The best office chairs for short people (5′4″ and under)
If your feet dangle or the seat edge digs into the back of your knees, the chair is too big for you. For a short person, two numbers matter: how low the seat goes, and how shallow it can get.
The two numbers that matter
Seat height ≈ 25.5% of your height + 1″ · Seat depth ≈ 28.5% of your height − 2.5″
Most chairs are built around average-height men, so they're too tall and too deep for many women and shorter men. Here's what you need at each height, and how many of the 48 fully measured chairs in our finder actually fit:
| Your height | Seat height you need | Max seat depth | Low enough | Low and shallow enough |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4′10″ | 15.8″ | 14.0″ | 5 of 48 | 0 of 48 |
| 4′11″ | 16.0″ | 14.3″ | 16 of 48 | 2 of 48 |
| 5′0″ | 16.3″ | 14.6″ | 16 of 48 | 2 of 48 |
| 5′1″ | 16.6″ | 14.9″ | 20 of 48 | 5 of 48 |
| 5′2″ | 16.8″ | 15.2″ | 20 of 48 | 8 of 48 |
| 5′3″ | 17.1″ | 15.5″ | 26 of 48 | 10 of 48 |
| 5′4″ | 17.3″ | 15.7″ | 29 of 48 | 13 of 48 |
| 5′5″ | 17.6″ | 16.0″ | 29 of 48 | 17 of 48 |
| 5′6″ | 17.8″ | 16.3″ | 30 of 48 | 17 of 48 |
Seat depth is the real problem. At 5′0″, 16 chairs go low enough, but only 2 are also shallow enough. A seat that's too deep pushes you forward, away from the backrest and its lumbar support.
Our picks
Breck
Made for smaller frames. The seat goes down to 15.5 inches and its depth starts at 15, among the shallowest we track, with adjustable lumbar to match.
- Seat lowers to 15.5″
- Seat depth from 15″
- 12-year warranty
Amia
Goes down to 16 inches with a seat that shortens to 15.5, and it's rated to 400 pounds with a lifetime limited warranty.
- Seat lowers to 16″
- Seat depth from 15.5″
- Height-adjustable lumbar
Series 1
Lower and shallower than most chairs at its price, with a lifetime limited warranty.
- Seat lowers to 16.5″
- Seat depth from 15.75″
- Height-adjustable lumbar
Sayl
Herman Miller's most compact chair goes down to 16 inches, with an optional adjustable seat depth.
- Seat lowers to 16″
- Seat depth from 16″ (adjustable option)
- Rated to 350 lb
Cosm
One of only two chairs in our finder that go below 15 inches. Its recline adjusts itself to your weight, so there's nothing to set.
- Seat lowers to 14.9″
- Shallow 15.5″ seat
- Self-adjusting recline
- Expensive
Aeron, Size A
The small Aeron is sized for petite frames. Its seat goes down to 14.75 inches, the lowest in our finder, with a 16.75-inch-deep seat.
- Seat lowers to 14.75″
- Sized for smaller frames
- 12-year warranty
- Seat depth doesn't adjust
- Rated to 300 lb
Criss Cross Chair
An inexpensive, wide, low chair with arms that fold away. Its seat height tops out at 18.7 inches, which suits shorter people well.
- Seat lowers to 15.8″
- 25″ wide seat
- Rated to 330 lb
- No lumbar adjustment
- Seat depth isn't published
Watch out for
- Size charts that don't match the specs. The AndaSeat Kaiser 4 in size L is marketed for people from 4′11″, but its seat only lowers to 18.1″. By our math that suits people about 5′7″ and up.
- Gaming chairs in general. Most have deep, wide seats sized for larger users.
When no chair is low enough: use a footrest
If your desk is a standard 29 to 30 inches high, a short person often needs the seat higher than their legs want just to type comfortably. The fix is simple: set the seat for your arms, then add a footrest so your feet stay supported and your thighs level.
Want a match for your exact height, weight and sitting style?
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