The Sihoo M57 is the chair we point people to when the budget is tight but a back still needs supporting: real adjustable lumbar, breathable mesh and a headrest for under £150. Here is what you get for the money, and what you sensibly give up.
There are countless cheap office chairs that look the part and support nothing, and then there is the Sihoo M57. It has become one of the best-selling budget ergonomic chairs in the UK for a simple reason: it puts the features that genuinely matter, adjustable lumbar, mesh, a headrest, into a chair that costs less than a fancy dinner for two. For a first proper chair or a second desk, it is our budget pick.
| Model | Price | Back support | Material | Sizes | Rating | Link | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ★ Top pick Sihoo M57 Ergonomic Office Chair | £139.99 | Adjustable lumbar support | Breathable mesh | One size | ★ 4.3 | View → |
£139.99
Adjustable lumbar support · Breathable mesh · One size
The verdict from Hannah Bell, ergonomics and posture specialist
The best budget pick. The Sihoo M57 is the chair we point people to when the budget is tight but a back still needs supporting. It has the adjustable lumbar, breathable mesh and headrest that genuinely matter, and skips only the refinements you can live without. It will not last as long as an Aeron and the armrests are simpler, but for a first proper ergonomic chair or a second desk, it offers far more support per pound than anything else here.
Surprisingly supportive for the money, with a mesh back that breathes through a warm afternoon.
The M57 is the right chair if your budget is tight but you still want real back support rather than a flat, sagging seat. It suits students, anyone setting up a first home-working space, households that need a second chair, and people who simply aren't ready to spend hundreds on a chair. The huge owner base and easy assembly make it a low-risk buy, and within its budget brief it does the important things well. It is proof that you don't have to spend a fortune to look after your back at a desk.
It is less suited to someone sitting eight or more hours a day who wants the best possible support and longevity. The M57 is built to a price, so the armrests are simpler and the build is less solid than a dearer chair. If you live in your chair all day, it is worth stepping up to the Sihoo Doro C300 or, budget permitting, the Herman Miller Aeron.
The M57 gets the fundamentals right where it counts. The adjustable lumbar support fills the curve of your lower back, and the adjustable headrest supports your neck when you lean back, the two features that do most to protect your posture through the day. It is genuinely surprising how much support the chair offers for the money, and it is the main reason we recommend it over the sea of cheaper chairs that skip lumbar support entirely.
The breathable mesh back keeps you cool, the same principle that makes premium ergonomic chairs work, here at a fraction of the cost. The seat is firm rather than plush, which suits good posture, and the overall feel is supportive and no-nonsense. For a budget chair it is comfortable enough for a full working day, which is more than can be said for most chairs at this price.
You get seat-height adjustment, a reclining back and adjustable armrests, which covers the essentials. The armrests adjust in fewer directions than those on pricier chairs, and the overall build feels lighter and less solid than a chair costing two or three times as much, both expected at the price. Assembly is straightforward and well documented, which matters for a chair so many people buy as their first.
The M57's compromises are exactly what you would expect from a budget chair, and we would rather be plain about them. The armrests adjust in fewer ways, the materials feel less premium, and it won't last as long under heavy daily use as a chair built to be serviced for years. None of that is a fault at the price, it is simply where the money has, sensibly, not been spent. What matters is that the features that protect your back are present and correct, and they are. If you need more, the step up to the Sihoo Doro C300 is the natural next move.
For the right buyer, yes. The Sihoo M57 earns its price through the support and build quality it offers across a full working day. Whether it is right for you depends on how many hours you sit and your budget; we set out exactly who it suits, and who would be better off elsewhere, in the review above.
We explain in detail above, but in short the Sihoo M57 suits a specific kind of desk worker. The review covers its support, comfort, adjustability and build so you can judge whether it matches the way you sit before you buy.
Build quality and warranty are a good guide to longevity, and we cover both in the review. A chair used eight hours a day asks a lot of the mechanism and the upholstery, so we judge each chair on how well it stands up to real daily use rather than on the spec sheet alone.
The M57 is our best budget pick because it offers far more support per pound than anything else here: real adjustable lumbar, breathable mesh and a headrest for under £150. It is built to a price, so it skips the refinements and the long-term durability of a premium chair, but it nails the features that actually protect your back. For a first proper ergonomic chair or a second desk, it is hard to beat. If you sit all day and want more, our value pick the Sihoo Doro C300 is the next step up, and the Herman Miller Aeron remains our overall winner. Compare the full range in our buying guide.