Humanscale Chair Review

About Humanscale

Humanscale designs ergonomic products to help improve the way you work. Their range of comfortable and intuitive office solutions are smartly designed to allow for a more enjoyable day at the office.

This Humanscale chair review will note that the brand’s products have been featured in several notable television shows and films, including The Newsroom, New Girl, 24, The Bourne Ultimatum, Mission: Impossible III, and Mr. & Mrs. Smith.

Humanscale has also won over 200 awards for their smart office solutions, and their items have been displayed in the design wings of major museums, including the Museum of Modern Art, New York.

This Humanscale chair review will take a close look at the brand and their bestselling products, customer reviews, discounts, and more to help you decide if these ergonomic chairs are the right choice for your work life.

Overview of Humanscale

Founded in 1983 by Robert King, Humanscale was created to provide a more healthy and active way to work in offices across America. Humanscale is based in New York City, and creates with the principle that “good design achieves more with less.”

Humanscale first attracted attention in the world of ergonomics with the creation of their articulating keyboard systems in the 1990s. Since then, they have collaborated with well-known industrial designer Niels Diffrient on several of their chairs, as well as other major names in the field like Don Chadwick and Goff Bracher.

Today, the brand has locations in 28 countries. Humanscale keeps sustainability in mind when sourcing the materials for their products, so that the benefits they deliver to the customer are matched by the benefit to the planet.

This Humanscale chair review will now go over the pros and cons of the brand.

Pros

• Humanscale products have won over 200 design awards and been featured in major TV shows and movies
• Chairs are designed to auto-adjust to a person’s weight without use of heavy knobs and levers
• Ergonomic design of chairs provides support and encourages movement
• Lowering/raising operation is smooth
• Standing desks help workers stay healthy and focused at the workplace
• Electric and manual designs for adjustable desks
• Smart accessories keep deskspace tidy and have helpful features
• Customers say they have great customer service and that products are easy to install
• Coupon code to get 20% off plus free shipping and 30-day Satisfaction Guarantee
• Free returns and exchanges

Cons

• One customer wishes the desks could hold more weight
• Some customers received damaged items

Humanscale ergonomics are all about improving the health of office workers, or anyone whose work requires them to sit at their desks for long periods of time. The right furniture can greatly improve focus, health, and productivity, and allows for a more enjoyable work day and less work-related pains and strains.

This Humanscale chair review will now survey the brand’s bestselling items, from comfortable seating that encourage good posture to adjustable desks and helpful accessories.

Humanscale Chairs Review

Having to constantly adjust your position in your uncomfortable chair over the span of eight hours can be distracting, and even end up causing pains that can be even more distracting. This is the core problem that Humanscale has set out to solve.

This Humanscale chair review will take a look at the brand’s most popular seating options, from award-winning, top-of-the-line office chairs to the more relaxed but just as carefully designed versatile seat that can help users stay focused and on task.

Humanscale Freedom Task Chair Review 

The wrong chair can lead to back strain and shoulder and knee pain. The Freedom Task Chair is aptly named for its ability to give users comfort and flexibility by automatically adjusting to their weight and posture. A similar design to this is the Humanscale Liberty Chair, which has a wider back.

Equipped with a sculpted foam backrest, adjustable armrests, and a weight-sensitive recline, this signature Human Scape chair adjusts without multiple knobs and levers, while the backrest’s pivot feature allows the user to rotate from side to side while getting the back support they need.

The Freedom Task Chair comes in 12 different models, so you can choose the color and material that suit you best, or you can choose to customize your own chair. Models start at $1,049.

Humanscale Freedom Headrest Review 

The Freedom Headrest covers all the bases of the Freedom Task Chair while adding additional neck support with its carefully designed headrest. This Humanscale ergonomic chair makes sitting for long periods of time as comfortable as possible, ensuring that users can focus on the job at hand.

Sculpted and comfortable cushions conform to your body without sucking you into the chair, letting you move from posture to posture effortlessly—tip back for a moment of reflection, then flip back into the zone with a straight posture.

Whatever position you’re in, the synchronous armrests move up and down together to keep you comfortable. The Freedom Headrest starts at $1,169, and model price varies by fabric and color options.

Humanscale Diffrient World Chair Review 

At first glance, the Diffrient World Chair looks like any other desk chair, but it has several subtle details that elevate it beyond what you would find at the typical office. This cunningly designed all-mesh chair provides lumbar support that conforms specifically to your back, as well as a weight-sensitive recline that adjusts automatically.

This Humanscale ergonomic desk chair is designed without a hard front edge, a smart feature that takes back-of-the-knee pain out of the equation. And don’t be fooled by the lightweight design: this chair is deceptively durable, and is built to last.

Enter a different kind of working world with the Diffrient World Chair, starting at $899. 

Humanscale Trea Review 

Sporting a very modern-looking, almost space-age shell design, the Trea delivers maximum comfort by mirroring the body’s natural recline. The soft edge of the chair also reduces impact and wear on the back of the sitter’s knees, while the thoughtfully shaped backrest pivots slightly, allowing for hip rotation and lumbar support.

Not only intended for offices, the Trea is available in an array of colors that make it suitable for any space—try it out in your living room, or as a gaming chair for you or your child. This attractive and comfortable Human scale chair starts at $429.

Humanscale Saddle Stool Review 

The Saddle Stool allows for a healthier and more comfortable sitting experience. The saddle design encourages users to straddle the stool, which opens up their hips and aids in circulation.

This Humanscale smart chair is mobile, which has been found to help reduce fidgeting and distraction as users can move around as they please, releasing energy that could otherwise cause distraction. The height is adjustable, and the seat design allows you to shift your position as you please.

Available in several color and fabric options to suit your workplace (or yourself), the Saddle Stool starts at $319. 

Humanscale Standing Desks Review

This Humanscale chair review will now take a look at the brand’s bestselling Humanscale desks, designed to help workers stay healthy, focused, and comfortable throughout their day.

Humanscale Quickstand Review 

It’s no secret that long periods of sitting aren’t good for our health, but there isn’t much we can do about it for those of us whose jobs are dominated by computer work. Walks around the office are great, but the reality is that many workers don’t have the time to do them every hour, like some healthcare professionals recommend.

The Humanscale Quickstand is a height-adjustable workstation that allows you to sit when you need to, and stand when you want to. This lets you get the benefits of stretching your legs and getting the blood flowing in your body even as you keep plugging away at your tasks.

The Quickstand has a weightless operation, an easy plug-and-play cable management system, and can attach easily to any work surface, making it portable to whatever location is convenient. This helpful Humanscale sit to stand desk starts at $949

Humanscale Float Review

You love Quickstand for its portability, but perhaps your office requires something a little more substantial. The Float is a Humanscale sit stand desk that allows for the complete movement of your workstation, effortlessly raising both your work surface and your Humanscale keyboard tray at the same time.

Also available in an electric option that makes its operation even easier, Float is simple to adjust and can be customized to fit your office. Stand up for your health with the Human scale Float, starting at $1,749.

Humanscale Accessories Review

We spend most of our lives at our workplace, so we may as well use tools that make the experience less stressful on our brains and bodies. Below, you’ll find a selection of Humanscale accessories that help keep your workspace organized and you working to the best of your ability.

Humanscale NeatTech Review 

Cables are the nemesis of a tidy workstation. Often they’re too long and lay messily behind your desk, just waiting for an unwary co-worker to walk by, catch their foot, and send themselves (or, worse, your computer) flying.

NeatTech is a simple and effective cable management solution that is applicable to most workstations. It is essentially a lightweight mesh basket that holds cables and power bars to keep things neat and tidy, and your computer (and, less importantly, your co-workers) safe.

The NeatTech is easy to install and can hold up to 10 lbs. Access your cords easily while keeping them stored in the NeatTech, which starts at $99.

Humanscale PRO CLICK ERGONOMIC MOUSE Review 

You never realize how helpful a mouse is until you don’t have one (if you’ve ever used touchscreen-only computers, then you know what we’re talking about). Even if you do have one though, moving it around all day can put a strain on your hand and wrist.

The wireless Pro Click Ergonomic Mouse is engineered to help you get the most out of this tool you depend on so much. Its shape keeps the palm entirely off the work service, and it is designed with a tilt that works to prevent wrist strain. The tilt-scroll wheel and secondary buttons are easy to reach, so you won’t need to extend your thumb and risk causing strain.

The Pro Click Ergonomic Mouse is sensitive to even your slightest movements, which reduces the amount of space you have to cover on your work surface. This mouse has 400 hours of power, and eight programmable buttons that enable you to program secondary functions.

Work smart with the Pro Click Ergonomic Mouse, starting at $99.

Humanscale Monitor Arm M2.1 Review 

Picture this: you’re hunched over your desk, squinting at a computer screen and wondering why computers are built to be so unfriendly for users. Then you remember your company installed the Monitor Arm M2.1, and you raise your computer screen’s height while pulling it a little closer to you for a better view.

The Human scale M2 can hold monitors up to 15.5 lbs, and helps to make your desk a little less cluttered thanks to its top-to-bottom cable management feature. With a flexible arm and self-lubricating joints, the Monitor Arm M2.1 is compatible with a range of Humanscale desks, and starts at $299. For a multi-monitor mount, check out the Humanscale MFlex.

Humanscale Reviews: What Do Customers Think?

This Humanscale chair review consulted customer reviews about the brand and their products on humanscale.com, Trustpilot, and Wayfair to see what people are saying about these ergonomically designed office solutions.

Float is rated an average of 4.5/5 stars from 21 customer reviews on humanscale.com. Positive reviews speak of the desk’s quality and ease of use. One reads, “It doesn’t move when leaned on and it is rock-solid,” while another other says that “lowering/raising it is very easy and smooth.”

Humanscale receives an average 4.5/5-star rating based on 342 testimonials on Trustpilot. One review that spoke to the brand’s customer service reported that they were “Helpful with ordering process, easy to reach and get a response from.” Other reviews commended the ease of finding replacement parts for Humanscale products and their straightforward installation.

The Diffrient World Chair has 23 customer reviews on Wayfair that produce an average of 4.5/5 stars. A five-star review spoke not only to the quality and easy adjustability of the chair, but also to its reasonable pricing when compared to similar products on the market:

“We needed a chair to withstand the very long work from home hours. We had tried a similar one at Crate Barrel but that was 200 more expensive on sale! We took a chance on this one and are so happy with it. Great lumbar support. Flex arm rests and tilt back adjusts smoothly to your weight. Height adjust is great too.”

Given the worldwide reputation of the company, it’s not surprising that this Humanscale chair review found it difficult to track down much substantive criticism.

One mild negative comment we found of the Float at the brand website can be chalked up to very special requirements on the customer’s part: “I have 5 monitors to support, so I’m just a little over the weight limit. Higher capacity would be a plus.”

Similarly, a buyer of the Diffrient World Chair had a slightly less than ideal experience upon unpacking the item, even though they had no complaints about the functionality of the chair itself: “The arm of the seat has black spots and the base has scratches. I don’t know if that’s from the bad packing or from the factory.”

Finally, a Trustpilot commenter reported a poor experience with the brand’s customer service: “Very poor service. The arm on my new chair has snapped, and after contacting the email supplied by their website – I’ve received absolutely no response.”

Based on the overwhelmingly positive feedback that the brand’s products have received from the vast majority of their customers, it’s this Humanscale chair review’s opinion that the criticisms they do receive are comparatively negligible.

Is Humanscale Worth It?

Humanscale’s office solutions are rated highly by their customers, who love them for their comfort and quality. Customers on Trustpilot also compliment the brand’s great customer service, even mentioning agents by name.

Complaints made on Trustpilot are also followed up on by the brand’s customer service agents who offer to help amend the issue, which, to this Humanscale chair review, shows the company’s claims of great customer service to be true. 

We already established that Humanscale has won over 200 awards and landed “parts” for their products in TV shows and movies, but what about how they perform? Well, their chairs auto-adjust for reclining and straight positions, and their desks easily transition from seated to standing positions.

The physical wear and tear of an office job may not be comparable to manual labour, but the sedentary working conditions of the digitized world are increasingly taking their toll on general health. As part and parcel of their ease of use, Humanscale products are designed to benefit the health and comfort of an increasingly chair-bound workforce.

Humanscale items also come with varying warranties; a Humanscale warranty Reddit thread noted that the Freedom Task Chair comes with a 15-year warranty, which makes it even worth the price.

The long life of their products is bound up in the brand’s goal to give back more than they take  in regard to the sourcing of their materials and their carbon footprint. For all of the reasons outlined above, this Humanscale chair review believes that the brand’s products are worth the buy. 

Humanscale Promotions & Discounts 

At humanscale.com, you can use code WFH20 at checkout and get 20% off your next order. This is in addition to the brand’s standard offers of free shipping and 30-day risk-free returns.

Where to Buy Humanscale

Humanscale has locations in 28 countries. You can also find their products at many online retailers, including:

• Wayfair
• AtWork
• GrShop
• EQ3
• Smart Live Now

FAQ

Where are Humanscale chairs made? 

This Humanscale chair review has not been able to find exactly where their chairs are made. We do know that they are designed in NYC, and that they meet the highest specifications for sustainable manufacturing.

How do you adjust Humanscale standing desks? 

To adjust an electric Humanscale standing desk, press the up or down buttons. Let go when it reaches the desired position. For the regular Float standing desk, squeeze the release handle and raise or lower the desk to the desired height.

What is Humanscale’s Shipping Policy?

Humanscale products have varying shipping times. Although certain items are guaranteed to ship in one week as part of their Quick Ship Program (including the Freedom Headrest, Freedom Task Chair, Liberty, Diffrient Smart, and Diffrient World Chair), others, such as the Float tables, ship in 2-3 weeks.

Fabric options for certain models require more lead times than others. For example, Pinstripe requires two weeks of lead time, while all Humanscale leather fabrics require four weeks. If your order contains materials with two different lead times, you should expect that the longer lead time is the more accurate.

To check your Humanscale order status, use the tracking number provided in your shipping confirmation email, or log in to your account on humanscale.com.

What is Humanscale’s Return Policy?

Returns and exchanges are free for all items apart from separation panels, which cannot be returned. This Humanscale chair review notes that customers should check their order as soon as it arrives. If it is damaged, be sure to refuse the delivery.

Humanscale will only offer you a refund on damaged items if you do the following:

1. Note on the delivery receipt that the product is damaged as soon as your order arrives
2. Refuse the delivery
3. Contact Humanscale within 24 hours and let them know about it
4. Enter a chargeable replacement order, and credit will be issued if your request is valid

Certain items have a 30-day Satisfaction Guarantee. If your item has this guarantee, you have 30 days to return your item. To do so, you’ll need to:

• Package the item sufficient to protect it from damage
• Put your return authorization document inside the package
• Remove any other labels from the box and attach the prepaid return shipping label
• Drop your item off at a FedEx location

How to Contact Humanscale

If you need any other information that this Humanscale chair review did not include, you can give Humanscale customer service a call at 1(800)400-0625, or use the contact form on their website.