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Tom’s Guide
Tom’s Guide
Technology
Jason England

You’ll love the Sihoo Doro S300 ergonomic chair (mostly) — here’s why

Sihoo Doro S300 ergonomic chair.

The Sihoo Doro S300 has been labeled the “Gravity-Defying” ergonomic chair. While I’m always a little suspicious of marketing exercises like this, I can safely say that the end result is a fantastic throne for working hard and keeping your posture right.

Sure, you’re paying a steep price of $799 for the pleasure — limiting the target audience of these chairs only to the serious home office workers out there. But for that price, there is a seriously premium build quality with futuristic aesthetics that make this a subtle talking point of any space.

Sihoo has also pulled out all the stops when it comes to comfort and adjustability, as the height, lower back support, base, arm rests and recline can be customized to get just the right posture. There are some limits though, such as a small range of height adjustment and no real recline lock.

However, if you’re willing to play by the chair’s rules, and you’ve got the cash to invest, this is a one of the best office chairs to last you a long time. Allow me to explain why in a little more detail.

Sihoo Doro S300: Price and availability

As of this writing, the S300 was available for preorder at Sihoo's site. Its regular price is $799, but you can preorder it for $667. 

A less expensive model, the S100, is also available for $359, though it lacks some of the features of the S300.

Sihoo Doro S300: Cheat Sheet

  • What is it? This is a premium ergonomic office chair.
  • Who is it for? You should consider this if you’re a serious member of the working from home crowd — looking to upgrade your current setup.
  • What does it cost? You can pick one up for $799.
  • Is it comfortable for long sessions? Yes! The breathable mesh fabric means your back won’t get unnecessarily warm, and the customizable elements give you a great posture.
  • What is the S300’s competition? If you’re not just working by day, but playing by night too, the Mavix M7 is a key competitor to the S300’s throne.

Sihoo Doro S300: Specs

Sihoo Doro S300: The ups

When it comes to desk chairs at this price, you’re expecting a premium build quality, a ton of customization and supreme comfort. Lucky for you, you’re getting all that — well, most of it.

Back to the future

(Image credit: Future)

I mean, just look at it. With a futuristic sci-fi blend of mesh fabric panels and a beefy aluminum spine, and enough visible springs to send any Slinky recoil in horror, you’ll struggle to find anything else in the desk chair market that looks quite like this — outside of Sihoo’s other chairs like the Sihoo Doro C300, of course.

These choices add to a luxurious utilitarianism that draws your eyes to each of its meticulous details, which both blends into your workspace and becomes a conversation piece if a friend or colleague ever enters said space. Think Herman Miller with a time machine, and you’ll get what I mean.

A throne for great posture

(Image credit: Future)

But of course, all of these intricacies aren’t just there to look good — they offer a whole lot of function alongside form. This all centers around what Sihoo calls the “Anti-Gravity Mechanism,” which uses aerospace-grade glass fiber to offer a reclining experience unlike anything I’ve felt before.

Normally, you’re pulling a lever and using force to angle your chair back to whatever relaxing recline you’re looking for. With the S300, however, you’re effortlessly leaning in no time, and while it’s not a perfect solution (more on that later), it’s certainly one of the better implementations of recline.

On top of that, those two lower pads are adjustable for a great lumbar support, the height of the chair back can be changed to offer great neck support, and arm placement is easily customizable with the 6D armrests.

I would always recommend that you try a chair out before buying, because not every posterior is the same. But Sihoo’s various switches, levers and knobs go a long way in making this a (mostly) versatile throne.

Keeping your cool with mesh

(Image credit: Future)

I’ve always been a little skeptical of mesh. Coming from the AndaSeat Kaiser 3 and its plush cushioning, my concern is just how comfortable this super thin piece of fabric can be for long periods of usage?

Well, turns out my fears were misplaced. This woven combination of Italian velvet and DuPont TPEE has a great elasticity that forms a welcoming embrace for your figure when you pop yourself down on this seat.

Plus, the breathability of the mesh fabric means you won’t ever come up with that typical sweaty back that comes from being embraced in leather and cushioning. With the S300, you’ll be keeping your cool and staying comfortable at all times.

Sihoo Doro S300: The downs

So sure, there are some big improvements to the Sihoo formula from the Doro C300. But there are some issues that remain. No deal breakers, but stuff that you should know.

The recline is limited

(Image credit: Future)

Reclining this chair is limited to just three options: bolt upright, a slight angle, and the full recline of 138 degrees. While I do appreciate the zero-gravity nature of effortlessly leaning back, you sacrifice being able to lock the recline to any degree you wish like the best gaming chairs out there.

If Sihoo is able to give us the best of both worlds in a future chair, then the recline would be perfect. But while the S300 isn’t necessarily problematic when it comes to taking a load off, you are restricted in just how much you can customize this key feature of any desk chair.

Armrest issues persist

(Image credit: Future)

One of our key issues with the C300 was the armrests tended to move too easily horizontally. The S300 unfortunately has the same issue — not just that, but they can now be far too easily nudged in other directions too.

It can get frustrating when an elbow movement unintentionally rotates the armrest and moves it forward a click or two, which leaves you needing to take a beat to reset the whole thing. Some sort of locking system would fix this right away.

That price is a tough pill to swallow

(Image credit: Future)

At a hair under 800 bucks, the S300 is not for everyone. There are plenty of premium material decisions made here to warrant that price tag, such as the exposed aluminum frame and use of Italian velvet. But are you getting nearly a thousand dollars worth of value from this purchase? That’s up for debate based on what you’re looking for out of a chair.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying this is the most expensive chair I’ve ever seen — many companies offer far more bonkers price points. But with the C300 right there offering a similar look and feel (and throwing in a headset for good measure), and a litany of cheaper gaming chairs that offer features the S300 doesn’t like a recline lock, $799 can feel steep.

Sihoo Doro S300: Verdict

(Image credit: Future)

Taking everything into account, it’s clear to see the Sihoo Doro S300 is one of the better office chair options out there — a premium throne that is really comfortable and ergonomically sound.

It’s not perfect, as you can see from the cons. For the high price, you are seeing the return of a couple issues from the cheaper C300, and the lack of recline lock stops it just short of being truly versatile. 

But from its gorgeously futuristic aesthetic and various spring-loaded mechanisms for forming a great posture, to the oh-so comfortable mesh fabric, this is a solid upgrade to any home working setup.

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