I Tried 4 Popular Desk Chairs To See Which Was Worth The Hype
There was a clear winner.
I work from home, which means that desk chairs went from the bottom of my priority list to one of the most important pieces of furniture I own. If I’m Ken, my job would literally be Desk. While sitting on the sofa, eating Cheez-Its, and rewatching Bridgerton Season 2 while I work is very tempting, I have to take proper care of my body. So, I moved from the sofa to my desk (I brought the Cheez-Its, don’t worry).
Since August is what I would lovingly call “peak desk chair season” as everyone heads back to campus, I wanted to try out some of the most viral chairs I kept seeing on TikTok. I reviewed every aspect of each chair, from the ease of assembly to how my body felt after working from the chair for an entire week. Everything I thought I knew about chairs was wrong, and I’m so excited to share what I’ve learned. Before you build your dream dorm aesthetic, check out my honest reviews below.
The OG Viral Desk Chair
I guarantee this is the chair you imagine when someone mentions The Viral TikTok Chair. The Orange Factory armless desk chair has made waves on TikTok for years: One video racked up 20 million views and more than 500,000 likes. The biggest selling point? You can sit cross-legged in it. I finally gave it a try to see if it lives up to the hype.
Key features:
- Wide, U-shaped seat allows you to sit cross-legged
- Adjustable height
- 360-degrees swivel and 30-degree angle recline
- Tilt lock and adjustable tilt tension
- 4 colors: beige, blue, brown, gray
Pros:
This is the most affordable desk chair that I tried: It normally retails at $110 but is currently on sale at Walmart for $60. It came in the smallest box, and I was able to carry it up the stairs myself with relative ease. This chair was also the quickest to assemble, because the instructions were super straightforward and all of the parts were clearly labeled. The fabric is thick, the cushion is dense, and the chair looks way more aesthetic than your typical desk chair. I like the four neutral colors offered because they can fit a variety of styles and are more fun than plain ol’ black. You can definitely sit cross-legged in this chair as advertised, which is great… until it’s not.
Cons:
If you need to sit for hours at a time, then this chair is probably not for you. Even though it reclines, swivels, and I can cross my legs in it, there’s a noticeable lack of back and lumbar support. Since the chair back is so low, I found myself hunching forward more than normally while I was working, and sitting with my legs crossed for long periods kept making my legs fall asleep. And the seat depth is a little difficult, because while it’s great for sitting with your legs crossed, it’s slightly too deep to sit comfortably with my legs down — the edge of the seat hits the back of my knees (and I’m 5 feet, 8 inches tall, so if you’re shorter than me, this will probably be even more uncomfortable for you). The chair company claims that the armless frame makes it great for smaller spaces, but this chair is wider than most standard desk chairs, so I’m not sure if this is the best option for tiny apartments or most dorm rooms.
Overall Score: 2.5/5
If you are someone who works in smaller bursts of time and want the flexibility of sitting cross-legged, then this chair could be a great option for you. I found myself sitting sideways on it a lot to take a break from work, scrolling my phone while resting my arm on the back. I’ve got to say: I missed the arms. It kind of feels like it’s halfway between a desk chair and a lounge chair, but it’s missing a little bit of what makes both great. I also think this is a better option for a dorm common room — a place where you need ample seating but people probably aren’t going to be using it for more than an hour or so.
The Meditation Chair
If there is such a thing as a chair that has broken the internet, it’s definitely the Pipersong Meditation Chair. Multiple videos on TikTok have racked up over 700,000 views, and I will admit that this was the chair I was the most excited to try when I signed on to write this review. They offer three different models: Regular, Plus, and Pro. I tried the Plus in black.
Key features:
- 360-degree swivel chair and footstool
- Memory foam 4.2-inch thick seat cushion
- Adjustable seat height
- 4 colors: gray, ivory, tan, black
Pros:
This is a truly unique chair design that allows you to sit comfortably in a variety of positions. Throughout the day I found myself adjusting to a lot of different positions that were super comfortable and I didn’t even know were a possibility while working at a computer. The 360-degree swivel footstool is also padded, which makes it extra comfy for your knees and feet. Even with the addition of a footstool, it has a relatively low profile and tucks nicely into my desk when I’m done working so I have more space around my desk (and I need every spare inch because it also doubles as my workout space). It’s lightweight and easy to move once assembled. I was able to carry the box up the stairs by myself, even if I had to stop a few times to get a better grip.
Cons:
This chair is almost there, but I found myself disappointed by a few things. Firstly, I was surprised that a $400 chair was using “polyurethane leather material” instead of real leather. It made me wonder why it had such a hefty price tag. And while I appreciated the wider seat that the Plus model offered, not being able to adjust the height of the chair back was a real con for me — it’s not hitting me where it needs to, and I can’t do anything about it, so I couldn’t help but wonder if the Pro would have been a better fit (although, is an adjustable back really worth another $70?). The assembly took about a half hour and there was some confusion during the process, so I wish the instructions had been a bit more clear. Like the Criss Cross chair, this one also had me hunching forward while working, so I was frequently standing up to stretch out my back.
Overall Score: 3/5
While this is not a suitable chair for long stretches of desk work, I do think it is an excellent actual meditation chair, and the separate footstool makes it really accessible for anyone who wants to sit and meditate but has mobility issues that might make it uncomfortable. Even with the footstool, I think it’s the best option for small spaces. And of the two chairs that purport to allow you to sit cross-legged, I prefer this one. This chair has versatility and is certainly unique, but the price tag gives me a lot of pause.
The Ergonomic Queen
There comes a point in your life when you want to mitigate chronic pain but you also don’t want to compromise on aesthetics. This is why chunky New Balance sneakers have taken off, and this is also where the Branch Ergonomic Chair enters the chat. It’s not as flashy as the Criss Cross or Meditation chairs, but content creators who spend hours editing videos love this chair — this TikTok even has 3.7 million views.
Key features:
- 8 points of adjustment
- Firm lumbar support
- 3D removable armrests
- Breathable mesh fabric
- 7 colors: black, pebble, sand, graphite, light blue, poppy, Baltic
Pros:
I picked the Baltic color, which is a medium blue that looks exactly how it did on the website, so the color accuracy is definitely there. The seat cushion is firm but supportive, the lumbar support is excellent, and the chair back is the perfect height to support me while working at a desk all day. I love the amount of customization that this chair offers. For example, the arms can be adjusted width-wise, so I was able to place them comfortably where they weren’t digging into the sides of my thighs, which also happened to give me room to — wait for it — sit cross-legged. The lumbar support is also adjustable, and so is the depth of the seat. It also came with a small “Ergonomic 101” card that outlined 11 ways to check that your posture is correct while sitting at a computer, and this was incredibly helpful because I learned that my monitor was both too high and too far away from me!
Cons:
It’s hard to find cons for this chair, believe it or not. The box was a little on the heavy side and I needed help bringing it upstairs, but I only had to do that once and now I have this beautiful chair forever.
Overall Score: 5/5
This chair is exceptional. It offers support exactly where you need it, and when I’m sitting in it, I almost don’t notice it. And I almost can’t believe the price point of this chair versus the quality: $360 for this chair is an absolute steal, and it’s an investment I fully support for anyone who studies best while sitting in their own dorm room (me!) or wants to make sure they have perfect posture while filming a GRWM. And because this chair has a seven-year warranty, it can easily transition from dorm room to home office once you nab your first job. I wish I needed more than one because I want this in other colors!
The Totally Customizable (Very Expensive) One
If you want a desk chair and price is no object, may I introduce you to the Anthros chair? Instead of supporting your lower back, like most office chairs, the Anthros focuses on pelvic alignment for a totally different kind of supported seat. This chair has been making the rounds on video game TikTok for the support it lends to long hours of gaming. Or, you know, studying.
Key features:
- Tapered upper back support
- 4D arm supports
- Adjustable two-part back system
- Lumbar support
- Fully customizable colors and finishes for a totally unique-to-you chair
Pros:
Everything about this chair is high-end. It required the least amount of assembly, and came with everything you needed — including a screwdriver. I chose the black boucle fabric, and it’s thick and highly durable without being scratchy on the skin. The separate lumbar and back adjustments made it really easy to find the sweet spot for support while sitting. The wood panel on the back is giving “quiet luxury,” and it looks beautiful in my home office. When I ordered this chair, I also received a series of five welcome emails from Anthros that showed me how to best utilize the chair.
Cons:
Firstly, it came mostly assembled, which is great except that meant it was delivered in two separate boxes, one of which was over 60 pounds and I could not lift or carry it without help. (If you live in a walkup, keep that in mind.) Secondly, there’s a big learning curve with the Anthros chair. The first welcome email explains that it can take time for your spine to adjust to sitting with a proper S-curve if you’re used to slouching, and this was definitely the case for me. I had hip pain after the first two days of using this chair because I got a little overzealous with the lumbar support. And of course, the price point is very high: This chair retails for about $1,900.
Overall Score: 4/5
I am a bit overwhelmed by this chair, and it’s not for the casual consumer. This chair takes time to get used to and to make sure that it is working for your body. Unless you are sitting several eight- to 10-hour days at a desk every week, you really do not need this chair. As much as I wanted to love this chair, I found myself switching back to the Branch chair by the end of my review period. This chair is definitely a luxury item, but you really need to be ready to invest time and patience into calibrating it to your body.
Final Thoughts
I was fully surprised that the Branch chair ended up being my favorite. I went in the most excited about the Pipersong Meditation chair and the Anthros chair, but I found both of them lacking for different reasons. At the end of the day, I chose the chair that offered me the best support at the best price point and didn’t require any special “breaking in” period where my body had to get used to it. Sitting at my desk all day used to feel like a chore, and I had to remind myself to get up and stretch — I don’t feel that way anymore. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going back to the sofa to watch Bridgerton.
