Furniture
In short
Best overall: Eclipse + XL Lever Operator Chair Adjustable Arms Back Seat Shell, £276.78 at UK Office Direct Limited. Best value: Cosmo Task Operator Chair Black Frame Bespoke Colour Seat Quest Whelk, £164.86. Premium pick: Regent High Mesh Back Ergonomic Operator Chair Adjustable Arms Tensile, £330.94.
Across the 2,978 matching listings we screened from 3 UK suppliers, most cost £153–£275 and the middle price is £199. Prices checked 27 October 2026.
An office chair bought for staff is work equipment, so it has to meet the basic chair rules in the Display Screen Equipment (DSE) Regulations and suit people of different sizes. Consumer review sites mostly judge comfort for one tester at home. This guide covers what a business should check before ordering one chair or thirty.
The shortlist above comes from UK trade and retail supplier feeds, with live prices. Use the checks below to narrow it down to the chairs that fit your team, your floor and your budget.
| # | Product | From | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Best overall Eclipse + XL Lever Operator Chair Adjustable Arms Back Seat Shell | £276.78 | Details |
| 2 | Portland Heavy Duty Task Operator Chair Black Mesh With Arms - OP | £270.19 | Details |
| 3 | Id Ergonomic Chair - Black | £229.03 | Details |
| 4 | Premium pick Regent High Mesh Back Ergonomic Operator Chair Adjustable Arms Tensile | £330.94 | Details |
| 5 | Chachi Mesh Chair - Black - CH1910 | £253.28 | Details |
| 6 | Ergo Twist Mesh Back Ergonomic Operator Chair Adjustable Arms Forge | £277.44 | Details |
| 7 | Malaga Draughtsman Task Operator Chair Black Polyurethane S | £172.63 | Details |
| 8 | Best value Cosmo Task Operator Chair Black Frame Bespoke Colour Seat Quest Whelk | £164.86 | Details |
1 · Best overall
Eclipse · Sold by UK Office Direct Limited
Large seat pad with waterfall front. Cushioned dished seat design. Contoured backrest for added comfort. Triple lever independent seat and backrest mechanism. Ratchet height adjustable backrest. PCB: permanent contact backrest. Optional armrests
2
Portland · Sold by UK Office Direct Limited
Robust frame large seat and back make this chair suitable for heavy duty use. Generously portioned seating dimensions will accommodate most users. High density soft moulded airmesh seat. Large contoured mesh backrest. Single lever lock tilt mechanism.
3
Id · Sold by UK Office Direct Limited
Featuring adjustable arms. Chromed caster base. 3 lever asynchro with torsion mechanism, with ratchet back adjustability – up and down functionality. Lumbar pump for additional comfort and support. Seat slide adjustment - 50mm. Ratchet back height adjustm
4 · Premium pick
Regent · Sold by UK Office Direct Limited
High density cold cure foam seat. Full Mesh backrest. Synchronized tilt mechanism with anti shock function. Seat angle adjustment. Seat slide. Height adjustable lumbar support. Weight tilt tension control. Height adjustable arms. Chrome 5 star base
5
Chachi · Sold by UK Office Direct Limited
Sectioned mesh back and headrest provide ergonomic support as well as keeping the user cool. Physio-approved design, durable and modern. Lock-tilt mechanism with adjustable torsion control. Supplied with black and chrome adjustable arms.
6
Ergo · Sold by UK Office Direct Limited
Designer mesh or fabric finish. Independent Backrest Adjustment. Adjustable lumbar support. Seat slide included. Height adjustable arms. Soft padded arms. Optional adjustable headrest. Robust frame and 5 star base
7
Malaga · Sold by UK Office Direct Limited
Ideal for industrial use, such as food and medical industries. Cushioned polyurethane seat and backrest. Ergonomic with a tilting back mechanism. Permanent contact back. Seat depth adjustment. Backrest height adjustment. Can be washed or steam cleaned.
8 · Best value
Cosmo · Sold by UK Office Direct Limited
GRS certified 100% recycled plastic materials. REACH certified. Greenguard certified. EN717-1. EN1335-1. EN1335-2. Gas Lift Height Adjustment. Auto tilting backrest. Auto weight tension control. 5 year mechanical and 2 year foam and fabric warranty.
The Schedule to the Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations 1992 sets minimum requirements for a DSE user's chair. It must be stable and allow easy freedom of movement and a comfortable position. The seat must be adjustable in height, the seat back adjustable in both height and tilt, and a footrest must be made available to anyone who wants one.
These duties apply to staff who use screens daily for continuous periods of an hour or more. Employers must carry out a workstation assessment, and HSE says a new one is needed when a new workstation is set up, a new user starts, the set-up changes, or someone reports pain or discomfort.
BS EN 1335-1 specifies the dimensions of office work chairs, in four types, and how to measure them. BS EN 1335-2 covers safety, strength and durability. FIRA notes that the 2018 edition of Part 2 changed the stability tests, so a chair that passed the 2009 version may not meet the current one. Ask for evidence against the current edition.
For heavier users or shift work, look for BS 5459-2. BSI describes it as covering office pedestal seating used by people weighing up to 150kg, or used for up to 24 hours a day.
For fire safety, upholstered seating for non-domestic use is assessed under BS 7176. Offices are a low-hazard setting, which calls for the cigarette and match tests in BS EN 1021-1 and BS EN 1021-2.
If several people share one model, it has to fit your shortest and tallest staff, so check the seat height range and seat depth adjustment rather than buying on looks. Ask the supplier for the maximum user weight and whether the chair is rated for single-shift or 24-hour use.
Most task chairs arrive flat-packed. For more than a handful, ask whether the supplier offers delivery to your floor, assembly and removal of packaging, and check the lead time, as some chairs are made to order.
On our shortlist, the Eclipse + XL Lever Operator Chair Adjustable Arms Back Seat Shell is the best overall pick at £276.78 from UK Office Direct Limited. For a tighter budget, the Cosmo Task Operator Chair Black Frame Bespoke Colour Seat Quest Whelk (£164.86) is our best-value choice.
Most of the 2,978 UK listings we screened sit between £153 and £275, with a middle price of £199. Trade suppliers often show prices before VAT, so add 20% if you can't reclaim it.
A VAT-registered business can usually reclaim the VAT on equipment bought for business use, as long as it holds a valid VAT invoice from the supplier. Ask the seller for one at checkout.
The picks here come from UK Office Direct Limited. Most UK trade suppliers offer next-day delivery and VAT invoices; some offer credit accounts for regular orders.
It is the European standard for office work chairs. Part 1 covers dimensions and Part 2 covers safety, strength and durability. Ask the supplier which parts and which edition the chair was tested to.
For staff who use screens daily for an hour or more at a time, the DSE Regulations require a stable chair with an adjustable seat height and a backrest adjustable in height and tilt, plus a footrest if wanted. The employer must assess the workstation and reduce any risks found.
Look for a chair tested to BS 5459-2, which covers office pedestal seating used for up to 24 hours a day or by people weighing up to 150kg. Standard office chairs are usually designed for a normal working day.
HSE says a new workstation assessment is needed when a new user starts, the workstation or the way it is used changes, or the user complains of pain or discomfort.