Whether you’re looking for sustainable accent chairs, desk chairs, or dining chairs, this guide will help you find just what you’re looking for.
What Are Sustainable Chairs?
Before we get into the brands, let’s talk about the criteria for a “sustainable chair”. As with anything in sustainability, there isn’t necessarily a black-or-white definition, but here are some general guidelines to keep in mind.
Eco-Friendly Materials
Recycled and low impact natural materials are ideal when it comes to searching for that perfect eco-friendly chair.
Some materials you may want to look for are recycled aluminum (which is naturally rust-resistant) and reclaimed or sustainably-harvested hardwood.
For upholstered chairs, look for fabrics like organic cotton, hemp, linen, and recycled fabrics. And for the foam, some alternatives to synthetic foam include natural organic latex, coconut fiber, and organic wool.
Non-Toxic Finishes
When looking for wood furniture, check to see if the furnishes are free of toxic chemicals. Zero-VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds) is best and there are also many low-VOC options. Just try to leave any low-VOC furniture outside for a bit before taking it into your home if you can! [Check out more non-toxic home tips in this post.]
Responsible and Sustainable Production Practices
Given how heavy and bulky furniture is, local production is particularly important since the emissions from shipping can really add up.
Searching for domestic production is great, and local production within the area/state of the company can allow for even better transparency.
Where to Find Sustainable Chairs
Now, let’s get into where you can find eco-friendly chairs that meet some or all of this criteria! We’ll start off with some options to find used chairs and then get into the brands with sustainably-made chairs.
Note that this guide includes partners and affiliates. As always, all brands featured meet strict criteria for sustainability and are brands we truly love — and that we think you’ll love too!
Secondhand Sources for Eco-Friendly Chairs
Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist are two classic options when it comes to finding used furniture! Here are some others to know:
OfferUp (buy and sell locally)
AptDeco (available in New York metro, Philadelphia metro, and Bay Area)
Chairish (vintage)
EBTH (like an online estate sale)
EstateSales.net (for finding in-person estate sales!)
Places to Find New Eco-Friendly Chairs
If you can’t find what you’re looking for secondhand, check out these brands and retailers with eco-friendly office chairs, dining chairs, armchairs, and more.
Looking for outdoor chairs? Check out this guide to outdoor furniture.
Best Non-Toxic: Savvy Rest
Savvy Rest is a seriously impressive non-toxic furniture brand that has every single element covered when it comes to sustainable chairs! The Verona Organic Armchair is made using GOTS-certified organic cotton and/or hemp upholstery, organic wool batting, sustainably-sourced solid hardwood maple, Cradle-to-Cradle Gold Certified Natural Talalay latex foam, natural coir, jute webbing, and zero-VOC finishes.
Conscious Qualities: Organic & Eco Materials, Sustainable Wood, Non-Toxic Finishes, Locally Made
Price Range: $2,699-$2,999
Use Code CONSCIOUSSTYLE20 for 20% off!
Shipping: White Glove delivery within continental U.S. Contact their team for shipping quotes outside of the 48 contiguous states.
Best Luxury: Maiden Home
Proving that furniture can be both beautiful and responsibly made, Maiden Home’s sustainable accent chairs and dining chairs are handcrafted in North Carolina from premium quality, eco-minded materials like 100% pure linen, recycled steel springs, and soy-based foam.
The woman-founded brand partners directly with artisans to bring you the best quality at affordable prices — and ensure transparent production.
Conscious Qualities: Made-to-Order in North Carolina, Non-Toxic, Responsibly Sourced Hardwood
Price Range: $1,325 – $2,250
Shipping: Free white glove delivery within contiguous U.S. + some locations in Canada
Best Outdoor Chairs: Made Trade
Sustainable retailer Made Trade has a variety of eco-friendly dining chairs, office chairs, and accent chairs made from thoughtful materials like sustainably sourced hardwood and recycled aluminum.
Conscious Qualities: Sustainable Materials & Practices, Carbon Neutral Certified Company
Price Range: $420-$1,150
Shipping: Ships furniture within the US only
Best Circularity Practices: Sabai
In addition to using recycled & upcycled fibers for their sofas, Sabai has two circularity programs: Repair Don’t Replace — where you can find individual parts — and Sabai Revive where you can sell back your Sabai furniture or buy previously owned furniture for a lower cost.
Conscious Qualities: Recycled and Sustainably-Sourced Materials, Repair Program, Resale Program
Price Range: $745 – $795
Shipping: Ships within U.S. and Canada
Best Fair Trade: The Citizenry
Handcrafted and made-to-order with the finest materials like solid walnut and performance fabrics to withstand the test of time, The Citizenry’s sustainable chairs are well-positioned to become heirloom pieces.
The Citizenry partners with artisans around the world for all of their pieces, ensuring fair trade conditions and wages for the makers behind their products. Their fair trade chairs are made in Indonesia (teak and rattan chairs) and Northern California (upholstered chairs).
Price Range: $399 – $1,799
Shipping: Ships furniture within the U.S. only
Best Office Chairs: noho
The sustainable office chair meets dining chair from noho is not only designed to maximize ergonomic comfort, but it’s made using ECONYL regenerated nylon sourced from ocean waste. And, the chair is made in a production facility that uses 80%+ renewable energy.
Conscious Qualities: Recycled Materials, Made with Renewable Energy
Price: $375
Shipping: Free shipping within the contiguous U.S.
Most Options: Burrow
Out to transform the way furniture is made and sold, Burrow makes modular furniture that can expand and grow as your needs change. You can easily combine many of their armchairs and ottomans with sofas for a sectional!
The eco-friendly armchairs are made with responsibly-forested wood and non-toxic upcycled fabric upholstery.
Conscious Qualities: Responsibly-Sourced Wood, Eco-Conscious Fabric, Modular & Adaptable
Price Range: $425- $1,790
Shipping: Free shipping within the continental U.S.
Best Sustainability Practices: Medley
Non-toxic furniture brand Medley creates quality non-toxic and eco-minded furnishings, and their armchair collection is no exception. You’ll find sustainable chairs crafted just for you in LA using materials like FSC-certified hardwood, CertiPUR-US® certified foam, and organic natural latex.
Conscious Qualities: Non-Toxic and Eco Materials, Domestic Production
Price Range: $1,060-$1,940
Shipping: Ships internationally; contact to get quotes for shipping outside of the US
Best Design: West Elm
A large furniture brand making some significant strides in implementing sustainable options, West Elm lets you filter by elements like Green Guard Certified and Sustainably Sourced. The Sustainably Sourced collection includes eco-friendly chairs made with materials like FSC-Certified wood and linen fabric.
Our favorite pick? The Mara Hoffman chair made in collaboration with the sustainable fashion brand of the same name.
Conscious Qualities: Options with FSC-Certified Wood, Natural Fabric, Contract Grade Quality, Green Guard Certified
Price Range: $699 – $3,197
Shipping: Ships within U.S. to home or local West Elm store
Best Dining Chairs: Urban Natural
Urban Natural has many eco-minded options in their vast selection of furnishings. They have eco-friendly dining chairs made from sustainably sourced hardwood and armchairs from brands like Environment by Cisco Home made with organic materials.
Conscious Qualities: Eco-Minded Natural Materials & Processes
Price Range: $450-$7,000
Shipping: White Glove delivery in the contiguous U.S. for $250 flat rate (free for orders $2,500+)
And that wraps it up! I hope you found this guide to sustainable chairs useful, whether you were looking for desk chairs, upholstered chairs, or dining chairs. For outdoor chairs, check out this sustainable outdoor furniture guide.
Liked this guide to sustainable chairs? Check out these other furniture guides:
The Best Non-Toxic Sofas for Truly Restful Relaxation
Gorgeous Sustainable Tables to Gather Around
Ethical Home Decor Brands for Your Conscious Space
The post The 10 Best Eco-Friendly Chairs for Sustainable Seating (2024) appeared first on Conscious Life & Style.
The 10 Best Eco-Friendly Chairs for Sustainable Seating (2024)
Just like fashion has been overrun by fast fashion, home goods and furniture have similarly seen a rapid decline in quality. Rugs are no exception.
And similar to fashion, these cheap goods come at a high cost — namely, to the planet and to people. In fact carpet and rug production is rampant with exploitation.
On the other hand, fair trade rugs present the best of what a rug can bring to your home: artistry, craftsmanship, and heritage.
The brands featured in this guide are partnering with (and fairly paying!) skilled artisans who are using generations-old — and sometimes even centuries-old — techniques. These artisans are sustaining long lines of crafts, preserving their cultural diversity, and celebrating the richness of their time-honored crafts.
There’s simply no replacement for a timeless, quality artisan-made rug — they’re like pieces of art you can lay out on your floor or hang on your walls.
So, enjoy browsing through this guide to sustainable rug brands listed out below and best of luck on your search for the right fair trade rug!
Where to Find Ethical and Fair Trade Rugs
Note that this guide includes affiliates and partners. As always, brands must meet high standards for ethics and sustainability to be featured and all opinions are my own.
1. Obakki
Best for: warm-hued handwoven wool rugs
Categories: Area Rugs, Runners, Accent Rugs
Obakki partners with artisan weavers primarily in Oaxaca, Mexico — including individual makers like José — who hand-dyes and weaves rugs on a traditional pedal loom using locally sourced sheep’s wool and natural dyes derived from native plants. The brand also works with Rrres Design Studio, a Latin American studio dedicated to preserving traditional Oaxacan weaving techniques, and sources handwoven textiles from artisan communities beyond Mexico as well, including Morocco.
Each rug is made from 100% wool with no synthetic dyes or backing. Most pieces are made-to-order with a 4-8 week production window, shipped directly from the artisan partners.
Price Range: $460 – $4,159
Conscious Qualities: Natural Fibers, Natural Dyes, Craft Preservation
2. Kiliim
Best for: modern wool kilim rugs
Categories: Area Rugs, Accent Rugs
If you’re well-versed in rug terminology, you may recognize that this brand’s name looks similar to the word kilim.
Kiliim’s rug are made using authentic kilim rug craftsmanship by artisans in Egypt coming from generations of kilim artisans. To ensure ethical production and to support the preservation of this heritage craft, Kiliim pays living wages to all artisans.
Price Range: $95 – $4,812
Conscious Qualities: Ethical Production, Heritage Craft Preservation, Natural Fibers
3. Urban Natural
Best for: browsing fair trade rugs in lots of styles and sizes
Categories: Outdoor, Area Rugs, and Accent Rugs
This natural home and lifestyle retailer has a beautifully curated selection of sustainably-made rugs crafted with materials like jute, sisal, wool, and cotton.
Several brands on Urban Natural are also ethically hand-loomed or hand-knotted, such as Loloi — a GoodWeave partner — and Jaipur Living — a brand that partners with thousands of local artisans to sustain heritage crafts.
Price Range: $259 – $9,755
Conscious Qualities: Eco-Conscious Materials
4. LOOMY
Best for: pet-friendly and performance rugs
Categories: Area Rugs, Accent Rugs, Runners, Outdoor Rugs
Founded by a weaver, LOOMY is dedicated to crafting beautiful artisan-made rugs that will last for decades to come.
LOOMY partners with highly-skilled artisan weavers who craft quality rugs made from eco-minded materials like banana silk, jute, and recycled cotton, plus performance options made from 100% recycled polyester built to withstand whatever life brings you.
Price Range: $298 – $8,298
Conscious Qualities: Natural Fibers, Craft Preservation, Vintage Options
5. West Elm
Best for: fair trade rugs in on-trend mainstream styles
Categories: Area Rugs, Accent Rugs
West Elm is bringing ethical rugs to a broader market with their collection of Fair Trade Certified
wool and cotton rugs. While I recommend browsing the smaller shops listed above first, West Elm is supporting the movement to responsibly-made, fair trade rugs.
Price Range: $$$
Conscious Qualities: Fair Trade production, Majority Natural Materials
6. Jubi
Best for: Modern rugs in vibrant prints
Categories: Accent Rugs, Circle Rugs, Runners
Jubi is a Brooklyn studio founded by textile designer Cassie Dagostino. Every rug is handmade from New Zealand wool by fourth-generation weaving families in Bhadohi, India using traditional techniques. Each rug is made-to-order, meaning no excess stock. Since everything is made to order, expect between 3 and 7 weeks for your rug, depending on the technique used.
Conscious Qualities: Pays Above Market Rates, 100% Wool, Made-to-Order
Price Range: $228 – $668
Shipping: Free worldwide shipping
7. Rejuvenation
Best for: Classic rug styles made in Fair Trade factories
Categories: Accent Rugs, Runners, Area Rugs
Home retailer Rejuvenation has a selection of rugs made in Fair Trade Certified factories. Their collection includes undyed hand-loomed rugs to geometric flatwoven wool rugs. And while I’d typically avoid synthetics, it tends to be unavoidable for outdoor rugs — so Rejuvenation’s Fair Trade 100% recycled poly rug is a good option.
Conscious Qualities: Fair Trade Certified, Mostly Natural Materials
Price Range: $79 – $1,649
Shipping: Contiguous U.S. shipping for 10% of product price (add $20 for HI, AK, and US. territorries)
Liked this guide to ethical rugs? You might also enjoy:
Ethical Home Decor Brands to Curate a Beautiful, Conscious Space
Eco-Friendly Furniture to Furnish Your Home Sustainably
Fair Trade and Eco-Friendly Blankets to Cozy Up With
The post 5 Best Ethical Fair Trade Rugs to Elevate Your Space appeared first on Conscious Life & Style.