You may have an at-home office, or a corner of your home you call an office. Whatever your workspace may be, let's face it, standing at the kitchen counter or leaning sideways on the sofa isn’t ideal — and really isn’t great for your body long-term. A good office chair is essential, even if you don't work in an office — and the Branch Task Chair offers quite a lot for its $279 price tag.
I work from home full-time, and I've struggled to find a supportive, comfortable, affordable desk chair that wouldn’t inhibit my work routine or my small apartment. At least, that was the case before. The Task Chair from Branch has proven to be ergonomic, versatile, and kept me happy — even on the longest of workdays.
Before we begin: a note on Branch Task Chair assembly
First things first, I had to assemble the chair. I was thrilled that the Task Chair boasted features like wheels and an adjustable seat height, but I was intimidated by having to assemble all its parts together myself.
The chair arrived in a large box that I had to drag to my building's elevator, then down the hall to my one-bedroom apartment. I unloaded all the parts and hardware onto the floor, then downloaded the assembly PDF listed in the instructions.
Though putting furniture together can be stressful and time-consuming, I’d say getting the chair ready to use took an average amount of time — and less than the usual amount of frustration, at least for me. The parts were clearly marked, I had the tools I needed, and other than needing to pop the wheels in with some force installation was seamless.
What's Good About the Branch Task Chair
The seat is a dream
I used the Task Chair for the better part of a month, which was enough time to discover some standout features. For one, the seat is truly comfortable all day long. Some other chairs I’ve used start to feel hard or stiff, but the high density foam cushion on the Task Chair strikes a perfect balance between bouncy and sturdy that keeps your bum from going numb after sitting for too long.
I also liked that the seat is square-shaped; it gave me room to cross my legs, tuck a leg under myself, or sit comfortably with a blanket on my lap. While these positions aren’t always the best for proper posture, I need a chair that allows me to change my seat throughout the day without pinching my legs or making me feel like I don’t fit on the seat — and in that, the Task Chair excelled.
Silent swiveling and rolling
Swivel chairs are wonderful for your posture, because they allow your entire body to turn to keep your focus on your screen or other people, rather than making you twist from the neck or chest. I use several monitors while I work, so I love having a swivel to quickly glance side to side without taxing my body.
Plus, the Task Chair’s swivel is totally silent. Some chairs creak, squeak, or bump along the turn, but the Task Chair is seamless when turning side to side. And like the swivel, the wheels roll easily and quietly. If you’ve installed them properly, you won’t have any issue pivoting any direction in your work space.
A tall, supportive seat back that really leans
The Task Chair’s seat back is about 22 inches long, which fit my five-foot-six frame well. I had support at the base of my lumbar spine and the slight curve of the seat back helped me sit upright rather than hunching over my keyboard. The seat’s double-woven nylon mesh back was comfortable without feeling sticky, and had a bit of give when I leaned back for a mid-day stretch.
The back of the chair also leans back, but you may need to adjust the tilt tension and unlock the leaning feature by pulling the seat lever away from the center of the chair, which is not intuitive. Once I had unlocked the feature, however, I practically tipped backward when I leaned back. The chair goes back a long way. You can use the lean to recline during your workday, or lock in one of several angles for a more comfortable seat.
What's Not Ideal About the Branch Task Chair
The armrests are wobbly
Like we noted with the Branch Verve Chair, the armrests “wiggle from side to side just enough to make it tough to balance,” an issue I encountered often when adjusting how I was sitting or going to stand up using the arm rests for support. I worried at times that the armrests would snap off if I didn’t balance my pressure and push straight down.
While the Task Chair has wider armrests than the Verve, they still wobble in place, even after tightening them twice. This could be user error, but it seems like the self-tightening aspect may be the root cause of this fault.
The Branch Task Chair: the Verdict
I’d consider this desk chair a budget-friendly office chair with top-notch performance. It kept me comfortable throughout weeks of desk work and was enjoyable to come back to each day. It helped me prioritize better posture and helped me stay productive.
The Task Chair is an affordable chair with a long list of features that make it hard to beat for the price. It’s also worth noting that it looks like it’s worth more with its sleek design, knit seat back, and adjustable features, too.
