Amazon Cheap Office Chair Review: Is A £48 “Ergonomic” Chair Worth It?

I bought one of the cheapest ergonomic office chairs on Amazon for just £48.

It normally retails at around £89.99, has an Amazon Choice badge, hundreds of positive reviews, and thousands of recent sales. On the surface, it looks like an absolute bargain.

But as a chiropractor, I see the effects of people sitting in the wrong office chair every week. So in this review, we put this budget Amazon chair together, test the features, look at the comfort, and ask a simple question:

Is this a good budget ergonomic chair, or just cheap throwaway fast furniture?

Why This Cheap Amazon Chair Caught My Attention

This chair stood out because of three things:

• It was being sold as an “ergonomic” office chair
• It had an Amazon Choice badge
• It had a very low price point compared with most office chairs

For under £100, and in my case just £48, it is easy to see why people are tempted.

It has the visual cues people associate with ergonomic chairs: a mesh back, a headrest, armrests, lumbar support and a modern frame. From a product photo, it looks like it should do the job.

But when a chair claims to be ergonomic, we should expect more than just the right appearance. We should expect it to help support the body and adapt reasonably well to the person using it.

Building The Chair: Not As Easy As Expected

Putting this chair together was more fiddly than expected.

There were several small parts, and some of the screws and holes did not line up particularly well. The armrests were especially awkward to fit, partly because they form part of the chair’s structure.

If you are confident putting together flat-pack furniture, you will probably get there in the end. But if you do not enjoy building furniture or are not very technically minded, this could be a frustrating build.

Once assembled, the chair actually looks quite good. I quite liked the burgundy colour, and the black frame gives it a modern, sporty look.

First Impressions: Build Quality And Materials

At this price point, you expect some compromises — and you can feel them quite quickly.

The chair is very light and easy to pick up. That is convenient, but it also gives the chair a slightly flimsy feel.

Some of the plastic parts feel thin and a little tinny. The controls are quite stiff and clunky, and the overall frame does not feel especially robust.

What stood out immediately

• The chair is very light
• Some plastics feel thin and cheap
• The controls feel stiff and slightly clunky
• The armrests were awkward to assemble
• The frame looks modern but feels quite basic

That does not automatically make it a bad chair, but it does remind you that there is a reason it costs less than many higher quality ergonomic chairs.

What Ergonomic Features Does It Have?

For a budget chair, there are a few useful features.

Adjustable headrest

The chair has a headrest that moves up and down. Headrests are not essential for everyone, but it is nice to see one included at this price.

However, for me at 6 foot 2, the headrest was too low. Even on the highest setting, it caught the top of my shoulders rather than supporting my head properly.

For taller users, this could become annoying and may encourage a more rounded sitting position. You could remove the headrest, but then it obviously stops being a useful feature.

Flip-up armrests

The armrests are not height adjustable, but they do flip up out of the way.

That is actually useful, especially if the armrests do not fit under your desk. Some chairs at this price have completely fixed armrests, so this is a positive feature.

The limitation is that when the armrests are down, you cannot adjust their height, width or depth. That means they either suit your body and desk setup, or they do not.

Adjustable lumbar support

This was probably the best feature of the chair.

The lumbar support can move up and down, allowing you to position it around the lower back. It gives a gentle push into the lumbar spine without feeling too aggressive.

For a chair at this price point, that is good to see.

Basic height adjustment and recline

The chair also has standard height adjustment and a basic tilt/recline function.

This gives you some movement, which is better than being completely fixed in one position. However, the mechanism is still very basic compared with a more advanced ergonomic chair.

Seat Comfort: Better Than A Dining Chair, But Still Limited

The seat cushion is fairly thick and firm.

It feels softer around the edges and firmer through the middle, likely because of the base board underneath the foam. The seat is also quite large and deep.

For me, with longer legs, the seat depth was not too bad. I still had a small gap behind my knees, which is what you want.

But for someone shorter, the seat may be too long. That could put pressure behind the knees and affect comfort or circulation during longer sitting periods.

The seat material also feels quite rough and slightly slidey. Over time, I would expect the foam to feel less supportive, especially with regular daily use.

What Could Cause Problems?

With my chiropractic hat on, there are a few things I would be cautious about.

The headrest may not suit taller users

For anyone over about 6 foot, the headrest may sit too low and press into the upper shoulders or shoulder blades.

This could make you feel rounded through the upper back rather than properly supported.

The armrests are very limited

The flip-up design is useful, but the lack of height and depth adjustment is a problem.

If they are too high, they may compress your shoulders. If they are too low, they may not support your arms properly. If they hit your desk, you may have to flip them up completely and lose arm support altogether.

There is no seat slide

A seat slide allows you to adjust the seat depth to suit your leg length.

This chair does not have one. So if the seat is too deep or too shallow for you, there is not much you can do about it.

The materials are not built for heavy daily use

For occasional use, the materials may be acceptable. But if you are sitting in this chair for several hours a day, five days a week, I would be concerned about how well the foam, frame and mechanisms will hold up.

Who Is This Chair Actually For?

This chair is not for everyone, but it does have a place.

The person it may suit best is someone moving away from a dining room chair.

If you are still working from a dining chair several years into hybrid working, this chair will give you some improvements:

• Height adjustment
• Some arm support
• Basic recline
• A moveable lumbar support
• A more office-like working position

Compared with a hard dining chair with no support, no adjustability and no armrests, this is likely to feel like an upgrade.

Who Should Avoid It?

I would be more cautious if you are using your chair for long periods every day.

This chair is probably not ideal if:

• You sit for more than 2–3 hours per day
• You work from home full-time
• You already have persistent low back pain
• You are tall and need proper upper back or head support
• You are shorter and need a shallower seat depth
• You need armrests that properly adapt to your desk setup

For regular working, the lack of adjustability and the cheaper materials are likely to become more noticeable over time.

Chiropractor’s Verdict

For £48, this chair is better than I expected in some areas.

The lumbar support is surprisingly useful, the flip-up armrests are handy, and it is certainly better than sitting on a dining chair for hours at a time.

But it is still a very limited chair.

It looks ergonomic, but it does not offer the level of adjustability or support I would want for someone working at a desk for long periods.

For occasional use, a teenager doing homework, or someone who simply needs a very cheap upgrade from a dining chair, it may be acceptable.

For proper daily working, especially if you have back pain, I would look for something more adjustable, more supportive and better built.

Final Thoughts

This chair shows the problem with the word “ergonomic”.

A chair can be described as ergonomic because it has a few ergonomic-looking features, but that does not mean it will suit your body or support you properly through the day.

If your budget is very tight and you are upgrading from a dining chair, this may be a reasonable starting point.

But if you sit for several hours a day, your chair is one of the most important parts of your workstation. It is worth thinking carefully before buying the cheapest option available.