NOUHAUS Ergo3D Ergonomic Office Chair Review
When searching for the perfect office chair, ergonomics is often a top priority. Without a chair that puts your comfort first, you could be left achy at the end of every long workday.
One ergonomic-minded office chair you’ve heard good things about is the Nouhaus Ergo3D. You’re eager to know whether this is the right office chair for you.
Well then, you’ve come to the right place. In this detailed review, I’ll cover all the features, specs, and information on the Ergo3D in-depth, including pricing. By the time you’re done reading, you’ll be one step closer to buying your next office chair.
NOUHAUS Ergo3D Review Highlights
The Nouhaus Ergo3D is an office chair that’s named after its ergonomic prowess. Almost every feature of the chair is adjustable, from the 2D headrest to the 4D armrests. Easy assembly, mesh fabric, and a lengthy warranty are other great features.
What We Liked
- The Just-For-Me dynamic lumbar support system is like something you’d find in an office chair that costs twice as much as the Ergo3D.
- Super Lounge Recline lets you tilt 135 degrees and lock any position along the way.
- The ElastoMesh upholstery is breathable and reduces sweating and stinking.
- The Ergo3D’s headrest is 2D adjustable.
- Flexible 4D armrests move as you need them to so they’re never in your way when you’re trying to get work done.
What We Didn’t Like
- The 275-pound weight limit is rather low.
- Mesh upholstery is not suitable for those who live or work in cold climates since it’s too airy.
- More ergonomics would have been better, especially with the inclusion of mesh upholstery.
NOUHAUS Ergo3D Review: Specifications and Features
Dimensions | Depth: 27.16 inchesWidth: 27.95 inchesHeight: up to 49.01 inchesHip width: 19.7 inches maxSeat depth: 16.3 inches |
Product Weight | 46.29 pounds |
Material | Mesh, aluminum, PU |
Weight Capacity | 275 pounds |
Let’s go over the many features of the Nouhaus Ergo3D.
Ergonomics That Put the Ergo in Ergo3D
There’s a reason Nouhaus called this office chair the Ergo3D. It has ergonomics that will make your time sitting in the chair that much more comfortable, be that for work or play.
The star of the show is the Just-For-Me dynamic lumbar support system. When you put pressure on the back of this office chair, the lumbar support will react by moving as you do. This allows the Just-For-Me lumbar support system to keep your spine cradled all day no matter how you like to sit to get work done.
Reliable Five-Star Base + XL Blade Casters
The five-star metal wheelbase of the Ergo3D uses ADC #12 industrial aluminum for reliability, strength, and durability. The five-star base is flanked by five XL caster blade wheels that Nouhaus promises are “silent and smooth.”
The caster wheels make for easy and fast maneuverability and are supposed to take your sitting experience to the next level, according to the manufacturer. The casters can roll on hardwood and other hard flooring, although it’s not clear if they’re designed for carpeting as well.
Nouhaus even throws in an extra set of two caster wheels if the first set wears out. The bonus set of wheels is available at no additional cost, which is pretty cool!
Mesh Upholstery
The Ergo3D office chair features ElastoMesh upholstery throughout. This HD mesh feels as soft as plush upholstery but doesn’t trap in sweat as fabric can. Rather, the ElastoMesh is designed to transmit sweat away from your office chair and introduce more cool air.
If you’re someone who sweats it out under pressure or you use the Ergo3D for gaming and streaming, you’ll especially appreciate the ElastoMesh upholstery.
Thoughtful Adjustments
The range of adjustments featured in the Nouhaus Ergo3D is very impressive. The orbital armrests are 4D adjustable. You can pivot them to the right or left, shift them up or down, angle them sideways, or glide them back or forward.
The Super-Lounge Recline allows you to tilt back in your chair up to 135 degrees. When leaning, you enter what Nouhaus calls the Comfort Zone. Sure, maybe you’re not getting the most work done when you’re in the Comfort Zone, but for relaxing when taking a break, it sure is comfy.
Recline lock allows you to set the Ergo3D chair into position whether you tilt it back only slightly or you go all 135 degrees back.
The headrest is adjustable too, which is not something you see in office or gaming chairs all that often. The Ergo3D uses ErgoTilt for 2D adjustability so you can set your headrest in a way that’s comfortable for your neck.
You can also tinker with the seat depth and the seat height.
Class 4 Hydraulics
How do you adjust this office chair? It’s easy! The Ergo3D uses seamless Class 4 hydraulic gas lifts to get the job done. You can also shift a variety of levers.
Great Color Variety
Many office chairs are rather colorless, but not the Nouhaus Ergo3D. You can select from four colors: Dark Burgundy, Black Coffee, Silver Gray, or Brilliant Blue.
Nouhaus Ergo3D Review: Our Insights
Now that you’ve learned about the features of the Nouhaus Ergo3D, I want to share my insights in this section of the review. I’ll touch on areas such as build quality, comfort, and value.
Build Quality
Beginning with the build quality, the Ergo3D certainly seems like one stable office chair. It has a heavy-duty yet lightweight aluminum five-star base, blade caster wheels that can glide across hard flooring, and PU features such as the coating on the armrests.
Its upholstery is Nouhaus’ own ElastoMesh, which covers everything from the seat to the backrest and the adjustable headrest. The ElastoMesh is excellent at dispersing sweat and allowing cool air to travel to where you need it.
Ergonomics
The dynamic lumbar support built into the Ergo3D in the form of the Just-For-Me lumbar system is fantastic. Like Herman Miller office chairs that cost three or four times more, the Ergo3D supports your micromovements for spinal support.
Adjustability
Let’s more closely examine the adjustments included with the Ergo3D office chair, as there sure are a lot of them.
- Height adjustment: Of course, the Ergo3D lets you set the height of the chair. The max height is 49.01 inches. Nouhaus recommends users who are five feet, four inches to six feet, one inch sit in the Ergo3D.
- Lumbar adjustment: The Just-For-Me lumbar system doesn’t seem to have adjustable lumbar support, but rather, it shifts on its own depending on how you move in the chair.
- Armrest adjustment: Not even all gaming chairs include 4D arms, so to come across them in an office chair is always a treat. You can pivot, raise, lower, or shift the PU-coated armrests however you need them.
Comfort (Seat, Back, and Arms)
How comfortable is the Nouhaus Ergo3D? It’s time to take a closer look!
Starting with the seat, for some reason, Nouhaus provides no information on the Ergo3D’s seat. I’m not sure if it’s filled with foam, but I would wager that it is. What kind of foam it is though is anyone’s guess.
Based on Amazon reviews, it appears that the Ergo3D does not include memory foam. The seat is covered in mesh.
The seatback of the Ergo3D has mesh for breathability. The mesh isn’t a built-in ergonomics feature like you see in some office chairs (such as the Herman Miller Aeron and its 8Z Pellicle mesh), but it does cradle your back as you lean into it.
Much more so, the back comfort of the Ergo3D is due to the Just-For-Me adjustable ergonomics system.
Mesh is a double-edged sword depending on the weather where you live. In colder environments, all that cool air blowing through the mesh openings is too much. You won’t have to worry about sweat because you’ll be shivering.
For those who live in a warm climate or work in a high-pressure environment, mesh upholstery is awesome. By pulling sweat away from the chair, it can’t linger and make your Ergo3D chair stinky.
As for the arms of the Ergo3D, I can’t laud them enough. The range of adjustability allows you to get arm support whether you’re sitting straight, leaning back a little, or reclining all 135 degrees.
Value
The Nouhaus Ergo3D retails for only $350. With its multitude of great features, you’d think this office chair would cost at least twice that, if not more so!
NOUHAUS Ergo3D Review: Buying Experience
If you’re one step closer to buying the Nouhaus Ergo3D office chair by this point, allow me to tell you what the experience is like in this section.
Shipping
Although the Ergo3D isn’t an expensive chair, if you don’t have to pay extra money for shipping, why would you? Fortunately, you don’t. Nouhaus offers free shipping for the Ergo3D chair, which is great!
Assembly
The Ergo3D does not come pre-assembled, even if you buy it on Amazon. However, Nouhaus is clear that assembly of this office chair is supposed to be easy. Of course, how you and I define easy can vary.
That’s why you should check out the assembly instructions before you make up your mind.
Warranty
Your purchase of the Nouhaus Ergo3D is protected by a three-year warranty. Should you want to extend the warranty, Nouhaus gives you the option to add two more years to the warranty for five years of protection.
The warranty safeguards the Ergo3D against defects, missing materials, and failure, including with the gas lift, tilt mechanism, recline mechanism, casters, or the frame.
If you contact Nouhaus about issues with the Ergo3D, they’ll send replacement parts to the address in which you had your original order shipped.
You must contact Nouhaus within two weeks of noticing the defect and include videos or photos of the issue. Send all that via email to support@nouhaus.com.
Return Policy
If you’re feeling iffy about the Ergo3D, Nouhaus does have a return policy you can take advantage of. They call it a Cooling Off Period, and it lasts for 30 days.
If you decide to return your office chair within the Cooling Off Period, you’ll get the entirety of the cost you spent on it issued as a refund.
However, there are terms and conditions. The chair must be in what Nouhaus describes as “excellent condition.” You must have left the original packaging in good shape. All the parts must be accounted for, and you have to take the chair completely apart.
When the chair arrives to Nouhaus’ headquarters, they’ll inspect it. If they deem that your chair is in good enough shape to net you a refund, it will be issued to you within two weeks. The payment method you used for the chair is how you’ll receive your refund.
Is the NOUHAUS Ergo3D Worth It?
Now that you’ve seen the full picture of the Nouhaus Ergo3D, you’re almost ready to make your choice. This section will reinforce what’s great and what’s not so great about the Ergo3D.
Let’s start with the good stuff, as there’s more than enough. The Ergo3D has a great range of adjustments. You have built-in ergonomic support, a 2D headrest, and 4D arms. The adjustable headrest is truly special since it’s not a common feature in office or gaming chairs, as I said before.
The ElastoMesh upholstery is high-quality. The weather-related issues with the mesh aren’t exclusive to the Nouhaus Ergo3D, so I can’t fault Nouhaus for that. Every mesh chair can be too cold for cooler climates.
You can tilt and adjust the Ergo3D to your heart’s content, and its wheelbase and extra-large casters are sturdy and efficient. You can even choose from four upholstery colors, and two of them aren’t shades of black and gray!
Plus, the price of the Nouhaus Ergo3D is awesome for its multitude of features. Usually, to get high-quality ergonomics, durable mesh, and a range of adjustments, you need to pay upwards of $500 for an office chair. The Ergo3D is cheap yet none of its features are.
Okay, so what’s not as great about this chair? Well, as I said before, it’s strange that Nouhaus doesn’t disclose any information about the Ergo3D’s seat and what’s in it. That to me suggests that it’s not the most comfortable feature of the Ergo3D.
Also, for a chair that’s named after ergonomics, I feel like the Ergo3D could have more lumbar adjustments. Adjustable backrests or support mesh would have been nice. The Just-For-Me lumbar support is fine, don’t get me wrong, but it should be flanked by more lumbar adjustments.
The adjustable headrest is technically cervical support, not lumbar support, but that’s a great feature, nevertheless.
NOUHAUS Ergo3D Alternatives
If you’re still on the fence about the Nouhaus Ergo3D, it might help you to see a few more office chairs like it. These chair alternatives could be more your speed or reinforce your interest in the Ergo3D.
The three chairs I’ll compare the Ergo3D to are the Staples Hyken, the Herman Miller Aeron, and the Sidiz T50.
NOUHAUS Ergo3D vs. Staples Hyken
The Staples Hyken is a budget mesh ergonomic chair that offers solid build quality, adjustability, and comfort at an entry-level price.
Read our full Staples Hyken Review
Starting with the Staples Hyken, the Hyken is slightly lower-priced than the Ergo3D ($220 versus $350). It has a similar shape and profile to the Ergo3D, right down to the mesh upholstery for breathability.
The Hyken features tilt locking and tilt tension for customizing your fit and comfort. You can also raise or lower the seat height. Its arms are adjustable, although Hyken doesn’t elaborate on whether the arms are 2D or 3D. I don’t believe they’re 4D.
The Ergo3D has an edge over the Hyken in a handful of ways. The Hyken headrest is stationary while the Ergo3D headrest has 2D ErgoTilt functionality. The arms are fully adjustable with 4D adjustment options, and you can make more adjustments to the Ergo3D than you can the Hyken.
NOUHAUS Ergo3D vs. Herman Miller Aeron
The Herman Miller Aeron is one of the most iconic ergonomic office chairs ever made. It's best-in-class build quality, adjustability, and comfort make it ideal for any home office or gaming setup.
Read our Herman Miller Aeron Review
The next mesh office chair I want to look at is the Herman Miller Aeron. I know, this isn’t exactly a fair comparison. The Aeron is such a beloved chair (and has been for decades) that it’s permanently featured in a museum.
The Aeron has more of the ergonomics that I wish the Ergo3D office chair did. The PostureFit SL backrests are customizable on either side of your back for comfort the way you need it. The lumbar support provides spinal stabilization.
Then there’s abovementioned 8Z Pellicle mesh, which promotes breathability and ergonomics at the same time. The mesh is looser in the center yet tauter around the edges to support and cradle your back.
Harmonic Tilt allows for more natural tilting that always feels balanced. The Aeron’s arms adjust according to their angle, depth, and height, so they’re at least 3D. Plus, Herman Miller uses primarily recycled materials when building the Aeron.
If you feel like the 275-pound weight limit of the Ergo3D is a little too restricting, the Aeron comes in three sizes to support more users. The only downside is that the Aeron costs $1,500 with features such as armrest adjustments and tilt limiting included in that price.
That makes the Aeron way outside the budgets of many. Suddenly, the Ergo3D is looking like a much more viable alternative.
NOUHAUS Ergo3D vs. Sidiz T50
Last but certainly not least is the Sidiz T50. This $500+ office chair features mesh upholstery throughout, including the seat and headrest. Speaking of the seat, you can set its slope and angle, which is a feature the Ergo3D simply does not have.
The T50’s arms move three ways, including left and right, back and forth, and up or down. An included tilt strength lever lets you set the tilt angle for leaning back or sitting upright. By pulling the lever, you can easily lock your degree of tilt.
What about lumbar support? The T50 has that, at least to a degree. This Sidiz chair is designed to cradle and support your spine’s natural S-shape.
Although it’s a close one between the Nouhaus Ergo3D and the Sidiz T50, the Ergo3D is the better pick if you need more ergonomics. The T50 also lacks 4D arms as well as headrest adjustments yet it’s the more expensive office chair.
The Bottom Line
The Nohaus Ergo3D is an ergonomic office chair that features Just-For-Me lumbar support, 4D armrests, and a 2D customizable headrest. At its low price of under $400, it’s budget-friendly and doesn’t have cheap features. It might be just the office chair you’ve been looking for!