The average person spends over 5 hours a day at their (hopefully) eco-friendly desk. That’s a lot of time. And with the rise of work-from-home culture and increased usage of the home office, it’s not surprising eco keyboard-warriors are showing more interest in sustainable office chairs than ever before.
Because let’s be honest: staying focused at work is hard enough without also feeling the brain fog from inhaling off-gassing foams and finishes all day.
So, with that in mind, we’ve curated our favorite chairs that are transforming the modern workplace, striking the perfect work-life balance between environmental responsibility and user well-being. They’re made of responsible materials, low-impact finishes, using fair labor and green business practices.
In the coming months, we’ll be using our new Brand Rating System to take a second look at furniture (and all other) brands using a range of eco-related factors, like climate actions, water use, and biodiversity impacts. Learn more about the process here.
We independently research all featured brands and we ask them to confirm their claims. In many cases we personally review recommended products. This post contains affiliate links which means we may earn a commission if you buy something. Learn more here.
Non-Toxic Office Chairs For Balancing Work, Health & Sustainability
Branch takes the lead with their recycled office chair line and furniture refurbishing program, cutting down on waste and reducing their carbon footprint.
If you’re looking for a minimalist desk chair, Emeco stands tall with their innovative use of 90% recycled materials, renewable energy, and VOC-free finishes.
Index: Sustainable Desk Chairs
- Branch Furniture Jump to brand
- Emeco Jump to brand
- Muista Jump to brand
- What WE Make Jump to brand
- Urban Wood Goods Jump to brand
- Humanscale Jump to brand
- Noho Jump to brand
Branch Furniture
About Branch
Price Range: $49–$4,500
If you’re willing to branch out from traditional plastics and foams, Branch offers seating suitable for both corporate and home office environments.
Their robust Daily Chair—a 70% recycled office chair—boasts a contemporary and sleek design, emphasizing ergonomic comfort and aesthetic appeal. Plus, 96% of its components are recyclable at end-of-life.
Branch’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
While not all products yet feature low-impact materials, we’re excited to see items like the Daily, which is made from 70% recycled nylon, recycled foam, and recycled aluminum.
Supply chain & labor practices:
Not only does Branch collaborate with manufacturers who align with their values focused on ethical and environmental responsibility, but they are also committed to ensuring fair wages and safe working conditions throughout their supply chain.
Carbon commitments & green practices:
Branch Flex is a special program made for corporate clients to extend the life of their pieces. It lets clients have their used furniture picked up for refurbishing, at no extra cost.
Emeco
About Emeco
Price Range: $20–$3,500
Emeco’s office chairs, like the renowned 111 Navy Chair, are perfect examples of sustainable and durable furniture design. Made from 111 recycled plastic bottles, these chairs showcase Emeco’s dedication to using recycled materials.
The Navy Chair, known for its strength and sustainability, is Emeco’s original creation. It’s stood the test of time for over 50 years of production and is so popular, it’s now available in various sizes to suit a multitude of desk and home needs.
If you prefer a wooden office chair, the Alfi Recycled High Back Chair swaps recycled aluminum for 100% reclaimed wood propylene.
Emeco’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
The brand primarily uses recycled aluminum and recycled PET bottles. Emeco also pioneered the use of recycled glass concrete and reclaimed wood propylene, which is made from leftover plastic from the factory floor mixed with sawdust.
Because they only use VOC-free finishes, you know you’re getting non-toxic office chairs.
Supply chain & labor practices:
This American-made furniture brand crafts its furniture via a 77-step process in Hanover, Pennsylvania. Some wooden pieces are sourced from local Amish woodworkers.
Carbon commitments & green practices:
Emeco’s LEED-certified manufacturing facility uses renewable energy, energy efficient fixtures, and an internal cooling system that saves energy in their welding machines.
Offering recyclable office chairs, most of their pieces can be returned to the brand and remade into new products.
Muista
About Muista
Price Range: $236–$650
If you’re looking for a non-traditional alternative desk chair, Muista may have what you’re looking for.
Their ergonomic office chairs are actually stools that offer a distinctive blend of functionality, quality and sustainability.
Muista’s saddle stool is designed with active sitting in mind, featuring a unique, curved base that allows for a gentle rocking motion. This encourages movement and flexibility, helping to reduce the physical strain of sitting for long periods. According to many Muista chair reviews, its minimalist design not only looks great, but really helps with common office ailments like back pain.
Muista’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
Muista prioritizes the use of FSC-certified wood, ensuring that the timber used comes from sustainable forestry certified forests. The bases of their chairs are often made from recycled materials, such as high-density polyethylene (HDPE), which is derived from post-consumer waste.
Additionally, Muista applies non-toxic finishes and glues, free from harmful chemicals and VOCs.
Supply chain & labor practices:
Muista’s office chairs are crafted by skilled artisans using a mix of traditional and modern techniques. In addition to sustainable materials, they prioritize those that are locally sourced.
Carbon commitments & green practices:
The company focuses on reducing carbon emissions by implementing energy-efficient manufacturing processes and sourcing materials from sustainable suppliers. Muista also emphasizes waste reduction and recycling initiatives.
What WE Make
About What WE Make
Price Range: $690–$4,660
What WE Make specializes in furniture that’s both practical and mindful of the environment. Their products range from sustainable coffee tables and media consoles to cabinetry and bedroom furniture. What sets them apart is their use of reclaimed wood and sustainably sourced hardwoods, all finished with plant-based products.
If your office has a rustic vibe, you’ll love their selection of minimalist desk chairs, like the Industrial Reclaimed Wood Chair which highlights the naturally gorgeous grain of the wood used.
These versatile pieces can also be used as dining chairs.
What WE Make’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
What WE Make crafts its furniture using beautifully textured reclaimed and sustainably sourced wood. You’ll find some natural office chair designs, while others are combined with welded metal and concrete accents.
They also use a non-toxic, VOC-free plant-based finish made with flaxseed oil, ensuring no harmful chemicals are released into homes.
Supply chain & labor practices:
Everything is made in the USA using USA-sourced wood. Think: old bar wood from Tennessee and Kentucky and hardwoods like walnut and white oak sourced from the Midwest. They always ensure these woods are sustainably sourced to protect our forests.
Carbon commitments & green practices:
What WE Make is committed to minimizing waste, like repurposing cutoff materials by giving them to local hobbyists or using them as firewood. Even the sawdust generated is donated to local farms for use as bedding for horses.
Urban Wood Goods
About Urban Wood Goods
Price Range: $845–$3,245
Urban Wood Goods has a knack for turning reclaimed wood into no-nonsense, desk chairs and a wide variety of other non-toxic furniture.
Among their sustainable office collection is the Recycled Wood Chair, a vintage architect draft-style piece. It’s handmade in Chicago from salvaged lumber, old growth wood, and steel, offering a sturdy and unique addition to any space.
Urban Wood Good’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
Urban Wood Goods creates its furniture from reclaimed wood, ethically sourced from old urban buildings, some of which date back to the late 1800s. This wood is combined with recycled steel for the bases and legs.
For finishing, they use water-based stains that are low in VOCs, and each piece is coated with a clear, commercial-grade UV finish that’s free from formaldehyde, ensuring both safety and durability.
Supply chain & labor practices:
Urban Wood Goods has established long-term relationships with contractors who specialize in deconstructing old buildings. This method allows them to reclaim rare and unique woods from structures of historical interest as they are carefully taken apart, a process that contrasts sharply with typical demolition practices that contribute to landfill waste.
Everything is made by a team of ~20 people in their own studio in Chicago.
Carbon commitments & green practices:
They only ship to the US and Canada to keep emissions lower.
Humanscale
About Humanscale
Price Range: $480-$5,000
Humanscale is widely recognized for its responsible practices, especially in its range of ergonomic office chairs.
While not all their offerings are sustainable, they currently have 26 products that are certified net positive—including our favorite, the Liberty Ocean Chair, which is also made using 2 lbs of reclaimed fishing nets.
Humanscale’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
The Ocean and Path lines are made using nearly 10 kilograms of recycled materials, including ocean plastics and fishing nets, which are harmful to marine ecosystems. Additionally, Path chairs are free of Red List Chemicals, harmful to both humans and the environment.
Supply chain & labor practices:
Humanscale was the first eco chair brand to adopt the Declare Label, transparently listing the sustainable materials used in their products. However, we would like to know more about where this Canada’s company’s products are made and any manufacturing certifications they have in place.
Carbon commitments & green practices:
This ‘climate positive’ certification means their products are not just neutral in terms of environmental impact, but actually improve the planet. This is achieved through comprehensive strategies that cover energy and water usage, material sourcing, and manufacturing processes.
Noho
About noho
Price Range: $299–$450
noho furniture demonstrates a commitment to sustainability through the use of upcycled materials.
The noho Move Chair, a flagship product, encapsulates this philosophy. Crafted from reclaimed fishing nets, this chair is not just a nod to environmental responsibility but a stylish embodiment of it.
Designed for ergonomic comfort and flexibility, the noho Move office chair merges sustainable practices with modern needs, proving that responsible design can be both elegant and functional.
noho’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
These recycled office chairs feature ECONYL regenerated nylon made from salvaged fishing nets and carpets that have seen better days.
Supply chain & labor practices:
noho is a Public Benefit Corporation and Certified B Corp.
In New Zealand, where Noho chair manufacturing takes place, they maintain rigorous standards in social and environmental impact, prioritizing ethical sourcing and minimizing their ecological footprint.
Carbon commitments & green practices:
By opting for space-efficient and plastic-free packaging, sea-freighting methods, and manufacturing using 82% renewable energy, noho significantly cuts down on CO2 emissions. They’ve also stopped using plastic shrink-wrap in their shipping process, and their direct-to-consumer business model reduces shipping.
