Finding a high-quality headrest can be challenging. Oftentimes, they fit poorly, they are covered in uncomfortable material, and/or they don’t hold their position well. There are a lot of factors that can make a headrest bad. We’ve gathered the most popular chairs with headrests and we’re going to go through them in detail and provide you with a ranked list. We’ve also got a couple of bonus items at the end that I’m super excited about that cover what options you may have if you order a chair that doesn’t come with a factory headrest, so keep reading till the end.
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Neutral Posture 8000 Headrest
Greg: I am very excited about this headrest.
Ryan: Why?
Greg: Everything. This thing has more range than any other headrest on the list. It is able to flip out of the way if you don’t want to use it. It can go into your neck and act as a neck roll. It will go up against your head. It’s super poofy. It’s comfortable. It stays put. I mean, what’s not to love> There’s nothing I don’t like about this headrest. So it’s up there at the top for me.
Ryan: What are you thinking, Robert?
Robert: As Greg said, you can put it wherever you want. If you want it up high, then it feels great. Personally, I always like the headrest down a little lower and it also feels nice in that position. At first glance, it looks super aggressive like it is going to push me way too far forward, but once you actually sit in the chair, the headrest is quite comfortable. I think this is one we will be able to put up there with the Mellet.
Ryan: So you’re going A here?
Robert: That’s A for me.
Ryan: The thing that I really love about the 8000 headrest is that you can use it in a relaxed mode and have it literally line up exactly with the backrest when you recline. It’s good for chilling out, watching movies, being on the phone, or whatever. At the same time, you can articulate it forward and be in front of the backrest to be in permanent task mode. And like I said, you can move it completely out of the way to never have to deal with it. I love the contour. I think it’s big and spacious. It’s super well-padded. For me, this is an A-tier headrest. I was racking my brain trying to think about something I would change about this headrest and I really couldn’t think of anything. To me, that is a clear sign that they have achieved an S-tier product. This is the best headrest I have ever seen.
Greg: Yeah, I’m going to agree with you on that. If you think about all the other chairs that we are looking at today, there are a lot of headrest options, but very few of them measure up and provide a comfortable and usable product. I also don’t know what you would change about this headrest. It does everything you could want it to, so this is 100% an S-tier rating.
Ryan: Another factor to consider that we haven’t mentioned yet is the look of the headrest. In my opinion, it fully matches the chair and the quality of the headrest matches the quality of the chair.
Robert: Again, I just can’t think of anything I don’t like about it.
Clatina Mellet Headrest
Ryan: This is one of our favorite low-cost options. We actually didn’t have the headrest on it when we did the previous tier list.
Greg: But now we do. I was the first one to get it and pulled it out of the box. The headrest is about $40 and of all the headrests in this less expensive category, I found it to be a great value, much like the chair. There’s a lot of weight to it. It feels well-built and it’s comfortable. It’s got good cushioning and a pretty decent range. I felt it fit me. There weren’t any hard edges, which is something you need to consider with these. I right away would give B tier on this one. I mean, from a value standpoint, it is great and the comfort is pretty solid.
Ryan: Yeah, I agree. I also like that you can use it either tasking or without being forced into using it. If you’re tasking, it’s comfortable and big. The adjustments were easy to use, which is surprising for a chair at this price. As Greg said, it is in line with the chair. I have no problem putting this headrest in the B-tier. I found it to be really comfortable. In fact, it is one of the more comfortable headrests I’ve used. From a quality and comfort standpoint, I think it comes down to a B.
Greg: I mean, honestly, it’s maybe even better than the chair. It feels like.
Robert: Yeah, it could be. I mean, it feels solid.
Ryan: Greg was raving about this headrest a little bit earlier and I had my doubts that it could be that great, but it is actually. I would go A-tier for this. It’s very comfortable. It adjusts pretty easily, without moving on its own. I don’t like when headrests just automatically snap on into their own different positions. It holds its place and it is nicely cushioned. For me, this is an A.
Greg: Looks like I am going to be overruled here.
Ryan: This is a pretty big shocker. This might be the cheapest chair on the list.
Aeron Atlas Headrest
Greg: Let’s start with a little background story real quick on this. If anybody already doesn’t know, this is made by people who were at Herman Miller. The headrest uses the same pellicle mesh and frame material as the rest of the chair. Literally, from an aesthetic standpoint, the headrest matches the chair exactly, which is what you want, especially in a high-end chair.
Ryan: The color on the Engineered Now headrest matches the Aeron, but the materials do not match. With the Atlas, you’re actually getting the same materials as the Aeron, which is why it’s a little bit more expensive. In my opinion, it’s a pretty big upgrade to the Engineered Now just because it eliminates any problems you might experience with the Engineered Now, such as the moving parts.
On the Atlas, you can crank down all three adjustments really tight so it won’t move at all. I also found that you could loosen them up while still keeping them tight to move them if you wanted. You can enjoy both movement and stability. If I’m just being honest, this is probably the best headrest I’ve ever seen aside from the 8000. It comes in second to the 8000 because the Atlas doesn’t have the ability to be moved completely out of the way and the padding isn’t quite as nice. My first instinct is to put it in the A-tier, but I might change my mind after Robert weighs in.
Robert: This is A for me. It was harder to rank the Engineer Now because I knew that the Atlas would be a level up no matter what. This is the one that I have used on the Aeron for some time. I like that I can put it just tight enough so that I can still move it a little if I want, but also lock it down so that it doesn’t have unwanted movement. Again, it feels especially nice when I am in a reclined position. If I sit up, it is out of the way, which is exactly what I want. It is nice to be able to put it exactly where I want, which might even bump it up to the S-tier.
Greg: You guys are crazy. It’s definitely at the top of the list when it comes to headrests that are designed for comfort. It has a ton of range with both height and depth adjustments. It’s got a nice pivot motion. It is made from the same material as the rest of the chair, which I think is the best mesh in the business, without question. My gripe with this is that when you buy an Aeron, it’s like this piece of art. It is beautiful. This headrest is an added contraption that can look gaudy. It detracts from the chair for sure. I think that’s probably the only reason I can’t take it from an A to an S. People who love Aerons are all about aesthetics and this headrest doesn’t complete the chair by any means.
Ryan: That’s literally exactly what I’ve been thinking about. I was trying to imagine the one thing I would change on this headrest and it is the back view, which has plastic hanging down. The interior of the backrest is just too visible. If they were able to improve it visually, then it would be S tier. It is a solid A-tier and I would even place it before the Mellet.
Greg: I know the headrests aren’t cheap, but they are definitely worth the money.
Robert: From the front, I think the chair looks great. But from the back, there are just too many bars that kill the smooth look of the lines of the chair. When you just look at it from the front, the headrest actually makes it look even nicer.
That leaves us with just one chair, the Neutral Posture 8000, to earn an S-tier ranking for the headrest. There are still plenty of great options whether you want a padded, mesh, fixed, or adjustable headrest. Weigh in with your own thoughts and let us know your opinion.
Aeron Engineered Now H4 Headrest
Greg: Aeron fans will rejoice because these headrests can be used with both the Classic and the Remastered Aeron. Ryan, you’ve spent a ton of time with these headrests. I have to hear your opinion first.
Ryan: I think the Engineered Now is a good headrest that feels solid. You get a bunch of adjustability because you have two different pivot points. The mesh feels like a good quality material. I also like that the headrest is pretty big. This is for the H4 version only. If you get the H3 version for shorter people, the headrest is way smaller and it has a huge “U” curve. I probably wouldn’t recommend that one, but the H4 one is good. And even though it’s supposed to be for people taller than me, I found that it fits me. From an overall headrest standpoint, I think that this is probably going to be somewhere around a B, maybe low A-tier just because I think they did do a lot of things well. It looks good on the chair and matches everything pretty well. Overall, I think they did a good job.
Robert: This one definitely fits nice and high for me, which is just where I want it. You can feel the frame a little if you move to the outer edges. It does slide around on its own a little bit as you move around. This is probably a B. As we have discussed before, I love the Aeron, so if I were to use this chair for long periods on a daily basis, I would definitely want to add the headrest.
Greg: This is a great one for tall users. It can be moved up pretty high and it is super adjustable with a ton of range. I didn’t really see too many drawbacks to it. I’d put it in a B. I think it’s a solid B without question.
Herman Miller Cosm Headrest
Read Review: Herman Miller Cosm Review
Ryan: This is an interesting headrest because it literally doesn’t do anything. It literally has no adjustments built in.
Greg: It’s also interesting because it’s a Herman Miller chair with a factory headrest, which is a super rare design.
Robert: I have a hard time giving this a high ranking, even though I like it for what it is, just because it’s so limited. I actually do think it’s comfortable. When you lean back, it definitely supports you in the curve of your neck. It has some flexibility and some give. Although I think that the mesh is a little bit abrasive on your neck and head. I would have to be more middle-of-the-road with this one just because it is pretty limited. So probably somewhere around C for me.
Greg: I think for the chairs on the list today that have a stationary headrest that doesn’t do anything, and there is a handful that features this type of design, I think this one’s probably the most comfortable in an upright position and when reclined, it fits me well. Based on those two factors, I would probably put it a B-tier just because it’s really comfortable, just like the rest of the chair. So if you can use it and you’re comfortable in the chair, I could see it being super nice, so I’d go B-tier for this. I’m comfortable with that.
Robert: So you guys are going to make fun of me for being the Herman Miller fanboy, but I think this is A for me because I like that when I’m sitting up straight, the headrest isn’t there, but when I recline, I am able to just sink right into it. This headrest happens to fit me right and be positioned right where I want it to be. And like you guys said, it’s like that hammock. You can hit it basically anywhere and it is comfortable. I also like that it is integrated. It looks really nice and doesn’t have the obvious look of an add-on headrest. It is just built in. You don’t really hit the frame, so it’s probably a low A. It could definitely be better, but I really like this.
Ryan: It’s definitely the nicest-looking headrest we’re going to see today, so we will go B-tier and put it above the OM headrest.
Office Master Yes Chair Headrest
Ryan: The OM Yes chair is an interesting headrest because it has a height adjustment that just slides on the frame. I don’t always love this type of design because sometimes it’ll slide on me when I don’t want it to. However, I will say that this is one of the few flatter headrest designs that I actually like to use. Usually, I find most flat headrest designs to be pretty useless. This one is actually pretty comfortable just because you can turn it and get it into the curve of your neck. While it is comfortable, it doesn’t feel super solid and I don’t always like that. It doesn’t hold its angle position, so I am probably going to put it in the middle of the road for rankings.
Greg: I think it has a surprising range on it. As you said, those flatter designs are really good for people wanting to recline back in their chair, kick back and maybe watch TV or watch videos on their computer. Because it is depth adjustable, it really does have a lot of range on some level, but the height adjustment is lacking. You can position it perfectly in the back of your neck, but it’s not super padded. I like it because it is comfortable without being too big and soft. Since Robert is a bit taller, I am curious about what he thinks.
Robert: I don’t even have to slide it that far up and it feels pretty comfortable. It’s not like some of the others where it really holds your head in place because you don’t really sink into it too far. It’s comfortable in the sense that wherever you hit it, you’re going to be fine. I don’t love that there’s still a little bit of that play. I can pretty easily move it with my head. This is probably a low B, B-.
Greg: I feel pretty confident in a B. I might even stretch it to an A-.
Ryan: I was going to give it a C+ just because, for me, it’s the same comfort level as the Akir with just a few differences. I think it’s a solid headrest. It’s just not one of my favorite models.
The Secretlab Titan Headrest
Greg: Overall, I just don’t like this chair, but I have to admit that the headrest is nice. The foam pillow combined with the high back of the chair offers some nice comfort. I like the chair least when I am sitting upright, but once you get into any type of recline, it feels much better and most people are going to be reclining in this chair as they use it. There is a lot of memory foam that makes it super soft and you can really sink into it. In the recline position, the headrest gets a B, but I’m not sure about an upright or overall ranking. I’ll wait for everybody else before I give my final verdict on it.
Ryan: Yeah, this is a hard one. First off, I don’t love the shape of the backrest. The top of it tilts forward and pushes your head a little bit forward. So if it didn’t have the pillow, this would be getting a really low ranking, but the pillow is actually really nice. I like the feel of the velour upholstery and the memory foam is comfortable. It feels like a high-quality pillow and it’s certainly comfortable. It definitely adds to the comfort of the chair, which gives an advantage over all the other chairs that don’t have something like that.
The problem is you just can’t always use the pillow because it slides around a little bit. I like the magnet attachment system way better than the strap, but it still slides around a little bit more than I would prefer. I’d still have no problem putting this maybe high C, though, just because for what it is, it performs pretty well.
Robert: I think I’d go B because the fact that it slides around isn’t actually the worst thing because it’s not like it’s clicking around like some of the other headrests that had trouble staying in place. In this case, the sliding isn’t a negative for me, which is unusual because normally I hate when they move around on their own. Without the pillow, the chair definitely feels like there is something missing when your head just hits the chair. The pillow is a really nice addition. I just would never sit in this chair. Like we’ve said in the other chairs, the best part of the chair is the headrest.
Greg: I guarantee that we all agree there. This is the best part of this chair. So I’m going B-tier.
Ryan: We’ll throw it in B then. I think that’s fair for sure. Oddly enough, we have ended up with two non-adjustable headrests in the B-tier so far.
Steelcase Series 2 Headrest
Greg: I’m sure people will be disappointed that the Gesture isn’t here yet to put in this list, because that would be, in my opinion, the best headrest from Steelcase. This is number two, but it’s not one of those headrests that really will support your neck and head. It’s more of just a general headrest. If you put your head back against it when you recline, it’s nice. I find it to be way more comfortable than the Leap’s headrest. I would recommend this model if you want a headrest and you want to recline in the chair. Its only drawback really is that it doesn’t stay up as well as it should. I think it moves a little bit too easily, but it’s nice and padded. I like it. I have no issue putting this at B Tier because it’s better than a lot of what we have seen.
Ryan: This is one area where we’re definitely going to disagree. I hate the headrest because it’s really firm to me and I don’t always love headrests that are flat like this, which is similar to the Office Master chair we talked about earlier. To me, it feels a bit cheap. It’s a Steelcase product and it’s the same quality that you would expect from Steelcase.
In my mind, it’s like a better version of the Leap headrest because it’s not pitched super far forward. I’d have to put it above the Leap, but I’m still going to be somewhere around D-tier or low C-tier with this headrest just because it’s not my style.
Robert: I’m struggling here. If it would just stay up and in place, then it would be one of the nicest headrests that actually fit my head. I can recline and get it in the perfect spot for my head, but any time I move, it starts to drop down. Because it won’t stay in place, it has to go C Tier.
Ryan: There that’s averaging out to C Tier.
Realm of Thrones Admiral
Greg: This is a random chair I bought while shopping one night on Amazon. We’ve been getting a bunch of pushback because they jack the prices up on it. This is an interesting chair because the headrest is huge. It is just massive and oddly enough, I think this one is better than a similarly sized headrest on the Freedom chair.
The headrest comes with height adjustment and some pivoting motion. The mesh is more comfortable than the ErgoChair Pro. I’ve sat in it a lot more now and I’m trying to get used to the chair. It doesn’t really have any issues as far as hard points for me. I can adjust it to fit me comfortably. So I probably put it like, high C, maybe B -. I think I just have to spend some more time in the chair to get a better feel for it.
Ryan: For me, I think it’s a lot like some of the other mesh ones, except it’s not quite as aggressive. I can feel the bottom part of the frame when I use it, which made it a little bit uncomfortable for me. I’d probably place it just behind the ErgoChair because they have similar vibes, but I prefer the ErgoChair because I didn’t feel the frame quite as much on that one. What do you think, Robert?
Robert: What I’m realizing through making this video is that I actually like headrests better than I thought I did, which is odd. This model is actually pretty comfortable. It’s so big that you can just find a spot you like. I’m not really hitting anything hard. When you look at the headrest, it appears to have some hard points, but you don’t really feel them once you are in the chair. It has a feature I like so that if I sit up straight, it’s out of the way. When I recline, it just hits right where I want it to hit. It’s got to be at least a B, maybe higher if it didn’t move when I don’t necessarily want it to move, which is always a downgrade. I say B.
Greg: The problem for me is that I don’t think the headrest is as comfortable as the chair. I don’t think it is as comfortable as the Cosm, but I do think it’s more comfortable than the LE9 and the ErgoChair Pro, so I feel good about a C+.
BTOD Akir Mesh Headrest
Read Review: BTOD Akir Review
Robert: I actually like the mesh headrest better than the vinyl one because you can sink into it a little bit more. It’s not quite as soft, but I still like it more. The one thing about the Akir headrest is that it’s a good option for those of you that want to be sitting fully upright and tasking. However, it’s a bad option for those of you that want to be able to have the freedom to be away from your headrest because it’s pretty pronounced and you end up having to use it all the time. This can be great if you prefer to always have a headrest. For tasking and for pure comfort, I’d probably put it in a B range, but if you want to be relaxing and have it out of the way, it’s probably going to come down because it forces you to use it.
Greg: I think with this headrest it’s funny because I’m on the opposite side and I prefer the vinyl version. Unfortunately, it’s discontinued now, so that’s not an option. The mesh option is really aggressive. As Ryan said, it’s always there, which can be a nuisance if you don’t want to use it. It’s got a decent height range and some pivot adjustment to it. It’s definitely a more comfortable mesh than something like the ErgoChair Pro. I don’t notice some of those disadvantages that I found in the ErgoChair Pro. For me, it’s just a C-tier headrest. I don’t really think it’s overwhelming or anything and I don’t think it’s terrible.
Robert: I also think I’d go C on this. I think it’s a little too aggressive. It’s pushing me forward. If I want to recline, it’s pushing my neck a little too hard. Overall, it is soft enough and not too abrasive.
Greg: And it’s usable. That’s the big thing with aggressive headrest designs; there are some you’ll find in this tier list that are too aggressive to the point that they are unusable and they just don’t fit. This headrest is just aggressive and you will always notice that it is there.
Robert: If you like this chair but really want to have a headrest, I don’t think you will be disappointed by this one. So C or maybe even higher, but I think C is a fair pick.
Ryan: Great then we will place it just above the Autonomous C+.
Greg: Yes, it’s definitely better than the autonomous chair and as we keep moving through the headrests, it will end up getting pushed further down the line.
Staples Hyken Headrest
Read Review: Staples Hyken Review
Ryan: I’d say this is an okay mesh headrest. The material’s not great. It is certainly a lower-end mesh. There are times when I can feel the frame just because it’s not a huge headrest. I will say that it holds its position decently, especially considering the price. It isn’t super comfortable, in my opinion, but I will say that it’s definitely one of the better headrests I’ve used in that under $200 range. So if that’s your budget and you really want a headrest, then I can see this being a decent option. But I don’t think it could elevate to B or A so I’d be somewhere probably around C.
Greg: I think you are pretty much spot on. It’s an inexpensive chair. I found that I could get it to fit me pretty well without having any frame issues. Sometimes I noticed a bit of the bottom of the frame, but other than that it’s pretty comfortable. I found the mesh to be actually pretty comfortable too, so I would definitely put this model in the C-tier and probably even at the top of the C-tier. The headrest is probably my favorite feature on this chair.
Robert: It does move around a little bit when I’m reclining, but that’s not really a problem because you’re sinking into it anyway. A little bit of movement isn’t really going to hurt the comfort level. I’d say a C is probably good. Yeah, I think if I bought this chair, I would want the headrest there, so that means it’s at least a C.
Eurotech Ergo Human LE9ERG
Read Review: Eurotech Ergohuman LE9ERG Review
Greg: These chairs come in different upholstery options. There is a mesh version, a combination of leather and mesh, and an all-leather version. With the leather version, the headrest is too aggressive right off the bat. The lumbar support on this chair is also one of the more aggressive designs on the market, so that does match up with the headrest. Because of that, it feels like it is always in the way and doesn’t even offer much comfort when I am reclining. I know they try to pitch your head forward so that your eyes are focused on your monitor when you are tasking, but I really hate the uncomfortable feeling of that design. In the best-case scenario, this one lands in the middle.
Ryan: It’s super similar to the Akir headrest, except for it’s easier to adjust, but that makes it less solid. And so I’m constantly feeling it sliding down. This is especially true when you recline in the chair. If you recline, the headrest is definitely going to tilt up or down depending on how tall you are and how much you’re pressing on it, which is really annoying because then you have to click it back and fix it.
Another thing I dislike about the leather headrest is that it’s really warm. It doesn’t happen very often, but every once in a while when using a headrest, I feel like I’m going to start sweating and that’s the case with that headrest. For those reasons, I have to probably put it somewhere in the low C range. To me, it’s just not quite as good of a version as the Akir headrest.
Robert: Yeah, it’s pretty aggressive. Ergohuman already has the aggressive lumbar that pushes your lower back almost forward. So then it’s like your shoulders hit the back, but then our neck is getting pushed forward again with the headrest. That makes it feel like I can’t find quite the right comfortable spot here. It isn’t unusable, so I would go D-tier.
Greg: I probably say C-/D+ for me too. I mean honestly, I’d much rather sit in that chair without a headrest.
Ryan: We’ll go C- then.
ErgoChair Pro from Autonomous
Ryan: I’m not a fan of the chair in general, but I do think that the headrest is probably the best thing about the chair. It’s probably the one thing on the chair that I could comfortably use. For me, it is ultimately a middle-of-the-road headrest. The material is a bit abrasive and I found the adjustments to be not super easy to manipulate. I’d probably put it somewhere tier just because it wasn’t terrible, but I don’t think it’s super good.
Greg: I think I agree with pretty much everything you said there. It’s probably one of the better features of the chair, but for me, the mesh material is just super abrasive. I noticed the uncomfortable feeling right away and it was not comfortable on my neck. It pulls the hair out of my head and neck, which isn’t great. It definitely has some range to it with the height adjustment and pivot adjustment. This is a tough one for me, especially since it’s the first one we are discussing. Let’s get Robert’s take before we give up.
Robert: Yeah, I think it’s great. It has a nice size, so it fits even if you’re moving around a little bit. I like that it does allow you to press into it nicely. It’s comfortable and feels firm, but not too firm. I don’t hate the material and it’s not necessarily catching my hair, but it’s also not as soft as some of the other ones we’re going to talk about.
Greg: So where are you putting it?
Ryan: I would actually say B-tier.
Greg: Wow, a B-tier right out of the gate. I think I’m going to put this at the C tier. For me, it seems fairly middle-of-the-road.
Robert: Yeah. I’m thinking C too. So maybe C+ will average out Ryan’s B? That works for me.
Ryan: There you go. Above average.
IKEA Jarvfjallet Headrest
Ryan: I can’t help but mention that Ikea’s casters are the worst. They use safety casters which means that you have to sit in the chair to roll it. You can’t simply push the chair around. I don’t get why they would choose those casters, but of course, we are here to talk about the headrest.
I actually was pretty surprised with the headrest on the Jarvfjallet just because this is a $300 chair and so expectations have to be a little bit lower. However, I found it to be pretty comfortable. It’s soft, poofy, and big and it comes with height adjustment. I think it’s a huge upgrade to the Marcus chair. I could see this being probably a C or maybe even a low B just because it’s pretty comfortable. The only thing that prevents me from saying a strong B is the quality. Based on that, I don’t know if it could achieve a B, but what do you think?
Greg: I don’t know. You were hyping it pretty hard there and I thought you were going to go even higher with your rating. I think you ended up being 100% spot on though. The headrest is significantly better than the Marcus, which we will talk about a little later. But I personally think it’s a bit firm. It does have height adjustment to it and it works better than the other alternative. It was not super expensive and we have to be conscious of that in our evaluation. For me, it’s probably a C or D tier. It doesn’t really do a lot for me and feels like it is just kind of there.
Ryan: It doesn’t have an ergonomic curve. It’s just a standard padded headrest with height adjustment. It looks cool and I think it’s comfortable. I did hype it up probably too much, but I do think it’s a good headrest for the price that you’re paying for sure. And I wouldn’t be disappointed with it if I was using it.
Robert: It’s just easy to rest your head on. Personally, I actually wish it went lower because I’d like to get it even lower in my neck, but I don’t know that it’s really made for that. If you’re reclining, it provides something nice to lean back against. I think it makes sense in the fact that it’s nice and flat so you aren’t really going to hit a bad spot on it. At the same time, it’s not super comfortable, so probably a C for me.
Greg: The leather is a nice touch. If you are getting an Ikea chair and you want a headrest, this is the best option for you. I would feel comfortable putting it in the C-tier.
Humanscale Freedom Headrest
Read Review: Humanscale Freedom Review
Ryan: The Freedom Chair would get a completely different ranking for me if it didn’t have a weird aspect where it doesn’t move in unison with the backrest. Instead, it stays straight up and forces your head forward. Otherwise, I actually really like the curve. I think it’s super comfortable and it’s really big. Yet, I have a hard time thinking that someone would use it and think it’s uncomfortable and couldn’t fit the curve of their neck. I like the padding. It gets a little bit warm and I do like that it has a height adjustment. It is just so bad when you recline and it’s so uncomfortable that the functionality of it is going to tank the score for me, which is unfortunate.
Greg: I think that a lot of the things you said are right. It’s big. It has the potential to be super comfortable, but I think they overthought the design. They were looking at ergonomics when in recline and trying to find a way to get your eyes to look at your monitor properly. However, all it does for me in the 100% recline position is create a crick in my neck.
There is a review that I did on this chair three years ago, where I talk specifically about how at 50% recline, it’s usable for me and I like it in the upright position. I just don’t like the full recline. For me, that puts it in the D-tier. Robert likes his chair though, so I’m curious to see what he has to say.
Robert: A D-tier ranking!? Wow. I’ve sat in this chair a ton and it is one of my favorites. I really like the headrest. I do understand what Greg is saying though. When you go full recline, it is starting to really push your head forward. But a lot of times I’ll be working with a slighter recline and the chair holds me quite well. When it is half reclined, it just keeps your head right where you want it to be. As you sit fully upright, the headrest is totally out of the way. It’s also pretty cushioned. It does slide a little bit when you don’t want it to, which again is a downgrade. This is at least a B for me.
Ryan: The headrest itself, on its own, is good. If you put that headrest on the Nightingale chair with that action on the recline, for me it would be potentially an A-tier headrest but the function of it tanks the ranking. It is not usable for me and it’s not going to be usable for a ton of people out there. And for that reason it has to be a D, potentially an F. If a chair is unusable for me, it can’t get above a D, and that’s where we’re at with this one. But the headrest itself is so comfortable that I can’t put it in F, so I would say D+.
Greg: And you gave it what Robert?
Robert: I gave it a B. If I were to pick a chair that I would want for my home office, if I was just using it to watch videos and stuff, this would be a high pick because I can still be comfortable and have my head pushed forward a little bit. So it’s got to be a B.
Ryan: All right. We’re going to have to average it to a low C, then.
Steelcase Leap V2 Headrest
Read Review: Steelcase Leap v2 Review
Greg: It’s weird because I love this chair. You can comfortably sit in this chair every day. This is just a chair that I absolutely love, but the headrest is expensive. If we look at these things from a value standpoint, I don’t see any value here. It’s almost $180 and that is a big disadvantage for me.
Ryan: It is basically the exact opposite of the Clatina.
Greg: Yes, 100% super expensive. It doesn’t do much right in the way of height adjustment and then it gets in the way. It’s way too aggressive. It’s not comfortable for most positions and it falls down when you use it
Ryan: It also feels cheap compared to the rest of the chair. It is an expensive headrest that doesn’t feel like it should be on a Leap chair. It feels like it should be on the Mellette, honestly. What do you think, Robert?
Robert: The Mellette definitely has this beat. If I were to look for a positive, perhaps the one advantage is that the fabric matches the chair. With other headrests, they can look like an add-on and they aren’t necessarily made from the same material, but that is about the only nice thing I can say. I hate when headrests slip and move on their own and this model is definitely guilty of that. As soon as you get it in a comfortable spot, it falls down on you.
Greg: It’s funny that you say it matches because while the upholstery might be the same color the actual plastic material on the back isn’t the same color as the chair back. This means that you end up spending $1,500 on a chair and it doesn’t even come with a headrest that matches the frame. I’m going D-tier on this because I think it is usable. That factor keeps it out of the F-tier, but it is way too expensive and I don’t like it.
Ryan: I have a hard time not putting this in F Tier just because it is so expensive and at the same time, it feels so cheap. Personally, I can’t use it. As we mentioned before when discussing the Akir, there are some headrests that are usable but really aggressive and then some chairs that are too aggressive to even use. For me, this falls into the latter category. It feels super cheap and when you push down on the padding, you can actually feel the two screws pretty easily. For me, this is an F tier-product. A lot of the reason is because of the lack of value that you’re getting.
Greg: Robert, are you going to save it from the F-tier? Is this thing going to stay alive?
Robert: I think I will actually. I think it’s a D. I could use it.
Haworth Fern Headrest
Read Review: Haworth Fern Chair Review
Greg: There are some things about the Haworth Fern that some people don’t like and one of them is the headrest. That’s definitely the case for me and exactly why we actually have another one coming that doesn’t have a headrest or lumbar support.
For me, on this headrest, I don’t think it’s worth the extra cost. Again, it’s not cheap when you add this headrest. One of the things I noticed right away is that it feels like a rock. There doesn’t feel like there is any padding and the shape is awkward. There is only a very small spot for your head, so I couldn’t get comfortable and that was pretty annoying. It might be somewhat usable, but I hate it. I won’t put it all the way at the bottom, but it is going to end up pretty low.
Ryan: It has a concave, overstuffed feeling. It’s almost like they overpacked the padding to the point that it becomes hard. They needed to take some out so that you could at least sink into the foam a little bit. Instead, you just sit right on top and it doesn’t conform at all to the curve in your neck. It really is an awkward shape.
Another thing I dislike is the fact that the headrest feels like it takes away from the movement of the backrest. Because you have something sitting on top of the flexible back that is rigid that you now have to fight against to move and stretch in the chair. For me, I would much prefer the chair without it and I’m really excited that we have one coming that isn’t going to have a headrest because I think I really think it takes away from the chair. I don’t think it’s quite as bad as the Steelcase, but I would have to say that it has to be somewhere between D and C for me, just because it doesn’t add anything to the chair.
Greg: One of the things I want to say here real quick before Robert gives his opinion is that if anyone asked me if it was usable and if I would recommend it, I would have to say that it is usable, but I would never want it. And I’d say, it is usable, but I would never want it. So I go D-tier because of those two things and the price. Essentially, there’s no good value coming from it.
Robert: As Ryan was saying, it’s such a chair that makes you want to be able to move around, but then you can’t really do it when you have this hard piece that’s right in your neck or the back of your head. I definitely would prefer this chair without the headrest. It’s exactly like they already mentioned; It’s just really hard and I have to adjust it too often. When I’m sitting up, it feels good in one spot, and then as soon as I recline, it slips up my head and then I want to move it down. It’s definitely not unusable, but I would put it in a D-tier. I would definitely get this chair without the headrest.
Greg: Would you recommend it to a friend?
Robert: If someone was dying to have a headrest on their chair and they were for sure going to get the Fern, I would say okay. If anything, they have free returns if you do not like it.
Greg: So if he doesn’t like you that much, he’s going to recommend the headrest.
SIDIZ T50 Headrest
Greg: This is the less expensive SIDIZ, not the $800 version and it looks like a million dollars …from far away.
Ryan: Once you grab it and feel the chair, it becomes clear that this is not a $1,000 chair. The Headrest is a perfect example of looks being deceiving. The one thing that I really dislike about the headrest is how flimsy it feels. It has a depth adjustment where you can tilt it forward and make it more aggressive, but it will never actually hold that position, which makes it a useless function. I think that the padding is pretty comfortable and I can get it in a position on my neck without feeling the frame. It feels really flimsy and doesn’t hold that forward position well, so I would have a tough time giving this one a high score.
Greg: You just literally read my mind. Every time I touched this chair when I was using it, it just felt cheap. I don’t know how else to explain it. There are other chairs on this list that have a similar build quality to the headrest and they don’t feel that cheap. It just feels light and flimsy and I could never get it comfortable on my head. It was always awkward. I found the chair itself to be awkward as well. But just looking at the headrest itself, it’s usable but awkward. So I’m going D-tier on this one for me. I’m going to find out what Robert thinks since he is a little bit taller.
Robert: This headrest is so hard to pull up that I literally ended up accidentally chucking it across the room when I was trying to adjust it. You basically have to get out of the chair to adjust it and avoid pulling it all the way out. I guess that means that it won’t have the problem of moving up and down on its own, but it is too small and has too much movement when you are using it. You have to be perfectly centered in the chair to even hit the headrest. This definitely has to be a D and I would actually get the chair without the headrest altogether.
Greg: So you’re thinking D Tier. I’m thinking D Tier. What’s Ryan thinking?
Ryan: I’m thinking D-tier, too. The only redeeming factor to me is that it looks good, but it doesn’t look so good that I could elevate it a tier higher like the COSM. So it’s just a D-tier headrest.
Eurotech Vera Headrest
Read Review: Eurotech Vera Chair Review
Greg: This is another one of those headrests that doesn’t do anything. It is fixed in its position and doesn’t seem like Ryan is super excited about this one either.
Ryan: Listen, if I’m going to be 100% honest with you, this is a chair that we sell. We sell a ton of these chairs. If you called me and asked me if you should get the headrest, I would just tell you no without even asking any more questions. The headrest doesn’t do anything. It doesn’t move up or down and doesn’t tilt. It’s pitched forward aggressively. Like the Leap’s, it has a small amount of padding. The plastic doesn’t match the rest of the chair. This is a prototypical F-tier headrest without question. For me, all it does is dig into the back of my skull because that’s where it ends up positioned. For me, it’s completely unusable and I don’t really see any redeeming factors. I think the chair is way better without the headrest.
Greg: I think you are right about a lot of the things you said, however, it fits me really well and because of that, I like it. The headrest fits my frame perfectly. I can admit that if you’re not me, it’s not going to fit. Clearly, it doesn’t fit and so he hates it.
I understand that it doesn’t match the chair and it doesn’t do anything, but because it fits me, I want to put it in C- tier. Keep in mind that ranking comes with a huge asterisk. If you’re not my height, then it’s probably not going to work the same. We do sell a lot of them, so people must like them. I go C Tier.
Ryan: The good thing is if you don’t like it, it’s super easy just to take off. It’s not super expensive to add, so it doesn’t wow anybody and it doesn’t move around at all but I think it’s comfortable for me and that’s what this is all about. So, I’m going C Tier.
Ryan: Robert, bring us back to reality here.
Robert: I have to go D because it doesn’t me either when I am sitting straight up. If I slouch down again, I can see where it would be pretty nice. At my full height, it also feels good when I recline. Since it doesn’t work when I am sitting upright, it has to be a D. In fact, I would be tempted to go with a B if I were ranking it in the recline position.
Ryan: It’s one of the most basic chairs on our list, so D isn’t a surprise.
Ikea Marcus Headrest
Greg: I don’t like anything about this headrest. I can use it, but it pushes my head forward awkwardly. You can’t move it at all. Since it is usable, it makes it to the D-tier, but there’s not much to talk about.
Ryan: Yeah, pretty short and sweet No head adjustment. No tilt adjustment and just a little bit of padding that also happens to be in the wrong spot. The material feels decent to me. It actually fits me so it manages to hit my head in the right spot, but it is essentially just a worse version of the Jarvfjallet. I still prefer it over some of our lower-ranking D-tier chairs, so I don’t think it deserves to drop all the way down to a[00:37:24] Yeah.n F.
Robert: It is a D. There’s not much to say. There’s a little pad there if you’re reclining, but it doesn’t hit me where I wanted it at all and you can’t adjust it. I guess it’s fine that it’s there because otherwise, you would just hit the top of the mesh. It’s not really adding anything extra, but it probably looks better with the headrest there, but I’m good with the D .
Branch Ergonomic Headrest
Greg: Let’s start with a quick story.
Ryan: I ordered all three Branch chairs at the same time, but the ergonomic chair was on backorder for four to six weeks. They sent the headrest immediately with the Task and Daily chairs. So I had the headrest for like six weeks or whatever and completely forgot about it by the time the chair arrived. Fortunately, I discovered it again when we decided to do this video, so it was perfect timing, but it is not the perfect headrest, much like the rest of the chair.
I really had high hopes for it, but the headrest doesn’t add enough for me to even recommend the Ergonomic over the two other chairs in their lineup. I just don’t think it’s very comfortable. It’s like the backrest where I can feel the frame and the material isn’t super comfortable.
Greg: The whole chair can feel cheap and saggy. With the headrest, it is only height adjustable and it doesn’t fit me. If the headrest is set too low, I can feel the top of the frame. When it is set too high, the bottom of the frame digs into your head. I could just never get comfortable in it, so for me, this is a D-tier. It doesn’t help that it is fairly expensive on the Branch site, which is in direct contradiction to their brand goal of making comfortable and affordable chairs.
Ryan: That’s where I was headed with it too. What do you think, Robert?
Ryan: I’m on the taller side: 6’2”, which is a little above average maybe. For me, my head goes over the top and hits the hard edge on the top of the headrest. I would have to put this in the unusable category, which I guess would drop it into a F-tier. Ultimately, I’m okay with a D ranking because I can see that it might be a little more comfortable for people of average height. It’s also very flimsy and you can easily see it shaky around as you use it. It does have one advantage when it comes to looks though. It’s completely matching and I think it actually makes the chair look a little nicer with it on there. But I would definitely not want this on the chair if I was buying this chair.
Ryan: That’s that straight D tier then.
Nightingale CXO Headrest
Read Review: Nightingale CXO Chair Review
Ryan: This headrest is interesting because it needs to fit you well in order to be comfortable and usable, which is the biggest factor to consider. I actually like the previous iteration of the CXO headrest better. In this newer version, they incorporated a height adjustment design that also rotates the headrest, which means that you basically have two adjustments in one. That might sound like a bonus, but I actually don’t like it because I think it makes the headrest move too much.
Aside from those two factors, I actually really like the headrest. Just because it’s well-cushioned and it’s comfortable. It’s positioned so that you don’t have to use it while tasking, but it’s really comfortable when you read it relaxing back. This is actually a chair that I have and have used for a long time. I don’t think that it has the chops to be up there with A-tier chairs. I’d probably lean more towards B just because of some of the disadvantages mentioned. However, it does fit me well and I think it’s pretty solid overall.
Greg: The thing about this headrest is that it fits you and it doesn’t fit me. It hits the top of my shoulders. And so for me, this is the only chair on the list that’s unusable at six feet tall. I haven’t met someone that actually can use it. This is F-tier for me and anybody that’s my height or above will probably quickly find out that it doesn’t fit. Robert is taller than me, so I’m assuming it won’t work for him.
Robert: It doesn’t fit me at all for sure. I can’t get it up high enough, which is too bad because I was purposely slouching to see if I could make it comfortable. When I slouched down and was actually able to get it more in place, it actually feels really nice. It’s a super padded product. If you’re at my height (6’2”) then I think I have to put it in F because I could never use this. If you are a little shorter or you have a shorter torso, then I can see this being really a comfortable headrest.
Ryan: It’s really too bad. The proportions of the chair are really odd because the seat, depth, and height are really conducive to tall people, but the backrest and the headrest are horrible for tall people. The backrest hits tall people in their shoulder blades and the headrest becomes unusable. It is just a disappointment because if it just went a little bit higher and accommodated taller people, I think that this would probably easily be a C or B chair for most people. There are just so many people that can’t use it, which is a bummer.
Greg: The good news is that we have pretty decent communication with the company and I know they’re working on some improvements. I don’t know if it’s completed yet, but they are well aware that the chair is too short. You can definitely be on the lookout for an updated version. If you’re on the fence about this chair and want a headrest, I’d wait. I wouldn’t purchase the chair right now unless you are under six feet tall.
Robert: Yeah, if you are 5’10’ or shorter, you shouldn’t have a problem. But any taller than that, just skip the chair altogether and don’t even roll the dice with the fit. I guess we’d have to average the scores to D just because if you can fit in it, it’s good. But if you can’t fit in it, it’s an F. I don’t know what to do here.
Greg: I’m going to put it in the F-tier without hesitation.
Robert: With no bonus points for the coat hanger?
Ryan: Honestly, the coat hanger is a downgrade from the previous version too though because the previous version had this big lip that you could easily hang stuff on. The new version isn’t as big and your coat will easily fall off, so no bonus points for the hanger feature on the headrest. It stays in the F-tier.
Additional Office Chair Resources
Don Howard
What happened to the bonus items?
We’ve also got a couple of bonus items at the end that I’m super excited about that cover what options you may have if you order a chair that doesn’t come with a factory headrest, so keep reading till the end.
SAGHAR AZIMI
Hi we have the Knoll series office chairs. We need separate neck support attachments that can be installed on our chairs. Is this something you guys offer?
BTOD.com
I’m sorry, but that is not something that we can help with. I would reach out to Knoll directly or do a search for replacement arm pads + series of chair name on Google.