Mesh vs Cushion Chair: Which One’s Better For Office?

Looking for something comfy to sit on during work hours? Then, you must know the popular office chair options. It’s easy to narrow down the option when you know your requirements. But, people seem to get a hard time choosing a mesh or a cushion chair. So, between a mesh vs cushion chair: which one’s better for the office?

The Mesh chair provides a more breathable material and better posture support. On the other hand, the cushion chairs are more comfortable to sit on during a long hour work shift. But, it fails to configure with your postures as you shift.

Well, that was just a short preview of what we will be discussing in this article. Here, we will look at some of the crucial features you would want in an office chair. Then, we would compare which chair is better at providing to you.

Does it sound interesting? If yes, then stick with us till the end.

Mesh Chair VS Cushion Chair: 4 Differences Explained

A little short on time? Check out this quick comparison table below.

Comparison Table

Point Of Comparison	Mesh Chair	Cushioned Chair
Upholstery Material	Mesh fabric	Memory foam as a core and mostly polyvinyl cover.
Clean Up Process	Vacuuming at a lower suction	Need to be washed by machine or by hand.
Ventilation	Numerous holes throughout the net provide easy ventilation.	Body heat gets trapped.
Upper Back Support	Mesh chairs provide better lumbar support	Not all cushioned chairs are ergonomic
Comfort	Mesh chairs can feel a little hard	Cushioned chairs are more comfortable to sit on

1. Comfort

Mesh chairs can be super comfortable. It conforms to our body shape wonderfully. The more a chair can adjust to the posture of a person, the better back support you receive. So, there’s doubt regarding the lumbar support of this chair.

Besides, it is ergonomic. You can move around with this chair as you want. It can recline up to 110 degrees which is perfect for a quick nap. We all know the feeling when we wake up from an uncomfortable 10 min nap. The hanging neck and unsupported posture leave a strain for the rest of the day.

That’s why office workers love the support that mesh chairs give them. You don’t have to constantly fix your back and straighten up. The adjustable structure catches your back and shifts according to your movement. So, at any given time, you are not putting too much weight on your spine.

Now, for the cushion chairs, they are great for the comfy floating feeling. Especially people who have chronic lower lumbar pain can find it comfortable. The foam re-distributes the weight and causes less strain. However, if the cushioned chair doesn’t come with an ergonomic feature, you can’t have the upper back and shoulder support. There are chances of staying in a bad posture for long period.

So, as long as full-back support is concerned, we will choose mesh chairs over cushion chairs.

2. Maintenance

You would properly want the office chair to require less cleaning and maintenance. Of course, no chair can last longer without proper care. But, for a busy office, it can be a hassle.

Mesh chairs with no stuffing are the best option in this case. Since the mesh material is easy to clean up, you can relax. All you have to do is vacuum the upper seat from time to time. Make sure to use a lower suction. Otherwise, it can irritate the micro mesh fibers.

You can use a wet cloth to wipe the seat if you accidentally slip something on it. A little wipe is enough. No need to go overboard and start scrubbing it aggressively.

On the other hand, the cushion material will determine how easy it will be to clean up. If the material is cotton or acrylic, you will be safe to use a washing machine. Make sure to avoid hot water or aggressive cycle.

Besides these, the cushion covers are not machine washable. In that case, you have to take things into your hand literally. For a little coffee spill, take some washing substance. Then, use a paper towel to wipe it away. For something harsher than this, apply some vinegar on a white cloth and scrub the stain.

 Except for the stains or spillovers, there is an odor problem too. Even if you are very careful and don’t spill anything on it, you would still have to clean it to get rid of the stinky smell.

Both of the chairs require simple maintenance. But, with the mesh chairs, there is no odor issue. Plus, it doesn’t require extensive washing in most cases.

3. Price Range

This is probably the main factor that keeps us from choosing the best office buddy for us. Buying a decent-quality ergonomic mesh chair will cost you about $50 to $100. And, you can always go higher in the price range to get more comfortable features. The luxury ones with padded armrests and seats can cost you about $250.

On the other hand, you can get a static chair with an attached cushion for as low as $40. But, an office chair should be ergonomic. You can easily get one by spending around $70 to $100.

You can even go over the top by adding an extra cushion or pad on the mesh office chair. You can buy a chair cushion or pad like this for about $30 to $50 depending on the quality, shape, and material. Some cushions are better shaped to support our hips.

The price range is pretty similar to one another. So, it’s a tie between both chairs.

4. Breathability

The best feature of a mesh chair is its breathability. We are talking about office chairs only having a stretched mesh cover on top. You see, it has little holes all over the surface. That leads to its capability of maintaining the temperature. Even if you work for a whole day sitting on it, you won’t feel the seat getting heated up.

This phenomenon is very common with a cushion or leather seats. You need to leave the seat after every hour or two, to let it return to the normal temperature. But, let’s be honest here. It is not possible when we want to indulge ourselves in the work.

The solution is a chair that can regulate the heat easily. While the cheap memory foams on luxury chairs contain the heat and build it up continuously, the mesh chairs let it breathe. The fabric is almost like a net once you expand it. So, the air can find a way to hit your body even when you are in the chair.

However, the cushioned chair comes with a memory foam core most of the time. Then, the foam is covered with polyester or vinyl material. No matter how comfortable it feels at first, you soon realize the downside. The material is not breathable. It traps your body heat and makes you feel uncomfortable sitting for a long time.

I guess, the mesh chair won this round.

Is Mesh Chair Better Than Foam?

Let’s make one thing clear. At the first glance, foam is more comfortable to sit on. There’s no doubt about that. Who doesn’t love that comfy “floating” feeling? But, is it good for an office worker? We are talking about 8 hours shift in front of the desk. 

Despite providing better coccyx or hip support, you might feel a slight pain in the lumbar area. That’s because most cushioned chairs lack an ergonomic feature. It works best when you consciously straighten up the back. But, as soon as you try to shift the posture, it becomes inefficient.

 You will lose the back support completely. There will be a huge gap between your lumbar area and the backrest. Especially when you move forward to write something or try to take a short nap. 

Plus, the foam is not very breathable. The comfy feeling slowly goes away as the body heat gets trapped inside it. you might need to take short brakes to let the chair regulate this heat perfectly. That’s not very practical, right?

I guess it makes the mesh chair a better choice than foam. But, we are strictly talking from an office perspective. If you are looking for chairs to let the visitors sit while waiting, having a foam chair can be very relaxing.

Are Mesh Office Chairs Good For Your Back?

If you are a back pain patient, investing in a mesh chair would be the perfect choice for you. let’s elaborate on this statement a little bit.

• Mesh chairs come with a backrest designed after the natural curve of a human spine. You will easily notice the curvy structure of the chair. This design makes it unique from any other office chair available on the market. As you put your back against the chair, it leaves little to no gap at all.

Research suggests that if there is a large gap between your spine and the back-rest, it might lead to a spinal cord injury soon. It won’t be overnight. But slowly, you will notice your health deteriorating. 

• We all know that sitting straight is the best position for our spine. But, who can maintain that during a hectic day at the office? Thankfully, the “snake” shape of a mesh chair matches our back perfectly. We don’t have to straighten up the back consciously, the chair does it all.

• Other than its shape, it also provides ergonomic features. You can recline the chair, or bend it however you want. That way, your weight is redistributed on the surface. The aim is to deliver your spine to the lowest weight possible.

Plus, the seat is breathable and doesn’t make you uncomfortable after a long hour. The net makes sure there is proper ventilation all the time. In short, mesh chairs make you forget about your back fully. No matter how much you shift or wiggle in your seat, it can mimic your posture. You will always have back support, no matter what.

Which One Should You Choose?

The decision is completely yours. It depends on the type of work you do and the support your back needs. However, there is no harm in giving some tips, right?

We would like to recommend you a good quality mesh chair. It is good for your health in the long run with great ventilation.

But, let’s assume you are on the cushion team. In that case, make sure the thickness of the foam is about 4″ minimum. Otherwise, it would have a hard time bouncing back to the original position every time you stand up.

As far as breathability is concerned, you can get yourself a self-cooling seat cushion. Yes, it is on the higher price segment. But, that’s worth it if you plan to sit on it for 8 hours straight.

Finally, if you wish to get the comfort of both of these chairs together, opt for a mesh chair with a sealed cushion in it. you can ask the store to customize it for you if that’s not available locally.

Wrapping Up

Chairs are the most significant partner for our office work. A comfortable chair can be the difference between a relaxed and a tiring work experience the whole day.

If you are an employer, providing a comfortable chair can improve your worker’s productivity. On the bigger note, it can prevent back pains, neck pains, or other such issues that are very common among employees.

In this article, we tried to tackle this mesh vs cushion chair argument. We dived into the features of both chairs and compared their effectiveness based on it.

So, we hope that you got the whole comparison. Now, it’s time to follow this guide and make a decision. So, which office chair did you like the best?