How does one review a chair?

Truth be told, these things have been around since ancient times so one would think that by now, we’d perfected the art of sitting.

Countless manufacturers will, however, tell you that you’re wrong and that for years you’ve been sitting incorrectly. Doctors will offer up various pieces of evidence and studies showcasing how sitting wrong impacts your spine but truth be told, we just want to be comfortable.

So when Ergotherapy offered us its Ergo G gaming chair to review we weren’t interested at first. We were then offered a consultation with one of the company’s ergotherapists. At first we declined again because we prefer to review a product on its own merit, as you the reader would experience if you spent your own money on it.

We were then informed that this consultation was offered to all buyers and given that’s a rather unique offer, we accepted.

You’re going to want to sit down for this

The chair is clad in bonded leather which tends to peel and crack after a few years while the back of the chair is a nylon mesh. The chair’s colour and even its logos can be customised although the logo customisation comes at the cost of an additional R500. With that having been said, this chair retails for R9 900 so an extra R500 for customisation isn’t a bad ask.

The armrests, mesh support, chair bottom, levers and the wheel support frame are all plastic. While it’s a thick, premium plastic we would have liked to have seen some more metal for longevity.

The chair features a gas-lift for height adjustment and the seat depth can be adjusted as well. The armrests can be swiveled left and right as well as lifted. A head rest also supports your neck when you lean back.

The chair has a maximum weight rating of 150kg.

It’s a very comfortable chair and after a while sitting in it, you can easily forget it’s even there. This is, in our opinion, the mark of a great product. Where we would usually have to fidget to get comfortable, sitting in the Ergo G saw us eating up hours of work sitting incredibly comfortably without having to readjust.

How about that consultation?

The person we met from Ergotherapy was well presented and incredibly friendly. We were asked to sit down so that the ergotherapist could assess our posture and sitting position. The person shared some helpful tips about how to sit correctly, whether leaning back is bad for your back (it really isn’t in moderation we’re told) and how to achieve the most from the chair.

Through very minor tweaks to our initial setup the Ergo G went from just another chair to an incredibly comfortable chair we’ll be sad to say goodbye to.

We were talked through caring for the chair and keeping it clean as well as what to do should a part break. In that instance, the firm has replacement parts available and repairs are simple.

Overall, the service we experienced was fantastic and helps you get the most out of your chair.

Conclusion

The Ergo G is better than most gaming chairs because it’s designed by a company that makes chairs for office workers. More on that later.

As such, there is no bucket seat here but rather a well designed S-backed chair with a plethora of adjustment options down to how far forward your seat sits. While we would have liked to have seen some more metal, the thickness of the plastic is nice and the whole affair feels well made and most importantly, sturdy.

Now for the office chairs we mentioned.

At R9 900, the Ergo G is rather expensive, but there is another option in the NetOne High Back which looks, by all accounts the same albeit without the colouring. As a standard build with the plastic base and standard castors this chair costs R7 590 including delivery.

The Ergo G has a 5-year warranty while the NetOne High Back comes with a 7-year warranty adding to the confusion as to why the Ergo G exists. 

The Ergo G is smaller in all dimensions while the NetOne High Back is a bit wider and deeper. This still begs the question why the Ergo G is so much more expensive.

However, what this review has shown us is that if you need a chair and you’re willing to spend a bit of money then Ergotherapy makes a fantastic product that is definitely worth your consideration.

Maybe don’t get the gaming chair though unless you must have some customisation.

FINAL SCORE: 8 OUT OF 10.