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A £500 budget can go a long way when you shop for a refurbished office chair. Rather than limiting yourself to new mid-range seating, you can consider commercial-grade models from manufacturers such as Herman Miller, Steelcase, Humanscale, RH, Knoll and Orangebox.
At The Office Chair Man, we regularly stock refurbished chairs from these brands at prices well below £500. Some come in at less than £250, while others sit closer to the top of the budget because they include more advanced adjustment, premium finishes or additional features.
Price alone does not tell you which chair is right for you. Fit, adjustability, seat depth, arm options, recline, lumbar support and the way you work all matter.
This guide looks at what a sub-£500 budget can realistically buy, how refurbishment works, which specifications are worth comparing and what to check before placing an order.
Did you know? A refurbished premium office chair can sometimes cost less than half of a £500 budget. Would you spend more for extra adjustment, or choose the best-value model that fits your needs?
A £500 budget gives you access to a broad range of refurbished premium seating, and you do not necessarily need to spend the full amount.
At the time of writing, The Office Chair Man has examples such as Steelcase Think V2 chairs around £240 to £264, a Herman Miller Setu at £234, a Herman Miller Aeron Classic configuration at £360 and a Knoll Life Executive Chair at £265.
That spread shows that the refurbished market can give you several different routes into higher-specification office seating.
Here is a snapshot of what has recently been available:
| Refurbished chair | Price at time of writing | Selected listed features |
| Humanscale Freedom Task Chair | £168 | Height-adjustable arms, height-adjustable back, sliding seat, synchronised movement |
| Steelcase Please V2 | £234 | Sliding seat, synchro movement, adjustable arms, back tilt lock |
| Steelcase Think V2 | £240 to £264 | Variants with different arm specifications |
| RH 400 High Back | £245 | Sliding seat, pneumatic lumbar tensioner, adjustable arms |
| Herman Miller Mirra V1 | £288 | Adjustable lumbar support, extendable seat, forward tilt on listed examples |
| Herman Miller Aeron Classic Size B | £360 | Mesh chair, Size B configuration, no arms on the listed example |
| Steelcase Leap V2 | £390 | LiveBack backrest, sliding seat, adjustable arms, tension controls |
Prices and stock change as refurbished chairs are sold and new batches arrive, so always check the live listing before buying.
If you want to compare by price band, our used office chairs between £250 and £500 page is a useful place to start. Buyers with a tighter budget can also browse used office chairs between £100 and £250.
There is an important difference between buying an unknown second-hand chair privately and buying a refurbished chair from a specialist supplier.
At The Office Chair Man, our used office chairs are checked before sale. This includes mechanical checks and cleaning, with the aim of making sure the chair is ready for continued use. We also deep clean used seating, and upholstery can be replaced or changed where required.
That matters because premium office chairs often contain several moving or adjustable components. A chair may have a sliding seat, adjustable armrests, a recline mechanism, lumbar adjustment, tilt lock, a height-adjustable backrest or a combination of several systems. Cosmetic condition is only one part of the picture.
When you buy refurbished, it is worth looking at:
Refurbishment also gives existing furniture a longer useful life, which can be practical for businesses replacing several workstations.
It is still sensible to compare carefully. Not every refurbished chair will suit every user, and a recognisable brand name is not enough on its own. Our guide to whether used office chairs are worth it covers the main advantages, limitations and checks in more detail.
The models below show the sort of premium office seating that can fall within a £500 refurbished budget. Availability changes, so treat them as examples rather than permanent price promises.
The Steelcase Leap V2 is one of the strongest examples of how far a refurbished budget can stretch. At the time of writing, a Leap V2 is listed by The Office Chair Man at £390 including VAT.
The listed chair includes:
The sliding seat is particularly useful if you want to adjust seat depth rather than accept one fixed sitting position. The Office Chair Man also notes that this can be useful for people with longer legs.
Steelcase describes Leap as a highly adjustable chair, with LiveBack technology designed to allow the backrest to change shape as the user moves. That makes the Leap V2 worth considering if you want several ways to fine-tune your sitting position.
As with any refurbished chair, check the exact listing rather than assuming every Leap V2 has an identical specification. Arm type, fabric, condition and other details can vary.
You can browse more used Steelcase chairs to compare the Leap with other models from the same manufacturer.
Herman Miller is one of the best-known names in office seating, and a refurbished budget under £500 can put several of its models within reach.
At the time of writing, examples from The Office Chair Man have included:
The key lesson here is that model and specification both matter.
The Aeron is available in different sizes, so buyers should check whether a particular chair is Size A, B or C. The £360 example above is a Size B model without arms, which is an important part of its specification and price.
The Mirra V1 gives buyers another route into Herman Miller seating. Examples listed by The Office Chair Man have included features such as adjustable lumbar support, an extendable seat and forward tilt.
Setu is a different proposition again. It is simpler in appearance and can sit lower in the refurbished price range, making it useful for buyers who want a Herman Miller chair without automatically moving towards the top of the £500 budget.
See our current used Herman Miller chairs to compare live stock.
The RH 400 is a useful example for buyers who care more about adjustability than brand visibility.
At the time of writing, The Office Chair Man lists an RH 400 High Back Orthopaedic Operator Chair at £245 including VAT. Its listed specification includes:
A later three-button RH 400 Executive model with a headrest has also been listed at £480, showing how specification can move a chair within the same family much closer to the top of a £500 budget.
The important point is not that one RH 400 is automatically better than another. It is that buyers should compare the exact mechanisms, arms, backrest, headrest and lumbar features included with each listing.
The RH range is particularly useful to compare if you want multiple adjustment points and prefer to set the chair up around your own working position.
Browse our used RH chairs for current options.
Not every premium refurbished chair needs to cost £300 or £400.
At the time of writing, the Humanscale Freedom Task Chair is listed at £168 including VAT. The listed specification includes height-adjustable arms, a height-adjustable back, a sliding seat and synchronised seat and back movement.
Humanscale takes a different approach from chairs that rely on a large number of manual levers and controls. The manufacturer describes the Freedom as using a weight-sensitive recline, allowing the chair to respond to the user as they sit and move.
That makes it a useful comparison point against models such as the Steelcase Leap V2 or RH 400. Some buyers prefer to make detailed manual adjustments. Others prefer a chair designed to respond more automatically.
The Freedom also illustrates why it makes sense to search the whole sub-£500 market rather than focusing only on chairs priced close to £500. A recognised commercial model can sometimes be available for well under half that amount.
You can compare current refurbished Humanscale chairs on our website.
If your budget is closer to £250 than £500, Steelcase still gives you several refurbished options to consider.
At the time of writing, examples include:
The Please V2 listing includes a two-piece high backrest, height-adjustable arms, sliding seat, synchro seat and back movement, height-adjustable back, back tilt lock, mechanism tension adjustment and three-dimensional arms.
These examples show why it is worth looking beyond the headline model name. Two Steelcase chairs at a similar price can give you different combinations of controls, arm types and movement.
Other manufacturers can also appear in this part of the market. Knoll Generation and Orangebox Do models regularly feature in refurbished office chair stock, so buyers who are flexible on brand can compare a wider range of options.
The best way to compare refurbished chairs is by specification and fit rather than by choosing a brand first.
Look for features such as:
Models such as the Steelcase Leap V2, Steelcase Please V2 and RH 400 are useful examples because their listed specifications include several forms of adjustment.
Mesh chairs such as the Herman Miller Aeron and Mirra offer a different sitting feel from upholstered models.
Do not assume that mesh automatically means more comfortable. Look at the whole chair, including sizing, lumbar support, seat design, armrests and tilt mechanism.
Our used mesh office chairs category can help you compare current options.
A chair such as the Humanscale Freedom is worth comparing because its design relies more heavily on responsive movement and weight-sensitive recline.
That may suit someone who does not want to make frequent manual adjustments, although personal preference still matters.
Stock quantity becomes just as important as individual specification.
For office fit-outs, it may be more practical to choose a model available in a larger matching batch than to focus on one specific chair with only a few units available. Refurbished stock changes constantly, so contact us if you need multiple matching chairs.
Before buying, compare:
A model name does not tell you everything.
An Aeron with no arms is a different proposition from an Aeron with adjustable arms. The same applies to headrests, lumbar options, tilt functions and seat-depth controls across other brands.
Read the individual listing carefully.
Look at what has been checked, cleaned or replaced before sale.
At The Office Chair Man, our used office chairs go through mechanical checks and cleaning before they are offered for sale. For a chair with several moving components, those checks matter.
Sizing can be especially important with certain premium chairs.
The Herman Miller Aeron, for example, is produced in Sizes A, B and C. Make sure the chair you are considering is the right size rather than assuming every Aeron is identical.
Refurbished furniture is finite stock.
A chair that is available today may sell out, while another batch or specification may appear later. Check live availability and current pricing before making a final decision.
If your total budget is £500, remember to allow for delivery rather than spending the full amount on the chair.
The Office Chair Man currently charges £65 for standard single-item delivery to mainland UK, subject to the exclusions listed on our delivery page.
That means a £500 total budget leaves £435 for the chair itself if the standard £65 single-item delivery charge applies.
For larger orders, contact us because a more economical delivery arrangement may be available. You can see the current terms on our delivery information page.
Yes. At the time of writing, The Office Chair Man has listed Herman Miller Setu, Mirra V1 and a specific Aeron Classic Size B configuration below £500. Stock and specifications change, so check the current listings before ordering.
Yes. At the time of writing, a refurbished Steelcase Leap V2 is listed at £390 including VAT.
No. A refurbished chair is pre-owned. Check its condition, specification and the supplier’s refurbishment process, and make sure the features suit the way you work.
Do not assume that a warranty automatically applies. The Office Chair Man’s current FAQ states that, unless expressly agreed in writing, The Office Chair Man gives no warranty. Check the terms that apply to your purchase before ordering.
You can read our FAQs for more information.
A £500 budget can give you a wide choice of refurbished premium office chairs, including models from Steelcase, Herman Miller, RH, Humanscale, Knoll and Orangebox.
More importantly, you may not need to spend £500. Current examples range from a £168 Humanscale Freedom and a £234 Steelcase Please V2 to a £390 Steelcase Leap V2 and a £480 RH 400 Executive with headrest.
The right choice comes down to specification, fit, condition and the way you work. Compare those carefully, include delivery in your budget and check current stock before deciding.
