Autonomous ErgoChair Pro Review: Comfortable, but that's it

Autonomous ErgoChair Pro Review: Comfortable, but that's it | Tom's Hardware

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Tom's Hardware Verdict

While there are elements of the ErgoChair Pro that provide solid comfort, overall, it lacks any features of note to help it rise above the competition.

Pros

+Fairly lightweight +Rolls quite well +Supports the back well and will be comfortable for most people

Cons

-The mesh seat could be more comfortable -Lumbar support offers no height adjustment -Armrests don’t feature any type of side locking system

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The office chair is a workplace staple that has seen dramatic evolution and change over the past 50 years. Gone are the hard plastic back chairs with thin foam seat pads of yesteryear, and in their place are a slew of options available for order at our fingertips. We live in the golden age of chairs, so much so that we have entire lists dedicated to the topic, such as our Best Office Chairs of 2026, to help consumers choose the perfect fit for their body and needs.With so many options available, when examining a new gaming chair, it has become a bit of a process to parse out standout features that help separate it from the many, many other chairs on the market. The Autonomous ErgoChair Pro is one such chair. It offers many of the key features I would want in a gaming or office chair: headrest, back tilt, lumbar support and sturdy construction, but comes up a bit short in the area of overall comfort — placing it in the category of good, but not great.Priced at $449.99 (£386.39), the Autonomous ErgoChair Pro provides solid back and lumbar support and a breathable mesh backing. Of course, this same mesh makes the seat less than ideal for long periods of sitting, with the overall lack of padding potentially being a pain point for those who work and play all day at a desk. That said, its sturdy build quality, lightweight construction and aforementioned overall frame support do make it a decent gaming or office chair.Latest Videos FromAssembly The ErgoChair Pro arrived at my doorstep in a single, large box. Packaging was well placed, ensuring that no parts were loose and tumbling around during shipping. The parts were also well laid out within the box, making it easy to unpack — a seemingly easy task that I’ve noted can become very convoluted with a poor packing system. Thankfully, Autonomous was on point in this department and unboxing only took a couple of minutes.Out of the box, the ErgoChair Pro follows a fairly straightforward assembly process. Unlike its more economic counterpart, the ErgoChair Core, the ErgoChair Pro is easy to assemble at every step. Gone is the complicated headrest mounting system, with Autonomous opting for a slide lock system. The rest of the assembly is fairly straightforward with each piece fitting together well, with no notable misalignments of bolt holes or manufacturing defects.Instructions are straightforward, offering good diagrams and a simple step-by-step assembly process. There are a few spare bolts in the kit, representing one replacement bolt for each bolt size included. This is appreciated greatly as someone who has, on more than one occasion, misthreaded a bolt and sheared the end, making it unusable.The whole assembly took about 35 minutes with the included hand tool and was easily accomplished alone. While the instructions are included in the box, Autonomous has also made them available as a downloadable PDF on their site, along with an instructional video that highlights all of the chair's functions. It's smart and well-designed.Stay On the Cutting Edge: Get the Tom's Hardware NewsletterGet Tom's Hardware's best news and in-depth reviews, straight to your inbox.Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsSpecsSwipe to scroll horizontallyUpholsterySpecial German MeshTotal Height (with base)48.50 inches - 52.00 inches / 123.19 cm - 132.08 cmFloor to Seat Height18.50 inches - 21.50 inches / 46.99 cm - 54.61 cmArmrest Adjustments 3 way Recline22°Backrest Length22.00 inches / 55.88 cmBackrest Width (Shoulder Level)21.00 inches / 53.34 cmSeating Area Width (Point of Contact)19 inches / 48.26 cmSeating Area Width (total)20.50 inches / 52.07 cmSeating Area Depth18.00 inches - 20.00 inches / 45.72 cm - 50.80 cmArmrest Width4.00 inches / 10.16 cmArmrest Height26.70 inches - 32.20 inches / 67.81 cm - 81.79 cmMax Recommended Weight300 pounds / 136.08 kgWeight48.50 pounds / 22.00 kgWarranty2 yearMSRP / Price at Time of Review$449.00 / £386.39Release DateOriginal Release 2021 as the ErgoChair 2Design and ConstructionImage 1 of 3(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)Comparable to the assembly process, the design of the Autonomous ErgoChair Pro follows a fairly standard ergonomic chair design. This iteration of the chair follows that of its predecessor, the EroChair 2, in design and construction. The chair frame is composed primarily of dense plastic. This, along with a German-engineered mesh material that wraps the back, seat and headrest, helps reduce the overall weight immensely. As such, the overall chair weight comes in at a mere 48.50 pounds(22.00 kg).As someone who shuffles a lot of chairs, often moving them between floors without an elevator, I appreciate this design feature of the ErgoChair Pro. Likewise, it also glides quite nicely along both hard floors and carpets, with the double-walled wheels rolling effortlessly across multiple surfaces. The combination of the chair's lighter weight and smooth wheel roll is ideal for spaces where people move from desks regularly, such as a call support centre or shift work-oriented office spaces.Image 1 of 6(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)Once assembled, the chair measures 29 inches (73.66cm) wide by 29 inches (73.66cm) deep, and is 46 - 50 inches (116.84 - 127cm) tall. I appreciate the slightly narrow overall profile, as it does work well in smaller spaces. Despite dense plastic being used for much of the framing, the ErgoChair Pro does feel quite sturdy to sit on. I haven't noticed any unintended chair rocking in my testing. Additionally, the chair arms feel sturdy and handle leaning weight quite well. Rated for 300 pounds (136.08kg), the ErgoChair Pro is much more accommodating than its entry-level counterpart.The seat-to-base ratio is another well-thought-through aspect of the ErgoChair Pro. Like the ErgoChair Core, the seat-to-base ratio is well implemented. As such, it is possible to sit on the very edge of the seat without fear of it tilting forward and resulting in you sitting on the ground, wondering what happened. While this might seem like a small detail, I’ve tested plenty of chairs that don’t consider this feature, and it can actually become a safety issue if not well-designed. Thankful Autonomous has done an excellent job with this aspect of the ErgoChair Pro’s design.The ErgoChair Pro comes with a host of control handles and buttons to manage its various adjustable points. While the armrest vertical lock release is easily accessible, and the headrest height adjustment leverages an easy-to-use click step system, I find the seat tilt, height and slide levers more difficult to access than those of the ErgoChair Core. While the ErgoChair Core positioned the chair arms for easy access to the levers, the ErgoChair Pro’s arm positioning actually hinders access a bit. This forces the user to reach much further than needed on the other model.Cleaning the chair is fairly easy as well, thanks to the aforementioned plastic framing and mesh materials. Thus far, wiping any dirt and grime off the chairs has been as simple as a quick swipe with a Lysol wipe. The ErgoChair Pro also handles bumps well, with no notable scratches present despite having to navigate the tight space here at the office. The hard plastic holds up well.While I like the overall look of the chair, I’m surprised to see that it lacks the Polyurethane(PU) Leather accents of the ErgoChair Core. This was a standout feature on the entry-level model that adds a premium calibre to the chair, and it's missed here. Despite the missing PU Leather accents, the ErgoChair Pro offers a clean and sleek aesthetic with the two-tone Cool Grey color offering a nice departure from standard black.Comfort and AdjustmentsLike the ErgoChair Core, the Pro version is designed to accommodate people of small to medium build. If you find yourself in the 5-foot-5-inch to 6-foot-5-inch range, the length and width of the backrest work well. The height-adjustable headrest accommodates this wider height range well, a missing element that restricted the Core. The addition of tilt control on the headrest offers further customization here, also.On the note of tilt control, the ErgoChair Pro offers the same step lock tilt control present in the Core and provides 22° of tilt control. One notable feature of this system, which is only present in the Pro version, is the inclusion of a tension thread that adjusts the tilt resistance. A handle located under the chair allows for increasing and decreasing tilt resistance. It's a welcome feature that allows users to dial in the experience.Image 1 of 1(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)The ErgoChair Pro also offers lumbar support with a tension adjustment lever located on the right side of the back of the chair. While it essentially acts as an on/off switch for the lumbar support, though in testing, I’ve not found it to add or subtract that much from the overall support system.This,