REVIEW – If your office chair has seen better days and you’re on the search for an option that doesn’t break the bank, ProtoArc has an interesting option in the new ErgoChair 100. A new contender in the ever crowded budget office chair space, the ErgoChair 100 has some great features. While it’s not perfect, for the price it is definitely worth a look.
What is it?
The ErgoChair 100 by ProtoArc is a budget office chair, with ergonomic features such as 4D armrests, lumbar support, and an adjustable headrest.
ProtoArc is an ergonomics brand that we’ve been reviewing for the past couple of years which has consistently delivered quality for the price. Alongside the ErgoChair 100, ProtoArc also produces computer and office accessories.
What’s included?
- ProtoArc ErgoChair 100
- Assembly instructions
Tech specs
Click to expand
| Net weight | 36lbs |
| Weight capacity | 280lbs |
| Seat depth | 20″ |
| Height adjustment | 42.5″ – 45.6″ |
| Neck rest adjustment | 2.75″ |
| Arm rest adjustment |
4″ height, 210* rotation, 2.6″ front to back
|
| Warranty | 2 year |
Design and features
The ErgoChair 100 has a modern design with clean lines, which combines a mesh back and headrest with a padded fabric seat, and is supported by a plastic frame.
In general the materials are fine, though I do find the mesh to be less taught than I’d prefer. This is typical in cheaper office chairs, and I suspect why they opted for a fabric seat. Compared to a chair like the Staples Hyken, I much prefer the padded seat of the ErgoChair 100 to an excessively baggy mesh one. The fabric on the seat feels robust, and comfortable.
From an ergonomics perspective, the features of the ErgoChair 100 are:
- Headrest is adjustable up and down
- Lumbar support is fixed
- Armrests are adjustable by height, depth and rotation
- Seat is adjustable up and down
- Recline with locking points along path
Assembly, Installation, Setup
As far as office chairs go, setup of the ErgoChair 100 is pretty straight forward and took about 15 minutes to assemble by myself.
The packaging left a lot to be desired, though to my surprise everything inside was unscathed.
Instructions and a decent hex key are included with the required hardware for assembly. All but one screw set was labeled incorrectly, or at least not inline with the instructions, but through deduction I was able to figure out what went where. Some extra hardware is included as well, which is always welcome.
Assembly is typical – wheels into the base with the gas piston. Arms and lift mechanism on the bottom of the seat along with the chair back (using another chair to rest the seat on is helpful here, as shown). Headrest drops in from the top, and a chair is created.
Performance
Going through the ErgoChair 100 and I was genuinely surprised by what ProtoArc has managed to pull off at this price point.
Starting from the top, the headrest is adequate and offers height and limited tilt adjustment. The mesh is slightly loose here though is fine for purpose. I do miss the ability to adjust fore and aft.
The chair back doesn’t come up as vertically as I’d like, and with how far the lumbar support protrudes this makes it feel far away. This could possibly be more of a seat depth issue, which makes the lack of a seat depth adjustment stand out even more. As far as lumbar support goes it’s adequate, the mesh offers a decent hammock effect though it’s fixed position as well makes dialing in an ideal position impossible while in a seated position. The recline is pretty solid though, and being able to lock in at various points along the recline path lets you find a comfortable position. Being able to spin the arm rests around gives you a place to rest your elbows if so desired.
Speaking of arm rests, they’re OK – but really could be more soft or use more padding. They are also prone to movement as whatever friction mechanism that holds them in place doesn’t seem very strong.
ProtoArc advertises the seat cushion as having springs, but it doesn’t feel a whole lot different from any other padded seat I’ve tried recently. A good thing for sure, though perhaps not the game changing comfort I was hoping for. That being said, it still is a very comfortable cushion that doesn’t lead to fatigue on those long days at the desk.
What I like about ProtoArc ErgoChair 100
- Modern design, generally solid materials
- Seat cushion is very comfortable
- Recline is well done with the ability to lock in at various angles
What needs to be improved?
- Armrests are easily moved out of position
- Fixed design of some ergonomic components isn’t ideal for dialed in support
- Chair back doesn’t go as vertical as I’d like
- Assembly instructions did not match up to descriptions of hardware provided
Final thoughts
Going into the sub-$200 category for an office chair tends to be a bit of a crapshoot. ProtoArc almost filled out the ergonomic desk chair bingo card with the features offered in the ErgoChair 100, but missed in adjustability. What they do have though is well executed, which can’t always be said about other chairs I’ve tried at this price point. All in, the ErgoChair 100 is a comfortable chair for most, but may not be for you if in-depth adjustability is important.
Price: $189.00
Where to buy: ProtoArc and Amazon
Source: The sample of this product was provided for free by ProtoArc. ProtoArc did not have a final say on the review and did not preview the review before it was published.
