Office Chair Put to the Test: Why the ofinto Ergo
We put it to the test: How does the ofinto Ergo perform when evaluated using the same criteria as those employed by testing institutes and formats?
The ofinto Ergo one of the best-selling ergonomic office chairs in Switzerland. It has been named a "Best Buy" by CHIP.de and is ergonomically certified by the IGR Institute for Health and Ergonomics.
In this article, we’ll show how the ofinto Ergo performs Ergo the four key categories for office chairs—the same four categories that set the standard in the well-known 2021 Kassensturz office chair test: durability, safety, seating comfort, and assembly.
Editor's Note: This article documents our internal ofinto self-test from 2021. It was created in response to the Kassensturz office chair test conducted at that time , but is in no way affiliated with SRF. Our testing methodology is independent, but is based on the same criteria.
The Benchmark: The Four Classic Test Categories for Office Chairs
For years, four categories have been considered the industry standard for assessing the quality of an office chair:
These categories were also used in the office chair test conducted by the SRF program “Kassensturz” on March 16, 2021. We evaluate the ofinto Ergo these exact four categories, using our own in-house testing protocol. Here are the results.
Test Category 1: Robustness
A good office chair must be able to withstand years of use. In our in-house quality lab, every ofinto Ergo undergoes Ergo rigorous stress test: 130 kg weight, 260,000 cycles on the seat, and 20,000 cycles with a 32 kg load on the backrest. We also test the fabric cover’s abrasion resistance and the stability of the armrests.
💡The result of test #1💡
Even after tens of thousands of load cycles, the ofinto Ergo remains Ergo and stable. This is confirmed and verified by BIFMA X5.1 certification.
Test Category 2: Safety
Safety when sitting starts with the casters. Casters that are too hard leave scratches on the floor, while those that are too soft wear out quickly and don’t roll well. Conventional manufacturers often use inexpensive nylon casters. While these are cheap to produce, they are noisy and damage the floor.
Instead, the ofinto Ergo features high-quality polyurethane casters (PU casters): quieter, gentler on floors, and with ideal rolling performance on both hard floors and carpets.
Standard roll
ofinto Ergo
💡The result of test #2💡
The ofinto Ergo is stable, stable and gentle on the floor.
We at ofinto have therefore decided against cheap nylon castors. Our chairs use high-quality polyurethane castors (PU castors; the castor on the right in the picture). The modern PU castors are not only quieter, but also have the ideal hardness: they do not cause scratches on hard floors and still ensure the rolling sensation even on carpets.
Conventional roller
ofinto Ergo
Test Category 3: Seating Comfort
Seating comfort is the most important factor in an ergonomic chair, especially when spending 8 or more hours a day in front of a screen. Modern office chairs help prevent neck and back pain thanks to six key ergonomic adjustment features:
Seat height
Seat depth
Backrest
Lumbar support
Armrest Height
Armrest Alignment
Seat height
Seat depth
Backrest
Lumbar support
Armrest Height
Armrest Alignment
Many entry-level and mid-range office chairs only offer some of these six features.
The ofinto Ergo all six features, as confirmed by the ISO ergonomics certification from the IGR Institute for Ergonomics. Our premium model, the ofinto Active, also includes an adjustable seat tilt function for even more active and healthy sitting!
💡The result of test #3💡
The ofinto Ergo exceptional seating comfort with unrivaled ergonomic features—certified and IGR-approved.
Test Category 4: Easy Installation
A good office chair should be ready to use in just a few minutes. The ofinto Ergo specifically designed with this in mind: Most components are plug-in, and only the backrest and optional armrests require a few screws. See for yourself in the assembly video.
But our assembly instructions are also easy to understand, with lots of pictures and available in several languages. We include the corresponding booklet in the package with every product. The booklets can also be accessed at any time on our product pages. If you prefer to watch a video instead of reading instructions, you will find what you are looking for on the product documentation page for the ofinto Ergo.
What's more, our user manuals and product documentation pages also contain other useful information, such as a detailed description of the ergonomic functions and instructions for the ideal personal adjustment of your own chair. You can find the ofinto Ergo user manual here.
💡The result of test #4💡
Assembly takes just a few minutes; detailed instructions with pictures and a video.
The bottom line: Top-rated quality at a fair price
The ofinto Ergo top marks across all four test categories—durability, safety, seating comfort, and assembly. This quality is not just our own assessment, but has been confirmed by independent institutes and trade publications: CHIP.de (“Best Buy”), IGR Institute (certified as an “Ergonomic Product”), ANSI/BIFMA X5.1-2017 (durability and safety), and Greenguard Gold (lowest emissions of harmful substances).
Thanks to direct sales without middlemen, we offer this quality at a price that is up to 50% lower than comparable premium chairs.
But see for yourself:
Try the ofinto Ergo 100 days in your home office or workplace. If you’re not satisfied , we’ll pick it up for free.