our arms on them.

What?

Yes, you heard us right. Within this list of chairs, the NeueChair had one of the broadest width in between armrests. At a whopping 48cm apart, we realised that the armrests were only ergonomic for the taller, bigger members of our team.

This came as a disappointment, because while armrests are not a must-have when you’re typing on your computer, it didn’t allow us to rest our arms (in good posture) in more leisurely settings, such as when we wanted to play a mobile game or read a book.

Ergonomic Adjustments: 7

One thing that we loved about the NeueChair was its fuss-free adjustment system! The seat height and backrest recline levers are conveniently installed under the armrests, so all you have to do is squeeze the levers when you want to make adjustments. No more bending over and reaching under!

Unfortunately, because the armrest width cannot be adjusted, so we deducted some points.

Customer Support: 8

We loved that the NeueChair has a 12-year limited warranty, although different warranty periods apply to different parts of the chair.

We loved that the NeueChair a 49-day refund/return policy, which may be subjected to some return fees, depending on the condition of the chair.

We mostly loved that the NeueChair has free assembly (at the time this article was written).

5. ErgohumanPlus Elite Mesh with Headrest ($798)

The ErgohumanPlus Elite Mesh with headrest

Often touted as a cheaper alternative to the Herman Miller and Steelcase, the Ergohuman is said to be a value-for-money purchase, so we decided to put it to the test.

Here’s our verdict:

It’s a hit or miss. Best to try the chair out personally before you purchase it!

Quality/Finishing: 6.5

Out of all the chairs we purchased, the Ergohuman unfortunately looked the cheapest. Its mesh felt rubbery, and it has a bulky frame which might not be good for those who do not have a lot of space to spare in their home office.

The plastic of the headrest also felt very flimsy.

Overall Seat Comfort: 6.5

The Ergohuman’s mesh material was surprisingly soft. While it felt rubbery to the touch, it didn’t cause any abrasion on our skin, and we felt like we were sinking into the mesh a little.

Most ergonomic chairs tend to have cushions that are on the firmer side for support, so if you prefer your chair to be like that, then you might not like how the Ergohuman feels.

Plus, because of how soft the mesh is, some of the bigger members of our team could feel the frame of the backrest whenever they leaned against it, which was not very comfortable.

So far, it got mixed feelings from us. We also worry that it may sag sooner than other chairs.

Back Support: 4

Again, because of how soft the mesh is, the lumbar support of the Ergohuman just does not work.

The moment we lean against the backrest, the lumbar support gets flattened out. We found ourselves reverting back to hunching and slouching a lot more while on the Ergohuman...

Neck Support: 5

The neck support got a pass across the board.

Height-adjustable, the headrest is able to fit most people, but its angle can only be adjusted to a certain degree, which does place some limitations on it.

You can’t adjust the depth of the headrest as well, so this is where the soft mesh saves the day – you won’t really feel like your head is being pushed forward. It will be a problem if you need the headrest to come forward, though.

Arm Support: 9

Although thin, the cushion on the armrests are comfortable. You can also adjust the height, move it front, back, closer together or further apart, and it pivots more than most of the chairs on this list. Impressive! 

Ergonomic Adjustments: 7

We love clever designs, and the Ergohuman has just that – the right adjustment lever is multipurpose for seat height, seat depth, backrest recline angle, and there’s even a very cleverly hidden knob for the backrest tilt tension.

You can also adjust the height of the backrest, and the armrest height adjustment button is conveniently placed right on the side of the armrests, making the chair very user-friendly.

The main downfall is the lack of adjustments in the headrest.

Customer Support: 8

The Ergohuman was quite easy to assemble by just one person. It also comes with a 5-year limited warranty and free delivery. 

6. Secretlab OMEGA 2020 ($499)

Our Secretlab OMEGA 2020 Series in PRIME™ 2.0 PU Leather, Stealth

It’s no secret that the Secretlab OMEGA has a huge fan-following. Often praised for being as comfortable as it is aesthetic, we decided to get off our high horse (or ergonomic chair) and try it out for ourselves to see what’s the hype about.

Here’s what we thought:

Better than expected, but you might not want to sit on it for hours every day. 

Quality/Finishing: 9.5

Even the non-gamers in our team couldn’t deny the Secretlab OMEGA of its beauty. It looks hella cool.

We can’t say much for the fabric option, but the PU leather (and naturally, the NAPA leather too) gave the chair a sleek, luxurious, and modern appeal. It felt great to the touch, and there was no issue with the seams, no loose threads, no scratches, no paint loss when it arrived.

It truly deserved a 9.5 – 0.5 begrudgingly deducted for the more troublesome upkeep.

Overall Seat Comfort: 7

Unfortunately, the Secretlab OMEGA 2020 Series looks a lot better than it feels when we were seated. The seat and backrest cushion were firmer than expected, which some were disappointed about, while others appreciated since they didn’t want to worry about dozing off at work.

With the lumbar pillow and neck rest on the chair though, the comfort significantly improved, but long use of the chair throughout the day still resulted in back aches, especially since the lumbar pillow could not be adjusted.

Back Support: 3

As mentioned, the lumbar pillow is the only form of lumbar support in the Secretlab OMEGA 2020 Series. While lumbar pillows are a good temporary relief to back aches from a lack of proper lumbar support, it is never recommended as a long-term solution for two main reasons:

1) Support pillows typically come with a single-strap design, or sometimes, no-strap like in Secretlab’s, which results in flimsy support.

2) The amount of padding in the pillows cannot be customised, so it may either be too hard, too soft, too large, or too small for you and there's nothing you can do about it.

Neck Support: 4

The neck support for Secretlab’s OMEGA 2020 Series gets one point more than the back support because it comes with a strap for some adjustment.

That said, it is still only a pillow, so there are major adjustment limitations in terms of depth and angle.

Arm Support: 8

In terms of armrest support and adjustability, the Secretlab OMEGA 2020 Series did not disappoint. The armrests were firm and thickly cushioned, with 3 adjustment mechanisms within reach for easy fine-tuning of its height, width, and pivot angle (to a certain degree).

We appreciated that the armrests can also be screwed nearer to each other to further close the distance between them.

Ergonomic Adjustments: 4

Though the armrests were satisfactory, the ergonomic adjustments of the chair on a whole did not get a pass from us. Apart from the armrest, seat height, and backrest recline angle, nothing else could be properly adjusted, which definitely limits the ergonomics of the chair. 

Customer Support: 7

While the Secretlab OMEGA came with very clear instructions on how to assemble the chair, its individual parts were heavy – especially the backrest – and may require 2 people for assembly. Points were deducted for this.

The warranty period is also a mere 3-5 years, which is acceptable for its price point of $499.

P.S. If you’re curious about the differences between a gaming chair vs an ergonomic office chair, take a peek at our in-depth comparison here!