REASONS TO BUY
Decent performance for the price
Mesh backrest
REASONS TO AVOID
Wobbly
Back tensioner is difficult to release
Furmax Office Mesh Review
You'll want to consider if the affordable price of this model is worth its lower-tier performance
The Furmax provides decent performance, especially for its price.
Credit: Laura Casner
RELATED: Best Office Chairs of 2024
Our Verdict
While we are always looking for a good deal, the Furmax Office Mesh is not a chair we recommend if you're after all-day comfort. Far and away the most inexpensive option in our fleet, this lower-tier model can be purchased at an insanely low price point. It is wobbly and its comfort level cannot compare to the premium models, but this is to be expected. This basic model lacks padding on the armrests, the backrest lacks lumbar support, and other than a knob that adjusts the back tension, no other component is adjustable. While the setup is a bit more involved and time-consuming to put together, there are no comparable models in this price bracket.
Compare to Similar Products
 This Product Furmax Office Mesh | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Awards |  Best for Most People |  Best Buy for Back Support | Best on a Tight Budget |  Best for Unconventional Sitting | |
| Price | $43 List $39.99 at Amazon | $359 List $359.00 at Amazon | $180 List $169.99 at Amazon | $180 List $144.79 at Amazon | $110 List $99.89 at Amazon |
Overall Score  |
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| Star Rating | |||||
| Bottom Line | This chair provides acceptable performance, especially for its price, but if you're after all-day comfort, we would recommend purchasing a premium model | High-performance adjustability, comfort, and ergonomics without the high-performance price | This chair offers high-end features where they count most — for your back and bottom — without the high-end price tag | It's not fancy, but this is our favorite budget-friendly chair for the money | Great for anyone with unconventional sitting preferences and who is also shopping on a budget |
| Rating Categories | Furmax Office Mesh | Branch Ergonomic | SIHOO M18 Ergonomic... | Modway Articulate E... | EDX Armless Criss C... |
| Comfort (50%) | |||||
| Adjustability (40%) | |||||
| Ease of Assembly (10%) | |||||
| Specs | Furmax Office Mesh | Branch Ergonomic | SIHOO M18 Ergonomic... | Modway Articulate E... | EDX Armless Criss C... |
| Comfortable Hours | 3.00 hrs | 8.00 hrs | 7.00 hrs | 8.00 hrs | 6.00 hrs |
| Manufacturer Weight Limit | 250 lbs | 275 lbs | 330 lbs | 331 lbs | 300 lbs |
| Measured Points of Adjustment | 3 | 7 | 5 | 4 | 2 |
| Measured Tilt Limiter Stopping Points | None | None | None | None | None |
| GearLab Assembly Time | 18 min | 12 min | 16 min | 10 min | 22 min |
| Adjustable Lumbar Support | No | Yes | Yes | Yes; the backrest moves up and down | No |
| Tension Knob | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Tilt Lock | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Lumbar Support | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Seat Pan Adjustment | No | Yes | No | No | No |
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Our Analysis and Test Results
The Furmax Office Mesh is not the best office chair in our fleet, but it certainly is one of the most affordable. While it lacks premium construction, lumbar support, and adjustability options, it does present acceptable performance at a price that is hard to beat.
Performance Comparison
The Furmax is affordable but provides a lower tier of comfort.
Credit: Laura Casner
Comfort
The lumbar support on this chair is more or less non-existent. There are two strips of plastic that run down the back but they aren't connected and do not cover the space where your spine rests. The armrests are made of hard plastic and have no padding. One redeeming quality is the mesh material; it keeps your back from overheating and, as one tester put it, feels like it's “hugging your back.”
The Furmax provides minimal lumbar support.
Credit: Laura Casner
Adjustability
The Furmax has a knob to adjust the tension of the backrest, but that's where the adjustability ends. The knob is directly under the center of the seat, meaning that all but the lankiest armed people will need to get off the chair to make adjustments. All aspects of this chair are fixed in place. The backrest can be locked into an upright position but not at any other level of tilt. The seat pan cannot be moved, and the armrests are directly attached to the backrest; when you lean back, the armrests come with you.
This chair only allows you to lock the back tilt in the fully upright position.
Credit: Laura Casner
Ease of Assembly
In the scheme of things, this chair isn't difficult to assemble, but it is one of the more time-consuming of the products we tested. Each screw requires a washer that is tricky to get on and keep in place while screwing the pieces together. It is helpful and recommended in the instructions to partially tighten most of the screws in the armrests before going back to crank them all down. The instructions are clear and easy to read, but some of the screws were only a few millimeters different in size and unlabeled, which made distinguishing between them a bit of a challenge.
The knob that controls the back tension is difficult to reach while seated.
Credit: Laura Casner
Value
The Furmax is sold for an exceptionally low price; with that low price comes a lower tier of performance. That said, if you are absolutely on a low-cost budget and need an office chair, this might be just the ticket.
Conclusion
The Furmax Office Mesh scores low when it comes to comfort; it lacks back support and adjustability and is one of the more time-consuming chairs to assemble. This chair is a decent budget option, but if you can afford to do so and expect to spend all day in your office chair, we recommend looking elsewhere.
—Buck Yedor
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