Sihoo’s Doro

The Doro-C300 ergonomic office chair from Sihoo is an affordable way to work more comfortably.

It's probably fair to say that until many people started working from home, few of us appreciated the amount of design and engineering that goes into the humble office chair. Based on a 2016 survey of more than 50,000 individuals, American adolescents aged 12 – 19 years old sit for 8.2 hours a day. Adults over the age of 20 spend 6.4 hours per day sitting. That adds up to 2,336 hours in a chair every year. A chair is as essential a purchase as a bed.

As more of us ended up working at our kitchen table or crouched at a child's homework desk, many of us had to make do with a dining-room chair or a cheap Ikea office seat. We soon realized that having something comfortable to sit on is essential for an enjoyable day without developing posture problems. During the pandemic, some lucky homeworkers were given proper chairs by their employers, but not everyone was so fortunate.

We spend hours working at our desks but don't always ensure that our seating arrangements are as ... [+] advanced as out computing technology.

During the pandemic, I investigated office chairs to see what was on offer for homeworkers. At the time, top-end ergonomic models like Herman Miller's classic Aeron were in short supply and fetched very high prices. Many homeworkers opted for gaming chairs which, while comfortable, often lack the kind of alterations and posture adjustments to suit office work.

The Herman Miller Aeron is the gold-standard when it comes to ergonomic office seating.

After spending some time with an excellent gaming chair, I gradually became frustrated with its size, weight and lack of adjustable lumber support. Unfortunately, I don't have the money to stretch to a Herman Miller Aeron, which fetches incredibly high prices even for second-hand models, but now I’ve come across an office chair that offers similar features at a much lower price.

The Sihoo Doro-C300 ergonomic office chair differs slightly from the run-of-the-mill office seat. The chair includes core features like dynamic lumbar adaptive support, flexible motion-chasing seatback, and a wide-angle mechanical headrest. The upshot is a light and relatively compact seat, making it ideal for home office use.

Instead of leather or textile upholstery, the Doro-C300 uses cloud netting, which is breathable, oil and stain resistant, and more solid, plus it is pressure and tear-resistant. The netting material makes the chair exceptionally comfortable on hot days, durable, and able to withstand extended use.

The Sihoo Doro-C300 ergonomic office chair is a more-affordable alternative to Herman Miller's ... [+] classic Aeron model.

Like most office chairs, the Doro-C300 is height adjustable via a gas cylinder. The height adjustment range isn't huge, but it should be fine for people up to six feet tall. The chair has dynamic lumbar adaptive support. In plain English, the lumbar support adapts to fit you as you sit and move. The backrest on the chair can be raised or lowered to suit people of different heights.

The flexible motion-chasing backrest of the chair is designed to mimic the human form by offering spinal support with side-to-side motion-chasing in a triangular formulation that effectively supports the user's upper torso and arms. To support the user's head, the Doro-C300 has a wide-angle mechanical headrest that is adjustable through an auto-locking mechanism. The headrest can be moved up and down and with circular and front-to-back movements to support the cervical area of the spine with precision.

The armrests on the Doro-C300 are made from a semi-soft material that can cushion arm movements. Each armrest can pivot through 75° and are fully height adjustable to suit the length of the user's forearms when typing. Meanwhile, the seat uses a weight-transfer mechanism to offer support where it's needed by automatically detecting and compensating for weights up to 300 lbs or 136kg.

The Doro-C300 from Sihoo can recline into a sleeping angle for that vital post-lunch thinking ... [+] position.

The waterfall shape of the chair has been designed to reduce pressure on the user's lower thighs while maintaining healthy blood circulation. Anyone who has stood up after sitting for hours on a poorly designed chair will know how buckling knees or pins and needles feels. And for those who fancy relaxing at their desk, this chair offers tilting from 92 to 112°, enabling the user to stretch, sit back, listen to music, or enjoy a coffee.

Verdict: For the money, the Sihoo Doro-C300 ergonomic office chair offers a lot. The sheer number of adjustments compared with most cheaper office chairs makes it worth considering. The way the chair adjusts and adapts as you move is clever. I initially found the headrest a little challenging to change, but that was because I wasn't using it properly. The reclining feature is a beautiful way to relax after several hours at the keyboard. The armrests are 3D and fully adjustable, but I wish the locking mechanism kept the armrests from moving too easily. The Doro-C300 is an excellent adjustable office chair with superb lumbar support, although the height adjustment is probably not quite enough for very tall people. The Sihoo Doro-C300 ergonomic office chair is the closest I’ll get to owning a Herman Miller Aeron and offers excellent value for money. Highly recommended.

More info: sihoooffice.com

Pricing & Availability: The Sihoo Doro C300 ergonomic office chair is available now and costs $270.

Tech Specs:

Model: Sihoo Doro-C300.

Fabric: Mesh back and seat with soft PU-coated armrests.

Maximum load: 300lb/136kg.

Seat depth: 16.3 inches / 41.40cm.

Maximum hip width: 20 inches / 50.8cm

Gross weight: 66.36lbs / 30.1kg

Colors: Black / White.

You can check the measurements of the Sihoo Doro C300 to see if it will fit your home office.

Despite its complex construction, the Sihoo Doro-C300 is relatively light and easy to move around.

Updated May 9 with new price of $270 rather than $249.