SIHOO M18 Ergonomic Big and Tall Review

The SIHOO boasts some top-tier features we didn't expect from its price point, but it falls short of truly competing with more expensive counterparts. Although we aren't medically qualified to put SIHOO's “triple spinal relief” claim to the test, it surpassed our tester's expectations in terms of comfort and back support adjustability.

Performance Comparison

Comfort

Comfort is a crucial consideration for any chair, and especially for office chairs that you may sit in for hours on end. To ensure we captured every dimension of office chair comfort, we deployed a 'Goldilocks' system in which a panel of testers spent a full workday in the chair to ensure we noticed and noted every dimension of comfort, from the cushion and headrest to the level of effort it takes to make adjustments. We asked each reviewer to respond to a set of 16 comfort-oriented questions such as, “Overall, how adjustable to your needs would you rate this chair?” and “How many hours do you think you could sit in this chair?” We tested each chair for multiple days, ensuring initial thoughts morphed into accurate detailing of what you will experience throughout your workweek.

On average, our testers agreed that they could spend nearly a full workday sitting in the M18, and this competitive result is in a large part due to the design and construction of the seat.

Not only did one of our reviewers, Lesley, give the seat a 10/10 on comfort another admitted that the chair might be too “nappable” if GearLab had ordered it in with an available, attachable footrest.

The seat cushion itself also stood out for its ability to provide support and a plush sense of 'sinking-in.'

The M18 earned respectable marks on perhaps the two most important dimensions of office chair comfort, the cushion and backrest, which managed to feel supportive during intense upright work modes as well as when we needed to, you know, kickback and consider important concepts, like how the evolution of office chairs fits into the purpose of the universe.

For big and tall sitters, the back was plenty high for our 6'2" tester. While the seat pan width is about average, and the reported weight limit of 330 pounds is competitive.

The M18 isn't perfect everywhere and has some comfort drawbacks. Two of our testers, who are fans of using armrests while working at their desks, thought the armrests were simply too hard. Our biggest gripe by far was how difficult it was to get the wheels to move smoothly and in the right direction. Our lead reviewer, Rachael, noted that she “instantly noticed that these wheels don't roll very well” while sitting in it. In fact, the wheels were so difficult to roll and shift directions that all testers agreed it may be worth replacing them if you frequently roll around your office.

Adjustability

Adjustability and comfort go hand-in-hand. Furthermore, a personally adjusted chair can improve posture and support your back where it needs it most. Similar to how we assessed comfort, we considered all aspects of adjustability, from seat depth and chair height to tilt and lumbar support, to determine the extent to which these products could be customized for each sitter's size, body type, and preferences.

The adjustable lumbar support is where this chair stands out from the pack. SIHOO designed a four-way adjustment to the lumbar support, letting you raise and lower as well as move it in and out. This level of lumbar support is usually reserved for premium chairs. We are fans and were very impressed by the ability to dial in the support characteristics.

Unfortunately, the effort it took to make lumbar adjustments was annoying. All of our reviewers noted that the strength it took to adjust the lumbar impaired its utility. If you buy this chair and struggle with setting the lumbar, don't worry, it's not just you. If you keep at it, the supportive payoff might be worth the extra time to get it right.

We found that difficult adjustability was a bit of a theme throughout this chair. The tension knob that controls the backrest was also quite stiff, and one of our testers reported having to use their whole body weight to move it. In other areas, such as seat depth and armrest width, the SIHOO was completely missing adjustability options, which was surprising given how much there is for the lumbar.

If you plan on sharing this chair with someone else and constantly need to make adjustments, there's a chance you'll start each workday annoyed. However, if the M18 is a chair you don't plan on sharing with coworkers or family members with differing body types and preferences, the adjustment process will be annoying but forgivable for the comfy, supportive outcome.

Ease of Assembly

For our third and final metric, we reviewed and scored how easy it was to assemble the M18. Although assembly is a one-time task, this was still an important factor that we considered in our trials. It comes completely disassembled, but it only took our testers 16 minutes to complete the process. While that sounds speedy, there were delays because the instructions were written in a way that widened the margin of error for the average Joe.

For example, instead of labeling each piece of hardware with a letter or number, SIHOO chose to keep their technical moniker throughout. Within the first few minutes of the 16 we spent assembling, there were packets of hardware bearing labels like “M6*20” strewn about the floor. The base plate that attached the seat post to the cushion was unlabeled as well, which also led to some initial confusion. But once the hardware was organized, we were able to make swift progress.

Should You Buy the SIHOO M18 Ergonomic Office Chair?

As mundane as they may seem, office chairs are a highly personal purchase, and your individual needs, budget, and frequency of use should be at the forefront of your buying process. If you're looking for a surprisingly comfortable office chair that prioritizes lumbar support and lumbar adjustability without breaking the bank, the SIHOO M18 Ergonomic may be the right fit for you. Making frequent adjustments will be a pain in this chair, but if you can avoid that, you can mitigate this chair's largest drawback and take advantage of its back support. Keep in mind that the armrests can't be adjusted in or out, which may limit your ability for unconventional sitting or affect extra-wide sitters. When it comes to price, if you find the M18 on sale, which it often is, you may be able to nab one of the best office chair deals available.

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