Are Mesh Office Chairs Better? (10 Pros and Cons)

A high-quality and ergonomic office chair is essential for all of us. Most of us have a long-hour desk jobs. Unfortunately, not all office chairs meet this criterion. While you can always try out different types of office chairs, though, mesh chairs are gaining a lot of popularity nowadays. So, what makes it gain so much popularity in the office chair market.

Mesh chairs are obviously better than padded chairs. They provide better airflow, comfort, and great ergonomic features than leather and padded office chairs. Mesh office chairs also promote better sitting posture and enhance productivity. However, there are a few cons of mesh chairs as well.

In this article, you’ll learn more about mesh office chairs and why I think mesh office chairs are really better. 

What Makes a Chair Mesh Office Chair?

As the name suggests, mesh office chairs are made of mesh fabric. Like the leather office chair, mesh office chairs are also built with other materials, for example, metal or heavy-duty plastic. Most of the mesh chairs have good backrest support, which is made of mesh fabric.

You will get to see these types of chairs a lot when you are trying to purchase a chair. These types of chairs come in different shapes and sizes. You can find out more about the mesh chair below. 

Why is a Mesh Office Chair Better?

Mesh chairs introduced the revolutionary change in office furniture in a very smaller time frame. You will get to see this type of chair everywhere. People are now taking their steps forward and trying out these mesh chairs.

In this, in-depth review I am going to show you some detailed strong point that really makes a mesh chair better than any other chair in the market.

Let’s look at the pros and cons for which we think Mesh chairs are better.

Pros and Cons of Using Mesh Office Chairs:

1. Mesh Chairs Usually Contain More Ergonomic Features:

An office chair should have the adjustability that can deliver you ultimate comfort while you are working. Most Mesh office chairs provide adjustable height, seat, armrest, headrest, lumbar support with upper lower adjustability, Reclining option, casters, and proper backrest.

If you check properly, you will see that most of the Mesh chairs have these ergonomic features that make them stand out above the rest of their competition. Ergonomically speaking, mesh chairs are better for your postures with all the adjustability that can reduce your back pain.

2. Mesh Chairs Provides Better Ventilation and Comfortability:

Breathable-Mesh-Back

Mesh office chairs facilitate better airflow and ventilation that non-mesh chairs don’t. If you are looking for an office chair, you might want more comfort and relaxation while sitting. A Mesh chair is a perfect option for those people who have to sit on a chair for a long time.

If you have a long sitting job, you will obviously spend lots of time sitting on your chair. Better ventilation features will reduce sweating from your back which other chairs won’t.

The explanation behind this is, the ventilation feature of the Mesh chair will allow more air circulation between the chair seat and your back, making it a perfect chair for long hours of sitting.

So, due to better ventilation features that only Mesh chairs provide, it gives a lot of empty space and promotes airflow, which will help your skin to breathe properly.

3. They are Lightweight and Easy Maintenance:

Unlike Leather chairs, Mesh chairs are very much lightweight, and you will find that Mesh Chairs are very easy for maintenance as well. If you have ever seen a Mesh chair, you might have definitely noticed their design and construction are very minimalistic and simple.

For this reason, it will be easier for you to clean your mesh chair properly and easily. Also, you will be able to lift and move them easily as mesh chairs are very much lightweight compared to leather and other non-mesh chairs.

They also do not need much maintenance. Like me, you might want an office chair which can be easily maintained and cleaned. Thus most people prefer mesh office chairs over leather ones as they are easy to maintain, clean, and easy to move from one place to another. 

4. Mesh Chairs are Good for Gaming:

Mesh back chairs are definitely good for gamers. Gamers spend a lot of time while sitting. So for obvious reasons, if you are a gamer, you can choose to buy a Mesh back chair to keep you comfortable while gaming.

Most of the gaming chairs are made out of Leathers and foam padding. They do not provide much ventilation, as well. So, if you are a gamer, you will face issues like back sweating after sitting long hours gaming at a stretch. Thus getting a comfortable mesh back office chair can be a better option for gamers.

5. Mesh Chairs are Widely Available:

Mesh chairs are easily available, and they are very common as well. You can find good mesh office chairs on any chair store, office supplies shop, departmental stores, and also on online stores like Amazon very easily.

This availability of the mesh back office chair makes it a great pick for your office space. With such availability, you can make your office environment very much healthy for your employees by getting such ergonomic features, which mesh back containing chairs.

This will reduce the strain of using a chair in your office for a long period of time.

6. Many Reputable Manufacturers makes Mesh Chairs:

The most important thing when you are choosing a mesh chair is to stick to well-known and reputable manufacturers. Mesh chairs have become so popular in the chair market that many reputable companies are now manufacturing the best mesh chair available in the market.

Reputable manufacturers can promise you good customer support and warranty for many many years. Such as Herman Miller and Steelcase chairs will get you up to 12 years of warranty. These mesh chairs are very durable. Odds are you will be using them for more than 12 years.

We have a dedicated article on Mesh office chairs durability and how long they last. If you are interested, you can check our article, here.

Let’s check out some of the reputable companies that make the best mesh chairs:

  • Harwick
  • Autonomous
  • Herman Miller
  • Staples
  • Steelcase
  • Space Seating
  • Offices to Go
  • OFM
  • Allseating
  • HON
  • BALT
  • Mayline

7. Most Mesh Chairs are Cost-Effective:

If you are like me, looking for a professional-looking chair that will get you ultimate comfort to your back with a cheaper price tag, then mesh chairs are a good solution. Most of the great mesh chairs are much cheaper compared to leather chairs.

These chairs are economically viable, and so the best solution for small businesses is to set the offices. You can get a mesh chair only for $45. Although I won’t recommend you to go for that chair.

You will get some good mesh chairs within 200-300 dollars. You also find very expensive mesh chairs also which will deliver you great support in the years to come.

I have seen all the good features which make the Mesh chairs better. Now let’s look into some cons or drawbacks of mesh chairs as well.

8. Some Mesh Chairs from Good Brands are Expensive:

There are some Mesh office chairs from some reputed companies which are getting expensive with the time. Some luxurious Mesh office chairs are very expensive as well.

For example, Herman Miller Aeron chair costs $1300-$1900. Even though spending money on a good mesh office chair is a worthy investment as mesh chairs are very much durable and comfortable to use.

If you want to buy high-quality, pure, and genuine leather office chairs, they will obviously cost way more than a mesh back chair. In comparison with Leather chairs, the price of Mesh chairs is lower, but they are not the cheapest ones in the market as well.

9. Mesh Backs are Prone to Scratches:

Some mesh office chairs are prone to scratches. However, if you compare it with other non-mesh chairs like a leather one, you will notice that mesh chairs are less prone to scratches than leather chairs.

But mesh chairs are not completely scratch-resistant. That’s why we mentioned this in the con section.

10. Mesh Chairs without Proper Padding can feel Stiff:

One of the biggest cons of getting a mesh chair is that there are some mesh chairs without padding at all. Those chairs can sag or be too stiff due to the fact that they do not have enough padding. However, Good-quality mesh chairs do not have such problems.

If you want to buy a good mesh chair, you might wanna look into this matter if the chair has good padding or not as well. 

Final Thoughts:

As you can see, there are many positive aspects to mesh office chairs. I also tried to show some negative aspects as well. The positive aspects are far greater, and the negative aspects are not that overwhelming at all. It is important to consider lots of things for a healthy work environment.

We think going for a Mesh back chair is one of the best things you can consider. However, if you want to buy a Mesh office chair, try to buy high-quality ones as I mentioned there are some mesh chairs in the market that do not have padding, and those chairs can be too stiff for you. 

Thanks a lot for reading! Before you go, check out our top recommendations for Ergonomic Mesh Office Chairs. 

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Sifatul Shohan

Hi, I'm the co-owner of officechairtrends.com. A blogger and a freelance web developer.  As I work as developer, I have to work for prolonged hours at a desk that's where I developed back pain. I started researching on ergonomic chairs and gained knowledge throughout the process.  This is the site where I share everything I've learned about office chairs.