Are you looking for a new standing desk chair?
You’re in the right place!
In this ChairAdviser.com guide, you’ll learn:
- Different types of standing desk chairs
- What to look for in the best standing desk chair
- Health benefits of standing desks
- And much more!
Standing desks aren’t anything new. However, with the studies showing the health benefits of standing instead of sitting at a desk, they have become increasingly popular.
Finding the perfect chair to accompany your standing desk will complete your setup.
What Are Standing Desk Chairs?
Standing desk chairs are chairs meant to be used at standing desks.
Not only do they provide additional support while you’re standing at your desk, but they can make you feel more energized and ready to go.
The two main components of a standing desk chair are a strong base that you can adjust the height of and a seat that will absorb some of the stress standing puts on your body.
The seat can have its angle adjusted for optimum support.
What Are the Different Types of Standing Desk Chairs?
Some people who have standing desks prefer to just switch between fully sitting and fully standing.
In this case, an ergonomic desk chair will be sufficient. When you need a break from standing, you can simply move your chair to your desk and take a break.
Another kind of standing desk chair is more of a stool. These types of chairs are basically suspended seats that you can lean on.
They may look like a typical stool, but they offer mobility while working at your standing desk.
Another option for standing desk chairs is drafting chairs.
They don’t typically offer the tilt and wobble that the stools do, but they are highly adjustable and can be used to lean slightly while working at a standing desk.
How Does a Standing Desk Chair Work?
Standing desk chairs aren’t meant to provide a comfortable sit like traditional chairs. Instead, they offer support to get your body moving while standing.
Standing desk chairs encourage the user to move throughout the day, offering support for a variety of postures.
Standing desk chairs encourage good posture and help improve blood flow since you are not putting weight on your legs and thighs all day.
They might even help some users feel better while working as opposed to being stuck in a chair all day.
What Do You Look for In the Best Standing Desk Chair?
There are several key factors to look for in the best standing desk chair.
Good movement in a standing desk chair is important to provide the maximum amount of support while moving throughout the day.
Support
You want a standing desk chair that offers stable support.
If they don’t have a heavy, stable platform for the user, it might make it feel like it will topple over with you.
When this happens, your body will naturally react and tense up, which might cause you to strain your muscles.
Movement
If you’ve ever been stuck sitting at a desk for hours, you know that it can cause pain in several muscles and joints.
With a standing desk chair, you are free to move your body throughout the day.
The adjustability and maneuverability are what you’ll be looking for when it comes to movement.
You should be able to move and adjust the chair with little effort, so it mimics your body’s natural movements.
Springs and Coils
The best standing desk chair will have a support system of springs and coils that allow for natural movement while you’re using it.
Motion like rocking, fidgeting, and bouncing all occur naturally and a standing desk chair with the proper springs and coils will allow you to do so easily.
What kind of springs should you look for? Gas spring cylinders in the seat are your best bet and coiled springs beneath the seat.
These two paired together offer a chair that will move with your body.
Lumbar Support
An amazing thing about the human body is its ability to tell us when something is getting to be too much.
If you’re standing in one position for a while, your body may let you know its time to move by becoming stiff, fatigued, or even painful.
Engaging your core, like standing desk chairs allow you to do, helps relieve and prevent back pain while standing. That’s why lumbar support is important!
Otherwise, you might find yourself slouching and in a position that puts strain on your back while standing.
Weight Capacity
Since you’ll be using the springs in the standing desk chair to move your body throughout the day, you want one that is durable enough to handle your weight.
If you don’t get one with a high enough weight capacity, you might find yourself on the floor due to a broken spring or coil!
Price
Of course, price is one thing to consider when you’re looking for the best standing desk chair.
You don’t want to grab the cheapest one on the market if it doesn’t have all of the features and stability you need. You also won’t need one that breaks the bank.
Finding a standing desk chair that is within budget and has all the features you need is as easy as checking out this list.
Best Standing Desk Chairs Reviewed
Seville Classics Airlift 360
The Seville Classics Airlift 360 comes in hot for standing desk chairs.
Raise the seat from 20-28 inches with the simple pull of a level, offering quiet pneumatic adjustment as you need it.
The seat itself can lean up to 10 degrees from the center and rotates a full 360 degrees, allowing users to spin, wobble, and tilt as needed for movement.
It can even be used as a rocking chair without a back while you are seated.
Easy assembly makes this ideal for anyone, no tools required!
Some users reported issues of the castors breaking, but with a 3-year limited warranty, you’re covered if something goes wrong with this chair!
- Pros: 10-degree tilt, full 360 spin, 250lb weight capacity
- Cons: Some users experienced broken castors after a few months of use
SONGMICS Office Stool Chair
Think you need to spend a fortune on the best standing desk chair? Think again. SONGMICS comes in with their stool chair for under $100.
Not only is the price right, but you’ll enjoy an ergonomic swivel and tilt chair that helps keep you productive all day.
The seat is cushioned with 2.6-inch-thick reflex foam and measures 14.6 inches in diameter. Long term use won’t affect the shape of this seat.
You’ll find 2 levers under the seat that will adjust the chair from 19.7 inches to 27.6 inches so you can set it however you are most comfortable.
Another easy assembly with this chair. You’ll be done in just a few minutes since no tools are required!
It holds up to 265lbs, but you might find the seat on this a little stiffer than your normal chairs.
- Pros: 265lb weight capacity, cheap, wide seat
- Cons: Seat can be stiff
LeanRite Elite
This standing desk chair isn’t called Elite for nothing. While it comes with a heftier price tag than most others on this list, it is worth it.
The LeanRite Elite is recommended for all day use because of its versatility. You can use it for leaning, sitting, or as a perch stool.
The seat tilts, reducing numbness you may get in your tailbone when you’ve been sitting for a while.
It comes with an anti-fatigue mat, so you won’t have to worry about the chair slipping while in use.
The seat adjusts all the way up to 46.3 inches and tilts at 14, 45, and 90 degree angles and has a maximum weight capacity of 270lbs.
- Pros: Versatile positions while sitting and standing, highly adjustable, 270lb weight capacity
- Cons: Expensive
Vari Active Seat
The rocking motion of the Vari active seat engages several muscles in your body.
You’ll be working your legs, back, and core muscles while sitting or standing.
The pedestal moves in any direction, allowing you to lean however you need to. There is a tilt guard in place that will keep the seat from tilting more than 30 degrees.
You can also adjust it up to 35 inches, getting it to the perfect height for you.
It holds up to 250lbs and has a commercial grade air-lift piston for adjustments, so you know it’s built to last.
The seat can be uncomfortable when sitting too long, but you can just stand to continue your work for a while.
- Pros: Works legs, back, and core muscles, tilt any direction, adjusts to 35 inches
- Cons: Uncomfortable seat for sitting longer than a few minutes
Office Star Deluxe Drafting Chair
If the previous standing desk chairs didn’t catch your eye because they lack a backrest, this might be the chair you’re looking for.
The screen back is adjustable and has included lumbar support, giving you the relief you need after standing for long periods.
Pneumatic height adjustment allows the user to adjust the seat from 24.25 to 33.75 inches.
A ring footrest is included on the chair so you can prop your feet up when you need to.
However, some users have experienced the ring moves if you apply too much pressure.
- Pros: Lumbar support, adjustable backrest and height, footrest
- Cons: Footrest moves under too much pressure
Learniture Active Learning Stool
The backless design of this chair is designed to encourage good posture and strengthen core muscles while in use.
Adjust this chair however you need to with an easy to use pneumatic gas lift that ranges from 18.5 to 28 inches.
A vinyl covered foam seat makes it easy to clean and lightweight.
Take advantage of the rocking motion this seat offers since it has a non-slip curved base.
This allows the user to keep in motion no matter how they need to adjust themselves.
Assembly is simple and takes just a few minutes, but some users have reported there were no instructions in the package.
- Pros: Non-slip curved base for rocking, easy to clean, gas lift up to 28 inches
- Cons: Might be missing assembly instructions
Boss Office Drafting Chair
Here’s another chair with a backrest if that’s more your speed. With a contoured back and seat, the Boss Office drafting chair helps relieve back pain and strain.
Pneumatic gas lift allows the user to adjust the height of this chair up to 31.5 inches so you can use it alongside your standing desk with ease.
The wide, 27-inch nylon base allows this chair to hold up to 275lbs, making it perfect for users of all shapes and sizes.
It even has adjustable arms and a ring footrest for your comfort. However, the footrest might sit too high for some users, making it uncomfortable to use.
- Pros: 275lb weight capacity, adjust up to 31.5 inches, adjustable arms, footrest
- Cons: Footrest might sit too high for some users
Mount-It! Ergonomic Sit-Stand Stool
While many similar stools have an uncomfortable seat, the Mount-It! Ergonomic sit-stand stool offers a balance of firmness and softness with a high-density foam seat.
It’s the perfect match for standing desks, allowing users to sit or lean.
Reduce the strain on your lower body and promote good posture with the 360-degree tilt.
This chair can be adjusted from 22 to 28.7 inches with an air-lift piston that offers smooth adjustments.
It can hold up to 248lbs, thanks to the heavy-duty chair that offers a non-slip weighted rubber base for stability.
No tools are needed for this assembly so you can enjoy your chair in less than 5 minutes!
Some users had issues with the base coming off when they lifted the chair to move it, but you can simply pop it back into place.
- Pros: 248lb weight capacity, 360-degree tilt, adjust up to 28.7 inches
- Cons: Base may come off when moving chair
Varier Move Tilting Saddle Stool
A rounded base paired with soft edges make this chair ideal for an extended range of motions by the user.
It is designed to move with the natural way our body moves while sitting, fidgeting, rocking, leaning.
Its lightweight design allows it to be moved easily from one room to another.
The Varier Move can accommodate users of up to 242lbs and can be adjusted from 22 to 32.25 inches.
Some users have had comfort issues when sitting more than 30 minutes at a time.
- Pros: Rounded base for range of motion, tilts and rotates, lightweight
- Cons: Seat might be uncomfortable after 30 minutes
Final Thoughts on the Best Standing Desk Chairs
Standing desks are better for your health than traditional desks.
Healthline outlines some of the issues someone might have if they spend a lot of time sitting daily. They are at an increased risk of:
- Diabetes
- Heart disease
- Early death
- Weight gain
- Obesity
Research is still in early stages, but it looks promising that standing desks offer several health benefits.
Not only do standing desks improve physical well-being, but studies have shown that swapping your chair out in favor of standing throughout the day also improves mental health.
Using a standing desk can help negate some of the negative impacts that sitting has on your health, especially if you’re at a desk most of the day.
Some benefits a standing desk can offer include:
Lower risk of weight gain
When compared to sitting for an equal amount of time, spending that time standing has shown to burn more than 170 additional calories.
If you choose to stand instead of sitting at your desk for the week, you’ll burn nearly 1,000 extra calories.
Lower blood sugar
A small study using office workers who stood for 180 minutes after lunch showed a decrease in blood sugar spikes by 43% compared to sitting after lunch.
Lower risk of heart disease
Scientists have a much better understanding of how sitting affects heart health. Prolonged periods of sitting can increase the risk of heart disease by up to 147%!
Reduced back pain
Several studies have been conducted with employees who had long-term back pain problems.
There was a 32% improvement in back pain after using a standing desk for several weeks.
Improved mood and energy
Studies have shown several other benefits to standing desks. For instance, in one study, users reported less fatigue and stress than their coworkers who remained in a chair the whole workday.
In addition to that, 87% of workers using standing desks said they had increased energy throughout the day.
May help you live longer
When you take into consideration the negative impact sitting has on your health, its no wonder that standing desks might improve your life span.
One study has shown that reducing the time you spend sitting to just 3 hours a day could raise the average lifespan of Americans by 2 years.
If you’re just starting to use a standing desk, it is recommended that you split the time between standing and sitting 50-50.
As you get used to standing longer, you can decrease the amount of sedentary time.
This lifestyle change will improve your physical, metabolic, and mental health.
If you’re ready to give standing desks a try, one of the chairs in this list are the perfect companion for the new change.
