The best office chairs under €500
What official brand stores in Europe actually charge at the lower end, with the specs that matter. All prices include VAT and were read on 20 October 2026.
Updated By The Best Office Chairs Europe editorial team19 sources
Under €300, IKEA is the only brand with official prices in our data: IKEA MARKUS and IKEA JÄRVFJÄLLET. From €300 to €500 the choice is thin: Varier Variable (balans), Kinnarps 5000, Dauphin Just Evo. The first premium task chairs appear between €500 and €800, led by Dauphin Indeed mesh (ID 7056), Interstuhl EVERYis1 EV266 (ACTIVE edition), Sedus se:motion net.
Under €300
| Chair | From | Market | EN 1335 (as declared) | Seat height |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IKEA MARKUS | €139 | Netherlands | EN 1335-1 (dimensions Type C) · EN 1335, ANSI/BIFMA X5.1 | 460–570 mm |
| IKEA JÄRVFJÄLLET | €199 | Italy | EN 1335-1 (dimensions Type B) · EN 1335, ANSI/BIFMA X5.1 | 450–560 mm |
IKEA prices vary a lot by country for the same chair (MARKUS ranged from €139 in the Netherlands, on sale, to €199 in France). Both chairs are tested for 110 kg. MARKUS has a fixed seat depth and fixed armrests; JÄRVFJÄLLET adds 2D arms and automatic tension. Neither publishes a seat-height range that reaches down to 400 mm, so shorter users may need a footrest.
€300 to €500
- Varier Variable (balans)from €379 (EU-EUR)
The 1979 rocking kneeling chair by Peter Opsvik, with a fixed 500 mm seat and an EPD. Not a task chair, so it is not scored against EN 1335.
- Kinnarps 5000from €445 (SE)
Priced in Kinnarps Webshop SE; not yet profiled in our register. This is a business webshop that lists prices without VAT; the figure shown adds the standard VAT rate.
- Dauphin Just Evofrom €499 (DE)
Priced in Dauphin Online Shop; not yet profiled in our register.
Some links on this page are commercial.
Stretching to €800
This is where fully adjustable premium task chairs begin, at official prices:
| Chair | From | Market | EN 1335 | Seat span covers | Spec Index |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dauphin Indeed mesh (ID 7056) | €545 | Germany | Declared | Type A, Type B, Type C | 70 |
| Interstuhl EVERYis1 EV266 (ACTIVE edition) | €589 | Germany | – | – | – |
| Sedus se:motion net | €595 | Germany | – | – | – |
| Vitra ACX Mesh | €635 | Germany | – | – | – |
| Vitra ID Air | €644 | Germany | – | – | – |
| Vitra ID Mesh | €661 | Germany | Declared | Type A, Type B, Type C | 63 |
| Löffler Figo 20 | €745 | Germany | – | – | – |
| Vitra ID Soft | €756 | Germany | – | – | – |
| Steelcase Series 2 | €765 | Germany | Declared | Type B, Type C | 65 |
| Sedus se:flex | €780 | Germany | Declared | Type A, Type B, Type C | 73 |
| Herman Miller Sayl | €794 | Germany | – | Type B, Type C | 64 |
| Interstuhl PUREis3 PU213 (ACTIVE edition) | €799 | Germany | – | – | – |
Some of these are fixed shop editions or sale prices on the day; the store notes in the price comparator say which. Rows without a Spec Index are models we have priced but not yet profiled.
The refurbished route
A refurbished premium chair can cost less than a new mid-range one. Buying from a business still gives you a legal guarantee (which may be shortened to no less than one year for second-hand goods, depending on the country) and, online, a 14-day withdrawal right. Steelcase, Haworth, Vitra and Kinnarps run their own refurbishment or second-life services in Europe. Read buying a refurbished office chair in Europe.
Questions buyers ask
What is the best office chair under €300 in Europe?
Among chairs with official prices, only IKEA models came in under €300 in our data: IKEA MARKUS from €139 (NL), IKEA JÄRVFJÄLLET from €199 (IT). IKEA declares MARKUS as EN 1335-1 Type C and JÄRVFJÄLLET as Type B by dimensions, and both carry a 10-year guarantee.
Can I get a premium chair for under €500?
New, from an official brand store, rarely: in our data the cheapest premium task chairs start around €545–€660. Refurbished premium chairs are the other route; see our guide to buying refurbished in Europe.
Sources
- IKEA NL (NL): IKEA MARKUS: www.ikea.com/nl/nl/p/markus-bureaustoel-vissle-donkergrijs-70261150/
- IKEA IT (IT): IKEA JÄRVFJÄLLET: www.ikea.com/it/it/p/jaervfjaellet-sedia-da-ufficio-con-braccioli-glose-nero-80510639/
- Varier Furniture (official) (EU-EUR): Varier Variable: www.varierfurniture.com/en/variable/10001094311111
- Kinnarps Webshop SE (SE): Kinnarps 5000: www.kinnarps.se/store/produkter/sittmobler/kontorsstolar/hw-5222-1-264
- Dauphin Online Shop (DE): Dauphin Just Evo: shop.dauphin.de/product-page/dauphin-just-evo-netz-r%C3%BCckenlehne-schwarz
- Dauphin Online Shop (DE): Dauphin Indeed: shop.dauphin.de/product-page/dauphin-indeed-performance-mesh-mit-kopfst%C3%BCtze
- Interstuhl Online Shop DE (DE): Interstuhl EVERYis1 EV266 (ACTIVE edition): shop.interstuhl.com/de-de/produkte/every/active
- Sedus Online Shop (DE): Sedus se:motion net: shop.sedus.com/se-motion-net-Buerostuhl/em-821
- Varier Furniture (official) (EU-EUR): Varier Move: www.varierfurniture.com/en/move/26001194371111110
- Vitra Online Shop DE (DE): Vitra ACX Mesh: www.vitra.com/de-de/product/details/acx-mesh
- Vitra Online Shop DE (DE): Vitra ID Air: www.vitra.com/de-de/product/details/id-air
- Vitra Online Shop DE (DE): Vitra ID Mesh: www.vitra.com/de-de/product/details/id-mesh
- Löffler Online Shop (DE): Löffler Figo 20: www.loeffler.de/products/figo-20-ergonomischer-buerostuhl-mit-netzruecken
- Vitra Online Shop DE (DE): Vitra ID Soft: www.vitra.com/de-de/product/details/id-soft
- Steelcase Online Store DE (DE): Steelcase Series 2: de.steelcase.com/products/steelcase-series-2
- Sedus Online Shop (DE): Sedus se:flex: shop.sedus.com/se-flex-Membran-Buerostuhl/ef-122
- Herman Miller Store DE (DE): Herman Miller Sayl: destore.hermanmiller.com/products/sayl-office-chair
- Interstuhl Online Shop DE (DE): Interstuhl PUREis3 PU213 (ACTIVE edition): shop.interstuhl.com/de-de/produkte/pure/active
- IKEA office furniture guarantee (PDF): www.ikea.com/ie/en/files/pdf/5e/b8/5eb89fb6/office_furniture_guarantee_brochure_a5.pdf
All sources checked 20 October 2026. Where a manufacturer does not publish a value, we say so rather than estimate it.
Cite this page
Best Office Chairs Europe, “The best office chairs under €500”, https://bestofficechairs.eu/guides/best-office-chair-under-500/, updated .