What you sit on during your working day is important. I've spent a few years now using and reviewing the best office chairs for back pain, and honestly it's changed my life for the better. Like so many others, I made do with whatever chair was closest to hand during the working-from-home boom, and my back suffered the consequences. But everyone knows office chairs are boring and ugly, and the really good ergonomic ones look like an engineering graduate's experiment and cost the earth, right?
Well, by and large, yes. The number of horrible-looking chairs made of hard plastic, metal and over-engineered back support is myriad. I've reviewed many of them. And the pretty ones – the ones that make it into the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) – they generally cost a thousand dollars. Now, who the hell has a grand to spend on a chair?!
That's why I rate The Verve from Branch so much. And yes, I understand that makes this sound like an advert, but it isn't. It's just part of my job to recommend the best ergonomic office chairs to our readers, and after reviewing loads of chairs that either just do the job, or provide bells and whistles at a cost, it's so refreshing to find one that nails price point and ergonomics so well. It's quite pretty too...
Looks are not everything... not quite
I recognise that some of the work of reviewing office chairs is subjective. What I think is aesthetically desirable you may find repugnant. But I'm going to assume you'd prefer something that didn't look like a dentist's chair. I'm also going to presume that high on the list of anyone's criteria is good value for money. If not, let me direct you to the chair that the US president uses. That'll be $2,100.
There is something so deliciously pleasing when form follows function. When something looks aesthetically pleasing because it serves a purpose. The Verve nails this. The lumbar support is a focal point from the back, sitting within the sweep of the back frame, looking like a lovely little cushion, belying its sturdy support that elevates this chair to one of the best Herman Miller alternatives, and one of my top picks of ergonomic chairs.
Branch's Verve chair is beautiful, and if there was ever a chair tailor-made for creative types, this is it. We've all had plenty of time to think about the space we work from at home. Every little element is important, and to make something as basic and too-often overlooked as a chair a visual highlight, can be super satisfying.
For me, just as important as the looks is the price. I don't see any other ergo office chairs out there that are designed this well sell for its $500 asking price. Sure, you can easily find cheaper chairs, but it's likely they'll look like a 1990s turd. The Verve is a gorgeously designed piece of furniture that comes in an array of colours and is, without doubt, the one chair that I recommend to friends looking for a seat that provides quality yet won't break the bank.
