INTRODUCTION

   On a daily basis i spend anything from 7 and up to 14 hours sitting in front of my computers running benchmarks, typing my reviews and of course playing games (if a good one is available at the time that is) so having a good chair has always been a priority for me. Of course, much like many people when i first started doing reviews almost 15 years ago i went and got an office chair by IKEA and even though i didn't have high expectations from it in the end it did last quite a bit. Since then, however I’ve used numerous gaming and ergonomic chairs some of which proved to be invaluable (we're not getting any younger after all). Needless to say, gaming and ergonomic chairs have different target audiences and even though for most people a gaming chair should be more than just plenty for people who spend countless hours sitting in front of their computers (myself included) ergonomic chairs are a one way. Sihoo may not be among the most popular office chair manufacturers but their ergonomic models have actually gained the attention of media all over the world and so today I’ll be checking one of their current top models, the V1 (M101).

   Since established in 2011，Sihoo Furniture is always committed to becoming a professional ergonomic furniture provider, providing ergonomic furniture for the study, work, and entertainment of users around the world. Our products include ergonomic office chairs, children's study tables, and chairs, game chairs, etc. In order to ensure that our users get high-quality products, Sihoo has established an Ergonomics Research Institute to create a whole industry chain system integrating design, manufacturing, marketing, quality testing, storage, transportation, and installation. After years of development, Sihoo has become a professional ergonomic furniture brand and is loved by users all over the world.

   The V1 (currently available in dark and light gray colors - green and red also seem to be available in some regions) is one of the only models in Sihoo's ergonomic range that's currently available everywhere which is clearly one of the reasons i requested for it. Of course, i also requested it because it lacks almost nothing in terms of available features (also SGS certified) so unlike gaming chairs which come with adjustable armrests (height, forward and backwards) and tilt/rocking and height adjustment mechanisms the V1 also sports an height adjustable backrest, height and angle adjustable headrest, retractable footrest (with me i have the model without that extra), adjustable waist/lumbar support mechanism (height and intensity), adjustable seat depth and a reinforced explosion-proof height mechanism. That being said ergonomic chairs do lack the exterior quality of many gaming chairs and even their looks (even faux leather looks and feels better compared to polyester mesh fabric) but their target audience cares about one thing only, having a healthy sitting posture. So, let's see if the Sihoo V1 is worth a place at your office and/or home.

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

As with most manufacturers Sihoo is using a large cardboard box to ship their chair in (the front and rear are both taken by a drawing showcasing the various recline positions whereas several warning icons along with the model name and weight are printed on the sides).

Packaging is very good with every single part of the bundle wrapped inside plastic bags and 3 thick foam spacers keeping them in place.

At the top of the box Sihoo has placed the five 60mm caster wheels, class-3 gaslift, pair of fabric gloves and the installation guide.

After those came the headrest, 4D armrests and the assembly kit.

The 5-star aluminum base came out next followed by the backrest.

This backrest has two adjustment wheels on its side, one moves the waist/lumbar support up and down and the other adjusts its intensity.

The seat was the last part to exit the box and as you can see underneath it has 2 levers (height adjustment and recline lock/unlock) and a pull-out lever (allows you to move the base forward and backwards).

ASSEMBLY

As with all my past chair reviews i started by mounting the 60mm caster wheels onto the 5-star aluminum base (according to Sihoo this base has passed a 1136kg static pressure test).

60mm caster wheels may not look great but the V1 is not a very large chair to begin with.

The class-3 gaslift is next and since it's also nickel plated as the base it needs no plastic cover.

Attaching the backrest to the seat requires using 3 Allen screws (there's a bit of leeway here so you might want to try various positions first).

In order to mount the 4D armrests you just need to fit them in these holes and then secure them from the holes beneath.

Now that the backrest and the armrests are attached onto the seat time to attach the headrest (the seat cushion features 3-4cm thick shaped cotton).

The headrest features 0.5cm thick virgin cotton padding and a cover made out of PU leather.

This headrest is not only height adjustable (5 increments) but it can also rotate up and down (has passed the American BIFMA test).

The 4D armrests can extend up to 9cm upwards (8 increments) and as for the top it's made out of PU leather and can go forward, back, left and right.

With both ends ready time to finish the chair.

FINISHED LOOKS

The V1 is certainly not the largest chair to arrive in the lab but it's large enough to easily accommodate most people out there.

From the PU leather of the headrest to the nylon mesh of the backrest and the seat quality is at good levels (according to Sihoo the mesh nylon fabric used with the V1 is tensile, abrasion, rot, chemical, oil, high-temperature and UV resistant).

Taking a look at the rear just the two waist/lumbar support knobs stand out.

Unlike gaming chairs, the backrest of the V1 doesn't tilt, instead the entire chair reclines up to 123 degrees (3 recline levels).

SCORE

Many of you recommended (including some manufacturers) that I place a chart pointing to the pros and cons of each gaming chair that finds its way to the lab. Now of course since there's really no way for me to "benchmark" gaming chairs i decided to rate them based on their size, comfort and quality after using each chair for at least one full week. Size and comfort usually go hand to hand (the larger the chair the more comfortable it usually is - that however also depends on the amount of padding and also the type and quality of the cover) while in terms of quality having tested dozens of models over the past years, i think i have a good idea about that as well. Of course, these scores are based on my personal opinion (always based on the samples i get – isolated/early sample issues are always possible) so do take them with a grain of salt.

CONCLUSION

   After almost a full month with the Sihoo V1 I have mostly good things to say about it, mostly. In terms of ergonomics and comfort the V1 is among the 3 best chairs I’ve used to date so no issues here. The moment you sit on it this may not be evident but as time goes by (especially if you adjust all its parts to fit your body) you'll have a hard time using another chair. Size is also good, yes it may not be the ideal ergonomic chair for people weighing well over 110Kg (and 1.90m in height) but the same applies for many others in the market. Assembly is also very easy and quick since you basically have just 3 Allen screws to attach. Moving to build quality this is where the V1 gave me mixed signals. On one hand the quality of the mesh fabric, PU leather headrest, frame and even the 5-star base is very good and the same applies for the aluminum arms with the PU leather armrests. The problem starts when you try to adjust the height of the arms (orientation worked well, although i did end up accidentally changing it many times) and so here the left arm would not stay in place most of the times (I would adjust the height, place my hand and it would just go back down). Yes, this could be an isolated issue but my guess is that the lack of a button/lever is also responsible for this (Sihoo hasn’t placed a single button/lever on the 4D armrests so everything happens if you just raise the armrests and/or apply more force). Adjusting the height of the headrest also requires force (as does the height of the backrest but it’s a lot easier compared to the headrest) and that’s something that some people may not like a lot. Overall, however my only serious issue during this whole month was the height adjustment of the 4D armrest.

   Unfortunately, what really hinders the Sihoo V1 is its retail price which in some places of the world is just set too high. For example, in the USA its last recorded price was no less than USD763.59 (Amazon.com) while in the EU it retails for 659.99Euros (Amazon.de). Now this wouldn’t normally be an issue but when you have stores in other places of the world selling it for 10-20% less (they just don’t ship everywhere) that really stands out so I truly hope Sihoo looks into that. At the end of the day however it’s also clear that the Sihoo V1 is one of the 3 most comfortable chairs I’ve ever used and that alone is more than enough for the Golden Award.

PROS

- Overall Build Quality
- Adjustability / Comfort / Posture (Waist Adjustable Support / Backrest, Headrest & Seat Adjustable Height / Adjustable Seat Depth / 123 Degrees Recline / 4D Armrests)
- SGS & BIMFA Certified
- Breathable Mesh Fabric
- Available In 2 Colors (Black & Light Gray)
- 3 Year Limited Warranty
- 2 Available Models (Without / With Retractable Footrest)

CONS

- Price (For Some)
- Overall Availability
- Armrest Height Adjustment Issue (Isolated Issue?)
- Seat Padding (Could Be Better)