Best Office Chairs Europe

Office chair standards in Europe

Five standards and one directive decide what a European office chair should measure and survive. Here is which does what, and how to tell a real claim from a slogan.

Updated By The Best Office Chairs Europe editorial team10 sources

EN 1335 is the European standard for office work chairs: part 1 sets dimensions by chair Type, part 2 sets safety, strength and durability for users up to 110 kg. EN 16139 covers other non-domestic seating such as visitor chairs. EN 1728 and EN 1022 are the test methods both use.

None of them is legally mandatory; the DSE Directive 90/270/EEC is what employers must follow.

Which standard covers what?

European seating standards
StandardCurrent editionCoversUser basis
EN 1335-1EN 1335-1:2020 (+A1:2022)Dimensions of office work chairs by Type (Ax, A, B, C), measured to ISO 24496Population ranges by Type
EN 1335-2EN 1335-2:2018Safety, strength, durability and stability of office work chairs. Replaced EN 1335-3110 kg, 8 h a day
EN 16139EN 16139:2025Non-domestic seating other than office work chairs, e.g. visitor and meeting chairs110 kg
EN 1728EN 1728:2012 (+AC:2013)Test methods for strength and durability of seating. No pass/fail limits of its ownSet by the requirement standard
EN 1022EN 1022:2023Stability of seating (EN 1335-2 still cites the 2018 edition)110 kg
ANSI/BIFMA X5.1ANSI/BIFMA X5.1-2017 (R2022)North American mechanical tests for office chairs; no dimensions275 lb (about 125 kg)
ANSI/BIFMA X5.11ANSI/BIFMA X5.11-2015Large-occupant office chairs400 lb (about 181 kg)

Two points trip buyers up. First, EN 1335-3 no longer exists as a separate part: EN 1335-2:2018 absorbed it and now calls up EN 1728 and EN 1022 for its tests. Second, EN 16139 explicitly excludes office work chairs, so a swivel task chair "certified to EN 16139" has been tested to the wrong standard for its main use.

What size is a standard office chair?

EN 1335-1:2020 does not prescribe one size. It sets the ranges a chair of each Type must be able to reach, measured on a seat loaded with a 64 kg template (ISO 24496). For the most common Type A:

Main dimensions of an office work chair A: Seat height, 400–520 mm, at least 130 mm of travel. B: Seat depth (adjustable), 425–450 mm, at least 70 mm of travel. C: Backrest height, min. 360 mm; lumbar at 170–300 mm. D: Armrest height (adjustable), 200–290 mm above the seat A B C D A Seat height 400–520 mm, at least 130 mm of travel B Seat depth (adjustable) 425–450 mm, at least 70 mm of travel C Backrest height min. 360 mm; lumbar at 170–300 mm D Armrest height (adjustable) 200–290 mm above the seat
EN 1335-1:2020 Type A, as reproduced in an SGS test report. Seat pad width at least 400 mm for every Type. Diagram is schematic, not to scale.

In centimetres: a Type A seat must reach from 40 to 52 cm; Type Ax from 40 to 54 cm; Type B from 42 to 51 cm; Type C from 43 to 48 cm. All four Types need a seat pad at least 40 cm wide and a backrest at least 36 cm high and wide. The full table, Type by Type, is on EN 1335 explained.

How do you read "EN 1335 certified"?

Because EN 1335 is voluntary and carries no CE marking, a manufacturer can write "meets EN 1335" with no test behind it. Stronger evidence, roughly in order:

  1. The GS mark ("Geprüfte Sicherheit"), a German statutory mark under ProdSG § 20. An accredited body tests a sample, inspects the factory and keeps checking production. A GS certificate lasts at most five years.
  2. Quality Office, run by the German industry association IBA, which requires GS first and adds ergonomics, durability and sustainability criteria.
  3. A named lab report that states the part (1, 2 or both), the edition (2000 or 2020), the Type, and the accredited lab. Reports often test selected clauses only.
  4. A self-declaration in a brochure. Better than nothing; not proof.

In the chair register we record exactly what each maker declares, with the document it comes from.

What does the law actually require?

For consumers, the General Product Safety Regulation (EU) 2023/988, in force since 13 December 2024, simply requires that products placed on the market are safe. For employers, the Display Screen Equipment Directive 90/270/EEC sets minimum requirements for the work chair: stable, adjustable in seat height, a seat back adjustable in height and tilt, and a footrest for anyone who wants one. The Directive does not mention EN 1335. EN 1335-1 Types Ax and A do require adjustable seat height, backrest inclination and lumbar height, which lines up closely with the Directive; check that the backrest itself also adjusts in height if your national rules follow the Directive's wording.

In this section

Questions buyers ask

Is EN 1335 mandatory for office chairs in the EU?

No. EN 1335 is a voluntary European standard and office chairs carry no CE marking for it. The legal baseline is the General Product Safety Regulation (EU) 2023/988, which requires products to be safe. Employers must also meet the Display Screen Equipment Directive 90/270/EEC, which asks for a stable chair with an adjustable seat height and a backrest adjustable in height and tilt.

What is the standard seat height of an office chair?

EN 1335-1:2020 sets the range a chair must cover rather than one height. A Type A chair must adjust over at least 130 mm and cover 400–520 mm (40–52 cm), measured on the loaded seat. Type Ax covers 400–540 mm, Type B 420–510 mm and Type C 430–480 mm.

What user weight is EN 1335 designed for?

EN 1335-2:2018 bases its safety, strength and durability requirements on use for 8 hours a day by people weighing up to 110 kg. Higher weight ratings printed by manufacturers come from other tests, such as ANSI/BIFMA X5.11 or DIN 4573.

Sources

  1. UNMS preview of EN 1335-1:2020 (scope, foreword): normy.normoff.gov.sk/norma/131206/nahlad
  2. SGS test report reproducing EN 1335-1:2020 Table 2: www.centrufficio.it/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Play_certificazione-EN1335-1-2020-tipo-B.pd
  3. UNMS preview of EN 1335-2:2018: normy.normoff.gov.sk/norma/128442/nahlad
  4. SIS catalogue: EN 16139:2025: www.sis.se/en/produkter/domestic-and-commercial-equipment-entertainment-sports/furniture/s
  5. BSI: EN 1728:2012: knowledge.bsigroup.com/products/furniture-seating-test-methods-for-the-determination-of-st
  6. Micom Lab: ANSI/BIFMA X5.1-2017: www.micomlab.com/blog/furniture-testing/new-ansibifma-x-5-1-standard-for-office-seating
  7. IBA: product standards for office furniture: iba.online/en/knowledge/space-planning/regulations/product-standards/
  8. Regulation (EU) 2023/988 (GPSR), EUR-Lex: eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:32023R0988
  9. Directive 90/270/EEC, consolidated, EUR-Lex: eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:01990L0270-20190726
  10. ProdSG § 20 (GS mark): www.gesetze-im-internet.de/prodsg_2021/__20.html

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, “Office chair standards in Europe”, https://bestofficechairs.eu/standards/, updated .