Office chairs can change your outlook on sitting at work all day depending on which one you choose. Some chairs are more for looks and others focus on true comfort. We went through some of the most overrated chairs that are on the market today in each price range.
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Overrated Office Chair Links
- Overrated Chairs Under $300
- Overrated Chairs Under $500
- Overrated Chairs Under $700
- Overrated Chairs Under $1000
- Overrated Chairs with No Budget
1. Overrated Chairs Under $300
We started with the Staples Hyken. This chair in our opinion is considered overrated. It has a 4.5 star review, but probably shouldn’t. It doesn’t have a lot to show for that rating. The materials are poor quality and your legs hit the hard edges on the front when seated. This causes discomfort. I would much rather purchase the Clatina or Ticova chair which are in the same price range but overall, a better option.

The Flexispot Soutien would be the next pick in this price range that is looked at more often than not. It might seem like a great chair, but it’s just not a comfortable chair. The problem with this is the back especially is almost unbearable because of the major lumbar support system. I think it causes more pain when sitting. The reviews also don’t seem legit as they are almost all 5 stars.

Next, the Sihoo Ergonomic chair seems to be hyped up across the internet. Amazon shows more than 10,000 reviews with an average rating of 4.2. I question this a little bit and here’s why. When you sit down, you are sitting on a brick essentially, there is no cushion on the seat. The arm pads are rough as well and don’t provide a lot of relief.

2. Overrated Chairs Under $500
Our next category is under $500 and our first pick is the Autonomous Ergo Pro. The armrests are hard and I don’t like the shape. The seat bottoms out rather quickly and the backrest does not give a whole lot of support. The headrest pulls on your hair so it can get annoying if you are trying to relax. This chair went out with a bang when it was first released but I’m not sure how valid the reviews are.

Without a doubt, both the Markus and Jarvfjallet chairs from Ikea are overrated. The shipping costs are over $300 which makes them go beyond the $500 mark; therefore, making these options even more expensive. A lot of the other chairs we talk about have free shipping so in comparison, there are better chairs out there. The back is extremely high and the seat is short so it doesn’t fit me the best.

3. Overrated Chairs Under $700
Differing from the previous category, we have the $700 range. To start, we have the SecretLab Neue. This one is unique in a sense that everyone continues to ask about it and we don’t know why. The warranty isn’t great unless you become a part of their influencer program and the return policy isn’t ideal either. One of the main things people like about this chair is the sturdiness of it and how much of a tank it is to fit all individuals. However, if you are too large, you won’t fit in the seat.

Sticking with the same brand we chose the SecretLab Titan Evo 2022 as being an overrated chair. Again the policies aren’t great and it’s not comfortable for long periods of time. The ratings on their site seem too good to be true while Amazon portrays more of a realistic review.

This may come to a surprise to some, but the next pick is the Herman Miller Aeron Classic. The main reason is because you can only get it used at this point. It’s not like you are getting a Remastered Aeron. The comfort level isn’t great and people think they are getting a better chair than what it is.

4. Overrated Chairs Under $1000
Lastly, this category is getting up there. If you are spending this type of money on a chair it better have good qualities. The first overrated chair is the X Chair K-Sport X2; you may see this in commercials. It’s widely talked about and doesn’t feel like it should be that price. The arms are pretty wobbly and the material feels cheap.

Along with that, the Backstrong All 33 is not much better. This one is considered to be the most overrated chair on the market. It has the lowest build qualities that we’ve seen come through our office. You could maybe sit in this chair for an hour tops before you start to feel some discomfort. There is a lot of hype from chiropractors, but this chair is truly a fraud.

5. Overrated Chairs with No Budget
Wrapping up these overrated chairs, we decided to pick a few, taking budget out of the equation. The first chair is the X Chair brand. My issue with this is the prices are so close to the Steelcase, Haworth, and Herman Miller brands. Now these brands offer free returns, while the X Chair brand does not. It’s tough to want to buy an X Chair with this poor policy.

Looking at the many chairs we have tried out, we are going with the Teknion Contessa chair as being an overrated chair at no budget. This brand is said to be one of the high-end brands like Herman Miller and Steelcase. However, the build quality is poor and the warranty doesn’t cover much so it’s not going to compete with those high-end brands.

The final overrated chair is the Steelcase Gesture. Now, there are things we do like about this chair but in general it seems that there’s more excitement about it then needed. It shows up on many top office chair lists and I just don’t understand why. There are so many other chairs that are better options.

Bottom Line
Overall, everyone has a different take on what an overrated chair means to them. The ones we discussed are just some of them we found. Don’t just take our word for it, let us know if there are other chairs that you think are overrated.