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The best office chair for short people starts with two numbers
Updated
A short person needs a seat that goes low enough for flat feet and a seat shallow enough to leave a gap behind the knees. By our rule of thumb, a person who is 5 ft 0 in wants a seat height near 16 inches and a seat no deeper than about 15.5 inches. Very few Amazon listings go that low or that shallow, so a footrest is often part of the answer.
Why most chairs miss
OSHA's computer workstation guide says a seat that is too high leaves your feet unsupported or pushes you forward, away from the backrest. It also says a seat pan that is too long presses on the knee area of shorter users and cuts back support. Canada's CCOHS says the same in its own words: you should sit with your feet on the floor or a footrest and no pressure at the back of your knees.
- You at 4 ft 11 in16 in
- You at 5 ft 2 in16.5 in
- You at 5 ft 4 in17 in
- SIHOO M18 lowest17 in
- GABRYLLY lowest18.9 in
The HON Ignition 2.0 lists 17.25 inches and the Steelcase Series 1 lists 21.5 inches, but neither says if that is the low end, the high end or a point between. Ask the seller before you order.
Seat depth matters just as much
| Your height | Seat height, about | Seat depth, no more than |
|---|---|---|
| 4 ft 11 in | 16 in | 15.5 in |
| 5 ft 0 in | 16 in | 15.5 in |
| 5 ft 2 in | 16.5 in | 16 in |
| 5 ft 4 in | 17 in | 16.5 in |
A seat up to an inch deeper than your number is usually fine. Two or more inches deeper and the front edge ends up behind your knees, or you perch on the front and lose the backrest.
The picks that come closest
- Amazon Basics Office Task Chair. Its 16.5 inch seat is the shallowest we list, within an inch of the number for a 5 ft 0 in person. The catch: the listing does not print a seat height range, so ask for the lowest setting.
- HON Ignition 2.0. The seat slides, so you can pull it forward to fit shorter legs. The catch: it lists one seat height, 17.25 inches, with no range.
- Amazon Basics Mesh Mid-Back. A 17.72 inch seat depth, shallower than most. The catch: only the seat height adjusts, and the arms are fixed.
By our math, we would skip the SIHOO M18 if you are under about 5 ft 4 in and the GABRYLLY if you are under about 6 ft 0 in. Their seats do not go low enough.
If the chair is still too high
- Set the seat so your elbows line up with the desk.
- Put a footrest under your feet so your thighs are level. OSHA names a footrest as the fix when the seat cannot go lower.
- If the seat is too deep, a firm cushion behind your lower back moves you forward. It is a patch, not a fix.
Get your own numbers from the seat height calculator, then compare them with all seven picks. If your desk is too tall for you, a lower desk can matter as much as a lower chair. See chairs for a standing desk for how the two work together.