If you’re interested in a Branch Ergonomic Chair review you came to the right place. This chair is exploding in popularity given its high adjustability and low price. But is there a catch? Let’s find out below.
The Branch Ergonomic office chair is part of a series of professional-level designs from the Branch that includes the Task Chair, the Daily Chair, and the Elevate Chair. Among all, the Ergonomic Chair from Branch seems to be the best choice if you’re making an upgrade from your old non-ergonomic seat.
Branch Ergonomic chair review – the good and the bad
This review focuses on the chair features in direct relation to what you get from its competitors up to the $500 mark. To your surprise, you’ll find not many comfortable ergonomic office chairs for long hours of sitting offer as much adjustability as this Branch chair.
Who is the ideal buyer of the Branch Ergonomic Chair
Before we get into the specifics of this chair, let’s have a look at who the ideal buyer of this chair is. Ideally, you should find yourself in one of the 3 following categories. If you don’t, you should move along to other office chairs.
- Those after a good deal
Let’s face it, the Branch Ergonomic Chair is cheap. It might not be as cheap as a supermarket office chair, but it’s cheap for what it offers. Its real value lies somewhere around $400, even if it sells for less. This chair probably sells for less as some of its features weren’t invented by Branch, which isn’t the case with premium brands such as Herman Miller.
- People who need an ergonomic chair
People who need to step up and use an ergonomic chair for computer work can value it as well. The Branch Ergonomic Chair offers some of the simplest ergonomic features such as a curved backrest and a relaxed seat pan for neutral posture seating. This should be your standard instead of sitting on dining room chairs at the desk.
- People who love features over brands
We need to be frank once more. Not many people know about Branch chairs. This is why this chair is recommended for those who love good features and who aren’t ashamed of choosing something else than an expensive Steelcase office chair.
Top features and characteristics of the Branch Ergonomic chair
- Adjustable seatpan height (from 17 to 21 inches)
- Adjustable seatpan depth
- Designed with a lumbar support backrest
- Made with height adjustable armrest
- Its armrests are width adjustable
- 20° maximum backrest tilt angle
- 7 total points of adjustment including lumbar support customization
- 300lbs maximum weight capacity
- 35lbs chair weight
Cushioned with high-density foam, this office chair feels comfortable. The Branch Ergonomic Chair is soft but supportive. Its waterfall edge and ventilated ergonomic backrest are made for long hours of neutral posture sitting. The chair is suitable for people with low back pain as it features adjustable lumbar support.
Double woven mesh materials
The days of leather office chairs are starting to become absolute. Mesh materials are cheaper and better for long hours of sitting that are about to become even longer as most people are now working from home. This office chair has the right profile for the added breathability needed for sitting at the desk all day.
300lbs weight capacity
While it seems fragile with its 35lbs weight, this chair handles up to 300lbs in maximum user weight. We know that this is the standard across the industry in mid-range office chairs or the average office chair as in 300lbs gaming chairs as well.
Ergonomic backrest design
The backrest of this chair resembles the Steelcase Leap backrest in how it feels. It features an ergonomic design with an S-curve to support the lower spine. This is where its custom adjustments can help push the spine outwards or bring it closes to the backrest in the position that is most supportive and most comfortable for you.
One thing that seems to bother a couple of people is there’s no headrest with this office chair (you can buy one separately). However, you should be looking at other office chairs for full head support if this is a priority for you.
Seatpan depth adjustments
One of the most surprising features of this affordable mid-range office chair is its adjustable depth for the seaptan. This is the ultimate ergonomic feature you can dream of in this affordable office chair range. You can adjust the right sitting posture and you can eliminate circulation restrictions on the back of your legs by pushing the seatpan back or forth as needed.
Perfect armrests
One of the main troubles people have with upper back pain while sitting at the desk comes from poor armrests positioning. This can only be solved through custom armrest positions as we’re all different in height and width.
The Branch Ergonomic Chair comes with ultimate adjustability. You can align them more towards the seat or push them outwards so that your elbows are in proper comfort with the right angle support. At the same time, you can bring these armrests close to the desk as needed to eliminate all of the strain on your forearms you’d have to hold up yourself.
At the same time, the armrests adjust vertically as with most other office chairs. We’ve seen these adjustability features of office chair armrests are typical of entry-level brands and many users agree they should be a real option inexpensive office chairs as well.
A few words on styling
The Branch Ergonomic Chair is available in 3 colors. Most of its competitors even offer more colors to choose from. However, its black and gray options prove popular choices judging by the photos people post with the chair’s reviews. You might also be interested in its light blue color to brighten a setup up.
However, the chair isn’t available in other modern colors such as yellow and olive. We’ve seen these colors on setpans of other brands and many people like them. However, given these office chairs have been made to last at least a few years, they are made with colors that don’t pick up marks easily. Maybe this is the reasons Branch keeps things simple without complicated numerous bright colors that get dirty easily.
Long warranty
The Branch Ergonomic Chair comes with a 7-year warranty. This is nearly as good as the policies on luxury office chairs and certainly above the average offering for the money. At the very least, you know that it’s made to last and as long as you don’t weigh more than 300lbs, it can last even longer.
A few reasons to get the Branch Ergonomic chair
- 3” seat depth adjustments
- Ergonomic back support for neutral back support
- Impact-resistant polymer construction that prevents damage in accidental desk bumps
- 40LD high-density foam seatpan comfort – the norm in long-hour chairs
- It takes just minutes to assemble (it ships in a box)
- No more shoulder pain at the desk (its armrests are width and depth-adjustable)
- Great selection of colors (light blue, black, and gray)
A few reasons to keep looking
- No headrest (sold separately)
- The chair can sound clicky when you adjust the armrests
Final words
The Branch Ergonomic Chair is one of the leaders in terms of features, especially in adjustable features. Are its materials top-notch? Probably not in terms of comfort but they work in terms of durability. With such a great warranty, there’s no denying the materials are long-lasting even if they aren’t a 10 out of 10 for the touch feeling.
However, the chair gets a 10 out of 10 in ergonomics. Your neutral posture at the desk can be tweaked to perfect and as many times as needed with this chair. Its tilting backrest even allows you to sit back and realign as well as to sit back and take your eyes off the screen as many times as needed to take a work break, something we all tend to overlook.
The Branch Office Chair will never replace premium ergonomic office chairs. However, it does the job a bit better than its competition and taking into account it can be a third cheaper than its direct rivals, it becomes an even better deal. Will you overlook its drawbacks? This is entirely up to you.