These affordable office chairs under £300 can be your go to home office solutions! Let’s see what is in store for you!
SIHOO mesh high back (219.99)
SIHOO has a ton of impressive ratings. And for an affordable office chair, it seems like a sweet buy. We’ll dabble on the good bits and the bad bits so that you can manage your expectations.
To start, the seat is fairly average. We appreciate that the brand tossed in white gloves. This comes in handy when picking up parts that are a bit greasy. And mind you, some of the parts of this chair are. For the overall installation, it was pretty smooth, except for one thing- the armrest.
The height of the two armrests did not seem to align. So we had to put one arm on a different screw-hole just to get the two in symmetry. While it’s not a big issue, it can be frustrating especially if it’s your first time to put up a chair.
As for the build quality, the materials are mixed. The base is steel and sturdy. But there are also a ton of plastic parts. Well, we did expect this for an office chair at a budget price. Even the knobs and the levers are made to form a somewhat flimsy plastic material. So we are not sure how long these parts will be able to hold up, especially if you’re going to adjust the chair more often.
The seat has padding and the backrest is a mesh material. To be honest, we felt a rough sensation on both the cushion and the backrest. The mesh is not soft and the padded seat and headrest are also covered with the same mesh material. Even the headrest has some static buildup. Though if you’re going to wear thick clothing, you might not notice the roughness of the material. But if you’re going to wear thin fabric or go shirtless, you’d feel the scratching sensation from the mesh material. But of course, since it’s mesh it will keep you cool.
This chair is leaning on a firm support. As soon as we sat on the chair, we could tell that it offered a more aggressive back support. So comfort can be subjective. Some of our team members find it too tough. But others find it decently comfortable after sitting for a few hours, but it does have a break-in period.
We also love how the seat cushion is a combination of softness and support. And oh, the seat has a W-shaped contour that helps remove pressure from your thighs.
We also find the dimensions pretty good, even those who are a little bit thicker will still find the chair comfortable. And for its range, it has several adjustable ergonomic features.
The headrest can be tilted and the height can be changed. Though we have second thoughts about it. We love how it cradled the neck. But then again, it gives away too easily.
The armrests can be adjusted up and down. But we didn’t mind since it has a pretty good range. Also, we were surprised by the lumbar support. It is made of a somewhat cheap plastic material. But we were taken aback by how well it can support the lower back. You can change the height and the depth of it, so that is such a sweet treat. And it locks in place too.
The tilt mechanism could have been improved. Though we love how you can tilt the chair back and lock it in place, it can get stuck.
One big limitation of the chair is that it has a few seat height ranges, so it can only accommodate a few people. The chair will not be able to go low enough or high enough Thus, the highest setting is comfortable for someone who stands at 5″9′. And the lowest is for users who sang at 5”4’. So it cannot accommodate the petite nor the taller users. This office chair is best for average size users.
Overall, the build quality is not something you’d be impressed with. But in terms of comfort, average-sized users will find this chair comfortable, except for the hard mesh material. And you’ll be able to sit on the chair for the whole day.
UMI ergonomic office chair ( 199.99)
This is an ergonomic chair from Amazon. It features an all-mesh backrest and seat. So how did it fare for us?
At first glance, the chair looks rather thin and we were wondering if it will be able to hold up for a decent amount of time. The mesh seems thin and it looks like the SIHOO chair that we have reviewed above. It also has several plastic parts. And the plastic material of the UMI chair seems more flimsy than that of the SIHOO. But it does make up for a rather sleek and low footprint office chair.
It has adjustable lumbar support as well. But we had a hard time adjusting the height of the lumbar support. You’ll need to put a bit of pressure on both of your hands to be able to adjust the lumbar support. And it can get stuck. It’s a shame because it did offer decent support. But adjusting it can be a pain.
The mesh material may look thin, but it’s decently stable. It doesn’t sag easily. So first impressions do not last. Luckily, the mesh backrest and seat feel alright. They don’t feel too firm nor do they scratch your skin.
The most ergonomic feature of this UMI chair is perhaps the armrest. It can be adjusted in 3 ways. And for an office chair of this price range, it’s a delight to see 3-4 way adjustable armrests.
And the cushion seat feels pretty nice too. Though we did not feel that the chair can be used by those who are bigger, taller, and thicker. The dimensions of the chair are quite narrow. Thus, it’s ideal for petite or average-sized users.
And our back felt nicely supported. But the biggest qualms of the UMI chair is that the adjustable levers and knobs can get stuck often. And we find it hard to change the seat height whilst still seated on the chair. We had to get out just to adjust the seat height. So that’s minus points for the inconvenience.
Overall, the UMI chair will be comfortable for petite and average size users. But you have to be patient because it’s not easy to adjust the chair. From the tilt, changing the seat height to adjusting the lumbar support, it often gets stuck.
Mfavour M18 mesh chair (161.99)
The Mfavour office chair has a mesh back with a cushioned seat. It also comes with an adjustable headrest.
At first glance, the mesh material of this office chair looks better than the two chairs that we have reviewed above. So it can lend a bit of a sophisticated look. The design is somewhat similar to the SIHOO chair, except that this one looks more modern.
It has a resin frame that looks sufficiently durable. The seat of the chair is decently padded, and it feels nice on the butt. As for the lumbar support, it works a lot better than the chairs we have mentioned above. Thus, it can even be used for gaming.
We find the adjustable features quite easy to access and it locks in place too. But our favorite perhaps is the lumbar knob. Like the UMI chair, you can adjust the depth and the height of the lumbar support. And in this case, it works pretty well.
Thus, it’s easier to find your preferred level of comfort. And oh, we also love the 4-way adjustable armrest. It makes the chair more customizable. The armrest isn’t padded and is made of plastic, it can feel too stiff for some overtime. But this is of little concern since you can easily adjust the arms to achieve the sweet spot of comfort. Also, the headrest is a nice touch. It doesn’t give easily and cradles the neck and the head pretty well.
As for the installation, everything was easy to put together. And everything was properly labeled. Even the tools needed are separated so you get things organized quickly.
Overall, this chair is decently solid, sturdy, and durable. It’s also rather comfortable and all the adjustable features work for the chair. And since everything is easy to access, it’s faster to achieve your preferred level of comfort. We find it a real value if your money. And oh, we love the overall look of this chair. It’s sleek, has a bit of a sophisticated and modern look to it.
Final Say
These chairs are definitely worth the look. And we can confidently say that this is not a “ you get what you pay for “ kind of situation.