I spend a lot of time sitting in front of a computer screen, but my home office chair doesn’t get the same butt time like the one I use at the station. Like many of you, I’m working fulltime at home and spending ten hours minimum editing and sitting in front of my computer screen per day.
My good ole vintage (20-year-old) leather executive chair wasn’t cutting it at all. I added a memory foam cushion that helped but it HAS GOT TO GO!
I did some searching and the Autonomous Ergochair 2 kept popping up in the top 10 ergonomic chairs.
My budget is $450 and I found a lot of inexpensive chairs for much less; however, I wanted a chair that would last and just be very comfortable since I’m going to spend a lot of time sitting in it.
At $350 with a 30-day return policy, I figured it would be a great option. I hope it works out as repacking it will not be fun. 😀
Assembly Required
The chair arrived in a large double box. It was very well packed and easy to put together. The chair is heavy at 48.5 lbs. All the parts are fastened with hex screws and a nice hex wrench is included.
I like the hex screw design as it is much easier to get the screws in place and they won’t strip while doing so. I will say this was the easiest furniture I’ve ever assembled. We have all been there with assembling furniture with an insane amount of pieces before. Want to see how it’s assembled? Here are the instructions.
The Break-In Period
I’m not totally sure if a chair has a breaking period or not but it makes sense if it did. I’ve never owned a pair of pants or shoes that felt great the first month of wearing them. Especially shoes. Well…, It makes sense that the Autonomous Ergochair 2 would also need a chance to break-in.
The first time I sat in the chair after assembling it I immediately appreciated the back support and overall feel of the back of the Ergochair 2. Again this is coming from that crap executive chair I was rocken 😀
ergochair 2 Specifications
| Dimensions | 29”L x 29”W x 46” – 50”H |
| Seat dimensions | 20”L x 20”W |
| Seat height | 18” – 20” |
| Back dimensions (w/o headrest) | 21”W x 22”H |
| Back dimensions (with headrest) | 21”W x 28” – 31”H |
| Tilt range | 20° |
| Weight capacity | 350 lbs |
| Warranty | 2 years |
| Trial | 30 days |
| Adjustability | Headrest, armrest, back tilt angle and tension, seat tilt and height. |
Back Support
The back support is my favorite part of the Ergochair 2. It has an adjustable lumbar pad that feels really good on my lower back. I found it easy to get in the right position. It reclines and has a counterbalance adjustment that helps keep the back from reclining too far to fast and stays in position in when reclined. It’s very comfortable. A hand crank on the side is used to dial it in. The position can also be locked in different reclined positions.
I like that I can recline and it holds in place. For those long days in front of the computer leaning back and resting feels darn good. The headrest is comfortable and adjustable. I think the best part of the Ergochair 2 is the chair back. It’s simply perfection.
The all-mesh design is very comfortable and breathes so your back doesn’t get warm. I really like the chair back a lot.
Seat Cushion
The seat is nice and wide with plenty of wiggle room to get comfortable. It doesn’t have any hard plastic edges. Even my fat ass fits in it! The cushion isn’t very dense and over time I started to get uncomfortable.
I tried to get used to the seat cushion but it just didn’t seem to get comfortable over time. The density might be to low for a guy my size. While the weight capacity or the chair is 350 lbs, and I’m nowhere near that, but I do weight 200lb pounds so maybe it’s just not able to support my… Let’s just say size.
Armrest
The armrest has a strange design. They are wide and slightly concave in the middle. This shape adds edges that are somewhat uncomfortable if your arms are not directly in the center of the armrest. I think flat or slightly raised would be more comfortable in more positions. They are also on the hard side.
They have three different adjustments. Up and down, side to side, and can be slightly turned in. The height adjustment is performed with a lever on the outside of the armrest. The other adjustments are simply made by pushing the armrest into place.
I mentioned the concaved design being somewhat uncomfortable if you have your arm resting at an angle over the top of the armrest. The front inward adjustment doesn’t go far enough when you turn them in. I do wish the armrest was flat and softer. This would fix any discomfort and the need to have them slightly turned in.
It’s clearly designed to have your arm centered on the armrest. It does give me support when typing and using the mouse but I don’t lay my arms soley in the middle of the armrest.
Adjustability
To make a chair ergonomic it has to have several adjustments. We are all different sizes and shapes so it’s important to be able to make the proper adjustments for maximum comfort. The Ergochair 2 does offer a lot of options and I was able to get the Ergochair 2 to fit my body pretty well.
The downside for me is the seat cushion isn’t firm enough and over time it feels hard. The armrest is not my favorite but I can deal with it.
The back of the Ergochair 2 is very nice. I love the support it has and I can rest for a few minutes with the excellent counterbalance adjustability to get the back to hold in place. Yes, I have taken a little nap in the Ergochair before.
Unfortunately, the Ergochair 2 isn’t for me. It started out great but over a few weeks, the seat cushion just made it uncomfortable. Yes it’s much better than my old leather executive chair but I feel it has some more room for improvements. Maybe I’m too heavy for the seat cushion so if you weigh under 200 lb it might be better for you. The armrests are not that big of a deal but the seat is. My quest for an affordable ergonomic chair continues. What chair should I try next? Do I have to throw down $$$$ to get what I need? Help a brother out and let me know what to get next!
Standing Desk
Many people have recommended a standing desk as a better way to work and I want to get an adjustable desk soon. The Autonomous SmartDesk 2 Premium looks like an excellent option and isn’t too expensive at $429
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