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Nov 05, 2024

ProtoArc EC100 Ergonomic Mesh Office Chair review | Tom's Guide

A worthwhile option for a budget chair with advanced ergonomics, the EC100 is a good choice for users looking for an airy and comfortable desk chair. But if you’re after a more vertical sitting

A worthwhile option for a budget chair with advanced ergonomics, the EC100 is a good choice for users looking for an airy and comfortable desk chair. But if you’re after a more vertical sitting position, this may not be the best choice for you.

Very affordable

Adjustable headrest

Super soft seat bottom

Non-adjustable lumbar support

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I’m a chronic sloucher and for years, I used a terrible, old, tattered desk chair that was about to be thrown away at my last full-time job. That didn’t help my crouching issues, and after long periods of sitting, I ended up with plenty of cramps in my neck and shoulders, and back.

Ergonomic chairs like ProtoArc’s EC100 Ergonomic Mesh Office Chair are supposed to fix slouching for good and prevent us from experiencing all those aches and pains. That’s largely achieved by supporting your lumbar spine using a dedicated panel that protrudes into your lower back. The EC100 indeed has this panel, though surprisingly, it doesn’t feature manual adjustment.

Overall, I enjoyed using ProtoArc’s EC100 chair for its airy mesh back, super soft and comfortable seat bottom, and adjustability without needless bells and whistles. But I think it could be improved by allowing manual adjustment of the lumbar panel. My ProtoArc EC100 review will help you decide if this is one of the best budget office chairs you buy today or if it’s worth spending a bit more on one with adjustable lumbar support.

The EC100 Ergonomic Mesh Chair is available for purchase now on ProtoArc’s website. It costs $189, and you can even split that cost into payments using Shop Pay at checkout.

ProtoArc offers free shipping, a 30-day return period, and a 2-year warranty.

Assembling the chair is an easy, straightforward process, and ProtoArc includes the Allen key you’ll need to tighten all the bolts. From unboxing to finished assembly, the process took about twenty minutes.

The box contains the seat back, seat bottom, head rest, lumbar support, casters and arms, and the piston to raise and lower the seat. It also comes with all of the bolts conveniently labeled. You should be able to put this chair together quickly, even if you’re not very handy with tools.

The EC100 Ergonomic Mesh Chair features most of the adjustability you would expect from an ergonomic desk chair. The armrests adjust 3.5 inches vertically, but do not feature any arm pad adjustment.

The headrest adjusts 2.75 inches up and down and also rotates 60 degrees. That pairs with a 90-130 degree adjustable seat back, which also features adaptive lumbar support. The lumbar pad does not adjust, but flexes instead.

The seat height adjusts up and down about three total inches, which is a bit limited. Still, ProtoArc says this desk chair is appropriate for users ranging from 5’3” to 6’5”.

The EC100 features an S-shaped back design. That shape is intended to conform to your back’s natural curves. The seat back is made from a light and breathable mesh material that also conforms to your body nicely.

The seat bottom features layers of fabric, foam, and springs. It’s very soft and very comfortable, and it’s saddle-shaped to hug your body. I found this seat bottom to be among the most comfortable that I’ve tested, though heavier users may find themselves sinking deeper into the soft materials more than they would like.

I’ve tested a few chairs with a similar design to the ProtoArc EC100 now, and I have found them all to lack the adjustability I need to find a comfortable sitting position. This largely falls to a few factors: first, many of these chairs feature limited headrest adjustability; and second, these chairs tend to lack enough adjustability in the lumbar support panel.

On that first point, the EC100 beats the odds. The headrest works well and I was able to find a useful position that kept me comfortable when I needed it.

On the second point, I do wish this lumbar support panel was adjustable. As it is, the panel relies on your body’s weight and pressure against it to accommodate your position. That’s mostly fine, unless you’re not applying enough pressure on it. I found myself leaning further back into the seat back mesh because the lumbar support panel pushed out too far. If I could adjust the lumbar panel inward, I think I could have found a more comfortable position.

Consequently, I found myself wishing I could adjust the seat back more vertically. ProtoArc says the seat back adjusts to 90 degrees, but because the lumbar support panel protruded too far for me, I found myself leaning back, probably around 100 or 105 degrees. That put more pressure on my neck and shoulders than I would have liked, and I found the muscles in my thoracic spine engaging more than I would like.

If you like to recline every once in a while, the EC100 goes all the way down to 130 degrees. It’s pretty relaxing and comfortable. The flexible mesh makes it even more enjoyable. When the seat back is locked out at the 90-degree position, there’s still a bit of movement in the seat back, which is a bit annoying but not a dealbreaker.

As is the case with any mesh chair like this, there are concerns about long term durability. Will the mesh stretch and wear out? At its most supportive, I love the feel of mesh; it’s light and breathable, and it conforms comfortably to my back. But I would be disappointed if that mesh material stretched and lost some of its support over the years. But that’s a concern that’s not exclusive to this chair.

Overall, the ProtoArc EC100 Chair feels well built, and mostly comfortable as long as you’re not after a very vertical position like I am.

ProtoArc’s EC100 Ergonomic Mesh Office Chair packs a lot of value into a low price. Its soft seat bottom stands out as one of the most comfortable I’ve tested. The headrest is adjustable and very useful. The mesh seat back is airy and comfortable.

This chair could be improved with a lumbar support panel that adjusts manually, rather than relying on your body’s weight.

Overall, as long as you’re not looking for a very vertical sitting position, the EC100 offers just enough adjustability to be useful, without the bells and whistles of more expensive chairs. And it ticks a lot of the comfort boxes you’d get from more expensive chairs. It’s a good ergonomic budget option.

Dan Cavallari is the former technical editor for VeloNews Magazine, who currently reviews electric bikes, bike lights, and other bike accessories for Tom's Guide. In addition to VeloNews, his work has appeared in Triathlete Magazine, Rouleur Magazine, CyclingTips.com, Road Bike Action, Mountain Bike Action, CycleVolta.com, Tomsguide.com, and much more. Dan also hosts two podcasts on his site, Slow Guy on the Fast Ride: One is about cycling and other outdoor activities, while the other looks at mental health issues. Most recently, Dan also covered the 2022 Tour de France. Dan lives outside of Denver, Colorado with his family.

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