Top 10 chair designs that focus on ergonomics, functionality + aesthetics

We often underestimate the importance of a great chair. When in reality we really shouldn’t. We spend the majority of our day sitting on chairs, whether we’re working in our home office, enjoying a meal, or simply sitting and reading a book for leisure! Hence, this piece of furniture needs to be not only comfortable but ergonomic, and aesthetic as well. And we’ve curated a collection of chair designs that meet all these criteria! From an adorable pet-friendly armchair to a leather-covered chair that folds flat like a folder – these innovative chair designs are not only a boon to your back, and help you maintain a healthy posture, but are also super comfy to sink into, and will perfectly match the interiors of your modern homes.

1. 3D-Printed Seats

Designed by Johannes Steinbauer Office For Design, these 3D-printed chairs are produced using additive manufacturing and are created without using fabrics, springs, and foam! And they still manage to be super functional and comfortable. These chairs utilize rigid parts, instead of the typical racks from chairs.

Why is it noteworthy?

The design is simple enough with four legs, a round seat, and a single bar at the back. But if you want to add other components like more racks or even textiles, these can also be added through 3D printing. The different parts are easy to assemble and disassemble and once it reaches the end of life, you can dispose of the different parts separately and recycle them accordingly.

What we like

Super easy to assemble and disassemble
Sustainable design

What we dislike

No instruction on having a space-saving version of this design

2. Sharing Joy

Rather aptly titled ‘Sharing Joy’, this award-winning chair comes with a side table for humans to place their books and cups of tea/coffee on, and a crawl space for cats to casually lounge in (complete with a suspended toy for them to play with).

Why is it noteworthy?

What I personally love about Sharing Joy is that it subscribes to a broader vision of what lounging is and who can ‘lounge’. Designed for humans and cats to cozy up in, the chair comes with a hollow, oblong backrest that’s perfectly sized for an adult cat (or a tiny dog) to crawl into and laze around in. Moreover, the idea of having the human and pet lounging together against each other sounds like absolute perfection. 10/10 will give you the happiness hormones.

What we like

The chair sports a minimalist aesthetic that fits in most contemporary homes

What we dislike

The little space reserved for your pet doesn’t look too comfy

3. The Folio Chair

This foldable chair clearly has a utilitarian construction, but it still manages to throw in a few design elements that give it the same stylish characteristic as leather-covered furniture and stationery.

Why is it noteworthy?

The Folio Chair takes a different approach to the folding puzzle, requiring no hinges or screws to implement the mechanism. Instead, it seems to take inspiration from papercraft and art such as origami, where simply pushing or pulling a single part can change the object’s shape. In this case, pulling the top of the chair upward causes the folds of the seat and the back legs to straighten up and lie flat on the middle layer that serves as the supporting structure of the chair.

What we like

Reminiscent of a folder
Has a distinct charm with its leather surfaces and stitch marking at the edges

What we dislike

It’s still a concept!

4. The Hunter Chair

Classic furniture designs are classics for a reason, they’ve withstood the test of time, cementing their value and functionality as pieces that will never truly go out of style. One such design is the Hunter Chair by Torbjørn Afdal. Designed in 1960, the Hunter Chair is Afdal’s version of the “hunting chair”, a kind of seating that was quite popular during those times. And Eikund has brought the Hunter Chair to life once again!

Why is it noteworthy?

The Norwegian furniture brand decided to recreate and relaunch the Hunter Chair, an excellent specimen of classic Norwegian furniture. The Hunter Chair is considered a modern-day classic.

What we like

Features solid cast brass buckles, organically tanned leather, precise edge stitching details, and perfectly smooth transitions of wood

What we dislike

People may prefer the original to the newer version

5. The Peacock Chair

The Peacock Chair tries to solve some of the issues that may arise like “privacy, distractions, noise, and the ability to maintain a work/life balance”, according to the designers.

Why is it noteworthy?

From the name itself, this chair has a peacock-like shroud that will give a signal to the people around you and also give you a sense of privacy and temporarily put away the noise around you. When the shroud is in a downward position, this means you’re in a more casual situation, letting people know they can talk to you and you can talk to them. In this position, the shroud doesn’t really have any other purpose except to be sort of decorative. When the peacock’s “feathers” are up, obviously the one sitting on the chair wants to be left alone to focus and work or read or have some sense of peace.

What we like

Dampens the noise around you
Gives you a sense of privacy

What we dislike

There are similar products on the market

6. The Coffin Office Chair

Are you someone who absolutely despises your dead-end corporate job, well then, we may have found the chair for you! Shaped like a coffin, this wooden chair recently took the internet by storm. A Twitter user shared it on September 7th, and everyone who’s downright fed up with their jobs completely resonated with it.

Why is it noteworthy?

The conceptual coffin chair perfectly represents all the dreaded emotions employees feel throughout the entirety of their workday. It reflects the feeling of doom one experiences, as they have to sit through another pointless meeting that could have been an email.

What we like

Inspired by Rene Magritte’s painting titled The Balcony (1950)
Perfectly captures the feeling of having a dead-end job

What we dislike

It’s a concept!
There’s no cozy cushioning to get comfy in

7. The Mantis Chair

Chairs, just like tables, are supposed to convey a sense of stability and confidence that they won’t topple over or come crashing down when you sit on them. That’s why in most cases, the legs of chairs are designed to be wide, sturdy, and whole, with feet that are almost always flat. This dining chair design throws all those conventions outside the window and almost evokes the opposite emotions. At the same time, it also appears to challenge the viewer to have a little bit more confidence in going beyond what the eyes see.

Why is it noteworthy?

The dining chair is called “Mantis,” most likely because of how its segmented legs and arms resemble those of the insect. One variant even shares the same green and yellow motif. Perhaps another association between the chair and the insect is how the piece of furniture leans back rather than standing straight, almost like how a mantis’ body is in a perpetual state of leaning forward.

What we like

The mirror-polished brass contrasts nicely with the green chair and gives it a bit more personality
Color-matching leather offers some physical comfort to what looks like an uneasy chair

What we dislike

The legs end in soft spheres rather than sharp feet, though it might make one worry that the chair will slide all over the place

8. The TWINS-MDF

The TWINS-MDF is a modern twist on the first TWINS chair set by the designer launched 18 years ago. The original was a pair of metal and wooden chairs that fit into each other like a glove.

Why is it noteworthy?

This new version uses Medium Density Fiberboard instead (hence “MDF”) and expands the family into a set of four chairs. Technically, only two are really usable by humans, but the other two chairs are perfect for a kid’s imaginary tea party for plushies.

What we like

This kind of design is critical in helping reduce not just material waste but also the overall energy footprint during production
The chairs look distinctive, with an almost playful flair to an industrial motif

What we dislike

The chairs are more decorative than functional

9. The Nodding Chair

As someone who loves to read, and read for long periods of time, I know that wooden chairs are the least comfortable ones to sit on while finishing a good book. And I’ve also tried to read while on a regular rocking chair and that made me dizzy since the constant big movements are a bit too much for my poor eyes. But staying put in a chair can still be uncomfortable and you need some type of motion while you’re reading. This product concept seems to be the perfect one for bookworms like me.

Why is it noteworthy?

While rocking chairs are good for relaxation, they’re not always good for floors and if you’re like me, for our eyes and peace of mind. The designer thought of a new way to have a chair that can be comfortable and still let your body have its range of natural motion while reading, resting, or even writing (if you’re used to that). The Nodding Chair can be tilted forward and backward, letting you make smaller movements that won’t make you too nauseous.

What we like

Creates less pressure on the floor so you won’t get marks and scratches
Allows the chair to move with you as you occasionally change positions while reading

What we dislike

The seat itself doesn’t seem to be that comfortable as it’s just plain wood and there’s no cushion

10. The Collapsible Wood Chair

Quite unlike any of the folding chairs you may have seen around you, on the internet, or even on this website, this creative little number comes from Jon 117 SP, a designer based out of Léon, Mexico.

Why is it noteworthy?

Simply titled the Collapsible Wood Chair, the seating uses two almost-identical wooden profiles with a thick paracord weaving between the both of them to form the seat and backrest. The paracord does two essential things – not only does it make sitting feel comfortable (unlike wood or metal which feels rigid), but it also adds a flexible element to the seat where it folds together, allowing the chair to collapse flat when you’re not sitting on it.