Like a high quality pair of hiking socks, the same goes for swiveling office chairs. The moral of the story: don’t settle for less than a cool chair if you’re planning on spending some time in it. (And let’s face it, you probably are.) That’s the motto of many a style-oriented office worker these days since the ergonomic desk chairs are becoming more and more important to our comfort level not just today and tomorrow, but into our later years. In this week’s Top Ten list of Brilliant Swivel Chairs, we’ve covered the classic designs of Arne Jacobsen and Hans Wegner, but also the modern versions of chairs willing to give any office environment a fresh start.

Bring Ease of Use Into Your Office Chair Vocabulary With Ergonomic, Swivel Chairs of Ingenious Designs

1. Nina
DESIGNER: René Holten
MANUFACTURER: Artifort
PRICE: $1,195
Dimensions: 24.5″W x 24.5″D x 31-34″H; seat height 18-21″

Kick your office interior into high fashion mode with the 5-legged castor base of the aluminum Nina with 170 different fabric and 60 leather upholstery options. Not your typical height-adjustable swivel office chair, Nina is a Netherlands fabrication by René Holten whose contoured back with a cut out is about as modern as they come.

2. Series 7 Swivel
DESIGNER: Arne Jacobsen
MANUFACTURER: Fritz Hansen
PRICE: $1,225
Dimensions: 23.6″W x 20.5″D x 32.3- 35.4″H x 18.5- 21.7″SH

“The Series 7™ designed by Arne Jacobsen is by far the most sold chair in the history of Fritz Hansen and perhaps also in furniture history,” says just about every publication on the worldwide web. In its pressure-molded veneer, the idea for the chair was created in cooperation between Arne Jacobsen and Fritz Hansen in 1934 with the Ant only to be released in this version in 1955.

3. Spoon
DESIGNER: Antonio Citterio
MANUFACTURER: Kartell
PRICE: $675
Dimensions: 24″W x 18- 21″D x 33- 36.5″H x 27.6″SH

Using the prolific design mind of Antonio Citterio in partnership with the sleek beauty of Kartell, the Spoon has a cushioned seat and elegant arms atop a castor wheel base. It comes in Black, Blue, Grey, Orange, or White  – with various cushion colors coordinating – and tops off any contemporary cubicle or conference table.

4. Life
DESIGNER: Formway
MANUFACTURER: Knoll
PRICE: $1,095
Dimensions: 26.5″W x 38.5″-43.75″H x 24.5″D

Not to be confused with reality, the chair known as Life can provide you with an escape from just that with the intuitive movement of its sturdy, polished aluminum frame. Swiveling a complete 360°, the chair uses your own body weight as resistance, making it smooth and comfortable for those long days at the office. In addition to its clear design properties, the Life chair contains 60% recycled content and was a winner of the Best of NeoCon Gold Award and IIDEX for Office Seating and Sustainable Design.

5. Embody
DESIGNER: Jeff Weber and Bill Stumpf
MANUFACTURER: Herman Miller
PRICE: $1,399
Dimensions: 42- 45″H x 29.5″W x 15- 18″D

A chair that can provide credits for LEED certification? Remarkably, this is possible with the design of Embody by Jeff Weber and Bill Stumpf for Herman Miller. Classified as 95% recyclable, using 42% recycled content and no PVCs, the chair got its function and form from Weber and its inspiration from Stumpf before his passing in 2006. It comes in both vivid colors and dark, chic shades to fit comfortably into any surrounding.

6. Think Leather
DESIGNER: Glen Oliver Löw
MANUFACTURER: Steelcase
PRICE: $1,345
Dimensions: 37- 41.75″ H x 27″ W x 23-25″ D

Like its sibling the Leap, the 2006 design of the chair known as Think also won several prestigious design awards. With three angles to recline into, the flexors of the Think Leather chair respond to acute movements in a fluid manner. Providing support and relaxation for your body in just the right areas, this chair by Glen Oliver Löw for Steelcase minimizes any impact on your hamstrings and lower back, as well as on the environment, with a soft leather seat (though fabric and mesh knits are also available).

7. Webb Executive
DESIGNER: Burkhard Vogtherr
MANUFACTURER: Davis Furniture Industries
PRICE: $2,235
Dimensions: 25.4″W x 27″D x 46- 49.5″H

Different in appearance than many other swiveling desk chairs, the woven tape of the Webb Series’ Executive chair by Burkhard Vogtherr for Davis combines Shaker style with a tall modern profile. This woven look was first honed by the Shakers in the mid 1800s. Thin and flexible, the backrest demands only as much space and attention as it merits in an incredible comfortable, lumbar-supportive chair.

8. Elena
DESIGNER: Robby and Francesca Cantarutti
MANUFACTURER: Tramo
PRICE: $666- 1,032 (available to trade only)
Dimensions: 31.5- 34″H x 27.5″W x 27.5″D

Not shooting for the most scientific of its class of ergonomic office chairs, the sweet Elena swivel chair is the great minimalist design if the list. Created by Robby and Francesca Cantarutti for Tramo – a Spanish company which originated in the 70s – this swivel chair is versatile and fits well into a home office space, business meeting area, or even as a contemporary dining chair.

9. PP502 Swivel
DESIGNER: Hans Wegner
MANUFACTURER: PP Mobler
PRICE: $10,600
Dimensions: 26- 28.3″H x 21.7″D x 29″W x 15.7- 18″SH

What better combination than wood, chrome piping and leather or a luxurious fabric seat? Hans Wegner designed the PP502 Swivel for PP Mobler but had the entire creative industry in mind. A favorite among Wegner’s numerous beautiful designs, this chair steals the show with its subtle attention to ergonomics with the low backrest and options of a top rail in ash, mahogany, oak, or cherry wood.

10. Eames Aluminum Group
DESIGNER: Charles and Ray Eames
MANUFACTURER: Herman Miller
PRICE: $1,635- 2,175
Dimensions: 23″W x 18″D x 33″H

Retro in appearance and elegantly suspended with a taut piece of upholstery along the seatback that rides its way between the lightweight aluminum sides, this Charles and Ray Eames swiveling office chair holds its strong character. A five-star, die-cast aluminum base underneath the many options of ribbed, tinted leather upholstery is made from 67% recycled materials and are 90% recyclable later on.

Hope you enjoyed our roundup of the Top Ten of Brilliant Swivel Chairs!

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