By Coggin SOS

Refitting an office today means juggling a lot: tighter budgets, faster timelines, and pressure to deliver on ESG goals. And when it comes to ergonomic chairs, the one piece of furniture an office team relies on every day, many assume paying more for “new” automatically means better.

But that’s no longer true.

Refurbished ergonomic chairs offer the same comfort, durability, and support as new, backed by warranties, come with less cost and with far shorter lead times. For facilities and procurement teams, that means more budget freed up for other priorities, and fewer delays holding back your project.

At Coggin SOS, we work with organisations that once assumed refurbished meant second-best. Until they saw the results. High-performance, fully warranted ergonomic chairs. Fast delivery. Circular outcomes they could actually report on. And savings of up to 80% compared to new (check out our case studies here).

In this article, you’ll learn what refurbished office chairs really offer in practice, why they’re becoming a preferred option for FM teams and procurement leads, and how your next fit-out or move could be both greener and smarter than you think.

Thinking about your next office project? Contact our team and see how premium refurbished ergonomic chairs can give you comfort, savings, and sustainability in one.

1. Cost Efficiency: Stretch Your Budget Without Compromise

If you're managing procurement for an office move or refurbishment, you already know that seating is one of the biggest line items on your list. And when you're looking at top-tier brands like Herman Miller, Orangebox, or Humanscale, the price tags can be steep. It’s easy to assume that high cost equals best value-but that isn’t always true.

In fact, refurbished ergonomic chairs can offer the same functionality, durability, and design, often at up to 80% less than their brand-new counterparts.

Take the iconic Herman Miller Aeron B: a new model retails for around £1,500. You can find that same chair- professionally refurbished, tested, and warranted - on our website for just £595. Same lumbar support, same adjustable features, same long-term comfort. But thousands saved across your fit-out project.

You know that budget saved doesn’t go to waste, it gives you flexibility:

To invest in other areas like lighting, tech, or wellbeing
To support ESG initiatives without inflating costs
Or simply to deliver more, within budget

And if you're unsure where to start, our refurbished stock is available now. Fully tested, fully warranted, and ready for fast delivery. Explore our current stock at Coggin SOS and see just how far your budget can go.

2. Sustainability: Proven Carbon Savings That Count

If ESG reporting, Net Zero targets, or cutting embodied carbon are on your to-do list, your furniture choices should reflect it, and here’s why refurbished chairs are a powerful lever for that.

On average, a new task chair carries around 80-90 kg CO₂e, while a refurbished equivalent is typically 10-25 kg CO₂e, a saving of roughly 55-80 kg CO₂e per chair, depending on model and scope (source: Coggin SOS). At project scale, the impact adds up fast. In our 2023 Impact Report, refurbishing 1,365 chairs delivered 98,280 kg CO₂e savings. In a separate case, refurbishing 285 Steelcase Reply chairs prevented 13,965 kg CO₂e.

More broadly, choosing refurbished or remanufactured office furniture can cut emissions by 45-80%, item-dependent - a material difference many UK organisations are now measuring against their Net Zero plans (source: Coggin SOS).

But here’s why it matters for you: those numbers aren’t abstract. They’re measurable savings you can build directly into your annual ESG reporting, your Scope 3 carbon data, and your tender submissions - clear evidence that your procurement decisions are delivering on sustainability commitments, proving impact to stakeholders, clients, and your own team.

That’s why at Coggin SOS we go further than supplying furniture. Every project comes with carbon and cost savings certificates, plus detailed impact reports you can plug straight into your reporting frameworks. They give you clarity, credibility, and a competitive edge when bidding or reporting against Net Zero targets.

Want to see what that could look like for your next fit-out? Get in touch with us, and we’ll run the numbers for your project.

3. Time & Reliability: When Speed Matters, Refurbished Delivers

If you're managing a project with fixed deadlines, you don’t have the luxury of waiting 6-12 weeks for brand new chairs to arrive. And yet, that's often the lead time with many top-tier manufacturers.

That delay doesn’t just slow the install. It means staff waiting for proper seating, ESG reports held up, and projects drifting over time and budget.

Refurbished ergonomic chairs offer a much better solution. High-quality units - professionally restored and tested - are typically in stock and ready to go. That means:

No holding up your schedule waiting on factory orders
No temporary fixes or compromises for your team
No need to sacrifice comfort or compliance just to meet a deadline

At Coggin SOS, we’ve built our process to support exactly these situations. Most of our refurbished chairs are ready for dispatch in just 7-10 days, fully reconditioned, professionally tested, and backed by a 12-month warranty.

4. Quality You Can Trust

It’s completely natural to hesitate with refurbishing - it may sound like “second-hand.” But when done right, refurbished chairs offer reliability that meets, or even exceeds, the new standard.

Here’s what sets properly refurbished chairs apart:

Deep Restoration, Not Quick Fixes

Refurbishment isn’t just a surface-level clean. Each chair is fully disassembled, checked for wear, and rebuilt with new components where needed - gas lifts, castors, foam, and upholstery. The result is a chair returned to manufacturer-standard performance, designed to function as it was originally intended.

Engineered for Multiple Lifecycles

High-end brands like Herman Miller and Steelcase don’t design their chairs to be disposable. They’re modular, with parts specifically built to be replaced and renewed. That means refurbishment is part of their DNA, extending their lifespan without compromising comfort or ergonomics.

Proven Reliability

Because each chair is tested after refurbishment, you’re not relying on chance. Structural integrity, moving parts, and upholstery all undergo checks before they return to the workplace, giving you confidence they’ll stand up to daily use.

Why It Matters for You

As a facilities manager or procurement lead, you’re the one accountable if seating fails. Whether that’s staff discomfort, complaints, or unexpected replacement costs. Proper refurbishment takes that risk off your plate. You get chairs that are structurally sound, ergonomically correct, and tested to perform day after day, giving you confidence that what you’ve invested in will deliver.

5. Customisation: Chairs That Are On Brand

One of the advantages of refurbished seating is the ability to make it your own. High-end ergonomic chairs are built with modular parts, which means they’re not only easy to restore but also to reupholster and customise.

For you, that means:

Chairs upholstered in your brand colours, so your workspace feels consistent and professional.
The ability to refresh existing stock instead of replacing it, aligning comfort and performance with your brand identity.

For fit-out teams and facilities managers, customisation also makes project delivery smoother. Instead of being locked into a narrow range of finishes from manufacturers, you can match seating to the wider design scheme and client brief, without compromising on ergonomics or timelines. That flexibility means fewer change requests, easier stakeholder sign-off, and a finished space that looks cohesive on day one. It’s a straightforward way to add value to your project while keeping control over quality and lead times.

Final Thoughts

As a facilities manager or fit-out lead, every choice you make shapes budgets, timelines, and how your workplace performs. New chairs might look like the “safe” option, but in reality they often bring higher costs, longer delays, and a heavier carbon footprint - with nothing extra to show for it. Refurbished premium chairs turn that equation on its head: the same ergonomics and design pedigree, delivered faster, at lower cost, and with carbon savings you can evidence in your ESG reporting.

If you’re ready to make your next project a proof point for smarter procurement, get in touch with us at Coggin SOS. We’ll help you realise that paying less can truly deliver more.