Ergoal One Office Chair Review

Ergoal One Office Chair Review

It’s time to shop for a new ergonomic chair.

What should you look for? 

First, it is important to list your needs and wants:

• Looking for back support?
• Keeping your butt from hurting?
• Shoulder issues?
• Headaches?
• Or maybe just good old comfort?

If any of those fit the bill there’s a good chance the best-selling Ergoal One office chair has been on your mind.

Since establishing themselves as a major player in the high-end office furniture market, Ergoal worked hard to set themselves apart.  And the Ergoal Office chair features their human-centered design approach. 

This unique approach does much more than offer immediate, short-term comfort.

They say it will actually provide long-lasting support so you can even get through a shift at work where overtime has kept you at your desk.

Still, I had to know for myself.

Could any ergonomic chair really be all that good?

To find out, I decided to take a closer look at this chair:  The Ergoal One

Below, you’ll find my honest opinions in this Ergoal One Chair review.

Ergoal One Review

First Impressions

It is comfortable which is not something to be taken for granted.

Having used and tested a wide array of chairs in the last ten years I can tell you comfort is not as easy to come by as it should.

Everything about this chair exudes quality, from the heavy and solid base to the adjustable neck rest, which might be my favorite feature. The brand’s commitment to rigorous quality shows.

And to mention the price. The truth is you won’t be finding the Ergoal Office Chair on any of the budget chair lists. It’s not under $200 but that is honestly a good thing.

It shows in the construction.

To be honest, if you take your health seriously, and you want to work at your desk for years to come, a “cheap” office chair is probably the last thing you want.

One great thing about the Ergoal company is that it is direct-to-consumer, which can cut out many of the middle-man costs. 

This makes the chair affordable without skimping on quality.

This essential fact makes the Erogal One Office Chair a worthwhile investment.

The bottom line is you will pay a lower price for a premium office chair.

Build It  Yourself

I have to say it was very simple and easy to assemble the ergoal office chair

It comes with simple-to-follow instructions that require little time and attention.

It took me about 20 minutes to put the chair together. I bet my wife who is better at these things than me could have gotten it done in 15.

I’m sure you’ll fall somewhere in between. The only tool you need is a hex key and it comes with 2 just in case you lost one.

Ergoal One Chair Design

The human spine is a fascinating thing. We are the only creatures on earth with a curve in the lower or lumbar spine.

While this is an amazing thing in the history of evolution, it is also why sitting is so hard on the body.

It feels like everything about this chair is designed to accommodate the needs of the human body. And the unique way we interact with our modern environment.

Chairs that don’t take the incredible design of the human body into consideration are doing anyone any favors.

It is a good-looking chair as well, but they left no stone unturned when it came to the ergonomic design.

When you sit in the Ergoal One chair correctly your spine is completely supported. 

The chair’s back is shaped to accentuate the lumbar curve while also supporting the head and neck with an adjustable neck rest.

And I think the matching supports for the lumbar spine and neck (cervical spine) give the chair a truly interesting look.

To be honest a chair is a chair when it comes to looks. If I showed you a picture of a chair from ancient times it wouldn’t look that much different from chairs today. Minus the wheels of course.

But this chair would look good in any office. My wife and I both work from home and every time she has come into my office she has remarked, “I might need to get one of these chairs.”

I’m rocking the solid black chair with a silver wheelbase but she was pleased to hear that they have different colors in different combinations if colors are your thing.

You can choose from black, red, orange, grey, or light grey with a choice of chrome or black base, all of which look equally as impressive.

Dimensions

I weigh in around 200 lbs and that is more than covered by the Ergoal One safety rating. It’ll cover someone up to 300lbs. 

So this is a solid seat that will serve all types and hold up to some serious wear and tear.

If specifics are your thing, here is the down-low on this chair:

• Seat Height: 17.91″-21.85″
• Seat Width: 20.87″
• Seat Depth: 17.82″
• Seat Depth range: 3”
• Backrest Height: 26.38″
• Overall chair weight: 45 lbs
• Backrest recline: 117°

Comfort

Here’s the thing about sitting. It is bad for you.

I teach people to sit, walk, stand, run, and any other way you can think to move.

Most people do all of those things poorly. It is one of the problems with being the first and only creature on earth with a curved lumbar spine. It really was a momentous change.

So while the chair hits the mark on sturdiness and durability there are a number of things that I particularly like about it.

The breathable mesh backrest and seat are really great. I’ll talk about the memory foam seat that comes with the Ergoal Comfort Plus chair a little later but I really appreciate a good mesh weave. 

In addition to the curvy adaptation for the spine, the mesh feels very tight and supportive while also being breathable.

This is an important thing for me as I am always trying to find things in life that successfully combine form and function.

Having mentioned the lumbar curve a couple of times already I should probably say why it is so important.

The curve of the lumbar spine exists to bear and transfer weight from the head to the feet. A four-legged creature doesn’t need this feature as the flat spine sits on top of both the arms and legs.

When we came up to stand the lumbar spine took on a curve which allows us to be upright.

The problem is we haven’t been upright very long (1 million years give or take. A pimple on the face of evolution) and we are very confused about what to do with the lumbar curve.

And sitting is a particular problem. Most chairs allow your lumbar spine to round into a C-curve, which turns your pelvis under and creates an environment ripe for pain and discomfort.

I have to give the Ergoal One chair some serious credit here. It is designed in a way to ensure your lower back’s connection to the lumbar support. It is honestly hard to sit poorly with this chair.

This will alleviate a great deal of strain on the lower back muscles which aren’t allowed into their habitually bad positions. Ensuring that your body maintains this alignment makes this chair a great choice if you struggle with back pain.

And you can even use it therapeutically because you can employ it to feel the correct and supportive alignment of a long balanced spine.

There are numerous adjustments that you can make to fine-tune the chair as well but that guarantee of lumbar support is simply essential.

The seat also has a cool feature that curves the seat down at its front which saves your legs from pressing into the seat edge and maybe falling asleep.

Seats without this kind of edge can restrict your blood flow, which is one of the many reasons that spending too much time in a less suitable chair can leave you with less energy at the end of the day.

Adjustability and Ergonomic Features

Ergonomics is the study of people’s efficiency in their working environment. And good ergonomics can go a long way to keep your body from breaking down.

Especially if you love your work and it keeps you at your desks for painfully long hours.

Aside from this chair that embodies ergonomic design, I can share some very simple ergonomic rules that everyone should follow along with the use of a good chair.

• Make sure your knees are below your hips.
• Keep your feet planted on the floor.
• The wrists should be elbow level or lower.
• Your head and eyes should be looking about ⅔ of the way up your monitor. 

So while I have made a justified fuss about the lumbar support, you always want to pay attention to the many ways you can serve your body.

I am 5’ 10” and I would say the lumbar support is perfectly positioned for my height. Someone who is a lot taller might need a bit of additional support but I can’t be sure of that.

Here’s the thing… as much as I appreciate the lumbar support it is the Ergoal One’s adjustable headrest and neck support that really knocks me out.

I know it will read like a cliche but I have my head against the headrest as I type and it is awesome.

Here’s another thing… almost everyone has a problem referred to as forward head posture. 

It is one part of being upright on two legs that we haven’t figured out. Not to go into it too much but we have forward head posture because we are not aligning the lumbar curve in general.

Does that make sense? A good lumbar curve allows for support of the head at the top of the spine. A misaligned lumbar spine allows/encourages the head to go forward.

So what does it mean to sit in a chair with good lumbar alignment and a head supported on a headrest? It is teaching your spine a new beneficial habit that you hopefully take into other areas of your life.

It is the adjustability of the headrest that makes it so good. To be honest, I wish I had something like this in my car.

To get the full extension of the spine in most office chairs you have to lean backward to connect the head to the chairback. But with the adjustable headrest, you can find a happy place where your spine is aligned but upright, and your head connects with the headrest.

This goes back to what I think can be the therapeutic benefits of this chair. Sitting for prolonged periods might not be the best thing for you but if you can do it with the optimal alignment you will suffer less and do some good as you encourage new habits.

Also, the backrest can recline up to 117 degrees which allows you to find the best height for working but I also love it to recline, put my legs up and do some thinking.

I am really surprised but how much I like this feature.

The armrests are very adjustable. They can be moved up and down, backward and forwards, and side to side. I have to say they were perfect for me right out of the box. But having the options is certainly a good thing.

For what’s it worth, they don’t move left to right but that hasn’t bothered me. 

Finally, in terms of adjustability, it is likely taken for granted that the seat height can be adjusted by several inches.

And it is easily done from a seated position, so there is no wasting time getting in and out of the chair.

You can find the right alignment while sitting which is definitely convenient. There is no getting in and out of the chair for adjustments.

Durability and Construction

This is a solid chair. 

It is sleek in its design but that doesn’t give anything away to performance. This chair compares favorably with any other chair I have used in terms of the quality and durability of its construction.

You don’t create a chair like this Ergoal One chair without putting it through significant testing. 

Performed at ISO-certified manufacturer laboratories, Ergoal is happy to demonstrate this process on their website to ensure that when you buy a new chair, you’re getting something that will hold up for years to come.

And you can be sure that any issues you have will be resolved by the excellent Ergoal customer service.

Ergoal One vs. Ergoal Comfort Plus: What’s the Difference?

Ergoal Comfort Plus with Memory Foam Seat

Before I wrap up this review, I want to come back to the aforementioned Ergoal Comfort Plus, another popular option that some users prefer to the Ergoal One.

So what’s the difference?

The big difference between the two chairs is the seats. The Ergoal One has a mesh seat while the Ergoal Comfort Plus has a high-grade memory foam cushion which might be exactly what some people are looking for.

To be honest, I slightly prefer the mesh seat, but I think the difference is negligible.

Though, for what it’s worth, the Ergoal Comfort Plus has a more expansive color palette to choose from.

While that is not the most important thing to me, it may matter if you’re really trying to color coordinate the look and feel of your office space.

Frequently Asked Questions

What’s the warranty like on an Ergoal One?

Ergoal offers a basic one-year warranty on all of their chairs. There is also an option to upgrade to an extended three-year warranty for a slight fee.

The warranty covers repairs and replacements needed as a result of normal use.

Is the Ergoal One suitable for shorter people?

Yes. The Ergoal is great for both shorter and taller persons.

Are the wheels suitable for wooden office floors?

Yes, absolutely. The dual-wheel casters are great and don’t slip or slide at all. I have mine on a plastic pad that goes over my wood floors but this isn’t required.

Verdict: Is the Ergoal One Chair Worth It?

Pros

• Ergonomic S-curved frame.
• Excellent lumbar support. 
• Breathable mesh materials.
• Adjustable headrest.
• Full adjustability and locking recline mode.

Cons

• Lumbar support may be too low for someone who is very tall.
• It would be great if the headrest had some sort of locking mechanism.

I started this Ergoal One therapeutic office chair review by asking whether it is as good as its fans (the reviews are over the top) -and Ergoal themselves- claim it to be.

Having researched it myself, paying close attention to the things that matter like comfort, ergonomics, and adjustability, I can happily say that my answer is a resounding yes!

The Ergoal One really is every bit as good as it’s made out to be.

My work is to help people with back and other chronic pain issues which can be a complicated task. 

And back pain is one of the leading causes keeping people out of work.

So from my perspective, anything that can be used to reduce -or even eliminate- that pain is something we need to take advantage of.

And in my opinion, this chair can keep back pain and pressure to a minimum, and it can also be a huge help in minimizing fatigue, sore muscles, and tired shoulders.

At its very affordable price point, the Ergoal One is a truly great investment.