Review: Staples Dexley Ergonomic Mesh Chair

Spend more money on a quality office chair if you want something that will last a long time and offer more comfort. It's easy for me to spout that wisdom, but at the end of the day, everyone has a budget. When you're juggling rising costs in nearly every product category, on top of increasing rent and grocery prices, it's hard to justify dropping more than $1,000 on a Herman Miller Aeron.

If you need an office chair right now and can't spend a lot, Staples has long been the place to get something decently reliable. I've recommended the Staples Hyken as a great sub-$200 chair for years, but I've now had a chance to sit with (heh) the newer Staples Dexley, which similarly has a perma-discounted price of $170 (though it has dipped even lower during sale events). If you can save and spend more, you absolutely should, but it's hard to find much better on a budget.

Photograph: Julian Chokkattu

Basic Black Office Chair

The Dexley came in a surprisingly compact box compared to most office chairs I've tested. That might not be a big deal, but I've had to unbox some chairs outside my home in the past because the box was too big to fit through the door, so I appreciate a smart packaging solution. You need to assemble it all yourself, but the instructions are clear, and it took me roughly 15 to 20 minutes, though I am well-versed in the art of office chair assembly.

As you build it, you'll notice that it is mostly made of plastic. That's expected on an office chair at this price, and the chair's design is nothing to write home about. Look up office chair on Amazon or any retail platform, and they'll all resemble the Dexley. Some color would at least help this chair pop, and thankfully, you can snag it in white or blue (my test unit is a dull black).

This is an all-mesh chair, and its main benefit is airflow. If you often get warm in your seat, a mesh chair allows your body temperature to escape instead of trapping it, as it does in chairs with foam seats. The mesh does its job here, though I have found its quality a little rough. Usually, it's not a problem, but it doesn't feel great when I'm in shorts and there's direct skin-to-mesh contact. Also, due to the curve of the lower backrest, my shirt rides up as I shift and move in this chair, and I have to pull it back down a few times a day. I haven't had to do that on many other chairs.

Photograph: Julian Chokkattu

Staples includes a headrest, which is comfy but a bit too bouncy when you lean your head against it. You can adjust its height and tilt it up and down to support your neck. I don't care for headrests, so I haven't used the one here much.

The one feature I reach for the most is the recline. Pull out the lever on the right side to unlock the recliner, allowing you to lean back to a comfortable position. You can push the lever to lock the recline function in three positions: fully reclined, slightly reclined, and upright. I gravitated toward upright and slightly reclined most of the time, with the latter proving quite nice at the end of the work day when I wanted to escape into something more fun.

The knob at the bottom of the seat adjusts the recline tension—it's in an annoying spot that isn't the easiest to reach, but I don't expect most people will be hunting for it all that often. Set it once to the tension you prefer and forget it. You have to twist it several times to get more or less give.

Photograph: Julian Chokkattu

You can adjust the seat's height, but unfortunately, you cannot customize the seat's depth. The depth adjustment allows taller folks to have the seat pushed out for better support. Again, this isn't very common on budget chairs, so it's unsurprising. I would have preferred the seat to come out an extra 2 inches or so for my 6'4" frame, which might explain why I used my footrest a fair bit with this chair.

The seat felt wide enough for me, which means it might be too wide for shorter people. (The Staples Hyken might be a better fit, as it's slightly narrower and shorter, but otherwise very similar.) One part at the front of the seat has a bit of extra-firm padding, and it feels noticeably different from the rest of the mesh seat, which feels like you're sinking in a little. This puts a slight pressure on my thighs, which is mostly noticeable when reclining. In the upright position and with my feet on the ground, I didn't notice it much. Just remember that, over time, it's common for the seat mesh to lose its strength and sink in, which might put more pressure on your body.

The mesh backrest is wide enough, from the shoulders to the love handles, cradling my body just right. I wouldn't call it comfortable, but I felt decently supported, and I haven't experienced any back pain. (It has a 275-pound weight capacity.) I wish there were more adjustment options for the lumbar support, though. You can only move it up or down to match the curve of your spine, but I find that it digs in a little too much, and I'd push it out if I could.

Photograph: Julian Chokkattu

The seat arms are as bare-bones as they come. You can't twist or move them closer or further from your body—just up and down. (Technically, you can make it wider or narrower, but you have to unscrew them from the frame and adjust the position.) It works OK, but I'd push them forward slightly if I could. As for the casters, they move around on my hardwood floor just fine, but I can't speak to how well they roll on carpet.

Budgeting Conundrum

I've tested nearly 60 chairs over the last few years, most north of $350. When a chair does come across my desk (heh) and it's under $200, it's often poorly constructed and has too many flaws, which is why you don't see many of them in my Best Office Chairs guide.

The Dexley has flaws, but it's still a solid chair I'm happy to recommend for anyone on a strict budget. It doesn't creak or make terrible sounds when you shift in the seat, unlike some chairs I've tried, and you get a decent set of adjustments. But if you can save another $100, your money will go further with a chair like Branch's Ergonomic Chair (it'll look nicer, too).

Photograph: Julian Chokkattu

The first result on Amazon for “office chair” is this no-name gaming chair for $100, and you might think that's a much better deal. It looks comfier too. But I implore you: Don't buy it. I spent a few years in one of these cheapo “racing” chairs and ended up with severe lower back pain. That’s what fueled my search for good office chairs. The Dexley will serve you better.

And if it doesn't, there's good news. You probably have a Staples store near you. If the chair is in stock, head on over and give it a try yourself. That's a luxury over many budget or even mid-priced office chairs sold directly today. If you choose to buy it online, Staples offers free returns. If you don't want to bother deconstructing the chair and shipping it back, you can bring it to a Staples store to process the return, provided you include everything and it's still in pristine condition. That's a smart way to make sure you enjoy the seat, budget or not.