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Branch is a professional ergonomic furniture company that I have grown to appreciate over the last few years. I’ve reviewed a pretty wide range of the company’s desks and chairs – so I was pretty excited to try out the Branch Aire.
As the name suggests, this chair is light. It has a very breathable design, with a single piece of material running from the seat to the back, creating a cohesive, all-in-one look. All around, this chair is solid. It’s lightweight and a bit skimpy, but it’s solid, comfortable for most, and out of all the best office chairs I’ve tested, it’s the easiest one I have ever assembled (other than chairs that come fully assembled).
Branch Aire: Price and Availability
The Branch Aire is available on the Branch website right here, where it retails for just under $500 in three different colorways – Vapor (reviewed here), Graphene, and a brand new Hunter color.
Branch Aire: Unboxing & first impressions
The Aire arrived in a compact yet well-packaged box. Each component is labelled and protected with packing material to ensure no rips or punctures in the mesh material during transit.
The chair took only about 7 minutes to assemble as I did not have to screw a backrest into a base or armrests into a base/backrest like I usually have to with the chairs that I test. All I had to do was take the base, add the wheels, add the piston, and then put the chair on top of the piston/base combo. All around, it’s it’s pretty simple.
Before I saw this chair in person, I looked it up online. It appeared sleek, sharp, and futuristic. However, experiencing it in person was a completely different story. The mesh material feels both durable and comfortable.
Sitting in it for the first time confirmed my expectations; it conformed to my body so perfectly that it felt like I was sitting in a custom-molded chair. It was significantly lighter than I expected it to be, but that’s not a bad thing in the slightest. I’ve had a lot of cumbersome chairs, so having one that is super lightweight is a nice change of pace.
Branch Aire: Design & Build Quality
Specs
Dimensions: 27.4″ x 24″
Height: 45.9″ to 48.4″
Seat Height: Adjustable from 17.9″ to 20.5″
Weight Capacity: 275 lbs
Materials: Polyester and polyelastomer mesh, plastic, and nylon frame
Warranty: 5 years
As I have said, the Branch Aire is an all-mesh chair with one cohesive section of mesh running from the shoulders down to the thigh. The entire back and seat is one piece of mesh, making it minimalist and simple while allowing maximum airflow and comfort.
The frame is sturdy, and the wheels roll nicely on my low-pill carpet, glass pad, and hardwood floor. The waterfall edge makes for a super comfortable thigh portion of the chair, allowing no circulation to cut off from my thigh, hitting a bar or something else uncomfortable.
Branch Aire: In use
Due to the nature of my role, I have a few desk setups. I have one to test new gear, so I can always leave a primary workstation set up to be operational to get work done quickly and easily. For the last 100 days, the Branch Aire has been one of the chairs I have rotated in and out of my secondary workspace, and I have gotten a pretty good feel for it. While it’s not the most ergonomic option I’ve had, it is comfortable even for extended work hours.
I weigh around 205 pounds and stand at 6’2″. This chair feels like it was made for people up to about 6′, maybe 6’1″. Even though I am noticeably too tall for this chair, it’s still comfortable. The armrests can raise and lower and move forward and backward while sitting in the chair. However, they cannot get closer to your body.
The chair’s design does not allow adjusting seat depth or include any form of lumbar support. So, although the chair does fit snugly against the body of most users, taller or larger users might find that the fit of this particular chair is less adjustable than other chairs manufactured by Branch.
I’ve done full 8-10 hour days in this chair, occasionally swapping to standing at my Flexispot E7 Plus standing desk. While a part of me misses the heavier-duty chairs that feel more robust, there is something fantastic about the minimalism of this chair. I could see enjoying this chair if I had a simpler workspace, a basic desk and laptop, or even a clean, simple desk in a more visible space like a living room. Since then, this chair has looked more like a statement piece than a comfortable, ergonomic office chair.
Another situation that would be great for this chair would be a conference room or co-working space. I would probably avoid having this in a highly-traffic space like a conference room that’s open to the public or has a lot of new people in and out.
|
Attributes |
Notes |
Rating |
|---|---|---|
|
Design |
Beautiful and sleek |
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
|
Ease of use |
Easy to use |
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
|
Practicality |
Restrictive for larger users |
⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
|
Price |
Mid range price |
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
Branch Aire: Final verdict
Branch Aire Chair undoubtedly tops the list due to its innovative design and excellent breathability, collectively making it a highly worthy contender for an office chair that is both comfortable and good-looking.
However, if you’re considering this chair, you’ll want to note the non-adjustable seat size and the headrest height to ensure a good fit according to your needs.
I recommend this chair for anyone looking for a minimalistic chair to match a minimalistic workspace or someone looking for a modern yet comfortable chair.
For more office essentials, we’ve rounded up all the best standing desks.
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collin.probst@futurenet.com (Collin Probst)
