REVIEW – Hybrid work has its perks, like sharing a workspace with my pup and attending meetings in comfy pajama pants. However, when it comes to having the best equipment to do my job, my tiny home office pales in comparison to what’s available on my employer’s sprawling tech campus. One thing I definitely miss when working from home is the high-end ergonomic chair in my campus office.
After reviewing the Mavix M4 Gaming Chair in November 2021 and being disappointed by its lack of features I’ve been on the hunt for a supportive home office chair. Recently, I tested the $499 Autonomous ErgoChair Pro, and despite its relatively high cost, it has made a huge difference in the quality of my work-from-home setup. Sure, working on campus has its advantages, but now I can at least enjoy the comfort of a great chair in my home office.
What is it?
The Autonomous ErgoChair Pro is an adjustable, supportive, and ergonomic office chair designed for and marketed specifically at workers who spend long hours at their desks. The ErgoChair Pro features flexible lumbar support, customizable armrests, and adjustable recline to promote proper posture and reduce strain. The ErgoChair Pro is available in six colors; Cool Gray, Evergreen, All Black, Red Apple, Black & White, and Baby Blue. I reviewed the All Black version.
The Autonomous ErgoChair Pro office chair ships in an appropriately large box that features the Autonomous company logo and a small illustration of the chair.
The parts to assemble the ErgoChair Pro are safely wrapped in foam and plastic for shipping.
What’s in the box?
- Headrest
- Backrest
- Seat
- 2 Armrests
- Wheelbase
- 5 Caster Wheels
- Gas lift
- Control Mechanism
- Screwdriver
- Bolts and washers
- User manual and assembly instructions
Hardware specs
- Overall Dimensions: 29”L x 29”W x 46” – 50”H
- Seat dimensions: 20”L x 20”W
- Seat height: 18” – 20”
- Back dimensions (without headrest): 21”W x 22”H
- Back dimensions (with headrest): 21”W x 28” – 31”H
- Reclining tilt range: 22°
- Armrest height: 11” – 14”
- Armrest height (from the floor): 26.7” – 32.2”
- Wheel type: 5 Caster Wheels
- Wheel diameter: 2.36″
- Materials: Polyester fabric with molded foam interior and nylon plastic frame
- Available Colors: Cool Gray, Evergreen, All Black, Red Apple, Black & White, Baby Blue
- Weight capacity: 300lbs
- Total weight: 48.5lbs
- Shipping dimensions 29”L x 27”W x 19”H
Design and features
I love the simple yet functional design of the Autonomous ErgoChair Pro office chair. The style of the chair is professional enough for an office setting and still cool enough for a gamer’s den.
The memory foam seat cushion is really comfortable without being too firm. The seat pan itself is contoured with rounded edges to help with pressure distribution and supports up to 300 lbs.
The wide base and smooth caster wheels provide good balance and freedom of movement. Even when absentmindedly rolling around I never fear tipping over.
The armrests have firm cushioning and are shaped so that my arms settle naturally while seated.
A paddle on the side of the armrests allows for up and down adjustments. The armrests can also be freely moved forward, backward and side to side. While I like the adjustability, I wish they would stay locked in place because I find myself constantly readjusting them.
The breathable mesh of the backrest is one of the main reasons I wanted to test the Autonomous ErgoChair Pro office chair. The mesh is firm, taut, and promotes airflow, preventing overheating during long periods of sitting. The unique curve of the backrest frame provides support along my entire back.
Speaking of my back, the flexible lumbar cushion provides just the right amount of pressure without being too stiff.
Back up top, the Autonomous ErgoChair Pro office chair has a headrest with 45° of flexibility designed to prevent hunching.
Honestly, this is the first chair I’ve ever used with a headrest adjustable enough to actually support my head. I frequently take breaks where I recline the chair just a bit and rest my head and neck on the comfortable mesh of the headrest.
The controls for the chair take a little bit of getting used to since there are quite a few of them. Autonomous actually has a separate guide just for explaining the adjustments. The right side of the chair has controls for seat height, seat depth, seat tilt, and a crank for adjusting the back tilt tension.
The rear paddle locks and unlocks the lumbar support providing the desired pressure.
The controls on the left allow the ErgoChair Pro to recline up to 22° with five lockable positions.
Setup
Assembling the Autonomous ErgoChair Pro office chair is simple and made easier by the clearly labeled hardware and included screwdriver.
Autonomous thankfully provides some extra hardware pieces just in case a washer or bolt somehow rolls away (which may or may not have happened during my assembly).
The first step is locking the five caster wheels into the wheelbase.
Next, the gas lift should be dropped into the wheelbase.
This pneumatic gas lift acts like a shock absorber for the chair.
Onto the main part of the chair, the armrests are connected to the seat cushion with three bolts each.
It takes a little finesse to get the bolts and holes to line up with one hand while holding and then securing the armrests with the other, but it’s doable.
The Control Mechanism can now be positioned over the seat cushion with the four corner holes aligned to the holes on the bottom of the cushion.
Again, this is a bit of a balancing act, but once you get one bolt secured, the others go in a bit easier.
The bolt located near the left side control paddle can be a bit tricky to tighten since you have to place the screwdriver in a small notch on the paddle.
With the control mechanism attached, the backrest can now be bolted in place.
Three long bolts hold the backrest securely to the seat and control mechanism.
The assembled chair can now be lowered onto the gas lift.
All that remains is to snap the headrest into place in the slot on the backrest.
After locking the headrest into place two bolts inserted from underneath hold it in place.
Performance
The Autonomous ErgoChair Pro performed remarkably well during my testing and the few complaints I have are really just gripes. I mentioned the armrests not locking in place already. The other issue is that I sometimes find myself fumbling through the controls before I find the one I’m looking for. Again, not a deal breaker, just an annoyance.
Though I struggle with the many controls, the fact that they allow me to really dial the adjustments in to my liking is the ErgoChair Pro’s greatest strength. With other chairs, I am constantly adjusting and readjusting my posture and sitting position to accommodate the chairs’ limitations. With the Autonomous ErgoChair Pro office chair, I am instead able to adjust the chair to accommodate my body’s most relaxed position.
Overall, I’m really happy with the ErgoChair Pro, as are my neck and back. A lot of companies and products claim to be ergonomic, this chair really lives up to description.
What I like
- Easy to assemble
- Impressive level of adjustability
- Provides amazing back support
What I’d change
- Locations and functions of controls take time to get used to
- Armrest tops don’t lock in place
- Expensive
Final thoughts
The Autonomous ErgoChair Pro is a comfortable, supportive, and stylish office chair that delivers on its claim of being engineered specifically to alleviate discomfort and strain. I feel more supported during long periods spent working at my desk and don’t feel as many negative effects afterward. At a cost of $499, the ErgoChair Pro is priced quite high, but still in line with chairs of similar construction and feature sets. Hopefully, the ErgoChair Pro continues to make me miss my campus workspace less.
Price: $499.00
Where to buy: Autonomous
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Autonomous.
