Healthy Office Chairs

Active chairs that inspire movement, non-toxic standard office chairs, and stools that promote straight posture.

Transition back and forth from kneeling so none of your muscles are overstrained and your circulation stays moving all workday long. Health is about more than just toxin avoidance, and this is a great way to improve movement and circulation while working at a desk.

Saddle Rolling Chair

This Saddle Chair has minimal foam and encourages good posture, standing, and movement throughout the work day. Made by Finnish company myKolme, and available through Branch in the US alongside several other ergonomic and activity-inspiring options.

Saddle Stool

The Saddle Stool straddles the active chair and desk stool categories, encouraging movement, but with a more sturdy base, if wheels aren’t your style. Again, I appreciate the minimal use of foam.

Avocado Green

Avocado makes a plastic-free and foam-free desk chair alternative in the form of this cute stool. It’s made of GOLS-certified organic latex instead of foam, upholstered in alpaca fiber, and it rests on solid wood legs. Non-toxic materials and helps encourage better posture.

Active Desk Chairs

Healthy Desk Stools

Non-Toxic Rolly Chairs

Natural Furniture

Natural Furniture makes an unfinished solid wood desk chair with wheels. They sell only 100% solid wood furniture— no formaldehyde-containing particleboard or MDF anywhere. You can also select unfinished options, meaning you can select a natural stain, paint, or finish for yourself. Glue is unspecified but complies with California’s strict emissions standards.

Organic Textiles Seat Cushion

If you’re looking for a healthy seat cushion option for a wooden office chair, or an office chair made without foam, this pad is made of GOLS-certified organic latex and GOTS-certified organic cotton. A much healthier choice than a polyurethane foam seat, if you need some cushioning.

Red List -Free Desk Chair

If you’re looking for a standard padded office chair, browse these options on the Red List Free list. This is a collection put together by the International Living Future Institute for commercial spaces and professional designers that prohibits the most harmful chemicals. You can see the entire ingredients list for each chair so you can choose the best non toxic office chair for your needs. (Also, if you click to the ingredients lists of any of these chairs, you’ll see why I don’t use rating scales for this page. There are an incredible number of ingredients in even a basic-looking one.)

Branch Furniture

Are the Branch Furniture office chairs non-toxic? If you’re looking for a more standard office chair than a stool, or unfinished wooden version, Branch’s Aire chair is an imperfectly healthy choice that strikes a nice compromise between health and convenience. It’s made of plastic, but doesn’t have polyurethane foam, which is good. It also has good air flow and ergonomics. You can always get a latex pad for extra cushioning.