So far, I couldn’t really get myself to spend $1,000 to $1,500 on an office chair like the Herman Miller Aeron or Mirra 2, though I’m getting closer to understanding why people do that.
For now, I have ordered a Sihoo M57 Ergonomic Office Chair [1] for a little under $200, and I’m trying it out for 30 days.
One big surprise was that the “risk-free return period” is only 30 days, even though their returns policy [2] states that it is 365 days. In fact, it still states this, even though I asked them about it on August 23.
Under what conditions can I return a product?
You can return a product for any reason—discomfort, personal preference, or unexpected fit issues—as long as it’s within 365 days and not intentionally damaged. We want you to feel confident in your purchase.
[3]Next, the chair is pretty nice. The build quality seems good, and it was easy to assemble. The mesh feels a little rough, but it has good airflow, and the headrest can be in the right place as well.
[4]
[5]The tilt feature, and the tilt-lock, feel pretty nice, especially with the headrest. However, I’m about 6′ 2″ (186 cm), and this chair is just barely tall enough for me. If I move it all the way up, I can get my legs to a 90 degree angle. And if I move the headrest into the highest-possible position, it can support my head if I lean back.
[6]But the biggest complaint that I have read is definitely true. The lumbar support is really sharp on top [7]. It is a block of plastic, barely covered with padding, and it is not angled up at all. That means that the top edge digs into the back, especially when it is adjusted up. I have tried to soften the edge a little with a bit of memory foam, but after a few hours, my back feels sore.
I do feel that this alone, the lumbar support, may be a deal breaker and lead to the return of the chair.
The armrests are “4D” and move in/out (a little), up/down (a lot up, but just barely enough down), forward/backward (quite a bit forward, not enough backward), and rotate inward/outward (decently).
[8]
[9]
[10]
[11]However, I can’t get the armrests adjusted the way I need them. I can’t get them in close enough. I guess I’m almost too tall for this chair, but not wide enough. The closest I can get them is if I move them all
the way in, all the way back, and rotated outward. But even that leaves a gap between the armrest and the chair, and really only my elbows touch the armrest. If I try to get more of my forearms supported by swiveling the armrests inward, then almost no part of my arm touches the armrests.
[12]
[13]Next, the chair has a pretty sharp edge around the side of the mesh, and that, together with the imperfectly adjustable armrests causes the back of my upper arm to painfully scrape against the chair sometimes.
[14]Finally, and this is perhaps the smallest point, the coasters suck. I’m on hardwood, the chair has wheels, but it seems like I’m scooting around on felt.
The more I think about this chair, the more I think it’s not right. Too bad.
