Skip to content
Nungeum

Home head-to-head

Branch Ergonomic ChairvsSteelcase Series 1

8.2 against 8.4 overall, which settles nothing. Steelcase Series 1 takes Durability 8.8 to 7.6, and that is the axis to decide on.

Branch Ergonomic Chair

Branch

8.2

The direct-to-consumer answer: most of the adjustment range, a fraction of the outlay.

Price and availability change constantly, so we don't quote them here — the link opens the current Amazon listing.

Steelcase Series 1

Steelcase

8.4

Contract-grade adjustment and warranty at a price that does not require a spreadsheet.

Price and availability change constantly, so we don't quote them here — the link opens the current Amazon listing.

Where they diverge

The widest gap is Durability, Steelcase Series 1 ahead 8.8 to 7.6. They come closest on Ease of use, 8.4 to 8.2. Left of center is Branch Ergonomic Chair, right is Steelcase Series 1.

Branch Ergonomic Chair versus Steelcase Series 1 — axis scores out of 10Horizontal bar chart of editorial scores out of 10 across 4 axes. Bars for Branch Ergonomic Chair run left from the axis labels, bars for Steelcase Series 1 run right. Branch Ergonomic Chair: Value 8.8, Durability 7.6, Ease of use 8.2, Design 8.2. Steelcase Series 1: Value 8.4, Durability 8.8, Ease of use 8.4, Design 8.0.Branch Ergonomic Chair (left)Steelcase Series 1 (right)ValueBranch Ergonomic Chair — Value 8.8 out of 108.8Steelcase Series 1 — Value 8.4 out of 108.4DurabilityBranch Ergonomic Chair — Durability 7.6 out of 107.6Steelcase Series 1 — Durability 8.8 out of 108.8Ease of useBranch Ergonomic Chair — Ease of use 8.2 out of 108.2Steelcase Series 1 — Ease of use 8.4 out of 108.4DesignBranch Ergonomic Chair — Design 8.2 out of 108.2Steelcase Series 1 — Design 8.0 out of 108.0Editorial score out of 10 — higher is better

Which one to pick

Take the Branch Ergonomic Chair

Leads on Value and Design.

  • A home office that also has to look like a room
  • Adjustment range matters but a twelve-year warranty does not
  • You want it assembled and usable the day it arrives

Take the Steelcase Series 1

Leads on Durability and Ease of use.

  • You want the office-furniture warranty without the flagship outlay
  • 4D arms — the adjustment most cheap chairs skip
  • A chair that will not look out of place in a home office

What each one gets wrong

Branch Ergonomic Chair

  • You expect it to still be in service in a decade
  • Support beyond email is something you will need

Steelcase Series 1

  • You are very tall or very short — one frame size fits most, not all
  • You want the seat depth range of the higher Steelcase lines

Specs, side by side

SpecBranch Ergonomic ChairSteelcase Series 1
AdjustmentSeven points including lumbar depth—
WarrantySeven yearsTwelve years
AssemblyTool-light, under ten minutes—
Back—Flexible LiveBack frame
Arms—4D adjustable

Rankings they both appear in

Questions

Only 0.2 separates them. What breaks the tie?
Durability does, at 8.8 against 7.6. That axis covers failure and fade reports past the one-year mark. Branch Ergonomic Chair takes Value and Design; Steelcase Series 1 takes Durability and Ease of use. Neither leads on more axes than the other, so it comes down to which of those you care about.
Why are the totals this close?
The total is the plain average of the 4 Home axes, so opposite results cancel. Branch Ergonomic Chair averages 8.2 and Steelcase Series 1 averages 8.4, a gap of 0.2, while the individual axes run as far apart as 1.2.
Which one ranks higher in "Twelve years on everything beats a limited lifetime"?
Steelcase Series 1 sits at #2 in "Twelve years on everything beats a limited lifetime", Branch Ergonomic Chair at #3.