Best Office Chairs Europe

Buying a refurbished office chair in Europe

Refurbished premium chairs are one of the most searched-for options in Europe, and one of the least regulated. Start with who stands behind the chair.

Updated By The Best Office Chairs Europe editorial team20 sources

Four makers in our register run their own second-life services in Europe: Steelcase (Remade, at Sarrebourg, with a 5-year warranty), Haworth (Second Life), Vitra (Vitra Circle) and Kinnarps (refurbished furniture in its online store); Wilkhahn overhauls chairs at Bad Münder. Herman Miller has no refurbishment programme in Europe that we could find.

From any business seller you keep a legal guarantee and, online, a 14-day right to return.

The 12 chairs in the register, drawn at one scaleSchematic side views of every chair in the register, at the same scale, from published seat heights, depths and overall heights.AeronCosmEmbodyMirra 2SaylSetuAmiaGestureKarmanLeapPleaseSeries 212 CHAIRS · ONE SCALE
The Herman Miller and Steelcase chairs in the register at one scale: the two brands this guide covers.

Which makers refurbish their own chairs in Europe?

Maker refurbishment programmes
MakerTake-back and refurbishment in Europe
Steelcase"Circular by Steelcase: Remade": chairs remanufactured at Sarrebourg (Please, Think, Reply and others) with a 5-year warranty.
HaworthHaworth Second Life in the EU: reupholstery and restoration, take-back for recycling, pre-loved chairs and donation. Fern and Zody are listed as preferred products.
VitraVitra Circle: take-back, reconditioning and sale of used furniture through contract channels and Vitra Circle Stores.
KinnarpsRefurbishment, renovation and upgrades on site or in a service truck; help with recycling; refurbished furniture sold in the Kinnarps online store.
WilkhahnGuarantees to take back all products at end of life at Bad Münder or to recycle them locally; general overhauls are usually done at Bad Münder.
Herman MillerNo Herman Miller-run take-back or refurbishment programme for Europe found. Aeron Refurbished and rePurpose are US and Canada only.
HumanscaleA "Refreshed" circularity page exists on the UK site but does not say the programme is offered there.

Steelcase's Remade programme covers specific models (Please, Think, Reply and others), not the Leap or Gesture, and operates in seven countries according to Steelcase. A maker-run programme matters because the warranty then comes from the maker. With an independent refurbisher, the warranty is the refurbisher's own, and terms vary widely.

Your rights when you buy second-hand from a business

  • Legal guarantee. Your Europe: "Second-hand goods that you buy from a professional seller are also covered by the minimum 2-year guarantee." Under Article 10(6) of Directive 2019/771, a member state may let the seller and you agree a shorter period, but not less than one year.
  • 14 days to withdraw online. The exceptions in Article 16 of the Consumer Rights Directive don't include second-hand goods (public auctions are excluded). You usually pay return shipping.
  • Many sellers get this wrong. In a 2025 sweep of 356 online second-hand traders across 25 EU countries plus Iceland and Norway, authorities found 40% did not clearly explain the 14-day return right and 57% did not respect the one-year minimum guarantee.
  • No EU Ecolabel. The EU Ecolabel furniture criteria exclude second-hand and refurbished furniture, so don't expect the label on a refurbished chair.

What to check before you buy

  1. The exact model and version. Generations differ in mechanisms and parts. Ask for the model number from the label under the seat.
  2. What was replaced. Gas lift, castors, armpads, mesh or foam. A new gas lift is the most important for safety; EN 1335-1 requires makers to warn that only trained personnel replace it.
  3. Who gives the warranty, and for how long. Written terms, in addition to your legal guarantee.
  4. Parts availability. Will the maker still supply parts? Flokk, for example, guarantees parts for at least 10 years from the production date, which tells you how long an older HÅG chair stays repairable.
  5. Size and fit. An Aeron in the wrong size cannot be adjusted to fit. Check the seat height for your body with the height calculator and the chair's profile in the register.
  6. Delivery and returns cost. Bulky items are expensive to send back; get the return cost in writing.

Buying from a private seller

Your Europe is clear: goods bought from a private individual are not covered by the legal guarantee or the right of withdrawal. The European Consumer Centre in Austria adds that private sellers may exclude any warranty outright. On marketplaces, check whether the seller is a business or a private person before you pay.

Questions buyers ask

Is there a refurbished Herman Miller programme in Europe?

Not one run by Herman Miller that we could find. Its Aeron Refurbished programme sells only in the United States and Canada. In Europe, refurbished Herman Miller chairs come from independent dealers, so the warranty is the dealer’s, not Herman Miller’s.

Do I get a guarantee on a second-hand office chair?

Yes, if you buy from a business in the EU: the 2-year legal guarantee applies to second-hand goods, although some countries let the seller agree a shorter period with you of no less than one year. Buying from a private individual gives you neither the guarantee nor the 14-day withdrawal right.

Can I return a refurbished chair bought online?

From a business, yes: the 14-day withdrawal right under the Consumer Rights Directive has no exception for second-hand goods (only for public auctions, among others). Expect to pay the return shipping unless the seller says otherwise.

Sources

  1. Steelcase — Leap brochure 2026 (PDF): www.steelcase.com/content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/EN-Leap-Brochure-2026.pdf
  2. Steelcase — European plants article (German): www.steelcase.com/eu-de/forschung/artikel/themen/zusammenarbeit/innovation-als-kernstuck-i
  3. Haworth — Fern (EU): www.haworth.com/eu/en/products/executive-chairs/fern.html
  4. Haworth — Zody (EU): www.haworth.com/eu/en/products/office-chairs/zody-1.html
  5. Vitra — how and where it all began: www.vitra.com/en-at/magazine/details/vitra-how-and-where-it-all-began
  6. Vitra — ID Mesh EPD (PDF): static.vitra.com/media/asset/8717458/storage/master/download/ID%2520Mesh%2520EPD.pdf
  7. Kinnarps — corporate information: www.kinnarps.com/about-kinnarps/corporate-information/
  8. Kinnarps — sustainability: www.kinnarps.com/about-kinnarps/sustainability/
  9. Wilkhahn — Environmental Statement 2023–2025 (PDF): www.wilkhahn.com/fileadmin/general/company-themes/environmental-statement/Wilkhahn-Environ
  10. Wilkhahn — guarantee policy (PDF): www.wilkhahn.com/fileadmin/general/legal-docs/guarantee/Wilkhahn-Guarantee-Policy.pdf
  11. Herman Miller — PortalMill, Melksham: www.hermanmiller.com/en_eur/contact/portalmill/
  12. MillerKnoll — UK manufacturing facility (2015 release): news.millerknoll.com/2015-11-17-Herman-Miller-opens-new-UK-manufacturing-facility,-expands
  13. Humanscale — about: www.humanscale.com/about
  14. Humanscale — EU shop: eu.humanscale.com/
  15. Sale of Goods Directive (EU) 2019/771, Art. 10(6): eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:32019L0771
  16. Your Europe: guarantees: europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/consumers/shopping/guarantees-returns/index_en.htm
  17. Your Europe: returns: europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/consumers/shopping/returns/index_en.htm
  18. European Commission: second-hand traders sweep, March 2025: commission.europa.eu/news-and-media/news/protecting-eu-consumers-more-half-second-hand-onl
  19. ECC Austria: purchases from private individuals: europakonsument.at/en/problems-private-private-purchases/69433
  20. EU Ecolabel furniture criteria (exclusions): eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:32016D1332

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, “Buying a refurbished office chair in Europe”, https://bestofficechairs.eu/guides/refurbished-office-chairs-europe/, updated .