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Ergonomic chairs have rapidly become more affordable alternatives to traditional office and gaming chairs. Until recently, I never had the pleasure of trying one myself, feeling content but not entirely comfortable in less adjustable chairs. The Autonomous ErgoChair Pro, while not the prototypical gaming chair with faux leather and extensive foam padding, nevertheless is an attractive option for gamers. The main selling point of this ergonomic chair is its adjustability which enables it to accommodate a wide variety of body sizes and shapes.
When the Autonomous ErgoChair Pro arrived at my doorstep, I had some trepidations about embracing a chair without plush foam backing. However, after reading glowing reviews of ergonomic chairs with firm backs from brands like Herman Miller, I suspected my concerns were without merit.
Recently, I had the opportunity to fully test out the ErgoChair Pro and discover how well it would fit in with my gaming desk and setup. Let's see if this ergonomic chair successfully brings features normally reserved for more expensive office chairs to a more affordable price point.
Autonomous ErgoChair Pro
The Autonomous ErgoChair Pro is one of the most comfortable and adjustable ergonomic chairs on the market. With customizable seat height, seat depth, backseat tilt, and 4D armrests, anyone can find a comfortable sitting position. The flexible lumbar support on the back of the seat rest can be raised or lowered to suit a user's height. The ability to recline 22 degrees and an adjustable headrest make relaxing after a work day worth the wait.
- Upholstery Material
- Polyester fabric
- Adjustability
- Seat height/depth, backseat tilt, lumbar, 4D armrests
- Brand
- Autonomous
- Chair Weight Capacity
- 300 lbs
- Lumbar Support
- Yes
- Dimensions
- 29”L x 29”W x 46” - 50”H
- Seat Dimensions
- 20”L x 20”W
- Back Dimensions
- 21”W x 28” - 31”H
Assembly
It always turns into a bit of an ordeal if new furniture arrives damaged. Fortunately, the Autonomous ErgoChair Pro made it to me safely in a well-padded approximately 65-pound box. If your room is up one or more flights of stairs, I highly recommend removing some of the heavier pieces from the box on the ground floor. Once I transported the exceptionally heavy control mechanism which attaches underneath the chair, the rest of the components were a cinch to relocate.
After laying out most of the parts and studying the instructions, assembling the ErgoChair Pro took me about 35 minutes. No stranger to working with office chairs, the most challenging part is trying to properly line up parts like armrests with the screw holes underneath the seat and connecting the seat to the backrest. The process is much easier if you have the right workbench to rest each piece on or better yet, have a generous assistant helping.
Once most of the pieces were put together and the ErgoChair Pro took shape, the final step was attaching the headrest to the top of the seat back. All the parts were clearly labeled, and overall, the assembly process was less frustrating than I had feared.
Appearances
The ErgoChair Pro is currently available in 6 different colors, with several options sharing the same backrest and base. As you might have guessed from the assembly pics, I chose the all-black variety, which is certain to blend in around most setups. While not having the typical racing-inspired bucket seat appearance common with popular gaming chairs, the ErgoChair Pro sports a modern design. The components that allow the seat back to recline a maximum of 22 degrees are exposed at the rear and the headrest standing almost on its own gives the chair a futuristic look.
Despite its heftiness, the majority of the ErgoChair Pro's exterior consists of a hard nylon plastic frame. I would have liked to see more metal, but there are some nice silver accents including a humble Autonomous logo near the middle of the chair's backside. Even so, if you happen to bump into the ErgoChair Pro in the middle of the night, you will feel some pain, as this is no flimsy piece of furniture.
The armrests are noticeably wide but not especially lengthy, which is understandable considering they can slide forward and backward. While armrests have a tendency to come loose from the frame with other chairs, it's difficult to imagine that happening with the ErgoChair Pro. The heavy-duty bolts extend deep into the bottom of the seat, making the armrests seem as close to welded to the rest of the chair as possible.
Looking at this ergonomic chair from the front, the ErgoChair Pro could pass for a more conventional office chair. Regardless of what color a buyer chooses, the front of the mesh seat back won't quite match the color of the foam seat cushion, but the two-tone look has obvious appeal.
Comfort
As someone who has sat in a faux leather chair with plenty of padding on the backseat, I was somewhat weary of adjusting to a bare mesh back. My fears disappeared the first time I sat in the ErgoChair Pro since the back had far more flexibility to it than I expected. The experience is akin to resting on a hammock without the dangers of defying gravity. The woven fabric material forms a grate-like texture not as soft to the touch as leather, and I did occasionally suffer some minor scratches reaching behind my back.
Of course, the advantage of a mesh ergonomic chair is far more breathability, and I noticed less of my body heat being trapped after continuous use. Additionally, gaming chairs with foam that compresses over time will always struggle to match more barebone seat backs in terms of ergonomics.
While researching the ErgoChair Pro, I encountered complaints about an overly firm seat cushion. Apparently, Autonomous made some revisions to the chair in recent years and improved the comfort of the polyester fabric seat bottom. I can happily report that even after hours of sitting in the ErgoChair Pro, I experienced no soreness, even though my prior chair felt plusher. The seat cushion here strikes the right balance between comfort and keeping users in the proper seated position without gradually sliding in every direction.
The armrests on the ErgoChair Pro are lined with a material that Autonomous calls PU handrest pads. The pads don't feel like bare metal or hard plastic and do have a bit of cushioning to them. Still, they don't provide the same luxurious feel as foam-padded armrests. My elbows were never particularly bothered resting on them, but bumping into the more firm corners of the armrests was less pleasant.
Once I made some adjustments to the seat height and the back tilt tension, I had very few complaints sitting in the ErgoChair Pro for a full day's work. The built-in lumbar support made a noticeable difference with my lower back feeling more conformed to the shape of the chair. When relaxing, having the ability to recline the seat back and utilize the adjustable headrest was a nice change of pace.
Adjustability
The advantage of an ergonomic chair like the ErgoChair Pro is its ability to adjust to various body shapes and sizes. The weight capacity of the chair is 300 pounds, and the build quality seems sufficient to support larger gamers. As far as user height, Autonomous does not provide a recommendation, but I would think people in the 5'4" to 6'4" range are the ideal candidates for the ErgoChair Pro. Beyond that, a user's head may extend above the adjustable headrest. Taller buyers have reported that they are fairly comfortable in the chair, but there are some more proven options out there for especially big and tall gamers.
The amount of adjustments possible with the ErgoChair Pro seems overwhelming at first. The included user guide makes it difficult to differentiate the various handles and knobs from each other, so I highly advise checking out this more detailed guide on the Autonomous website. Once you experiment with the controls for modifying the key adjustments of seat height and depth, then fine-tuning can take place with the position of the lumbar support, seat back tension, and the 4D armrests.
The tilt tension of the backseat is what I found myself tinkering with the most. When first sitting in the ErgoChair Pro, I sat back and, not used to a reclining chair, had the sensation that I might tip over. Fortunately, I soon discovered how to lock the angle of the seat back, and the tilt tension settings dialed in with a handle on the left side prevent the back from moving too freely.
The 4D armrests with the ErgoChair Pro are both a blessing and a curse. In a range from 11 to 14 inches the height of each armrest locks with a lever on each side, but otherwise, they move left, right, forward, and back freely. My main complaint with the ErgoChair Pro is how easily the armrests move out of a desired position. If you have the tendency to swing your arms and elbows frequently while sitting, the armrests will require regular attention. If you aren't as restless while working as I am, then this isn't nearly as big of an issue.
Is the ErgoChair Pro a Gaming Chair?
Technically, the ErgoChair Pro is not a gaming chair. The exposed back creates a different aesthetic than gaming chairs that include foam padding on the front and back. There is no distinctive logo like Razer's three-headed snake or multiple colors and trims running along the backseat. Even so, the black and gray options with the futuristic-looking ErgoChair Pro will blend in with most gaming rigs. For gamers who have more distinctive personalities, Autonomous makes available color shades like evergreen, red apple, and baby blue.
Many gaming chairs rely on lumbar support and headrest pillows that are separate from the rest of the chair. The ErgoChair Pro has a lumbar cushion securely positioned behind the seat back that with some effort slides up and down. Also, unlike most gaming chairs with integrated headrests, the adjustable headrest on the ErgoChair Pro can be raised to 2.8 inches high and tilted to an angle of 45 degrees.
In recent years, manufacturers have attempted to blur the lines between gaming chairs and the most adjustable ergonomic chairs designed for offices. The most obvious example is Logitech partnering with Herman Miller for the Logitech G Embody gaming chair. The build quality of Herman Miller furniture is top-tier as well as the company's 12-year warranty. However, the chair has a shockingly high price tag while not offering more adjustment controls than the ErgoChair Pro.
The ErgoChair Pro is a great option for gamers who want a relatively affordable ergonomic chair that still looks great sitting in front of the best gaming desks.
Should You Buy the ErgoChair Pro?
Autonomous ErgoChair Pro
The Autonomous ErgoChair Pro is one of the most comfortable and adjustable ergonomic chairs on the market. With customizable seat height, seat depth, backseat tilt, and 4D armrests, anyone can find a comfortable sitting position. The flexible lumbar support on the back of the seat rest can be raised or lowered to suit a user's height. The ability to recline 22 degrees and an adjustable headrest make relaxing after a work day worth the wait.
- Upholstery Material
- Polyester fabric
- Adjustability
- Seat height/depth, backseat tilt, lumbar, 4D armrests
- Brand
- Autonomous
- Chair Weight Capacity
- 300 lbs
- Lumbar Support
- Yes
- Dimensions
- 29”L x 29”W x 46” - 50”H
- Seat Dimensions
- 20”L x 20”W
- Back Dimensions
- 21”W x 28” - 31”H
- Extensive adjustability
- Built-in lumbar support
- Attractive modern styling
- Headrest makes reclining more comfortable
- Armrests never lock into place
- Lots of plastic in build
As a chair that looks like it belongs in a trendy office space, this Autonomous chair also complements modern gaming rigs. Upon closer inspection, the ErgoChair Pro is let down somewhat by a generous amount of plastic, but once seated, it feels like a high-end chair. As a piece of furniture that weighs around 50 pounds assembled, it's somewhat difficult to roll around a medium-pile carpet, so a chair mat is highly recommended.
The ErgoChair Pro is deceptively comfortable thanks to a woven fabric blend that flexes and reduces body heat buildup. With the ability to modify tilt tension, users can enjoy some freedom of movement without the chair fully reclining. Also, the adjustable headrest which snaps on top of the seat back of the ErgoChair Pro is a definite advantage over competing chairs and adequately supports the heads and necks of gamers.
The armrests of the ErgoChair Pro, while adjustable in almost any direction, are a point of weakness for anyone who tends to shift their arms and elbows while they work. If Autonomous could find a way to prevent them from moving so easily, their chair would come close to perfection. Despite this drawback, the Autonomous ErgoChair Pro is a very comfortable ergonomic chair, with enough adjustments to please even the fussiest gamers. I can easily see myself staying loyal to it for years to come.
Related Products
For gamers with a budget of around what the ErgoChair Pro costs, some obvious alternatives include the Secretlab Titan Evo, as well as the Razer Iskur and the more budget-friendly Iskur X. The Titan Evo benefits from an incredible amount of customization including available plush armrest cushions, but this adds considerably to the asking price. Also, while the Titan Evo features a headrest pillow, it attaches magnetically to the backrest and is not an integrated component like with the ErgoChair Pro. Warranting some consideration, both the Titan Evo and Razer chairs offer 5 or 3 year warranties, longer than the ErgoChair Pro's 2-year guarantee.
FAQ
Q: What makes a gaming chair ergonomic?
Most premium gaming chairs have ergonomic qualities. Compared to cheaper office chairs, ergonomic chairs have a backrest that accommodates the shape of a spine and are more comfortable sitting in for long periods of time. Ergonomic gaming chairs also commonly offer additional lumbar support and adjustable arm rests.
Q: What is the difference between an office chair and a desk chair?
Office chairs are designed to be lightweight, durable, and able to support a specific person every day. Desk chairs (also called task chairs) are much more industrial and are designed for public spaces such as libraries and schools; they tend to have much less padding and fewer features than office chairs or gaming chairs.
Q: Can I use a gaming chair at the office?
Yes, absolutely, gaming chairs are an excellent add-on for your office needs. There are multiple options that are not too flashy or too distracting and allow users to benefit from both, excellent build quality and gaming-specific features and add-ons such as neck pillows.