You Searched for Used Office Chairs. Here's Why Refurbished Is What You Actually Want.

Most people searching for "used office chairs" or "second hand office chairs" are really looking for one thing: a decent chair at a lower price. That's a reasonable goal. But there's a significant gap between what "used" typically means and what a business actually needs, and understanding that gap will save you money, hassle, and backache.

The short version: used and second hand usually means pre-owned and untouched. Refurbished means professionally rebuilt to a commercial standard. The price difference between the two is often modest. The quality difference is enormous.

Here's what that means in practice and why it matters for your business.

What "used" and "second hand" actually mean

When you buy a second hand office chair from eBay, Facebook Marketplace, or a clearance reseller, you're buying it as-is. The previous owner sat in it for however many years, and now it's yours. No servicing. No inspection. No replacement of worn parts. No warranty.

That can be fine for a single home office chair where you can sit in it, test it, and make your own judgement. It's a different proposition when you're buying 20, 50, or 200 chairs for an office, sight unseen, and expecting them to perform reliably from day one.

The common problems with genuinely "as-is" used chairs are predictable because they're all wear items:

• Gas lifts fail. The chair slowly sinks throughout the day. It's the single most common fault with used office chairs, and the one that makes people assume used furniture is unreliable.
• Arm pads compress, crack, and split. They're a soft-touch component designed to be replaced periodically. On an unrefurbished used chair, they've never been replaced.
• Mechanisms stiffen. The tilt, recline, and synchro mechanisms need cleaning and lubrication to work smoothly. Without servicing, they become stiff, jerky, or stop working altogether.
• Fabric wears. Pilling, staining, fading, and compressed seat foam all affect comfort and appearance. A chair might look acceptable in a photo and feel tired the moment you sit in it.

None of these problems mean the chair is finished. They mean it needs servicing. The question is whether that servicing happens before it reaches you or after, and who pays for it.

What "refurbished" actually means

Refurbished means the chair has been through a structured restoration process. Not a wipe-down and a hoover. A proper strip-down, inspection, rebuild, and test.

Here's what our process involves:

• Strip-down. Every chair is fully disassembled. Seat, back, arms, mechanism, gas lift, castors, base. Everything comes apart.
• Inspection. Each component is assessed individually. Is the frame sound? Is the mechanism functioning correctly? Is the mesh or fabric in serviceable condition? Are the arm pads worn? Does the lumbar support still work?
• Replacement. Worn components are replaced. Gas lifts, arm pads, and castors are swapped for new as standard. Mechanisms are cleaned and lubricated. Damaged or worn upholstery is replaced or re-upholstered.
• Reassembly and testing. The chair is rebuilt, and every function is tested. Height adjustment, tilt tension, recline lock, arm height and width, lumbar depth, seat depth. If anything doesn't work properly, it goes back to the bench.
• Final check. The chair is cleaned, inspected for cosmetic finish, and cleared for dispatch.

The result is a chair that performs like new. The frame and structure have the proven durability of a product that's already survived years of commercial use (which is actually a quality signal, not a weakness). Everything that wears out has been replaced. Everything that needs servicing has been serviced.

You can watch the full process here.

The price gap is smaller than you think

This is the part that surprises most buyers. The difference between a genuinely "as-is" used chair and a properly refurbished one is often £30 to £80 per chair. For that difference, you get:

A chair that works perfectly from day one, with no remedial work needed.

A 12-month warranty. If something fails, it's our problem, not yours.

Consistent quality across your order. If you're buying 50 chairs, they'll all arrive at the same standard. Try achieving that buying 50 "as-is" chairs from mixed sources.

No surprises. No sinking gas lifts after a week. No arm pads that crumble in month two. No complaints from staff about uncomfortable seating.

The comparison that matters more, though, is refurbished premium vs new budget.

A new budget task chair from a high-street or online retailer costs £150 to £250. It's built to a price point with lightweight components, thin foam, and a mechanism designed to last 2-3 years of commercial use. In a busy office, that's exactly how long it lasts.

A refurbished Herman Miller Aeron costs £400 to £600. It was built for 20+ years of commercial use. At 5-8 years old and freshly refurbished, it has a decade or more of service life remaining. The mechanism is commercial-grade. The frame is engineered to last. The warranty backs it up.

Over five years, the budget chair costs you £300 to £500 (because you'll replace it at least once). The Aeron costs you £400 to £600, once. The Aeron is also significantly more comfortable, better for posture, and more impressive to clients and visitors.

The maths favours refurbished premium chairs in almost every scenario. The only exception is genuinely temporary use where the chairs will be needed for less than a year.

How to tell if a supplier is actually refurbishing

Not everyone who says "refurbished" means the same thing. Some suppliers clean chairs, tighten a few bolts, and call it refurbished. Others run a full workshop process. The difference shows up in the product and the warranty.

Ask these questions:

Do you replace gas lifts as standard? If the answer is no, or "only if needed," the refurbishment is superficial. Gas lifts are the most common failure point and the cheapest component to replace. Any serious refurbisher replaces them automatically.

What warranty do you offer? A 12-month warranty signals confidence in the refurbishment quality. A 30-day warranty or no warranty signals the opposite.

Can I see your refurbishment process? A supplier with a genuine workshop operation will be happy to show you, either in person or on video. We publish our process openly because it's a significant part of our value proposition.

Do you replace arm pads and castors? These are wear items that should be part of any proper refurbishment. If they're "checked and replaced if needed," ask what the threshold is.

Where does your stock come from? Reputable suppliers source from corporate clearances, relocations, and known business clients. The provenance of the stock affects the starting quality of the chairs before refurbishment even begins.

Which chairs are worth buying refurbished?

Not every office chair refurbishes well. The deciding factor is how the chair was built in the first place.

Premium commercial manufacturers build chairs with replaceable components, serviceable mechanisms, and frames designed for 15-20+ years of use. These chairs are designed to be maintained, which makes them ideal for refurbishment. Budget manufacturers build chairs as sealed units with non-replaceable parts and lightweight frames. When components wear out, the chair is effectively disposable.

These are the brands we consistently refurbish and recommend:

Herman Miller. The Aeron is the most recognised ergonomic chair in the world and dominates the used market. The Mirra 2, Sayl, and Embody are all excellent. Strong parts availability and a design philosophy built around longevity. Read our Aeron guides for model-specific detail.

Steelcase. The Leap V2 is arguably the most comfortable task chair available. The Think V2 delivers 80% of the Leap's performance at a lower price point. Exceptional build quality. Read our Steelcase reviews for detailed comparisons.

Humanscale. Distinctive, minimal design with self-adjusting mechanisms. The Freedom is Humanscale's flagship. The Diffrient World is a strong mesh option. Lower consumer brand recognition means these are sometimes underpriced on the used market relative to their quality.

Orangebox. Designed and manufactured in Wales. The Do is one of the most commonly deployed task chairs in UK corporate offices. The Flo is their premium ergonomic model. Now owned by Steelcase. Outstanding value refurbished because the brand is less known to consumers than its quality warrants.

Senator, Boss Design, HAG, Sedus. All reputable commercial manufacturers that refurbish well and represent good value on the used market. Less common than the four brands above but worth considering depending on availability and requirements.

Matching the chair to the job

The best value comes from matching the right type of chair to the work environment, not from buying the cheapest option available.

Dedicated workstations. One person, one desk, 8+ hours a day. Invest in a fully adjustable ergonomic chair. This is where a refurbished Aeron, Leap, or Freedom delivers the most value. The cost per day over the chair's remaining lifespan is pennies. The productivity and wellbeing return is significant.

Hot-desking and shared spaces. You need chairs that adjust quickly and intuitively for different users throughout the day. Mesh-back designs work well because they adapt to different body shapes. The Orangebox Do and Herman Miller Sayl are strong choices. Avoid chairs with complex adjustment sequences that most users won't bother to learn.

Meeting rooms. Nobody needs a £500 ergonomic chair for a one-hour meeting. Simple cantilever or four-leg meeting chairs at £50 to £150 are the practical choice. Buy matching sets for a consistent, professional appearance.

Reception and breakout. Appearance and comfort matter more than ergonomic adjustment. Refurbished commercial soft seating from brands like Orangebox and Boss Design looks significantly better than budget alternatives and lasts far longer in high-traffic areas.

Call centres and intensive use. Durability is non-negotiable. Budget chairs fail within months. A refurbished Steelcase Leap or Humanscale Freedom handles continuous use because it was engineered for exactly that.

The practical side: what to consider before ordering

DSE compliance. Under the Display Screen Equipment Regulations, employers must provide seating that meets minimum ergonomic standards: adjustable seat height, adjustable backrest, adequate lumbar support, and the ability to swivel. Every premium brand we supply meets these requirements comfortably. If you need advice on DSE-compliant seating for your workplace, contact us.

Matching across an office. If you need 50 identical chairs, that's a sourcing job as much as a supply job. We regularly fulfil large matching orders because we have access to bulk stock from corporate clearances. Tell us the brand, model, colour, and quantity and we'll confirm availability.

Delivery and installation. We deliver and install nationwide. Our team places chairs at workstations, removes packaging, and takes away old furniture if required. This isn't a pallet-on-the-kerb operation.

Disposing of old chairs. If you're replacing existing furniture, we can collect and recycle or clear it as part of the same job. If your old chairs are from a premium brand, they may have buyback value that offsets your costs.

Frequently asked questions

Are refurbished office chairs as good as new?

In terms of performance, yes. A properly refurbished chair from a premium manufacturer functions identically to a new one. The frame has proven its durability through years of use. All wear components have been replaced. The only practical difference is price: you pay 50-80% less.

How long will a refurbished office chair last?

Premium chairs from Herman Miller, Steelcase, Humanscale, and Orangebox are designed for 15-20+ years of commercial use. A refurbished chair at 5-8 years old has a decade or more of productive life remaining. That's significantly longer than a new budget chair.

What warranty do you offer?

12 months on all refurbished chairs, covering workmanship and materials. If anything fails within warranty, we repair or replace at no cost.

Can I visit and try chairs before buying?

Yes. You're welcome to visit our Lancashire showroom by appointment. If visiting isn't practical, our team can advise based on your requirements, and our warranty means you're covered if a chair doesn't meet expectations.

Is buying refurbished good for the environment?

Meaningfully so. Manufacturing a new office chair produces approximately 72kg of CO2. Refurbishing an existing chair avoids almost all of that and keeps useful materials out of landfill. Every product on our site shows the specific carbon saving. For ESG reporting, we provide supporting documentation.

What if I need chairs in a specific colour or fabric?

We offer re-upholstery as part of our refurbishment service. It adds to the lead time and cost but gives you a fully customised result. Get in touch with your requirements.

Do you supply schools and public-sector organisations?

Yes. We regularly supply local authorities, universities, NHS trusts, and schools. We're experienced with public-sector procurement processes and can provide the documentation you need.

Can you furnish an entire office?

Yes. We supply chairs, desks, sit-stand desks, storage, meeting tables, and soft seating. One supplier for everything. Tell us what you need.

Ready to see the difference?

Browse our current chair stock, explore our designer brands, or request a quote and tell us what you need. We'll come back to you with availability, pricing, and a recommendation.

Or call us on 01995 606414. We're a service business, not a webshop. Talking to us is the fastest way to get exactly what you need.