Modway Articulate Ergonomic Mesh Review
A surprisingly comfortable office chair that can't compete with top tier products, but boasts an especially friendly price
The Modway is one of the best value options out there when shopping on a tight budget.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
By Hayley Thomas ⋅ Review Editor ⋅ November 29, 2018
Contributions From: David Wise & Austin Palmer
RELATED: The Best Office Chairs
Our Verdict
The Modway Articulate Ergonomic Mesh can't really compare to other top-rated office chairs. However, it costs hundreds of dollars less than many of the premium models and fared well across the board in our tests, earning it the slot of our recommendation when shopping on a slim budget. Most of our judges found it to be fairly comfortable and somewhat adjustable. It's not necessarily our first or second choice if we had to pick a chair to sit in for eight to ten hours a day, but it's a great option that does not cause discomfort — and you will sit all the better knowing that your budget is still intact.
Compare to Similar Products
 This Product
Modway Articulate Ergonomic Mesh | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Awards |  Best on a Tight Budget | Best Buy for Back Support |  Best for Unconventional Sitting | ||
| Price | $170 List Check Amazon (on sale!) | $170 List Check Amazon (on sale!) | $110 List | $80 List Check Price at Amazon/a> | $100 List Check Amazon (on sale!) |
Overall Score  |
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| Star Rating | |||||
| Bottom Line | It's not fancy, but this is our favorite budget-friendly chair for the money | This chair offers high-end features where they count most — for your back and bottom — without the high-end price tag | Great for anyone with unconventional sitting preferences and who is also shopping on a budget | With this model, you get what you pay for, which isn't much | High-density cushioning and accessible adjustment points make this bargain office chair a great value |
| Rating Categories | Modway Articulate Er... | SIHOO M18 Ergonomic... | EDX Armless Criss Cr... | Amazon Basics Classi... | BestOffice Mesh Desk |
| Comfort (50%) | |||||
| Adjustability (40%) | |||||
| Ease of Assembly (10%) | |||||
| Specifications | Modway Articulate Er... | SIHOO M18 Ergonomic... | EDX Armless Criss Cr... | Amazon Basics Classi... | BestOffice Mesh Desk |
| Comfortable Hours | 8.00 hrs | 7.00 hrs | 6.00 hrs | 3.00 hrs | 3.00 hrs |
| Manufacturer Weight Limit | 331 lbs | 330 lbs | 300 lbs | 275 lbs | 250 lbs |
| Measured Points of Adjustment | 4 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| Measured Tilt Limiter Stopping Points | None | None | None | None | None |
| GearLab Assembly Time | 10 min | 16 min | 22 min | 30 min | 22 min |
| Adjustable Lumbar Support | Yes; the backrest moves up and down | Yes | No | No | No |
| Tension Knob | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Tilt Lock | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
| Lumbar Support | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes |
| Seat Pan Adjustment | No | No | No | No | No |
Our Analysis and Test Results
For being such an inexpensive chair, we were pleasantly surprised with how comfortable the Modway is to sit in. Credit: Jenna Ammerman
Comfort
Starting off with the armrests, the Modway was received favorably by our panel of judges — all but one, that is. Our tallest tester, at 6'2", found they were uncomfortable.
Most testers really liked the armrests on the Modway. Credit: Jenna Ammerman
While none of our testers found the backrest uncomfortable, it didn't elicit any rants or raves. We found an almost identical story with the seat — none despised it, but no one particularly loved it either. Most of our testers were happy sitting in the Modway for an eight-hour workday, but weren't exactly thrilled with the prospect of sitting in this chair daily for a full workweek and beyond. The seat has some curvature that does not work with all bodies, which caused some testers to squirm around quite a bit after a few hours.
However, the seat received mixed reactions depending on body shape and size. Credit: Jenna Ammerman
Adjustability
Our testers were surprised by the level of adjustment that the backrest of the Modway offers. Again, compared to pricier options, it's not exceptional, but for such a budget-friendly chair, we were impressed. This chair has decent lumbar support that can be adjusted up and down. It also features a reclining lever that allows you to lock the position at a desired angle. However, there isn't a headrest, and the back doesn't come up very high for most testers.
This chair has acceptable lumbar support. Credit: Jenna Ammerman
The armrest adjustability was less well received, as they only move up or down, and the range is not particularly wide. The armrest spacing is also quite wide, which makes this chair less versatile in terms of overall fit.
Most of our testers found the armrest spacing to be a bit wide. Credit: Jenna Ammerman
Seat adjustments are also minimal for this chair. The height is the only adjustment you can make, and it just barely went low enough for our shortest tester, whose toes barely touched the ground.
The adjustment levers on the Modway are very clearly marked. Credit: Jenna Ammerman
The saving grace of the Modway is that the reclining tension knob is very easy to reach and adjust. The tension is very responsive, allowing the user to make adjustments with minimal effort.
There is a good range of reclining resistance available to you with the Modway. Credit: Jenna Ammerman
Ease of Assembly
Like many budget-friendly items, the Modway left a bit to be desired.
This chair doesn't come fully assembled, so please plan to assemble it upon arrival. That said, this process isn't too much work and took us about half an hour while following the directions. The directions are somewhat sparse, but the assembly procedure is fairly intuitive.
Value
While the Modway is far from the greatest office chair out there, it's a perfectly decent option for the price, making it a solid value for those shopping on a tight budget.
Conclusion
The Modway Articulate Ergonomic is reasonably comfortable and offers a decent amount of adjustability. It's one of the least expensive chairs we would consider sitting in for a full workday, though we recommend upgrading if you can afford to do so.
—Hayley Thomas, David Wise, and Austin Palmer
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