After researching around 200 different manufacturer warranties, I recently ranked the top 5 office chair warranties. During my research, I was very surprised to see some really sub-standard warranties. Most of these warranties are being provided by modern furniture manufacturers and office chair importers.
I have compiled my list of the worst 5 office chair warranties below. Please note that this list does not include products from big box stores like, Staples, Office Max and Walmart. Those chairs are typically available with optional service plans from the store they are purchased.
Need help? Get our Free Office Chair Buying Guide!
Full Disclaimer: We are an office furniture dealer and sell some of the products we review. To learn more about the products we sell, our review process and why you can trust us, please visit: Why we’re different. Who is BTOD.com and The Breakroom Blog?
5 Worst Office Chair Warranties
- LexMod / Modway Furniture Warranty
- Zuo Modern Warranty
- Euro Style Warranty
- Balt / Bestrite / MooreCo Inc. Warranty
- Flash Furniture Warranty
- Things to Consider When Looking at Office Furniture Warranties
- Bottom Line
See The Best Office Chairs For 2022After months of testing 20+ office chairs, the results are in! |
1. LexMod / Modway Furniture Warranty
Length and Exclusion:
Product | Warranty Length | Shift Usage | Weight Limit |
Chair Frame | 1 Year | Single Shift | 250 lbs |
Components | None | ||
Fabric | None |
Warranty process:
Who performs the repair? | Customer |
Will the manufacturer send a technician to your location? | No |
Who covers shipping costs when repaired at factory? | Customer |
Who covers labor costs? | Customer |
Reason for selection
LexMod / Modway is a modern furniture importer that has been doing business for over 10 years. LexMod’s office chair warranty is the worst warranty that I came across during my research. I actually had a very hard time finding any warranty information at all and had to call them directly to get the details over the phone.
Not only is it the shortest, at 1 year, but their warranty excludes everything except the chair frame. They do not offer any help with regard to shipping the chair back for repairs, or with labor costs that may need to be paid for fixing the chair.
2. Zuo Modern Warranty
Length and Exclusion:
Product | Warranty Length | Shift Usage | Weight Limit |
Chair Frame | 1 Year | Single Shift | 250 lbs |
Components | 1 Year | Single Shift | 250 lbs |
Fabric | 1 Year | Single Shift | 250 lbs |
Warranty process:
Who performs the repair? | Customer |
Will the manufacturer send a technician to your location? | No |
Who covers shipping costs when repaired at factory? | Customer |
Who covers labor costs? | Customer |
Reason for selection
Zuo Modern is a modern furniture import company that has been in business since 2005. Their office chair warranty is slightly better than Lexmod / Modway because of their inclusion of the entire chair in their one year warranty.
Their warranty time frame is extremely short and they do not offer any help with regard to shipping or labor for any repairs. One concern I have with Zuo Modern is that several of their past chair models have come under fire from larger manufacturers for trademark infringement and have been discontinued, which may make it difficult to get a warranty claim honored.
3. Euro Style Warranty
Length and Exclusion:
Product | Warranty Length | Shift Usage | Weight Limit |
Chair Frame | 1 Year | Single Shift | 250 lbs |
Components | 1 Year | Single Shift | 250 lbs |
Fabrics | 1 Year | Single Shift | 250 lbs |
Warranty process:
Who performs the repair? | Customer |
Will the manufacturer send a technician to your location? | No |
Who covers shipping costs when repaired at factory? | Customer |
Who covers labor costs? | Customer |
Reason for selection
Euro Style is another company that deals heavily with importing modern furniture and they offer the same office chair warranty as Zuo Modern. The coverage period is only one year and Euro Style does not cover shipping or labor charges for repairs. They have been in business since 1985, which is much longer than LexMod or Zuo Modern.
4. Balt / Best-Rite / MooreCo Inc. Warranty
Length and Exclusion:
Product | Warranty Length | Shift Usage | Weight Limit |
Height Adjustable Seating | 2 Years | Single Shift | 250 lbs |
Components & Fabrics | 2 Years | Single Shift | 250 lbs |
Warranty process:
Who performs the repair? | Customer |
Will the manufacturer send a technician to your location? | No |
Who covers shipping costs when repaired at factory? | Customer |
Who covers labor costs? | Customer |
Reason for selection
MooreCo Inc. is a company that has been doing business since 1985. During that time, they have operated under the Balt and Best-Rite brand names, becoming one of the leading manufacturers of educational furniture in the United States. Their success with educational furniture has allowed them to expand into other markets, like office chairs.
Unfortunately, the warranty they provide on their office chairs doesn’t match the strength shown by their company. While most companies offering similar office chairs have at least a five year warranty, MooreCo Inc offers an unimpressive, two year warranty. Repairs and shipping are also the responsibility of the customer.
5. Flash Furniture Warranty
Length and Exclusion:
Product | Warranty Length | Shift Usage | Weight Limit |
Non-Moving Metal Parts | 5 Years | Single Shift | 250 lbs |
Cylinder, Mechanism, Base, Casters | 2 Years | Single Shift | 250 lbs |
All Other Parts | 1 Year | Single Shift | 250 lbs |
Warranty process:
Who performs the repair? | Customer |
Will the manufacturer send a technician to your location? | No |
Who covers shipping costs when repaired at factory? | Customer |
Who covers labor costs? | Customer |
Reason for selection
Flash Furniture is operated by Belnick, Inc. which has a ton of experience in the online furniture world. They are one of the first and largest ecommerce furniture companies, operating under BizChair.com. Their massive success as an online retailer opened the door to become a manufacturer themselves and they did so under the Flash Furniture brand name.
Flash Furniture is a very reputable and trustworthy company that is rapidly expanding. It is unfortunate that their office chair warranty is not up to the standard of their closest competitors. While their warranty on non-moving metal parts is adequate, the coverage on everything else is lacking.
Things to Consider
Manufacturer Reliability
A manufacturer’s reputation and their track record of taking care of product defects is a determining factor in the strength of a warranty. The companies with the weakest warranties seem to be newer office chair manufacturers that import their products from China. This should come as no surprise since these are typically the lowest quality products being offered. But, there are many import chair manufacturers that offer good warranties. It’s likely they are much more confident in their products than companies like the five mentioned below.
Warranty Length and Exclusions
A warranty will typically have a short time length and a lot of exclusions for one or two reasons. The first is that the product quality is low and the manufacturer doesn’t want to be spending money replacing parts, so they limit this by providing a short warranty. The second is that the manufacturer is strictly an importer, and they do not have a stock of replacement parts. If they need a part, an entire chair needs to be unboxed and broken down, which is very costly.
Warranty Claim Process
The ease of filing a warranty claim is a huge factor when considering warranty strength. Filing a claim with a company that has a weak warranty can often be a hassle. Often times, the process can be much longer and much more costly than dealing with a strongly warranted product.
Final Thoughts
The office chair companies with the weakest warranties will usually be newer companies with lower end products. If a company is not willing to stand behind their product, then there is no reason for you to expect for the product to last a long time.
It is very important to limit expectations when dealing with office chairs that have extremely short warranties. We always recommend upgrading to something with a better guarantee, but we understand that this option is not always within the budget. If you must go with a product that has a short warranty, then make sure to budget for possible replacements within the first couple years or less.
Additional Office Chair Resources
- 5 Best Ergonomic Office Chairs For Back Support
- 8 Best Ergonomic Office Chairs For 2022
- 21 Best Office Chairs For 2022 (Reviews / Pricing)
- Humanscale Freedom Headrest Ergonomic Chair Review
- Herman Miller Aeron vs. Herman Miller Embody: Which is best?
- Herman Miller Aeron Mesh Office Chair (Review / Rating / Pricing)