Why Are Office Chairs So Expensive? [Detailed Analysis]

There are ergonomic chairs that cost you a fortune. Even some entry-level office chairs are tagged with hefty prices.

Without a doubt, you get what you paid for!

But during research to have one, your mind would definitely be popped up with the question; “Hell! Why are office chairs so expensive?” And “Are they even worth spending money on?”

If so, we have covered you!

We have prepared this detailed guide explaining every factor that contributes to the overall cost of the chair, where ergonomic is just one of them. More importantly, the factors that make them an expensive luxury to afford.

Better stop stressing your mind now, and let’s embark on the journey to find the answer to the proposed questions.

Here we go;

Why Are Office Chairs So Expensive?

Factors that Contribute to Higher Price of Chair

Who wants to spend on a chair that can be worn out after few months of use? For sure, no one. Either you are in the market with a 50$ budget or 200$ in your hand. You will always navigate the chair with its longevity in the mind.

No surprise, the durability and longer life span of the chair come with the exceptional built quality and the use of quality materials in construction. Ultimately, cause the price to get higher relative to the chairs designed with low-quality material.

Concluding the fact, the material is the main factor contributing to the higher price of the office chairs. But the best part is that these kinds of chairs last for 10 to 15 years, which justifies their higher price.

Otherwise, if you end up buying a cheap yet sub-standard chair to avoid spending much on an office chair. You will find yourself stuck in the loop of its maintenance expense and will even have to buy the new one soon. Logically, it will not cause you to discomfort during the use but will also bring more money out of your pocket in the longer run.

So why not spend few more bucks and get the best chair made up from quality materials.

Normally people spend 8 hours a day on their office chair, which is a noticeable time period as it reflects that you are spending 1/3^rd time of your day on a chair. Then why should not it be comfortable for the user? It should be, otherwise, you won’t be able to focus on your work for obvious reasons of neck, shoulder, and buttock pains.

And fortunately or unfortunately, to keep the chairs comfortable for your use, manufactures have to incorporate the seat cushions made up of commercial-grade foam that ultimately also contributes to the overall cost of the chair. More importantly, their expensive price ensures that the seat cushion does not compress or gets damaged any soon.

Warning: You will find seat cushions in low-priced chairs as well, but better to not fall for them as they remain comfortable for a few spans of time, and will not be able to serve you with comfort after few months of use.

The phase of research and development is the major contributor to the pricing of the ergonomic task chair.

The major companies like Steelcase leap and Herman miller do not only think to build a new model of a chair and start manufacturing it. Instead, they allocate resources to the R&D Phase and spend millions of bucks for years to just build up the comfortable office chair for your use.

For instance, Steelcase research the sitting postures of 2,000 customers of 6 different continents for years to end up discovering the unaddressed sitting posture. Interestingly, to only introduce in their office chair.

This way, companies keep on improving the quality and postures of their chairs to ensure you get the best value out of your investment. So if you are spending a little bit more but on something that is based on proper research, you will surely never regret your decision.

Hold on, we know you are thinking if that’s a case then how IKEA sell products so cheap?

Well, you will notice their chairs always come smaller neither wide nor tall. What they do is, copy other research-based original designs and reduce the dimension to make and market their product. That’s how they come so cheap.

But if you want to have a comfortable yet well-designed chair that can last longer and can help you with the appropriate sitting posture options, you must spend on task chairs build after years of research. Herman Miller and Steelcase chairs are best in this regard.

Not one chair can serve everyone with the same comfort, as everyone has different preferences and feel comfortable in different postures. Therefore, Adjustability is the feature companies are using to serve a wide range of users with a single product.

Surprisingly, it has become a necessary feature now. Hence, can be found in almost every task chair ranging from low price to higher price. Because it helps the user to tailor the chair’s posture to his desired level of comfort.

Following are the parts, which can be found with the adjustability feature in a chair;

• Headrest
• Lumbar support
• Armrests
• Height adjustment
• Tilting option
• Swivel or rotation

You would be able to find all of these adjustability options in a high-end ergonomic chair that lets you make the chair more comfortable for yourself. Consequently, cause the price tag to go higher, as additional parts are required in its construction.

Whereas, the low-priced chairs come with few adjustment options only because of the low spending on resources relative to the high-end chair.

The simple rule to keep in mind, the higher the adjustability, the higher the price will be.

ARE EXPENSIVE OFFICE TASK CHAIRS WORTH IT?

Not all office chairs come out are expensive. There are chairs that can be bought without denting your pocket, and the higher chances are that you will fall for them.

But do you know what?

If we look at the long term, those cheap chairs won’t save you money rather keep your spending on their maintenance, and even after a very short time period you will be in need of their replacement. Logically, they cost you more than a high-end office in long run.

And as far as the question is concerned, Expensive office chairs totally worth every penny you have decided to spend on them. Because they charge you once only and keep serving the purpose for decades.

Now the decision is totally yours, either you want to spend money on a cheap chair for short-term use or can afford to pay a little bit more money for the comfort of years.

Frequently Asked Questions – FAQ’s

1. Are office chairs overpriced?

The expensive office chairs make people think that they are overpriced, but that’s not the case. The cost of the chair determined by multiple factors including, comfort, quality, adjustability, and many more. The higher the price only means, the more features a chair will be having.

2. How much should you spend on an office chair?

It entirely depends on your budget, but for getting the best performing and high-quality ergonomic chair, you should be investing anywhere between 300$-800$, depending on the features you want in the chair. However, for the budget users who can afford to sacrifice some ergonomic features, spending 100-200$ would be appropriate.

3. Do I really need an expensive office chair?

Look out for the features an expensive chair has to offer. If you feel yourself in need of them and want to upgrade, you must invest in getting a premium office chair. Otherwise, you can still work on any chair, providing a suitable sitting posture.