If you are shopping for a high end office chair, like a Steelcase or Herman Miller, then you should also be considering purchasing a chair from Haworth. In this article, we will take a closer look at Haworth’s four most popular office chairs.
Full Disclaimer: We are an office furniture dealer and sell some of the premium ergonomic chairs 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?
Buying Haworth Chair Links
1. Haworth Soji
2025 Starting Price: $545.00 Where to Buy: Haworth.com | Amazon.com
This is Haworth’s base model and least expensive chair which retails for about $400. You can get it fully loaded for just under $500. There are also a few color combinations to choose from and this model is currently my favorite option among chairs under $500. It is a well-rounded chair that provides a lot of bang for your buck.
The warranty, which is the same across all four chairs, adds to the value of the chair. You will get 12 years of coverage on everything except for the upholstery, which has a five-year warranty. While this is slightly less coverage than you would get with Steelcase or Herman Miller, it is still up there with other industry leaders.
Haworth also offers a nice return policy when you buy directly from them. You will have 30 days to return the chair and you won’t have to pay for return shipping or restocking fees. Herman Miller, on the other hand, is now charging for return shipping fees.
When we are looking at the chair as a whole, it is a well built chair and Haworth has a great reputation in the industry. It is probably the best chair you will get for the price.
The chair comes with a nice adjustment package. It features a synchro tilt mechanism, which helps to create a smooth and ergonomic recline. While the recline doesn’t have a ton of range, it is perfect for tasking. There is also one locking position for the seat and the arms have a four way adjustment so that you can change the height, depth, width, and swivel.
There is also a nice lumbar support system that allows you to adjust the height of the support to find the perfect position. The seat is well padded without any hard edges. It is a little more on the firm side, but it should be comfortable for most people. I also find the backrest pretty comfortable. Overall, for a $500 office chair, I do really like the Soji and I don’t have anything bad to say about it.
2. Haworth Very
2025 Starting Price: $845.00 Where to Buy: Haworth.com
The Very is the next step up in the Haworth hierarchy and it comes with a decent price jump. A fully loaded chair will cost $800. It has a very similar build to the Soji, but you are getting some additional adjustments and functionalities. The first big difference is in the mechanism and how the chair reclines. In this case, there are three different locking positions and a fuller recline range.
The first mode allows you to have a free recline range. In the second position, the recline begins a little further back and you can easily recline backwards. The final position simply locks the chair in place and restricts the range of motion.
The chair also advertises a forward tilt feature, but I think this is a little misleading. While the chair does tilt forward, you have to sit on the very edge of the seat. If you sit all the way back in the seat, the chair will go right back to a normal position, so it isn’t actually a very useful feature.
The final big difference between the Soji and the Very is the independent lumbar support adjustment. You can use the knobs on the lumbar to individually adjust the tension on each side. This is a pretty unique feature that helps to set the chair apart.
In my opinion, I don’t think the value proposition is as strong with the Very. For an added $300, I don’t think you will necessarily get a huge upgrade when it comes to comfort. I will say that I do like the armrests on the Very more. They are larger and they don’t have the hard edges of the Soji. However, they are noticeably loud, which could be annoying to some people.
3. Haworth Zody
2025 Starting Price: $940.00 Where to Buy: Haworth.com | Amazon.com
The Zody is Haworth’s most popular ergonomic chair and my personal favorite out of the four we will be looking at. This chair costs about $130 more than the Very when it is fully loaded with a retail price of $880. For that added cost, you do get a major upgrade over the Very across the board.
The Zody has a better build quality, more adjustment options, and a much more comfortable seat. The seat features a higher grade of padding and the waterfall design adds to the comfort. The chair’s back is also more comfortable because you don’t sink into the mesh as much and feel the frame of the chair.
Another major difference that is unique to the Zody is the recline feature. Haworth actually has a distinct recline system design. The chair has two switches that control the recline range. In the first mode, you can lean all the way back. For anyone who loves to lean as far back as possible, the Zody comes with a massive range. The second chair mode limits the recline range, much like the Very. Another knob can be used to lock the chair in a certain position. Ultimately, the Zody offers four different recline modes and an incredibly smooth recline motion.
The Zody also comes with more solid armrests because of the better build quality. These armrests won’t make a ton of noise and the arm pads themselves are much more comfortable. They are super soft and come with nice, round edges.
Overall, I think this is one of the best chairs you can get for under $1,000, so if that is in your price range, I would highly recommend taking a close look at the Zody.
4. Haworth Fern
2025 Starting Price: $1,105.00 Where to Buy: Haworth.com
The Fern is quickly becoming more popular and is just one of the coolest chairs on the market right now. It features a ton of advanced technology and it has that high end look. It is a lot different from the previous three chairs we discussed and comes with lots of added features and functionalities.
First, it has a different mechanism that supports all the chair’s functions. The recline motion is most similar to the Soji and doesn’t provide the same depth as the Zody or Very, but it does come with five locking positions with the tilt limiter function.
I also really like the arm design, which is totally different from the other chairs. They have incorporated some articulating technology for a great height range and two different pivot points to swivel the armrests. This design allows for a much wider range of positions.
Perhaps the biggest distinguishing factor between the Fern and other Haworth chairs is the backrest design. The four-layer design is very soft and flexible that allows you to really sink into the chair. You have a lot more freedom of movement and you can easily stretch and move around in the chair.
The Fern we have in the office is outfitted with a headrest, but this is a special order and you will have to call Haworth directly to purchase one. However, I am not a big fan of the headrest because it is simply too firm and it only comes with height adjustment. Not only is it not very comfortable, it also detracts from some of the flexibility of the chair.
Again, this is one of the best and coolest chairs on the market. If the Fern is outside your price range, the Soji provides a great value and you really can’t go wrong with any of the Haworth chairs.
Rob Thornton
Any reason you don’t carry Haworth right now?
BTOD.com
We hope to in the future. It is not easy becoming an authorized retailer of the major brands.