I just tested one of Amazon's cheapest office chairs — and it's way better than I expected

A cheap office chair next to its box in a home office.

I've tested some pretty fancy chairs recently as part of my job ranking the best office chairs, which has unquestionably spoiled me. But as a twenty-something living in a crummy Philly apartment, I feel a little like I'm punching above my weight with a $600 3D-printed chair rolling around on my uneven hardwood.

It was time to test something a little more salt-of-the-earth than state-of-the-art, I decided. So I looked at some of the cheapest chairs I could possibly find online and ordered one of the best-selling models under $50.