How to Sell Your Humanscale Chair in the UK: Options, Prices, and What to Expect

February 21, 2026

Humanscale chairs are premium products with real resale value. Here's how to turn yours into cash.

Humanscale chairs are designed to last. The Freedom, Diffrient World, and Liberty are all built to commercial standards and engineered for decades of daily use. That durability means they hold value well on the used market.

The challenge is that Humanscale has lower brand recognition with the general public than Herman Miller or even Steelcase. Most people outside of commercial interiors and facilities management haven't heard of them. That affects how and where you sell, but not how much a knowledgeable buyer will pay.

Here's an honest guide to what your Humanscale chair is worth, your options for selling, and how to get the best return.

What is your Humanscale chair worth?

Resale value depends on the model, age, condition, and upholstery. Here are realistic UK ranges in 2026:

Humanscale Freedom (with headrest) Private sale (eBay, Facebook Marketplace): £200 to £450 Trade/dealer buyback: £80 to £200
Humanscale Freedom (without headrest) Private sale: £150 to £350 Trade/dealer buyback: £60 to £150
Humanscale Diffrient World Private sale: £100 to £250 Trade/dealer buyback: £40 to £120
Humanscale Liberty Private sale: £100 to £250 Trade/dealer buyback: £40 to £120
Humanscale Trea Private sale: £50 to £150 Trade/dealer buyback: £20 to £70

These are guideline ranges. Chairs in excellent condition with full functionality sit at the top. Chairs with worn arm pads, tired gas lifts, or damaged upholstery sit at the bottom. The Freedom with headrest consistently commands the highest prices because it's Humanscale's flagship and retails for over £1,000 new.

What affects the price

Model. The Freedom is the most sought-after Humanscale chair on the used market. Its distinctive headrest and self-adjusting recline mechanism make it instantly recognisable and highly desirable. The Diffrient World and Liberty sell well to commercial buyers but attract less attention from individual consumers.

Upholstery material. Humanscale offers chairs in fabric, mesh, and leather/vinyl options. Leather and vinyl Freedom chairs typically hold value better because they're harder-wearing and easier to clean. Mesh-back models (Diffrient World, Liberty) show wear less obviously.

Condition. Buyers and dealers assess:

Arm pads: worn, cracked, or compressed caps reduce value
Gas lift: does the chair hold its height?
Upholstery: tears, stains, or significant wear. Leather and vinyl crack over time if poorly maintained
Headrest (Freedom): condition of the pad and the adjustment mechanism
Recline mechanism: the Freedom's weight-sensitive recline should move smoothly without sticking or clunking
Frame: scratches, chips, or structural damage

The Freedom's recline mechanism is worth a specific mention. It's designed to self-adjust based on your body weight, with no manual tension knobs. When it works properly, it's one of the best recline systems available. When it develops issues, it can be costly to fix. A Freedom with a smooth, responsive recline is worth considerably more than one that sticks or doesn't return to upright properly.

Quantity. One chair sells easily through private channels. Ten or more chairs need a trade buyer who can collect and process them efficiently.

Your selling options

1. Sell privately (eBay, Facebook Marketplace, Gumtree)

Best for: Individual sellers with one or two chairs who can wait for the right buyer. You'll get the highest per-chair price selling privately. However, Humanscale has the lowest consumer brand recognition of the three major premium chair manufacturers. Many private buyers searching for used office chairs won't know to search for "Humanscale Freedom." This means:

Listings take longer to sell than equivalent Herman Miller or Steelcase chairs
You may need to educate the buyer on what the chair is and why it's worth the price
Including the new RRP in your listing helps frame the value

Tips if you go this route:

Use the full model name: "Humanscale Freedom Chair with Headrest Black Leather" not "ergonomic office chair with headrest"
Photograph the chair from multiple angles, including the label underneath showing the model and date
Mention the new price. A Freedom retails for over £1,000. That context makes your asking price look like strong value
Highlight the self-adjusting recline. It's Humanscale's signature feature and a genuine selling point for anyone who's used manual tension adjusters before

2. Sell to a specialist dealer or refurbisher

Best for: Anyone who wants a quick, clean sale. Particularly valuable for Humanscale because the private buyer pool is smaller. Specialist dealers like us know exactly what Humanscale chairs are worth. We don't need convincing that a Freedom is a premium product. We assess condition, make an offer, and arrange collection.

For Humanscale specifically, the trade route is often more practical than private sale because you avoid the time spent educating buyers and waiting for someone who knows the brand to find your listing.

What we buy: Freedom (with and without headrest), Diffrient World, Liberty, and other Humanscale task chairs. Get a quote or call 01995 606414.

3. Sell as part of an office clearance

Best for: Businesses clearing offices fitted with Humanscale furniture. Humanscale is popular in architect-led fit-outs and design-conscious offices. If your workplace was specified by an interior designer, there's a good chance the chairs are worth more than you think. A clearance provider who understands premium furniture can offset your removal costs by buying back the Humanscale stock.

Our buyback and clearance service values resalable furniture and credits it against your clearance invoice. Read more about how buyback offsets clearance costs.

4. Donate or give away

Best for: Chairs in poor condition or where goodwill matters more than cash. Given that Humanscale chairs hold meaningful resale value, selling and donating the proceeds is usually more efficient than donating the physical chair.

Selling one chair vs selling many

For a single Freedom in good condition, private sale is worth the effort. You'll likely get £250-£400 if you're patient and present it well. For multiple chairs, the time investment of private sales stacks up quickly, especially with a brand that requires more buyer education. A trade sale gives you a confirmed price, a collection date, and no further admin. The per-chair price is lower, but the certainty and time savings make it the better commercial decision for volume.

For large volumes (20+ chairs), contact us directly. We assess on-site, quote quickly, and schedule collection around your needs.

How to get a quote from Coggin SOS

We buy used Humanscale chairs directly from businesses and individuals across the UK.

Tell us what you have. Model, approximate age, condition, quantity, and your location. Photos help us give an accurate valuation faster.

We'll send you an offer. Based on the model, condition, and current demand. No obligation.

We arrange collection. Our logistics team collects from your site. For single chairs, we can arrange courier pickup. For bulk, we bring a van.

You get paid. Promptly, as agreed. For clearance projects, the buyback value is credited against your clearance invoice.

Get a buyback quote or call 01995 606414.

What happens to chairs we buy?

Every Humanscale chair we acquire goes through a full refurbishment. We strip it down, replace worn components, deep clean all surfaces, and test every function before resale.

A refurbished Freedom or Diffrient World from us goes to a new business at a fraction of the new price and stays in productive use for years. That's a chair diverted from landfill and back into the circular economy.

If a chair can't be refurbished to a sellable standard, we recycle it through approved UK facilities. Nothing goes to landfill.

Frequently asked questions

How quickly can you collect?

Typically within 5-10 working days. For urgent clearances, we can move faster. Contact us with your timescales.

Do you buy chairs with cosmetic damage?

Yes, within reason. Worn arm pads, tired gas lifts, and minor upholstery wear are all things we address during refurbishment. Chairs with cracked frames or failed recline mechanisms have lower value but may still qualify for buyback.

The recline on my Freedom feels stiff. Is it still worth selling?

Usually yes. The Freedom's recline mechanism can develop issues over time, but in many cases they're fixable during refurbishment. Send us details and we'll let you know.

Do you only buy Humanscale?

No. We also buy Herman Miller, Steelcase, Orangebox, and other premium brands. If you have a mixed office to clear, get in touch and we'll value everything.

How do I identify which Humanscale model I have?

Check the label underneath the seat for the model name and date code. The Freedom is the easiest to identify: it has a distinctive headrest (on most models) and a weight-sensitive recline with no visible tension controls. The Diffrient World has a tri-panel mesh back. The Liberty has a form-sensing mesh back with a more traditional look.

Is it worth selling or should I keep it?

If you're using it daily and it's comfortable, keep it. Humanscale chairs are built for 15-20+ years. If it's sitting unused, sell it. It's depreciating idle, and someone else will get years of use from it.

What if my chairs are part of a larger office clearance?

That's our core service. We handle full office clearances with buyback for premium items. Humanscale, Herman Miller, and Steelcase chairs typically carry the highest resale value and can meaningfully reduce your total clearance costs.

The bottom line

Humanscale chairs are well-built, well-designed, and hold their value. The Freedom in particular is one of the most desirable used office chairs on the market. The brand may be less well-known to consumers, but specialist buyers and refurbishers know exactly what they're worth. For single chairs, private sale gets the best price if you're patient. For volume, a specialist buyer gives you speed and certainty. Either way, your Humanscale furniture is worth more than a skip.