REASONS TO BUY
Inexpensive
Good-looking
User-friendly instructions
REASONS TO AVOID
Limited adjustability
Poor material
Seat compresses
Amazon Basics Classic Puresoft Review
This model is best for short work sessions as it prioritizes price and aesthetics over long-term comfort and durability
Credit: Amazon
RELATED: Best Office Chairs of 2023
Our Verdict
The Amazon Basics Classic Puresoft chair will steal your attention for its price and good looks. The model is best suited for shorter work sessions as it offers limited adjustability and acceptable short-term comfort. The armrests are not adjustable but are comfortable next to the skin. The easy-to-use instructions help ease some of the challenges in the setup. This chair is likely not the solution to your long-term. This model likely won't meet your needs when it comes to comfort, and there's nothing soft about it despite its name. We recommend other top-rated office chairs from our review.
Compare to Similar Products
 This Product
Amazon Basics Classic Puresoft | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Awards |  | | |||
| Price | $90 List | $329 List | $175 List $173.99 at Amazon | Check Price at Amazon | $55 List $44.98 at Amazon |
Overall Score  |
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| Star Rating | |||||
| Pros | Inexpensive, good-looking, user-friendly instructions | Great value, durable, comfortable | Inexpensive, relatively comfortable, and adjustable | Acceptable performance for the price, well-written instructions | Decent performance for the price, mesh backrest |
| Cons | Limited adjustability, poor material, seat compresses | Looks aren't universally appealing | Durability could be better | Lower tier adjustability | Wobbly, back tensioner is difficult to release |
| Bottom Line | This model is best for short work sessions as it prioritizes price and aesthetics over long-term comfort and durability | Pairs exceptional comfort and durability, at a price you just can't beat | This is our favorite budget-friendly chair for the money | The price is attractive and it provides okay performance for the price point | You'll want to consider if the affordable price of this model is worth its lower-tier performance |
| Rating Categories | Amazon Basics Class... | DXRacer Racing Series | Modway Articulate E... | Amazon Basics Padde... | Furmax Office Mesh |
| Comfort (50%) | |||||
| Adjustability (35%) | |||||
| Durability (10%) | |||||
| Ease of Assembly (5%) | |||||
| Specs | Amazon Basics Class... | DXRacer Racing Series | Modway Articulate E... | Amazon Basics Padde... | Furmax Office Mesh |
| Seat pan adjustment | No | No | No | No | No |
| Adjustable lumbar support | No | Yes; a movable pad | Yes; the backrest moves up and down | No | No |
| Lumbar support | No | Yes; a removable movable pad | Yes | No | Yes |
| Recline lever | No | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Tilt limiter | No | Yes; only locks in the upright position | Yes; locks you into a position | Yes; only locks in the upright position | Yes; only locks in the upright position |
| Armrest width adjustment | No | Option available | No | No | No |
| Swivel armrests | No | Yes | No | No | No |
| Armrest depth adjustment | No | Yes | No | No | No |
| Tension knob | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
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Our Analysis and Test Results
The Amazon Basics Classic PureSoft is a simple office chair that attracts consumers' attention for its low price. We'd recommend this for smaller folks, so if you have a teenager who needs to sit at their desk to do homework, this could be an option for them.
Performance Comparison
A simple and classic office chair to keep your home office looking professional.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Comfort
If you work sitting down, you understand the importance of a comfortable office chair. Our test team assessed the comfort of each chair as we evaluated the backrests, seat, and armrests. This chair disappointed most reviewers in the overall comfort compared to the rest. However, they agreed it seemed appropriate, given the modest price.
The Puresoft will not provide the all-day comfort that most office workers seek. Our testers noted back pain starting to arise in as little as half an hour. The seat and backrest offer minimal padding. The padding compressed in about 20 minutes, resulting in unsupported posture and discomfort. Additionally, the backrest also offered little to no lumbar support. The lack of support quickly created some lower and mid back pain. The overall frame size is best suited for smaller individuals due to the width of the seat and armrests. The chair feels constricted for larger individuals. The armrests are quite short and narrow, which exacerbates the constricted feeling noted above.
Our test team would struggle to get through a 40-hour work week in this chair. We find it best suited for shorter periods.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Adjustability
Adjustability in an office chair allows you to find an ergonomic and supported sitting position for the workday. We used each adjustment to determine the efficacy of each. The Puresoft offers some adjustments, limited to seat height and tension control.
The seat height offers a 5-inch range with a standard lift allowing our shorter 5'4" testers to reach the ground. The lumbar support is a nonadjustable, discreet bump on the lumbar area of the backrest. The chair omits a lock-out feature but leverages a tension knob that modulates the resistance of the rocking function. However, this feature has two main drawbacks. The knob is very difficult to access while sitting, and each rotation produces a nominal amount of tension.
The tensioner knob is challenging to access and operate while sitting down.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Durablitiy
Although our test team didn't experience any durability issues, we scoured through hundreds of reviews to find those that had. The majority of 1-2 star consumer reviews highlighted a durability issue. We saw reports of ripped faux leather, busted seams, defeated hydraulics, compressed foam, and broken castor wheels. For the price point and popularity of this model, we expect to see themes of durability issues. Fortunately, numerous reviews state the chair has lasted more than a year without an issue.
The durability of the faux leather was a common issue found in user reviews.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Ease of Assembly
Amazon Basics often provides user-friendly instructions with clear text and illustrations; these were no different. The instructions are very concise, and the illustrations paint an accurate picture. The assembly was somewhat challenging. Our most common problem was the misaligned inserts that required some finagling. The backrest and seat are attached to the armrest, making the misaligned inserts even more challenging and may merit an additional person. One person set up this chair in 30 minutes with only a short period of frustration.
The setup process has a few distinct challenges, like attaching the armrest to the seat and backrest.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Should you buy the Amazon Basics Puresoft?
If you are looking for an affordable chair for short seated sessions once in a while, this model is a great choice. However, upgrading to a more adjustable and comfortable chair will be worth it if you plan on all-day sessions multiple times a week.
What other office chairs should you consider?
If you are looking for a comfortable and budget-friendly chair, consider the Modway Articulate Ergonomic Mesh. For those with a bit of budget flexibility, we recommend the DXracer Racing Series.
—
Isaac Laredo
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