2025 has flown by and Black Friday sales are nearly here. By far the biggest sales event of the year, Black Friday is the perfect time to buy big-ticket items like one of the best TVs, a coffee machine or even home office essentials — which will be tax deductible for the 2025-26 financial year.
When it comes to office furniture, Steelcase is an established brand that makes some of the best office chairs you can buy. They don’t usually come cheap, but the quality is undeniable — and now that the year’s biggest sale season is upon us, the chair-maker has started dropping some early Black Friday deals — including an exclusive extra discount for Tom’s Guide readers in Australia that can be used across the store.
Need some guidance? We’ve highlighted four of our favourite Steelcase chairs and one noteworthy standing desk below — we’ve tested and reviewed several of the chairs ourselves here at Tom’s Guide, with the Gesture and the Karman still circulating amongst colleagues in our Sydney office.
Steelcase is a Tom’s Guide preferred partner (What does that mean?)
The best Steelcase office chair deals
The best Steelcase desk deals
How to choose a good office chair
If you’re completely out of your depth when it comes to shopping office chairs this Black Friday, we have a full guide explaining how to choose the best office chair.
However, if you just need a quick breakdown of what features and specs to keep an eye out for before committing to a Black Friday deal, we’ve got you covered.
Design
There are two main options here — mid-back and high-back chairs. Mid-back models support the lower back up to the shoulders, and offer more freedom of movement, while high-back chairs offer complete spinal support including the neck and shoulders, with a greater restriction on movement.
The latter is often recommended for those sitting at a desk all day.
Material
Fabric or mesh are your two main options, and we often recommend mesh for Aussies, as it provides both firm support and breathability. Fabric, meanwhile, is good for soft, padded comfort — but it can potentially get a bit sweaty in warmer and more humid climates.
You’ll also likely see some deals on office chairs that are faux leather (sometimes called PU leather or leatherette), but we’d favour fabric and mesh over it.
Lumbar support
Fixed lumbar support remains in a single, rigid position — basically a one-size-fits-most support that’s great for those of average height. Adjustable lumbar support, as the name suggests, can be raised and lowered (or moved backward and forward) to better suit the shape of your back. This means it offers a suitable fit for a larger range of body types and shapes. Lastly, Dynamic lumbar support is the best pick, as it delivers continued support as you shift in your seat.
Ultra-cheap office chairs often have no lumbar support at all, and in our opinion are best avoided — which is why all Steelcase office chairs come with some type of lumbar support.
Armrests
Most office chair deals have 2D, 3D, or 4D armrests — this determines the number of directions the armrests can be angled (up, down, backward, forward, inward, outward).
Adjustments
Perhaps the most important feature to look for when aiming for a tailored fit alongside lumbar, a good office chair will also offer the ability to adjust the seat height and depth to ensure you’re sitting correctly. Don’t assume lockable recline and tilt are included — always check the specs. Also be sure to check that the headrest, if included, can be adjusted or angled for better neck support, too.
Below is a table to check what height your chair should reach depending on your height.
Swipe to scroll horizontally
User height
Seat height
Under 149cm
Below 40.64cm
Under 160cm
Below 43.18cm
Between 160cm and 195cm
43.18cm to 53.34cm
Over 195cm
53.34cm and above
