Throughout my years of writing about games and tech, I’ve had more “gaming” chairs pitched to me than I would ever care to remember. I’m so tired of the standard “cockpit” racing design that most gaming chairs have, if I never see one again it’ll be too soon. I suspect I’m not alone in this sentiment, which is why both Logitech and Razer started offering gaming chairs that are more like something you’d find in an office environment. Enter a lesser-known Chinese manufacturer named Sihoo who reached out and asked us to take their Doro S300 ergonomic office chair out for a spin.
Sihoo Doro S300 Ergonomic Office Chair
Manufacturer: Sihoo
MSRP: $899.99 USD
I wasn’t sure what to expect when I first saw this chair on Sihoo’s website. If anything, I figured assembly would be a pain because of floating lumbar support pads and other moving parts. I was pleasantly surprised when it only took around 30 minutes to assemble.
The entire top assembly with the lumbar support and hydraulic which controls the position is already connected, so assembly consists of screwing the top into the base and then sitting it on the caster base, and then adding the armrests.
The chair is made from an extremely breathable Italian vinyl and polyester blend, which feels premium when touched. It’s almost like touching a bunch of really smooth little rubber bands, which means the material flexes very well allowing for maximum comfort around different body shapes.
The plastic that makes up the covers of the arms and the bottom of the chair seat and base feels sturdy and well-constructed. The star of the show lies in the metal backbone that works up the back of the chair like an exoskeleton, allowing you to feel like the chair is holding you as opposed to you sitting on it.
This particular piece is what makes Sihoo’s “zero gravity” marketing claim feel like more than just a gimmicky phrase. While sitting in this chair, I felt like I was free to move however I wanted and the chair would support me at every turn.
The added weight in the base and back of the chair made it feel more stable than my Andaseat gaming char (pictured above), and I felt way less likely to tip the chair forward and possibly have it slide out from under me.
However, if there’s one thing I had to nitpick about this chair it’s that the mesh in the chair’s seat doesn’t feel quite as firm as a normal cushion, which might be an issue for some people. I wasn’t a fan at first, but the longer I sat on it, the more I got used to the softer feel.
The headrest slides up and down and I found it to be just as comfortable down where I could lay my head on the top of it where it’s got a slight shelf, as I did with it pulled all the way and nuzzling the back of my head somewhere in the center of the fabric. However, the one thing that annoyed me was just how easily the armrests moved around.
Touting a “6D” armrest, the armrests can pull up so that if you’re reclined in the chair, your arms can still sit on the armrests the way they would if the chair was upright. This is a cool idea, but the execution could use more time in the lab. Having each position shift by sliding without requiring the press of a button/release of a locking mechanism meant I often accidentally moved the armrests when making sudden movements.
On the right side of the chair, you’ll find a little lever that controls the hydraulic arm that pushes the lumbar pads out toward your back. Holding the lever allows you to push them back down, while simply pushing the lever down quickly and releasing will push them out.
Each of these lumbar support pads contains shock absorbers that the pads “float” on, which allow them to move with you as you move, meaning wider-bodied will feel more supported since they can slide out to accommodate a larger frame.
Laying back in this chair feels nice, but I wish the chair had more reclining options. As it stands, the chair only operates in locked upright, 50% recline, or 100% recline options. You can’t lay the chair down almost flat like you can some of the gaming chairs we’ve tested but admittedly this is our first ergonomic chair review so I’m not going to be too harsh on this point.
The levers on the bottom of the chair allow a quick lift of the chair’s height and the option to slide the seat forward and backward depending on how long your thighs are. I’m so used to having the jutted-out arm to pull up on to raise and lower the gas lift, so the inconspicuous tabs took a little while to get used to.
Overall, the Sihoo Doro S300 is a superb office chair. The price is fairly high when compared to gaming chairs, but when you compare the $899.99 price tag to Razer’s Fujin Pro which costs $1050 and isn’t nearly as feature-rich, or Logitech’s collaboration with industry leader Herman Miller which weighs in at a whopping $1995, Sihoo’s chair comes in looking like a bargain. If you’re looking for a super-premium chair without paying super-premium prices, glance at Sihoo’s offerings before making a final decision.
Sihoo Doro S300 “Gravity-Defying” Ergonomic Chair was reviewed using a review unit provided by Sihoo. You can find additional information about Niche Gamer’s review/ethics policy here. Sihoo’s Doro S300 chair can be purchased from Sihoo for $899.99 (though at the time of publishing it is on sale for $100 off.)
