We sit on them for hours on end. But any time we look at an office or gaming chair, the first thing we consider is the price. I’ve used everything from milk crates to folding chairs to entry-level gaming chairs during my decades as a gamer, but one thing I’ve never done is spend more than $200 for an office or gaming chair. Over the last few weeks, I’ve planted my butt in SIHOO's new Doro-C300 ergonomic office chair for more hours than I’d like to admit, and I’ve come to one conclusion - in a world where I’ll spend hundreds of dollars for a graphics card, I should have been spending some of that money on a better chair. Comfort comes at a cost, but with the Doro-C300, it’s money well spent.
Specifications
- Price: $299.99 (SIHOO, Amazon)
- Fabric: Mesh seat and back with PU-coated armrests
- Maximum Load: 300lbs
- Seat Height: 15.75” - 17.72”
- Seat Depth: 16.53”
- Maximum Hip Width: 20”
- Weight: 66.36lbs
- Color Options: White, Black
Doro-C300: Assembly
Although a single Allen wrench is all you need, the Doro-C300 comes fully unassembled, so be prepared for a 50-60 minute assembly time. Even with the extra work of combining pieces that may come preassembled for other chairs, putting the SIHOO together was pretty simple.
There's a single page of easy-to-follow instructions to work through. Although the pictures could have been a little larger, the hardware package is clearly labeled with the size of each screw and where it is used in assembly. That comes in handy since there are several different screw lengths (they all use the same M6 hex head) that could easily get mixed up and add to the build time.
A T-handled wrench and a regular L-shaped Allen wrench are included in the packaging. The T-handle is much easier to use than a standard L-shaped wrench; I had just assembled some new patio furniture earlier in the day, and I must say that the T-wrench would have made that project go much more smoothly; I'll be saving it for future projects for sure.
During assembly, every piece fit together snugly. I was able to put the chair together without any help; the only time an extra set of hands would help was with aligning the bolt holes of the base and backrest. And I haven’t had the chair long enough, but each screw has Threadlocker applied, so the bolts shouldn’t loosen up after extended use.
The only piece that feels cheap is the thin metal cover that hides the screw assembly for the base of the chair, and given that it isn’t load-bearing, it’s still stronger and better looking than a cheap plastic cover.
Doro-C300: Comfort And Adjustability
The Doro-C300 is all about flexibility to fit your body type. The adjustability of the height, seatback, lumbar support, headrest, and armrest all complement the firm yet flexible mesh design. It may take a little while to dial in all of the options available, but once you do, the Doro-C300 will keep you comfortable throughout your workday and gaming session.
The curved seat and mesh fabric are rated to hold up to 300 lbs, and although my 250lb frame doesn’t quite reach the maximum load of the Doro-C300, it handled my weight effortlessly. The fabric's breathability allows you to sit for hours without the butt sweat of a faux leather office or gaming chair. The pneumatic gas shock allows for 3.5” of adjustment to the seat height, and the curved “waterfall” design of the seat helps ease the pressure on your legs, allowing you to sit comfortably for hours without having to wiggle around to get the blood flowing back to your legs.
The backrest, lumbar support, and headrest are made of the same mesh fabric as the seat. The back and headrest are firm but flexible, while the lumbar support has a looser fit, giving it a pillowy feel. The seatback height can be adjusted, with four lock points across its 2.36' travel. The back can also be reclined freely from 92-112 degrees or locked into place at three points - upright, halfway, and fully reclined.
The headrest height can’t be independently adjusted and instead moves with the backrest. The connecting bar pivots where it attaches to the backrest to allow some slight adjustment to its height, but this, along with the ability to rotate the headrest across three positions, primarily adjusts the amount of support from the headrest.
As for lower back support, the lumbar “pillow” isn’t attached to the chair with a strap. Instead, it is permanently attached to the backrest and uses a Body Movement Tracking System (BMTS) to position the support. In lay terms, this means the lumbar support slides freely along a short track to adjust automatically to your weight and posture. It sounds gimmicky, but the support does move with your body and even stays aligned when you recline in the chair. I found the BMTS far superior to using a detachable pillow, but if you need removable support, you must look at other chairs.
The armrests are a 3D design with height, forward/backward, and horizontal pivot adjustability. Vertically, the arms ratchet through six positions, with a total range just shy of seven inches. The forward/backward range is just one and a half inches and only loosely locks in place at both endpoints. The lack of extra lock points leads to constant sliding and readjusting if you don’t find it comfortable at one end or the other. To help with arm positioning, the armrests swivel horizontally, with six lock positions across 70 degrees of movement. However, there isn’t any width adjustment, so finding a perfect armrest position could be hit or miss.
Final Thoughts
Overall, the SIHOO Doro-C300 is well-designed to promote proper posture while sitting. The myriad adjustability options make for a one size fits all design that borders on perfection if it weren’t for the lack of horizontal adjustment on the armrests and removable lumbar support. And not only does the Doro-C300 perform well, but the chair’s stylish aesthetics are very similar to Herman Miller’s popular Aeron design and will stand out in a game room and office setting. As someone who has always judged a chair by its cost more than its features, the Doro-C300 finally has me thinking that when it comes to comfort, you really do get what you pay for.
The product described in this article was provided by the manufacturer for evaluation purposes. This article contains affiliate links that return a small commission to support the site. Authors are not paid based upon clicks or commissions.
