Autonomous ErgoChair 2 Black Edition
Conclusion and Final Thoughts
Unpacking and assembly of the Autonomous Ergo Chair2 is simple and straight forward. It took about 35 minutes for me to unpack and assemble the chair. For the most part, the packing and shipping did well to protect most of the components. However, my shipment did have one broken part. The headrest was broken. It was still completely functional mind you. It appears the during shipping, the headrest was able to tilt past the limits and snapped a piece off. A quick email with the picture below to the folks over at Autonomous and I had the new part within 3 days.
The construction of most of the parts of the chair is heavy plastic. It is not bulletproof as you can see from the above photo but it is tough enough for most daily use. If I had to complain about something this is it. Plastic is fine and helps keep the cost down, but I’d like to see a metal frame. Another bit of annoyance is how loose or wide some of the tolerances between parts are. For example, as good as the armrests are, the inner and outer parts of the armrests tend to wiggle a bit. I did verify that all the screws are tightened.
The controls for the ErgoChair 2 take a little getting used to if you’re familiar with other office chairs. Autonomous combined controls on a single lever for seat tilt, vertical adjustment, and seat depth. It takes a bit to get used to however, I find that those are the most used controls for me and it is nice to have them in one spot. I do find with the back tension cranked up, for me, it feels a little weak but, that is something that I can get used to. The armrests move up and down as you’d expect. They also move in and out as well as back and forth a couple of inches.
As far as comfort, well that’s totally subjective. The ErgoChair for me and keep in mind that I’m coming from a cheaper brand of gaming chair, is very comfortable. It did take me a bit of fiddling with the controls to get the chair adjusted where I wanted it. Now, I think I have it perfect. Long sessions at the PC are no longer cause pain. The mesh back and headrest ensure that I stay cool while gaming or writing. I like how easy it is to tip the back of the chair back although sometimes I do feel that I’m about to fall over because of the tension on the back. Again, it will take a little getting used to. The lumbar support works well for me. With my back against the chair back, it gives me support where I need it. The adjustable headrest is nice too. It has tilt as well as height adjustments. The adjustable depth for the seat is another plus. The seat itself is plush and has just the right amount of support and give for comfortable sessions. I don’t feel like I’ve sunk to the bottom fo the seat nor do I feel like I’m sitting on a rock. Being a bigger guy (290+ LBS) I was pleased to see that the ErgoChair 2 is rated for 350 LBS. Currently, the ErgoChair 2 is on sale for $299 down from the regular price of $349. My back and my butt are thankful for the new chair. For me, the ErgoChair 2 is a major upgrade in both comfort and functionality.
Like this chair? Want to see what other chairs and power desks Autonomous was to offer? Use this link to Autonomous and save money… plus we get a reward too!
I’ve had one of these for a couple of years, and for the most part really like it. But since this is “Modders Inc”, I’ll share a few lessons learned:
1. Do not attempt to upgrade the castors to the roller-blade style ones, or you’ll learn first hand what “shear force” means. In my case, it meant two of the legs breaking simultaneously. You’ll need to upgrade to an all-metal set of legs.
2. The memory foam arm pads are a very nice after market upgrade.
3. Over time, the chair will start to creak when you lean back. Turn the chair over and re-tighten the bolts.
4. After a few years, if the chair starts sinking on its own, you’ll need to replace the gas piston. Do not follow the bone-headed advice to jam a PVC pipe around the piston. Get a replacement piston with a removal kit (a set of special clamping collars). Attempting to remove the piston with a hammer is an exercise in frustration. Alternately, remove the retaining pin and disassemble the old piston. It’s a little greasy, but not the horror show some guides make it out to be.
5. If the chair starts clicking when you turn, you need to grease or replace the thrust bearing in the piston. The repair kit is only about $10, and took me no more than 20 minutes to complete (and I’m not mechanically inclined).
Hope these tips help.
Thanks for the heads up. It’s nice to have a little history and know what may need some love in the future.
At the start of the pandemic, I was in need of something better than my dining room chair for my new office. I was looking at different office chair options and ended up going with the MyoChair from Autonomous.
I would straight up pay extra $$ for someone to make a headrest extension mod. This chair is amazing for tall people and so adjustable but the headrest is still too short!