Office chairs · owner-verdict comparison

Branch Ergonomic Chair vs Steelcase Series 1: what real owners say

Real owners lean toward the Branch Ergonomic Chair: 75% of 119 owners recommend it, vs 68% of 133 for the Steelcase Series 1.

Verdicts aggregated from Reddit, enthusiast forums, and YouTube owner comments — affiliate reviews excluded. Sample sizes differ; judge accordingly. How we score

Branch Ergonomic Chair

75%of 119 owners recommend
75% recommend · 7% neutral · 18% don't
Owners praise
  • Very comfortable for long hours of sitting
  • Great value and far cheaper than Herman Miller/Steelcase
  • Relieves back, hip and sciatica pain
Owners complain about
  • Hard, poorly designed lumbar support digs into the back
  • Causes back, hip or leg pain for some owners
  • Feels cheap with too much plastic
Full owner report →

Steelcase Series 1

68%of 133 owners recommend
68% recommend · 10% neutral · 22% don't
Owners praise
  • Comfortable for full days and long sitting sessions
  • Eliminated or eased back pain
  • Durable build that holds up for years
Owners complain about
  • Too small or tight for taller and larger users
  • Firm seat that gets uncomfortable or sore
  • Lumbar that digs in or feels insufficient
Full owner report →

What Branch Ergonomic Chair owners say

It's insane this $300 chair has metal legs
@user-lb1yq2xy9g on YouTube
but I love this chair. I'm a hippy size 16 and feel completely supported in this chair. Absolutely love it.
northernmess on Reddit
We have two Branch ergonomic chairs for our home office and I would take the Titan any day.
EpicTwiglet on Reddit

What Steelcase Series 1 owners say

there is a drastic difference in the way we feel after 8 hours of sitting vs the chairs we used to have
@jordanlloyd9517 on YouTube
Yup I went through several cheaper options before finally biting the bullet and spending like $600 on a steelcase series 1. It’s night and day. Comfortable for really long time and basically everything is adjustable!
TheMightyBagel on Reddit
Wish I watched this before I wasted money on a series 1
@DarkwearGT on YouTube