The best office chairs for tall people (6′2″ and up)
Most office chairs stop rising at around 20 or 21 inches. For a tall person, that leaves your knees above your hips by mid-afternoon. Here's how high your seat really needs to go, and which chairs get there.
How high does your seat need to go?
A good seat height lets your feet rest flat with your thighs about level. Ergonomists estimate it from your height:
Seat height ≈ 25.5% of your height + 1″ for shoes
Seat depth matters just as much for tall people, because long thighs need support. You want about two or three fingers of space between the front edge of the seat and the back of your knee, which works out to roughly 28.5% of your height minus 2.5 inches. Here's what that means at each height, and how many of the 48 fully measured chairs in our finder actually reach it:
| Your height | Seat height you need | Max seat depth | Chairs that reach it |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6′0″ | 19.4″ | 18.0″ | 46 of 48 |
| 6′1″ | 19.6″ | 18.3″ | 45 of 48 |
| 6′2″ | 19.9″ | 18.6″ | 45 of 48 |
| 6′3″ | 20.1″ | 18.9″ | 44 of 48 |
| 6′4″ | 20.4″ | 19.2″ | 44 of 48 |
| 6′5″ | 20.6″ | 19.4″ | 34 of 48 |
| 6′6″ | 20.9″ | 19.7″ | 31 of 48 |
| 6′7″ | 21.1″ | 20.0″ | 21 of 48 |
| 6′8″ | 21.4″ | 20.3″ | 19 of 48 |
The drop-off is steep. At 6′6″ only 31 chairs rise high enough, and by 6′8″ it's down to 19.
Our picks
ErgoChair Pro
This chair's standout is seat depth. It slides from 19 to 21.5 inches, which is the longest range in our list, so long thighs get support all the way to the knee.
- Seat rises to 22″, enough for people up to about 6′10″
- Deepest adjustable seat we track
- Headrest included
High Back Mesh Chair
It rises higher than chairs costing four times as much, and the 20.5-inch seat is deep enough for most tall frames.
- Seat rises to 22.5″
- Rated to 330 lb
- Arms flip up out of the way
- Fixed seat depth, so very tall people can't fine-tune it
ErgoChair Ultra 2
At 23 inches it goes higher than almost anything else here, with a seat that slides out to 20.5 inches.
- Seat rises to 23″
- Adjustable seat depth
- Rated to 320 lb
- No headrest
Delano Big & Tall
Its seat starts at 21.5 inches and rises to 24.5, the highest in our finder, so very tall people can finally sit with their feet flat. Rated to 400 pounds, with a deep, wide seat.
- Seat rises to 24.5″
- Rated to 400 lb
- 10-year warranty
- Too high for most people under about 6′8″
- Bonded leather runs warm
- Arms don't adjust
Hercules Big & Tall
Built for bigger frames, with a 22-inch-deep, 22.5-inch-wide seat and a 500-pound rating, tied for the highest in our list.
- Rated to 500 lb
- 22″ deep seat suits long legs
- Seat rises to 22″
- Seat depth doesn't adjust
Crio Big & Tall
A sturdy, plain chair rated to 450 pounds. The seat is shallower than the Hercules, so it suits tall people with average leg length.
- Rated to 450 lb
- Seat rises to 22″
- 18″ seat may feel short if you're over 6′4″
Generation
A design-led chair with a high top seat height and an adjustable seat, sold through Design Within Reach.
- Seat rises to 22.5″
- Seat slides from 15.75″ to 18.75″
- 12-year warranty
Vantum
Herman Miller's gaming chair rises to 22 inches and has a sliding seat and an adjustable headrest.
- Seat rises to 22″
- Sliding seat depth
- Rated to 350 lb
Check the cylinder before you buy
Several popular chairs come with a tall cylinder option that changes everything for tall people. Always check which one you're ordering:
- Steelcase Amia reaches 21″ as standard, but its tall version goes from 17″ to 24″.
- Branch Ergonomic Chair Pro stops at 19.9″ as standard. The tall cylinder raises it to 22.9″.
- AndaSeat Kaiser 4 XL is marketed for people 5′11″ to 6′11″, but its seat only rises to 20.7″. By our math that suits people up to about 6′5″.
Don't forget your desk
Raising your chair raises your elbows. A standard desk sits around 29 to 30 inches high, which is often too low once a tall person's seat is set correctly. A standing desk you can lock at sitting height, or a keyboard tray, keeps your shoulders relaxed.
Want a match for your exact height, weight and sitting style?
Try the chair finderWe may earn a commission from links on this page. Learn more