Which office chair is best for back pain?

Teleworking and back pain are two terms that, unfortunately, often go hand in hand. Having back pain is something that affects more than 80% of the population. And, if that pain is not treated, it can become chronic. Therefore, it is essential to have an ergonomic chair that adapts to our body. Although that alone will not be enough, it is also essential to have good postural hygiene and configure the chair appropriately according to your needs and anatomical build. In this post we will teach you what you should know before choosing an office chair for back pain.

In today's post we will talk about the factors that must be taken into account when choosing the best chair for back pain and how you should use it to avoid further pain.

We can tell you in advance that there is no chair for back pain that will relieve or eliminate the pain. It is about combining several things that we explain below.

> The best office chair for back pain

> Best ergonomic chairs according to the type of back pain

> What is the correct posture for the back when we sit?

> How do I set up my ergonomic office chair to avoid back pain?

> The best office chair for back pain

The best office chair for taking care of your back health is an ergonomic chair. Why? An ergonomic chair is a type of chair designed to keep the spine, as well as the rest of our body, in the correct position.

Ergonomic chairs, among many other benefits, facilitate constant posture changes, maintaining comfort, which is key to avoiding musculoskeletal stress and, consequently, back pain.

Prolonged sitting in the figure-four position – or passive sitting (see image) – is the main risk factor for back pain. This is due to the combined effect of immobility and poor lumbar spine position (we tend to curve it in the opposite way to our body's natural position).

That is to say, not changing position causes us to subject our muscles and joints to high stress and continuous overload, which turns into annoying back pain that can become chronic if no action is taken.


So, if you're wondering which chair is best for your back, the first step if you want to forget about back pain is to make sure you have an ergonomic chair. The next step is to take into account the degree of pain you suffer. Depending on whether the pain is mild or severe, one chair or another will be more suitable. We explain this in the next section.

> Best ergonomic office chairs according to the type of back pain

We clarify that when we talk about back pain, we are talking about the entire spine, therefore, we also include cervical and lumbar pain.

But in reality, the type of ergonomic chair we choose does not exactly determine the ailment it will resolve; there are no specific chairs for lower back pain and others for ischial bone pain. What we have to take into account is the degree of pain (in this case, of the back) to choose a more or less corrective chair.

The comfort and degree of correction of a chair are inversely proportional; the more strict or corrective the chair, the less comfortable it will be according to the standard concept of passive comfort and the more suitable it will be for a more extreme condition. However, there are comfortable and corrective chairs. All ergonomic chairs are corrective, but to a greater or lesser degree.

Hag CAPISCO PULS 8020

This desk chair is a model of chair that is corrective, but that provides comfort. It is the CAPISCO series, based on the “saddle chair” position. It helps you to be able to constantly change position, without having musculoskeletal loads and, at the same time, it provides you with sequences of comfort. Why sequences and not constant comfort? Because if it were constant, it would not force us to change position and that is when muscle pain arises.

The Capiscos adapt to many human sizes and different work planes depending on the activity carried out. It is one of the best-selling models in our store. Especially for people with back pain, both mild and acute. In fact, many of them are referred by specialists.

As far as female anatomy is concerned, it helps to break the habit of crossing the legs. Due to the position (saddle chair), it does not put pressure on the femoral blood supply and facilitates blood circulation in the legs. For people under 1.60 metres tall, it makes it easier to support the feet thanks to its special base.

SAYL by Herman Miller

The popular SAYL chair from Herman Miller adopts corrective postures, but to a lesser degree than the Capisco. Sitting in this ergonomic chair is closer to the concept of passive comfort, but it will still require a certain discipline in knowing how to use it correctly.

Sayl's 3D Intelligent Suspension Backrest construction supports the sacral area and allows the spine to maintain its natural "S" shape (natural lumbar lordosis). This enables the body to maintain a healthy posture with less fatigue.

It is a chair that, following the ergonomic characteristics of Norwegian chairs, provides constant anatomical correction, but at the same time facilitates highly comfortable positions. For people who suffer from sacrum/coccyx problems, the special fit of its backrest eliminates pressure on this point. At the same time, its multiple adjustments make it adaptable to multiple human sizes.

Herman Miller COSM

The latest model from Herman Miller, COSM, offers a high level of comfort (we would say one point more than the other two above), but at the same time forces you to properly correct your way of sitting. It makes you more "disciplined", but in this case the chair does it for you, it adjusts automatically thanks to its intelligence.

Cosm’s automatic Harmonic tilt puts you first and responds to your movements. No matter your posture, it always delivers a balanced tilt and personalized comfort.

It is the ideal chair for people who are looking for a perfect adaptation of their anatomy, obtaining great comfort, but who at the same time do not have the disposition to adjust the chair according to the task they perform. The impeccable design of the Cosm mesh makes our skeleton adapt perfectly, giving the sensation that we have overcome gravity. It is the ideal chair for people who need to avoid specific pressure points on their skeleton.



As you can see, we have talked about the most popular ergonomic chairs for back pain, but there are more models of chairs that will help you relieve or avoid back pain when you sit.

Now, for the ergonomic chair to be 100% optimal in its operation, we must know how to sit on it.

> What is the correct posture for the back when we sit?

An ergonomic chair is of no use if we do not practice good posture when we sit on it.

We start from the premise that sitting is not a proper posture for the human body. Our spine is designed to be straight and in motion, therefore, the static sitting position is not natural for people. However, our culture has normalized the 8-hour workday sitting in front of a screen.

How can we balance a day that requires many hours in front of a screen with good physical health?

Achieving the natural lumbar lordosis position (as seen in figure A), or a position as similar as possible, when we are sitting. In addition to having an ergonomic chair, taking active breaks during the day and making constant position changes.
And how do we achieve this natural position of our spine?

Being aware of our posture and correctly configuring our chair according to the activity we are going to do in front of the screen and our anatomical build. Of course, always assuming that we are sitting in an ergonomic chair. We explain this in the last section.

> How do I set up my ergonomic office chair to avoid back pain?

It will depend on the type of movements you make in front of the screen, your anatomical build and the muscle pain you suffer from. But we will talk in general terms about the most common ones.

If you would like to receive personalized service according to your needs, you can come and visit us at our store in Barcelona, ​​where our experts will assist you without any obligation.

• Seat height adjustment : The chair should be able to be adjusted so that the hips are higher than the knees. The feet should be firmly supported on the floor or a footrest.

• Seat depth adjustment: This is necessary to be able to adapt the chair to the length of the thigh in such a way that it allows us to sit in the chair with adequate support from the backrest. This will prevent pressure on the back of the knee, preventing restricted circulation.

• Forward tilt seat: This adjustment allows you to rotate your pelvis forward so that your lumbar spine is in its natural curve. This will reduce stress on your muscles and spinal discs.

• Backrest height adjustment: The height of the lumbar curve is different for each person. So this adjustment is necessary to adapt to the shape of each individual body.

• Reclining Function : By taking the opportunity to recline in your chair (for phone calls, meetings, reading), you reduce the strain on your back and allow your body to rest. In this case, if it is a more passive job, a headrest is useful to be able to rest your head or neck and relieve pressure, weight and stress. A headrest should be adjustable in height and depth to provide proper support for your head and neck.

• Armrest Height Adjustment: The armrest should be height-adjustable to support the arms (up to 10% of body weight is placed through the arms). Chair armrests should be adjustable so they do not interfere with access to the desk.

In short, as you can see, there is no ergonomic chair with the perfect formula to relieve or eliminate back pain. Simply because each person is a different case. It is about knowing how to choose the degree of correction you are willing to achieve, which will depend on the degree of your pain.

At the same time, by combining it with good posture when sitting and good postural education (active breaks and constant position changes), you will be ensuring relief from back pain and excellent physical health that will directly affect your mental health, your performance and productivity, and your general well-being.