Repairing an office chair: parts, fixes and who sells them
A good chair outlives several gas lifts, sets of castors and armpads. Whether you can buy them depends on the brand.
Updated By The Best Office Chairs Europe editorial team16 sources
Most premium makers will supply parts through their dealers, but only a few publish how long: Flokk (HÅG, RH) guarantees at least 10 years from production, Sedus promises 10 years of repairability, and Interstuhl's 10-year warranty covers all spare parts including gas springs. Gas lifts should be replaced by trained people, which EN 1335-1 requires makers to point out.
Spare parts and repair, brand by brand
| Maker | Spare parts and repair | Warranty |
|---|---|---|
| Interstuhl | The 10-year warranty covers all products and all spare parts, including gas springs and mechanisms. | 10 years |
| Wilkhahn | Spare parts for many task-chair ranges for many years after purchase, a repair price list, and repair service for at least two years after a product is discontinued. | 5 years |
| Sedus | "10-year guaranteed repairability" on chair environmental sheets. | 5 years |
| Vitra | Castors and glides can be ordered on vitra.com; other parts and repairs through Vitra Service and local partners. | 2 years |
| Löffler | A custom production and repairs service (by enquiry). | 30 years |
| Dauphin | "All components can simply be replaced." | 5 years |
| Flokk (HÅG, RH) | Flokk guarantees spare parts for at least 10 years from the chair’s production date. | 10 years |
| Kinnarps | Not published as a period. | not published |
| Varier | The warranty page has a spare-parts and repair section (contents not verified). | 10 years |
| Steelcase | Replacement parts carry a warranty of 2 years or the balance of the original warranty. | 12 years |
| Haworth | Fern sheet: "replaceable parts for easy disassembly". No spare-parts period found. | 10 years |
| Herman Miller | Covered within the 12-year warranty (parts and labour); no separate period published. | 12 years |
| Humanscale | Not published. | 15 years |
Where the table says "not published", the maker may well supply parts; it just doesn't commit to a period in writing. That commitment is worth asking for when you buy several chairs for an office.
What usually wears out?
- Gas spring (gas lift). Symptom: the seat slowly sinks, or won't stay up. EN 1335-1 (clause 9) requires a warning that only trained personnel may replace gas-spring height-adjustment parts. Get the replacement from the maker or a dealer, and ask them to fit it.
- Castors. Worn or wrong castors for the floor. Hard floors and carpets need different castors; EN 1335-1's information requirements include castor and floor guidance. Vitra, for one, sells castors and glides directly on vitra.com.
- Armpads, seat foam and upholstery. Usually covered by a shorter warranty than the frame: Wilkhahn gives 2 years on upholstery and armrest functions against 5 on frames; Löffler 10 years on fabrics against 30 on mechanics.
- Mesh. Many mesh backs and seats are replaced as a complete frame or panel rather than repaired.
The UK Health and Safety Executive's workstation checklist puts it simply: "The chair may need repairing or replacing if the user is uncomfortable, or cannot use the adjustment mechanisms."
What are your rights if a chair breaks?
- Legal guarantee (all EU countries): the seller is liable for defects that become apparent within two years of delivery, under the Sale of Goods Directive (EU) 2019/771. You can choose repair or replacement.
- New from 31 July 2026: if you choose repair, the seller's liability period is extended once by 12 months, under the Right to Repair Directive (EU) 2024/1799.
- What the Right to Repair Directive does not do: its duty on producers to offer repairs covers only the products in its Annex II, such as washing machines and phones. Furniture is not on that list.
- Manufacturer warranty: a voluntary extra on top of the legal guarantee, often much longer for frames and mechanisms. It can never reduce your legal rights.
More detail: warranty and legal guarantee.
Five questions to ask before you buy
- For how many years after purchase (or after the model is discontinued) will you supply parts?
- Which parts are covered by the long warranty, and which by a shorter one?
- Does the warranty cover labour and transport, or only parts? Flokk's, for example, excludes labour and transport.
- Is there a refurbishment or take-back service in my country? See who takes chairs back.
- Is the gas lift a standard size, so a dealer can source it later?
Questions buyers ask
Why does my office chair keep sinking?
A chair that slowly lowers itself usually has a worn gas spring (gas lift). EN 1335-1 requires makers to warn that only trained personnel may replace gas-spring parts, so ask the maker or dealer for a replacement and fitting, especially while the chair is under warranty. Interstuhl, for example, includes gas springs in its 10-year warranty.
Can I get spare parts for an old office chair?
It depends on the maker. Flokk (HÅG, RH) guarantees parts for at least 10 years from the production date; Sedus states 10-year guaranteed repairability; Wilkhahn offers repairs for at least two years after a product is discontinued. Others publish no period, so ask before you buy.
Sources
- Interstuhl — sustainability: www.interstuhl.com/I/ia-en/nachhaltigkeit.php
- Wilkhahn — guarantee policy (PDF): www.wilkhahn.com/fileadmin/general/legal-docs/guarantee/Wilkhahn-Guarantee-Policy.pdf
- Wilkhahn — after sales: www.wilkhahn.com/en/service/after-sales/
- Vitra — ID Mesh product passport (PDF): static.vitra.com/media/asset/7794100/storage/master/download/Product%2520Passport%2520ID%2
- Löffler — sustainability: www.loeffler.de/en/pages/nachhaltigkeit
- Löffler — warranty: www.loeffler.de/en/pages/qualitaet/garantie
- Dauphin — sustainability: www.dauphin.de/dauphin/de/englisch/about-dauphin/sustainability
- Flokk — warranties and product quality: www.flokk.com/support/warranties-and-product-quality
- Kinnarps — sustainability: www.kinnarps.com/about-kinnarps/sustainability/
- Kinnarps — sustainable circularity: www.kinnarps.com/about-kinnarps/sustainability/sustainable-circularity/
- Varier — product warranty: www.varierfurniture.com/en/product-warranty
- Steelcase — Remade warranty (PDF): www.steelcase.com/content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/Steelcase-SAS-Circular-by-Steelcase-Rem
- SGS report reproducing EN 1335-1:2020 (information for use, clause 9): www.centrufficio.it/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Play_certificazione-EN1335-1-2020-tipo-B.pd
- Right to Repair Directive (EU) 2024/1799: eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:32024L1799
- Sale of Goods Directive (EU) 2019/771: eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:32019L0771
- HSE DSE workstation checklist (CK1): www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/ck1.htm
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, “Repairing an office chair: parts, fixes and who sells them”, https://bestofficechairs.eu/sustainability/repair-and-spare-parts/, updated .