The Best Ergonomic Chairs with Flip Up Arms that Swivel Away

Last Updated: Nov 13th, 2020

Ergonomic armrests are a great feature to have on an office chair – unless they frequently impede on your ability to work or tuck the chair under the desk that is.

If that’s you, a chair with flip up arms helps create the best of both worlds. The armrests either fold away or swivel out of the way on demand.

In this guide we’ll navigate through the top ergonomic office chairs with flip up arms, provide reviews from actual customers, and identify the key benefits and features that will make (at least) one of the chairs from this list a perfect addition to your office space.

StarSpace High Back Office Chair

Best Executive Chair Option

The Starspace Executive Chair tops our list of the best overall executive office chair with flip up arms. A generous 5.5″ thick seat, robust backrest that can both tilt and recline, plus of course easy fold away arms together create one of the most well rounded office chairs in its category.

We love the thickly padded armrests that can easily be dismissed when they’re not needed. In fact, one satisfied customer remarked at how easily she could swivel the arms to get closer to her desk, which was definitely a selling point that tipped the scale.

Another worthy feature of the Starspace chair is the adjustable lumbar support. It protrudes just enough to create meaningful support for your lower back, unlike that found on many other executive leather chairs.

The versatile tilt mechanism on this chair is also worth mentioning. It supports rocking with tension control, which one owner attributes to helping with his back pain, by relieving pressure.

Rounding off the Starspace chair list of features are the durable, bonded leather that gives this chair modern elegance, a high weight capacity of 250 lbs, plus a 1-year manufacturer’s warranty.

NOUHAUS ErgoFlip Office Chair

Best High Back Mesh Option

For those people who prefer a higher back and a more breathable mesh material on your office chair, the Nouhaus is one of the better choices from both an ergonomic and budget standpoint.

The high backrest tilts and can rock back and forth (up to 135 degrees) to bring constant movements to your back using a smooth yncro tilt mechanism. And unlike many high back hairs, the Nouhaus comes with a built in headrest that is angle adjustable as well. One satisfied reviewer said that every single part of this chair conformed to his body and helped encourage better posture.

But really sold many of the reviewers of this chair was the fold away arms. One customer said that she finally found a chair that could fit under her antique office desk, while another reviewer said he could play his guitar unencumbered by armrests.

The build quality of the Nouhaus is also impressive, especially given its price. The aluminum base is stronger than metal while lighter, and the premium rollerblade casters help the chair glide on any surface with ease.

With a 5-year manufacturer warranty and a “100% Customer Satisfaction Guarantee”, Nouhaus is a pretty sure bet if you’re looking for a high back mesh chair with flippable arms.

BERLMAN Ergonomic High Back Office Chair

Best Budget Option for High Back Mesh

Looking for a high back office chair on a budget? The Berlman is an excellent alternative to the Komene above, at around 50% of the price. What you will still be getting is a reasonably ergonomic mesh chair with those important flipping armrests.

An integrated frame holds contoured, breathable, ergonomic mesh against your back, and a built-in headrest partners with lumbar support to ensure both your neck and posture are protected during long hours at the office. While the lumbar support is not adjustable, most people found it supportive and comfortable.

One of the most useful features on this high back chair is the flip up arms. One customer said his chair stopped banging into his glass desk once he started using this feature, and that it really saved valuable space in his small home office.

Overall for the price, there’s not much to complain about the Berlan. It’s a great chair on the cheap or for the office where some people prefer amrests and some don’t on their chairs.

Hbada Mid-Back Office Chair

Best Budget Option for Mid Back Mesh

The Hbada task chair is one of the those budget ergonomic office chairs that punches high above its weight. It ticks all the boxes for what a high quality mid back office chair should be, but without the hefty price tag.

First, many people applauded how easy it was to put together this chair. One person 20 minutes is all you need, and that’s taking is slowly.

Next up, build quality. For a budget chair, the Hbada is surprisingly well put together when we reviewed it earlier. A lot of attention was obviously paid to the manufacturing process- no obvious squeaks or wobbles.

The built-in lumbar support was perfect for one happy owner, who claimed it helped his chronic lower back issues. One reviewer even referred to the mesh back as “supportive and springy.”

The mesh backrest is also supportive and highly breathable. You can tilt and rock the backrest up to 30 degrees to bring micro movements to your back. Unfortunately the angle can not be locked into place.

When you add the swivel arms that easily flip up to its small footprint, you get one of the best compact mesh office chair for smaller spaces. One reviewer said the lift up arms were a refreshing feature that may not seem like much, but when he was able to fully fit his chair under his desk, made a ton of difference to his personal work area.

The main caveat of the Ergousit is that it’s geared more towards people on the normal to short side. The seat pan’s dimension of 19.7″ w by 19.3″ is generous, though the abundance of plastic parts and a low seat height make it much more perfect for smaller users.

HON Sadie Racing Gaming Computer Chair

Best Gaming Chair Option

The Sadie Gaming Chair hits the sweet spot where “quality meets value”. With good ergonomic support, flip up arms, and a choice of four exciting colors, this makes a great gaming chair for small rooms.

The adjustable seat height and back recline to support a variety of gaming postures, while the flip-up arms offer support when you need it and get out of your way when you don’t.

One customer loved the freedom of movement that the fold away arms provided – he could use his console, then leave quickly if he had another last-minute task.

Owners love the black bonded leather and pronounced lumbar curve. While some claimed that the seat pan tilts them a bit too forward when upright, the reclining features more than compensate.

This budget-friendly chair meets or exceeds industry standards for safety and durability, and is backed by a (limited) 3-year warranty. If you’re looking for quality and comfort at a reasonable price, the Hon is on-point and definitely on its game!

Flash Furniture HERCULES

Best Big and Tall Option

Think of the Hercules reminds us a lot of the Ergousit chair above, but geared towards the bigger crowd. Specifically designed with the big and tall in mind, this strong and solid chair has an astounding 500 lb. weight capacity!

One customer, who weighed in at 460 lbs, says this chair is as solid as a rock – no creaks, groans or worries about support. As another owner put it bluntly, if “you’re fat like me, this is the chair you want”.

With a seat pan width of 22.5″ and depth of 21″, the seat is definitely on the plus size. Thick cushions that measure 4″ thick ensure the seat won’t sag under heavy weight.

For large users, the flip up arms on the Hercules frees up even more horizontal space to let you fan out or perform certain tasks with ease, such as playing the guitar, as one large user does with ease now.

Unlike the Erogousit Chair, the lumbar support on the Hercules can be adjusted for firmness, a feature usually found on higher end ergonomic chairs.

A few people expressed concern about assembling the chair and noted that it takes time and practice to get all the fittings in the right place. If you’re willing to ‘work with a pal’, we’re sure it will take half the time to build the chair and the anticipation! If you’re big-boned, The Hercules has got your back.

Modway Veer Drafting Chair

Best Drafting Chair Option

If you work in a studio, have a standing desk or simply occupy a smaller workspace, a drafting chair is a great option. The Modway drafting chair makes for a great ergonomic chair for those spaces, especially with the flip up arms that provide easy access to and out of the seat..

The 90-degree swivel up arms allow you to easily move between tasks or different desk heights. A satisfied reviewer, who has a customized tall desk, loves that the arms can flip up, not just swivel out of the way. They really help her sit closer to her desk, which other office chairs haven’t been able to do.

The stool’s one-touch height adjustment ranges from 21.5″ to 29.5″ off the ground, allowing you to raise or lower the seat according to your requirements. When paired with a 360-degree swivel and five dual-wheeled casters, you can move easily and fluidly from desk to drafting table.

A few customers claim the footrest becomes unstable after prolonged use, but we think this is a one-off occurrence that doesn’t affect overall performance. For drafting chair that’s ergonomic and economic, we think the Modway is a great fit for small spaces.

Conclusion

Whether you’re big and tall, have a desk that’s small or simply want to expand your reach without your armrests getting in the way, the above office chairs with flip up arms all give you ergonomic options that won’t hurt your back, or your bank account.