Most adults spend more than half of their waking hours at work. For those of us who work in offices, the right office chair can be the difference between productivity and pain. For plus size people, office furniture can be tricky to find. So-called “big and tall office chairs” often still have arms that don’t move or are too narrow for those of us with wide hips. So, we asked ourselves…
What makes for good office chairs for plus size people?
Over the last year, AllGo has collected thousands of reviews, hundreds of survey responses, and conducted half a dozen focus groups to answer this question. We’ve written about how to design a reception area that’s welcoming to people of all sizes and will be publishing more a comprehensive guide later this year. Until then we wanted to share a few options in case you’re in urgent need plus-friendly seating.
Note: Many of these items are available on Amazon and we’ve provided links for your convenience. If you purchase any of these items, we will receive a small commission.
Plus Size Chairs for Office Conference and Waiting Rooms
Mid-Century Modern Style Plus Size Office Chair for Conference Rooms (700+ lb. weight capacity)
Let’s face it. Aesthetics are an important part of choosing furniture for your home, office, or restaurant. That’s why we love this option from Flash Furniture’s HERCULES Series. It’s got both form and function. Details about this chair:
- Ergonomically contoured design with a curved back for exceptional support
- Polypropylene seat and back with powder coated frame finish
- Steel frame supports up to 770 lbs
- Chair stacks 5 high to save space when not in use, helping you utilize your entire space
- Additional colors available
A Plus Size Office Chair that Stacks for Small Rooms (600+ lb. weight capacity)
This chair is great for waiting areas and conference rooms. It’s affordable and will please most butts. This chair is also a great one for chairs that are regularly rearranged. They’re inexpensive and stack, so you can easily have a bunch in a closet when you need to set up your conference room auditorium-style.
Details about this chair:
- Ergonomically contoured design with a curved back and seat for exceptional support
- Polypropylene seat and back with powder coated frame finish
- Steel frame supports up to 660 lbs
- Chair stacks 5 high to save space when not in use, helping you utilize your entire space
- Additional colors available
The Ultimate Plus-Size Office Chair for Focusing (800 lb. weight capacity)
We all need to have a few of these chairs around. They’re absolutely the best for long team meetings. You know the kind. You’re trying to tackle a big, messy problem and you need your team focused and at their best. This is the chair you need. It’s got the perfect slope for thinking–relaxed, but not too relaxed. There’s no hard metal or plastic to poke you. Just the right amount of squish to keep your bum comfy while your brain does all the work.
- Upholstered seat and backrest with high-density foam with waterfall edge for extra leg comfort
- Originally designed for churches so parishioners could stay comfortable during long, seated services.
- 18 gauge, 7/8″ tubular steel frame supports 800 lbs.
- Additional colors available
Plus Size Task Chairs for Your Desk
The Aeron Chair by Herman Miller
This iconic chair is the only task chair to earn my personal, tested recommendation. At least for now. Here’s what I love about it:
- The mesh back AND bottom keeps me cool and comfortable for long, long hours. The mesh flexes to fit my curves, my curves aren’t squished to conform to the shape of the chair.
- The arms adjust in multiple directions, which means there’s no need to sacrifice ergonomic fit for comfort.
- My big bod sat in some of these chairs 5-6 days/week for 8+ hours/day for years. The same chairs. They never creaked. They never lost the ability to go up and down. They remained in like-new condition.
Other Big & Tall Office Chairs
As I mentioned above, I don’t have any other task chairs I can personally recommend. But because the price of Herman Miller’s Aeron Chair is prohibitively expensive for many people, I wanted to share a few suggestions for items you could look into.
If you buy any of these chairs, I’d love to know what you think.
- A slightly smaller, refurbished version of The Herman Miller Aeron Chair
- A simple desk chair from Amazon that’s certified to hold up to 500 lbs
- An armless desk chair from Safco also rated up to 500 lbs
- An ergonomic desk chair by Sihoo (no weight rating available)
Commercial Grade Seating Options for Plus Friendly Workplaces
If you’re shopping for your workplace, you’re probably looking for commercial-grade furniture. There are lots of great plus-friendly options out there that won’t cost more than other commercial-grade options. And don’t worry about only purchasing “big and tall office chairs”. Many commercial options without that designation are great for plus size people. Here’s what we recommend:
- Don’t forget about benches. Today’s modular seating options are versatile and available in a variety of styles. These kinds of seats work for the widest variety of people. Who says your conference table needs chairs? It’s 2020, try benches instead.
- Arms really just suck for many big people. This is especially true for women who are more likely to have wide hips. There are lots of commercial grade chairs with arms that have matching armless counterparts. These are great if you’re striving for a unified aesthetic but don’t want to go totally armless.
- Seat height matters. If you’re tempted to go for tall chairs across the board, think again. The discomfort plus-size people (especially short plus-size people) experience in bar-height chairs will absolutely impact their productivity. Do your bottom line some good and offer chairs at multiple heights. Again, there are many styles that offer matching regular- and bar-height options.
Want to talk more about your commercial seating options, book a time with an AllGo seating specialist here.
I personally love the Herman Miller Mirra chair. Slightly different to the Aeron, but just as hard wearing and awesome
Wonderful post! We will be linking to this great content on our site.
Keep up the good writing.
I’m a fan of this chair, rated for 450 lbs. You can leave the arms off, but FYI then you have a “nub” on the seat & back. Doesn’t bother me but some might not like it. There is also a narrower version with same weight rating that comes in other colors. https://www.wayfair.com/furniture/pdp/ebern-designs-keltner-bungee-conference-chair-w001205474.html
P.S. my husband stole it and now I’m intrigued with saddle stools, so may try that next as some come with 500 lb weight capacity!
Hello
What a wonderful post! Thanks for sharing such great informative information. I love your post.
I have heard such good things about the Aeron, but I’m nervous the plastic rim would dig into me because, well, I’m a big girl. Has anyone experienced this?
Thank you for this article! I have sat in every chair out there trying to find one that fits my body and is somewhat affordable. I bought and returned 2 chairs, then ordered a 3rd and I have just been stuck with it. It is built for big and tall, but my back is about 3 inches away from the back of the chair and it’s lumbar support. That means Big Time pain in my neck and upper back! Although the seat is wide enough for my hips and squishy enough for my weight, this situation with no back support is killing me. I am working at home full time, and I am shopping yet again for a chair that will relieve me of the aches and pains that plague me. Now I have a few more chairs to try out and your recommendation to boot! Thank you!!