Sihoo Doro S100 chair: a touch of luxury ergonomics on a budget?

Sihoo has done it again. Yet another ergonomic chair with a price tag that's a fraction of much of the competition. But is the recent Doro S100 (the budget version of the luxury Doro S300) any good? I put the chair through its paces, over a period of eight weeks, to find out what this chair is good at, where it lacks, and who the ideal user is.

I've spent many hours using and reviewing the best office chairs for back pain – that is, ergonomic chairs – over the last few years, and have a good context of what differentiates an OK chair from an exceptional chair. And though you could review a chair based purely on ergonomics – in which case the S100 would score high – there are other factors to consider, such as price, design, features and materials. Let's dig a little deeper into how the Sihoo Doro S100 scores in all these categories.

Sihoo Doro S100 review: Assembly

It's not a shock that the Sihoo Doro S100 takes quite a bit of effort to assemble. Every Sihoo chair that I've reviewed comes in several parts (think double figures) as opposed to the high-end office chairs that come fully constructed. This is no doubt to keep the production costs down, and so the retail price (more on that below). That's not really an issue for me, and I don't think it'd be an issue for anyone whose priority is keeping to a tight budget. However, does it have to be this fiddly?

As you can see from the above photo, Sihoo have somehow made what is already a fairly fiddly assembly process even more taxing. Why it was decided that the armrests need to be screwed in from below, while only offering a very shallow groove to sit in, is puzzling. This results in the arm falling over while you try - one-handed – to insert and screw the screw from below. Let's just say it took me way longer than I'd like to admit to assemble this chair. Not the end of the world, but worth noting – be prepared for some frustration.

Sihoo Doro S100 review: Comfort, build, price

The Sihoo Doro S100 is a comfortable chair, built with basic materials. But for the price you pay, I can heartily recommend it as great value for money.

Comfort-wise, the S100 does not have the sink-in feel of a high-end chair that uses memory foam; nor the soft touch that comes with real leather. But it uses its materials of mesh, plastic and metal well. The seat itself is perfectly comfortable over several hours of use. And though the armrests aren't the softest and pleasing to your elbows, they work perfectly well in keeping your arms in a suitably ergonomic positioning (for more on how to sit properly in a chair, read out article).

The lower-back double plates bring a cradling support that is quite nice. You feel that you can move into position a little more, though I personally like my chair back to have a solidity to it. At one point I felt my lower back slightly get caught in the middle of the double plate, which though didn't hurt, was a bit of a design fail. For context, this happened once over the two months of use, so I wouldn't say it was a problem. It just dissuaded me from the design a bit.

Build-wise, you get exactly what you'd expect from Sihoo – decent enough materials with loads of hard plastic. The chair is balanced well, and I felt solid in it whenever using it.

The real star of the S100 is the price tag. Although it retails at around $550, you can get it in regular sales through Sihoo for around $350. That means you get a decent lumbar supporting ergo chair for under $400! That's fantastic value for money.

Sihoo Doro S100 review: Design and features

Speaking of not winning any design awards, you at least know what you're getting with Sihoo. Lots of hard plastic, and pretty uninspired chair design, that's what. No beautiful curves here – you'll have to go to higher-end chairs from the likes of Herman Miller for that (and pay around $1,000 for the privilege).

To be brutally honest, all Sihoo chairs look a little ugly – certainly to my eyes. But tastes vary, and if you like the look of the S100, that's all that counts. You certainly get a full set of adjustment features with the S100. Elevate, recline, move the seat forward and back, and alter the angle of the headrest. It's all standard stuff done well.

Sihoo Doro S100 review: Specs

Should I buy the Sihoo Doro S100?

Do you like the look of the S100's design? Are you looking for good ergonomics? And are you looking for good value for money? If you answer yes to all three questions, then this is a great chair for you.

There are chairs that look better and that are made of finer materials, but they will come at a far larger price tag. For the $400-ish you'll pay for the S100, you get a really decent, durable ergonomic chair.