Office chairs

Should You Choose a Mesh or Leather Office Chair?

Published · By Ergocrew · Specs and guidance as of that date, from the pages under Sources

Summary

Choose by fit first and material second. Mesh lets air through and flexes under you; leather and leather-look covers sit over foam padding that air does not pass through. Neither makes a chair ergonomic on its own, and the word "leather" on a chair listing can mean several different materials, so read the materials line before comparing the look.

What changes with a mesh seat or back

A mesh back is a fabric stretched across a frame, so air passes through it and it gives where your back presses. How it feels depends on how tight the mesh is and where the frame sits, which varies from chair to chair.

A mesh seat is a bigger change than a mesh back. OSHA's chair guidance describes the seat it recommends as "Padded and have a rounded, 'waterfall' edge," which is a description of an upholstered cushion. A mesh seat can still be comfortable, but check the shape of the front edge and whether the frame under the mesh touches your thighs when you sit back.

What "leather" means on a listing

Genuine leather, bonded leather and polyurethane (PU) or vinyl "leather" are different materials that can look alike in a photo. Bonded leather is made from leather fibers mixed with other materials. The Federal Trade Commission's leather guides require a disclosure such as "Bonded Leather Containing 60% Leather Fibers and 40% Non-leather Substances" for the products they cover, but their scope lists items such as luggage, handbags, footwear and belts. Furniture and office chairs are not on that list, so a chair listing may not give you the same detail.

Look for the materials line in the specifications, not the product title. If the seat is "PU leather" or "faux leather," it is a coated fabric; if it says "top grain," it is real leather. Upholstered covers sit over foam, so the seat feels cushioned, and air does not move through it the way it does through mesh.

Comparing two chairs that both fit

Material becomes a sensible tie-breaker only after both chairs meet your seat height, seat depth, width and desk-clearance measurements. At that point the differences that matter are the ones you live with: how warm the room gets, whether the chair will be wiped down often, and whether you prefer a firm or flexible back. OSHA's purchasing checklist recommends trying a chair "over an extended period of time prior to purchase," which a return window lets you do at home.

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Related guides

Sources

  1. OSHA Computer Workstations eTool, Chairs
  2. OSHA Computer Workstations eTool, Purchasing Guide Checklist
  3. eCFR, 16 CFR Part 24, Guides for Select Leather and Imitation Leather Products

We have not tested these products. Specs and guidance are as published on these pages on the date above and can change; the manufacturer's page for your model has the current details.

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