two minute review
The SIHOO M90D is an ergonomic office chair from the Chinese office furniture manufacturer SIHOO, which was founded in 2011 but only started selling its products abroad in 2018. Since then, the company has gained a lot of momentum and now sells a wide variety of office chairs on their site as well as on Amazon. While the model we tested has a mesh back and padded seat cushion, SIHOO also sells a version of this chair in the same design that has a mesh seat cushion.
Ergonomics is the main focus of this chair and even the box it comes in has a diagram showing you how to sit correctly to avoid unnecessary strain on your back. The SIHOO M90D's best feature is its adaptive lumbar support bar that adjusts itself to ensure your lower back is supported while in use. Elsewhere, the mesh backing keeps you cool while you work, and your arms can be rotated in or out. Pulling a lever on the side allows you to recline while pushing it down allows you to raise or lower the height of the chair. While you might save a few bucks on a budget model, for a little more the SIHOO M90D gives you the experience of sitting in a high-end office chair without breaking the bank.
SIHOO M90D: price and availability
The SIHOO M90D is available for €359 on the company's website at the time of writing, but can also be purchased from Amazon for €369 with a €29 coupon that brings the price down to €340. However, Amazon only offers this office chair in black and grey, while there is a two-tone red option (red back and headrest with black seat) in addition to black and gray available on SIHOO's site.
If you like the design and features of the SIHOO M90D, but prefer an office chair with a mesh seat and mesh back like the X-Chair X2, the SIHOO M90C may be what you're looking for and it's even a few. dollars cheaper at €356. It should be noted that the SIHOO M90C is only available in black and grey.
SIHOO M90D: Design and manufacturing quality
The mesh back of the SIHOO M90D immediately catches the eye because SIHOO decided to add a pattern to it. While some may prefer a patternless mesh back, this design decision is definitely unique to this chair, as we've yet to see anything similar from other office furniture manufacturers.
While the back of the SIHOO M90D is made of mesh, the back of the chair is made of hard plastic. The center of the chair frame features a small SIHOO logo in red and there are also gray accents on either side of the back plate.
At the bottom left of the chair, you will find a lever that can be used to raise and lower the height of the chair by rotating it forward. However, pulling the lever allows you to lean back in the chair while you push the lever to lock the chair in place. Meanwhile, the knob in the middle can be tightened or loosened to make it easier or harder to lean back on the chair.
Although the SIHOO M90D's armrests are black on the top and sides, we can see a bit of silver metal on its base. At the same time, you can see the gray of the back plate that connects the backrest with the chair cushion from the side.
The base of the SIHOO M90D is made of metal and its silver color offers a nice contrast to its black seat, armrests and backrest. That same silver extends to the five 2,5-inch wheels and the gas cylinder that raises or lowers the chair is also silver.
SIHOO M90D: configuration and assembly
The SIHOO M90D sent to TechRadar Pro for review arrived in a single large brown box featuring a diagram showing the correct way to sit in an ergonomic position and we thought that was a nice touch.
When we unpacked it, we were left with five 2.5" wheels, the silver base, a headrest, a pair of armrests, the backrests, a gas bottle, a lever mechanism, a seat cushion, an instruction manual, and all the screws. We also liked that SIHOO included a pair of white gloves to wear when assembling the chair to prevent grease from the grease bottle from getting on your hands.
Assembly of the SIHOO M90D begins with the insertion of the five wheels into the metal base, then the gas cylinder is placed in the hole in the center.
From there you need to use three bolts on each side to attach both armrests to the seat cushion. Then you need to use three more bolts to connect the lever mechanism to the bottom center of the seat cushion.
Once the armrests and the lever mechanism have been attached to the seat cushion, you will need to attach the backrest to the seat cushion using three screws.
Next, you need to attach the seat cushion and backrest to the base by aligning the hole in the bottom of the seat cushion with the gas cylinder.
To complete the SIHOO M90D assembly, all you have to do is insert the headrest into the slot on the back of the backrest and you're good to go.
SIHOO M90D: Use and comfort
After putting together the SIHOO M90D, we sit on the chair and adjust everything to our liking. First, we lowered the chair so that our feet rested on the floor, then we pulled the armrests from the armrests all the way forward. Next, we raised the back of the chair so that the adjustable lumbar support was right in the center of our lower back. We also loosened the knob under the saddle to allow us to bend over more easily.
During the time we tested the SIHOO M90D, we found the chair to be quite comfortable and the adjustable lumbar support made it possible to use it for long periods of time. The firmness of the seat cushion was another plus, but we also liked that it was still a bit soft. The wheels did their job efficiently and rolling the chair was easy on our hardwood floors.
The armrests at the top of each of the armrests can be raised or lowered and pushed forward or backward depending on your preference. However, they can also be tilted if you prefer to have wider arms when resting.
Should I buy the SIHOO M90D?
Also consider
The Branch Furniture Branch Ergonomic Chair is a bit cheaper than the SIHOO M90D and is also available in light blue as well as black and grey. It has an eye-catching design thanks to its white frame, lots of adjustment possibilities and goes very well with the tall Branch desk. However, it doesn't come with a headrest nor is there an option to add one.
The Vari task chair is another alternative to the SIHOO M90D that is a little more expensive if you choose the configuration that comes with headrests. However, Vari offers several different variations of this chair depending on the size of your budget. Likewise, it pairs well with the Vari Power Standing Desk or even the newer cheaper Vari Essential Power Standing Desk.
First review May 2022