How to Sell a Broken Office Chair

A broken office chair is still worth selling — typically £8 to £45 at For Parts, against £30 to £180 in working order.

Can you sell an office chair that does not work?

Yes. Repairers, people replacing one component and buyers who want a project all shop deliberately at this end. None of them will accept a fault they discover after paying.

What actually goes wrong with office chairs

These are the faults that move an office chair down the grades, and the first things a buyer will ask about:

A gas lift that sinks slowly under weight
Torn mesh or foam that has flattened out
Missing or mismatched castors
Generic chairs, which sell for very little whatever their original price

Grading it honestly

Fair covers something heavily used, or with a described fault or missing part: around £14 to £81. For Parts covers something not working or incomplete, sold as seen: roughly £8 to £45. Grades are seller-declared and nobody inspects them for you, so grading up does not raise what you get — it produces a buyer who arrives expecting something else. All five grades explained.

Working out what you actually have

Establish the fault properly rather than guessing at it:

Sit in it and time whether the seat height holds
Check the underside label for the maker and model
Test every lever and the recline lock

Photographing the fault

Photograph the damage directly and in focus — it is the evidence that the rest of the description is honest:

The whole chair from a three-quarter angle
The seat surface and backrest, showing fabric or mesh condition
The base, gas lift and castors
The adjustment levers, plus any tear, stain or wear

What to state in the listing

Alongside the fault itself, buyers of broken office chairs want these confirmed:

Brand, model and size where applicable
Whether the gas lift holds height reliably
Which adjustments work: height, tilt, lock, armrests, lumbar
Fabric or mesh condition, and whether the castors roll freely

Brand and model if it has one: “Herman Miller Aeron Size B Office Chair”. Recognised ergonomic brands sell for many times a generic chair and are searched by name and size. For unbranded chairs, lead with the features — mesh back, adjustable lumbar, headrest.

What buyers will ask

Answer these in the listing rather than waiting to be asked:

“Does it sink?”

Sit in it for several minutes and check. Gas lift failure is the classic used office chair fault and buyers always ask.

“Do all the adjustments work?”

Test each lever individually and list any that do not. Broken tilt locks are common and worth disclosing.

“Is the seat foam still supportive?”

Press it and be honest. Collapsed foam is the thing a buyer notices on day one and it is the main reason cheap chairs get resold again.

Is it worth repairing first?

Usually not, unless it is cheap and you can evidence it. What lifts the price is condition and completeness, which a repair rarely restores:

Recognised ergonomic models with parts still available
Working gas lift that holds its height
Intact mesh or foam with no collapse
Original arms and castors

If the work would cost more than the gap between £45 and what a sound one fetches, sell it as is broken and let the buyer decide.

When to list it

Steady with strong lifts in September and January. Recognised ergonomic brands sell within days at good prices; generic chairs are abundant and cheap.

Getting it to the buyer

Usually collected. Most office chairs separate into seat, base and back, which makes them fit in a car — say so if yours does, because buyers assume they need a van.

WishThrift does not process payments, arrange delivery or hold funds. Confirm the money has cleared before the item leaves your hands, and keep the conversation on the site so there is a record of what was agreed.

Ready to list it? Free to list, no commission, and neither side pays a buyer-protection fee — create a free account, or read the full office chair selling guide if yours turns out to be sound.

Frequently asked questions

Is a broken office chair worth anything?

Yes — typically £8 to £45 at For Parts against £30 to £180 working. Repairers and people harvesting one component buy deliberately at this end. A gas lift that sinks slowly under weight

Should I repair it before selling?

Usually not, unless the repair is cheap and you can evidence it. The things that genuinely lift the price are recognised ergonomic models with parts still available and a repair rarely restores those.

What do buyers ask about a faulty office chair?

The fault itself, in detail. Sit in it for several minutes and check. Gas lift failure is the classic used office chair fault and buyers always ask. The listing that answers it before being asked is the one that sells.