Remember being a kid and being told to sit “crisscross apple sauce”? Well, I do. And if you’re anything like me, you can’t stay in one position in a chair all day. And it’s no wonder – sitting cross-legged was ingrained into our young minds. That’s where cross legged chairs come in.
No matter how hard I try to maintain good posture, long hours sitting in my chair find me slouched over with my legs crossed or sitting on one leg. Most office chairs can make it difficult to change positions. Armrests get in the way. Some seats aren’t wide enough. And they just aren’t designed to accommodate your crossed legs.
Even some of the best office chairs don’t allow for sitting crossed-legged. But if you do like sitting with your legs crossed, there are chairs out there that are specifically designed so you can comfortably sit in a cross-legged position.
So whether you need constant movement or you’re just really into yoga and meditation, we’ll look at some of the best cross legged office chairs to accommodate your style. Skip ahead using the links below or read on!
What Is the Best Cross Legged Chair?
#1. Pipersong Meditation Chair — Best Overall
With its elegant design and versatility, the Pipersong Meditation Chair is one of the best cross legged office chairs.
The Top Features
Versatile
The Pipersong Meditation Chair is one of the best office chair for sitting cross legged because of its versatility and different sitting positions. It allows you to sit on it like a standard office chair, sit cross legged, use it as a kneeling chair with one or both legs, or sit in a squat position with your feet flat on the footrest.
Good Investment
At over $300, it costs a bit more than some of the other office chairs here, but the investment could be worth it since it’s a multi-purpose chair.
Unlike the similarly priced Alexia Meditation seat, this can be used as your everyday office chair by simply swiveling the footrest out of the way.
The curved backrest provides some lumbar support and makes it comfortable to sit in for long hours.
Not for Big and Tall
The maximum weight capacity for the Pipersong Meditation chair is 250 pounds, although they recommend not exceeding 200 pounds. It’s important to note that the footrest can only hold up to 130 pounds and should not be used as a seat.
It only has a 15-inch seat, which is smaller than a normal office chair. It would comfortably hold the average person, but this is not a good fit for big and tall people.
Minimal Design
Although the 15-inch seat is smaller than traditional office chairs, this one won’t take up much space, which makes it a good fit in a small space.
The polyurethane leather gives it a sleek look, but it also means it’s easy to wipe clean.
The nearly 4-inch thick seat is height adjustable from 19.7 to 23.7 inches high, making it ideal for desks that are between 29 to 35 inches high.
#2. Alexia Meditation Seat — Most Portable
The Alexia Meditation Seat allows for ergonomic sitting by promoting good posture. It does this by propping up the buttocks and hips.
The Top Features
Portable
The Alexia Meditation Seat is our pick for the best portable seat for cross legged sitting. Because it isn’t technically a normal chair and weighs only 15 pounds, it can be moved wherever you want to use it.
All Sizes
Although easy to move, it isn’t tiny. At 27 inches by 33 inches, it can comfortably hold people of all sizes. It doesn’t have a weight capacity.
Because of its size, it might be better suited for taller people to get the full benefits of cross legged sitting.
Shorter people may not fill out the seat as well.
Yoga and Meditation
Its ideal purpose is meditation, hence the name. But unlike the Pipersong Meditation Chair, this one can’t double as a standard office chair. I supposed you could work from the floor, but it’s really not meant for working in.
It isn’t the cheapest one here, but if your goal is a comfortable meditation seat, the Alexia Meditation Seat is the best cross legged office chair option.
This is designed to be used on a floor, although technically you could use it on another surface if you want the seat height to be a bit higher. It would just need to be large enough to accommodate the fairly large seat.
Comfort Meets Posture
This eases the tension on your hips by providing a resting spot for your knees, meaning you can sit comfortably as you focus more on mindfulness and less on painfulness.
Environmentally Friendly
The vegan leather is not only environmentally friendly, but it also looks nice, holds up over time, and is easy to clean. This is a great option for yoga lovers.
#3. Flash Furniture Hercules Series — Best Big and Tall
Because of its armless design, large roomy seat, and higher weight limit, the Flash Furniture Hercules Series wins the best big and tall cross legged office chair.
The Top Features
Made for Big and Tall
The Flash Furniture Hercules Series Big and Tall office chair is our favorite big and tall cross legged chair. It’s one of the best cross legged office chairs because of the size of the seat. For other big and tall office chairs, check out this list.
The 20-inch by 22-inch wide seat has a 400-pound weight capacity, making it a better option than the Pipersong Meditation Chair for those over 200 pounds.
Because this cross legged office chair has no armrests, there is plenty of room to cross your legs without interference.
Back Support
Because this is a more conventional office chair, it has a full backrest, providing lumbar support when you aren’t using it to sit in your chair cross legged.
If you aren’t into the meditation aspect of cross legged sitting, this office chair will provide all-day comfort while you work. The roomy seat raises from 19.5 to 22.5 inches high, which will fit under most desks if you are using this like conventional office chairs.
If you want to sit cross legged, you may need to use it as the lowest setting to get additional clearance for your legs.
Affordable
Although this isn’t designed as a cross legged office chair, it is still a good option for those too big to comfortably fit into the other chairs. And at under $300, it’s more affordable than the Pipersong and Alexia meditation chairs.
This chair is made of synthetic leather, which is easy to clean, but it will peel over time. It isn’t as sleek as the other options, but it’s sturdier if weight is your concern.
#4. Topay Cross Legged Kneeling Chair — Best Value
The Top Features
Great Value
The Topay Cross Legged Kneeling Chair is the best value because of its price point and versatility. It is significantly cheaper than the similar-looking Soul Seat.
Like the Pipersong Meditation Chair, this chair allows you to sit in a variety of sitting positions – kneeling, sitting cross legged, and squatting.
Although you can sit in different positions, because you can’t move the footrest out of the way, it isn’t ideal for standard sitting.
Sturdy
The seat part of this chair is not as deep as the Pipersong, but it is wider. The widest part of the second level is 27 inches, so there is plenty of room to fit your legs.
It also has a weight capacity of up to 350 pounds, which makes it a better fit for those over 200 pounds.
Small Spaces
Although there is no backrest, this chair is comfortable enough to work all day. Its minimal design makes it a great fit for small spaces.
Because there is no backrest, it can hide away under your desk. At its lowest, it measures only 22.5 inches high.
Durable and Sleek
This chair, like the others here, is easy to clean. It’s made of durable PU leather, so you won’t have to worry about spills.
Overall Thoughts
The Topay Cross Legged Kneeling Chair is priced under $300 and holds more weight, making it the best value cross legged office chair on the list.
#5. DRAGONN by Vivo Ergonomic Kneeling Chair — Best Kneeling
The Top Features
If sitting crossed-legged isn’t as important to you as kneeling is, the DRAGONN by Vivo Ergonomic Kneeling Chair is a good budget option.
Made for Kneeling
One of the best office chairs for kneeling is the DRAGONN by VIVO Ergonomic Kneeling Chair. At under $150, it’s also the cheapest of all the chairs here. However, it only allows you to sit kneeling, not sit cross legged.
Padded for Comfort
The 22-inch seat has a 250-pound weight capacity. The seat height adjustable padding allows you to change the angle to suit your comfort level.
The seat cushion and knee cushion are well padded, with over 3 inches of thickness for extra comfort.
Kneeling Benefits
The benefits of this type of chair are that it will promote good posture, ease back pain from slouching in other office chairs, and strengthen your abs.
It can be used as your everyday office chair, but some people might find sitting in it all day too uncomfortable.
Not for Tall
Although it can hold people of all heights, it is ideal for people under 6 feet tall. Your feet will likely touch the ground if you are taller than 6 feet.
The faux leather is easy to clean, and when this is not in use, it tucks away nicely under a desk. It takes up very little space, so it’s great if you have a smaller room.
Caster Complaints
The biggest complaint with this chair is the casters. They don’t swivel in all directions, although they can be removed.
If you don’t plan to move around, this may not be a problem. But if you want to be able to freely move, you may need to replace those casters.
Armless Office Chairs for Sitting Cross Legged
Some of the best cross legged office chairs have no arms so you can use up all of the seat widths for your legs. But these ones even have no wheels, so if you really want to stay in place or maybe meditate, you can do so without distractions.
#1) Lemberi Fabric Office Chair
The Top Features
Fabric
For a good cross legged office chair with no wheels, the Lemberi armless desk chair has you covered. If meditation is the name of the game, you will love the ability to sit cross legged in one position, without worrying about rolling around.
The fabric upholstery makes it comfortable, and the U-shaped chair design helps to relieve pressure on your hips. The seat height ranges from 13 inches up to 18 inches off the ground, so you can keep it low to meditate or high if you’re working.
Wide Seat
The extremely wide 25-inch seat can support up to 350 pounds, and you can also tilt back if you do plan to sit with your feet firmly on the ground. And with an armless design, you really can use every inch of the wide seat.
Assembly is easy, and they offer a free replacement of parts for up to a year.
#2) Pukami Armless Office Chair
The Top Features
No Wheels
Another wheel-less office chair, this is a great cross legged office chair if you don’t want distractions. Stay in one place and focus solely on the work.
The Pukami cross legged office chair is much like the Lemberi, but this one has a PU leather covering, rather than a fabric upholstery. It will wipe clean easier, but it may run a bit warmer in the summer months.
Wide Seat
This chair also has a 25-inch wide seat and no armrests to get in the way of your cross legged sitting. It can also support up to 350 pounds.
Where the Lemberi cross legged office chair can only go up to 18 inches high, the Pukami can adjust 5 inches so you can sit from 18 inches at its lowest setting and up to 23 inches at its highest.
This makes it a slightly better option for an office chair if you will be working at a desk. It also tilts back up to 130 degrees, which is slightly more than the Lemberi.
Final Verdict
The Best Overall
If you want the best overall cross legged office chair, the Pipersong Meditation Chair provides the most versatility. You can sit in so many different positions, and the swivel footrest is the perfect solution to be able to use it as a standard office chair.
Kneeling
If weight is a concern for you, try the Topay Cross Legged Kneeling Chair, if you don’t mind the lack of a backrest.
Big and Tall
The Flash Furniture Hercules Series Big and Tall gives you an extra-wide seat and full backrest.
If meditation or yoga is your primary focus with the cross legged office chairs, the very portable Alexia Meditation Seat is the best option because it holds people of all sizes and weights and provides great support for your hips.
Budget
If sitting cross legged isn’t your main concern, the DRAGONN by VIVO Ergonomic Kneeling Chair is the best budget option if you just want the benefits of kneeling.
What are the Benefits of Cross Legged Sitting?
Sitting cross legged has many health benefits. Cross legged sitting can improve your range of motion by opening up your hips. It also stretches your muscles and improves blood flow.
Although some people slouch when they cross their legs, cross legged office chairs are designed to improve your posture by forcing you to sit up straight.
This also helps reduce back pain, which is a common complaint of people who tend to sit all day.
Sitting cross legged will increase your blood pressure, but this will lower again when you uncross your legs. To avoid an extensive increase in blood pressure, take short breaks every 30 to 60 minutes.
This is a good rule of thumb, anyway, when sitting in office chairs for prolonged periods of time.
How Do I Sit Cross Legged on a Chair?
If you find it uncomfortable to sit cross legged, it could be that your body isn’t used to it. There are exercises that can help make sitting crossed-legged a bit easier for you so you can comfortably sit cross legged whenever you want.
Stretches to Help with Sitting Cross Legged
Child’s Pose
The child’s pose helps create flexible hamstrings and quads, making sitting crossed-legged less painful.
1. Start by getting down on your hands and knees.
2. Spread your knees apart with your feet still touching.
3. Rest your buttocks on top of the backs of your heels.
4. Sit up straight and take a deep breath.
5. Release your breath, bend your upper body forward, and bring your upper body down toward your thighs.
6. Rest your forehead on the floor and extend your arms all the way out, with your palms facing down.
7. You can also bring your arms back, lying flat next to your legs, with your palms facing up.
Pigeon Pose
The pigeon pose helps with hip mobility to make sitting cross legged more comfortable.
1. Get on your hands and feet and bring your right knee forward towards your right wrist.
2. Your right ankle should be in front of your left hip. The exact position will depend on your flexibility.
3. Pull your left leg straight back with your heel pointing up and your toes lying flat on the floor.
4. Keeping your hips level, bring your legs in towards each other. Use a cushion if needed to keep your hips level.
5. Inhale and drop your hands to either side of your legs, lengthening your spine as you do.
6. Exhale and walk your hands forward, lowering your upper body towards the floor.
Toe Touch
The toe touch helps stretch out the leg muscles to make sitting cross legged easier.
Standing Toe Touch
1. Stand up with your feet shoulder-width apart.
2. While keeping your legs straight, bend your upper body down, letting your arms hang loose toward your toes as far as they can go.
Seated Toe Touch
1. Sit up straight, with your legs stretched out straight in front of you.
2. Bend your upper body down toward the floor, reaching your arms out towards your toes as far as they can go.
Vajrasana
The Vajrasana stretch helps stretch out the thigh muscles so you can sit cross legged without pain.
1. Kneel down on the floor with your knees together.
2. Keeping your knees and feet pressed together, the tops of your feet should be touching the ground.
3. Exhale while sitting backward onto your legs.
4. Rest your buttocks on your heels.
5. Sit up tall and straighten your spine as you breathe in and out.
6. Keeping your head looking forward, place your hands loosely on your thighs.