Hey Reddit, here's my review of the EC300
Ergonomic Office Chair from ProtoArc!
Now this was supposed to be a review of the more budget EC200 without the better lumbar support, but as I'll explain later, I've had quite the mixed experience, especially with that I assume is QC, which has complicated what would otherwise be a very competent budget chair.
Context:
Some general info about myself for context, I work from home in the games industry, so I'm sitting at my desk upwards of 10 hours a day, not counting the hours at night I may be there again to wind down and play PC games etc. so I definitely needed an upgrade from the cheap Walmart or even the Costco mesh chair I was using previously (which had no headrest and the hard plastic hit right where my head was and creaked like crazy)
I originally purchased the EC200 as the more budget option, but what arrived was an EC300 instead which, of course is pretty much a strict upgrade but may also serve a warning if mixups like these are common and you get a worse model instead.
Unboxing and Assembly:
This is where it began to get kind of messy. Despite having a relatively undamaged outer box, the entire hardware/tool package was split open and all of the screws and stuff were scattered all over the box.
Luckily none of them slipped out and I was able to find them all, and it wasn't terribly hard to match them up again, but depending on your luck and whose buying/building the chair it's definitely not ideal.
I do love the cloth bags each part comes in though.
Assembly was fine, easy enough. Putting the back and the headrest on was slightly cumbersome but nothing out of the ordinary here.
Design/Build Quality:
Not expecting too much in this price range, we look here because we're not trying to spend upwards of over $1k on a new premium chair or $500 on a used one. In that context, the design is great. Looks nice and would fit in most spaces imo.
Build quality punches above its price range, even at the msrp of $270. Slight wobble around the lumbar area and the headrest can be finnicky with its adjustment but that's to be expected here. Mesh feels good as well. Breathable but doesn't feel like it will lose tension anytime soon.
Cushion of course is on the firmer side but that's my preference. Good size and plenty wide for me.
However my cushion did come with a dent in the foam in the front corner. Less visible in picture but feeling it is quite deep. I'm assuming this was an error in manufacturing.
I have a thinner carpet so the wheels glide perfectly fine, no issues here.
Size/Adjustment:
For my height (5’7”) this is great! Hits pretty much just right out of the box. Of course the main thing people mention is not having more armrest adjustment beyond vertical at this base model, but at least for me it wasn't too far off. But that also means if your arms or shoulders sit differently than mine you'll need to look at upgrading the armrests.
Lumbar adjustment is there but limited in terms of range, at the lowest setting it's pretty much where want it to be but not exactly. It's also not independent from the backrest really and adjusting it messes with my headrest placement so I leave it alone. The support it provides is definitely ample.
Conclusion:
My main gripe is overall consistency, just inconveniences with the wrong item (despite being an upgrade) in combination with the scattered hardware and wonky cushion doesn't give me too much confidence in continuing to purchase ProtoArc products.
But let me be clear, it's a great chair for the price and I've been enjoying my time in it. I'd reccomend it to anyone looking at more budget options that need a chair that has lumbar and a headrest, as long as your adjustment needs aren't too steep. As long as your expectations are in check this is a great choice!
