There are two issues you possibly can’t keep away from on this trade of ours: a light gaming dependancy and chronically unhealthy posture. It is a harmful mixture once you spend all day at your desk and your free time mode includes switching tabs or opening a sport whereas sitting in the identical place.
Regardless of all that, I am usually not choosy about chairs. A very good chair doesn’t make your rear finish and again sore after two hours of labor; all the things else is revenue, proper? My trusty IKEA Flintan with the fastened armrests has served me properly for over three years, and changing it by no means got here to thoughts.
I used to be curious to see what the noise was all about when Sihoo reached out asking if I wished to strive the M56C workplace chair. That is the corporate’s working man’s mannequin. It is touted as a plain, inexpensive, and dependable chair for individuals who aren’t too bothered concerning the ‘gaming chair’ tag (with the corresponding worth enhance).
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On the American Sihoo web page, the M56C retails for $219.99 at full worth, although on the time of writing it had an unbelievable low cost… of $10. Nonetheless, that is value about two deeply discounted video games. Shockingly, the value within the European retailer shoots as much as €379.99, or €259.99 on sale.
My present setup consists of a desk ordered from a grocery store, a 21.5-inch ASUS monitor, an HP keyboard, a HyperX SoloCast that I remorse shopping for, plus no-name mouse and headphones. The pc itself, albeit an honest spec for 2025, sits inside a barely rusted case purchased in 2017. It is all black, boring, however useful, so I figured the M56C would match proper in.
For full disclosure, Sihoo didn’t pay for this evaluate. All I obtained was this chair, which, as I discovered over per week, is definitely fairly good.
What’s In The Field?
Though this chair was despatched out as a part of a evaluate bundle, for the sake of equity, it was despatched utilizing the usual supply choices. The turnaround from creating the order to receiving the chair was 6 days.
DPD carried it from Sihoo’s Germany warehouse right down to Portugal, which is on the longer facet of European routes. Sihoo advertises related supply occasions for different regional storefronts, and our American evaluate of the Sihoo C300 Professional additionally had a reasonably fast supply by way of FedEx.
The Sihoo M56C got here in a nondescript medium-sized cardboard field, however the weight took me without warning. At 37.15 lbs (or 16.85 kg if you happen to use wise items of measuring), it is in that awkward spot the place you possibly can simply carry it, whereas additionally complaining about it.
This would not be a difficulty, besides the field doesn’t have any grip factors, and propping it up in opposition to your chest is suboptimal because it blocks you from seeing the place you are going. The answer was to easily admit defeat and push it throughout the ground whereas my canine stared at me judgingly.
Upon opening, I discovered the parts have been pleasantly organized within the field. All the things is stacked vertically, permitting you to slip issues out with out a lot hassle. The field with the nuts and bolts seemed prefer it was crammed in as an afterthought, however it did not have an effect on its contents or the encircling gadgets.
Of Nuts And Bolts
I usually take pleasure in placing new furnishings collectively, till the final quarter-hour after I get drained and begin cursing at it. The Sihoo M56C isn’t any exception to this tried-and-tested workflow.
The usual package comes with two instruments and a cute little pair of white gloves. I usually do not hassle with that when engaged on furnishings or equipment (thank my boyfriend for sufficient scaremongering from machining workshops), however I placed on the drip this one time.
The gloves match comfortably, however I frequently discovered them at odds with one of many instruments included—an Allen key with a Phillips head on the opposite finish. Whereas most such instruments, together with the opposite smaller Allen key supplied, comply with a typical L-shape with one shorter finish to suit into fighter areas, this one had equal sides.
This led to 2 issues: it made sure parts extra cumbersome to place collectively, and the Phillips head consistently snagged on the gloves when utilizing the Allen. Minor? Sure. Extremely irritating over an hour? Completely.
A extra generalized gripe I’ve with workplace chairs as a species is the becoming of the castoring wheels. Name it a talent problem all you need, however not a single one I’ve owned within the final decade and alter has had the wheels slot in comfortably the primary time.
The Sihoo M56C follows that pattern, with some wheels requiring percurssive upkeep to fit in, and one notably rebellious wheel refusing to fit in till I modified it to a different place. Go determine.
Apart from that, the remainder of the meeting course of was fairly simple—put the factor on the factor, use the Allen or the Phillips to safe it, and off you go. A single screw within the connecting level between the lumbar assist and the backrest gave me some hassle, however nothing too exceptional.
After about an hour, the Sihoo M56C was prepared for testing, so I began this difficult journey by sitting on it and getting again to work.
What It Can and Can’t Do
It takes one good have a look at the Sihoo M56C to appreciate it is a correct workplace chair. None of that fashionable gaming stuff; that is reserved for our cool writers. This chair is the reasonably boring editor’s finest good friend.
The whole bottom of the M56C is made from a breathable elastic mesh. This was instantly put by way of a brutal stress take a look at, as temperatures right here hit a disgustingly humid 37ºC (98.6ºF) on the very first day of utilization.
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Regardless of the solar’s finest efforts to place me out of my distress, the chair held out properly, permitting me to get by way of the work day with out feeling notably muggy.
Quite than having a single backrest, the M56C makes use of three smaller bits: a lumbar assist, an higher backrest, and a headrest.
The decrease a part of this totem sits on a versatile horseshoe-shaped mount that makes it mechanically modify to your again. That is simply my favourite factor about it, because it’s made longer days trivial slightly than endurance assessments. Excellent when it’s good to cowl the State of Play, Summer time Sport Fest, and the Xbox Video games Showcase in the identical week, for instance.
The central backrest is, properly, a backrest. It will get the job executed with out a lot fuss, and is pleasantly broad so you do not really feel the structural bits digging into your again if you happen to lean to both facet.
I used to be pleasantly stunned by the headrest, which will be adjusted in each size and tilt. The elastic mesh is comfy in opposition to pores and skin, which is a biggie when you could have as a lot hair in your head as Impolite from Remaining Fantasy VII.
The headrest tilt angle and top are simple to regulate however require deliberate power, so I by no means needed to fear about by accident sending it.
So far as the cushion goes, it is good, however nothing revolutionary. I didn’t really feel any discomfort throughout lengthy gaming or writing periods, in order that’s a plus. It is also moderately broad, that means I may cross my legs in quite a lot of totally different, terrible postures with out being punished for my hubris.
The peak adjustment is respectable, if a bit jumpy for my liking, however that is offset by the good reclining setup. When unlocked, the backrest wants a deliberate quantity of power to recline. I go away it like that more often than not since it is easy to alter it primarily based on my whims.
When the reclining mechanism locks, you could have a bit little bit of play, which is sweet, however generally makes me want for a full lock. However, you possibly can lock the Sihoo on the totally reclined place, which is concerning the good place for kicking your ft on the desk, or locking in for working a HOTAS setup.
On that be aware, whereas that is marketed as an workplace chair, I discovered the armrests on the Sihoo M56C are good for simulators. I not have my Thrustmaster wheel, so I did not get to check that, however it was a deal with to make use of with my Virpil WarBRD base and flight stick combo and Thrustmaster TWCS throttle.
The highest of the armrests are made of soppy rubber, so they do not give that tough plastic-on-one ache after just a few hours. Their top is adjustable individually for either side, which was one thing I sorely missed when taking part in flight sims.
The WarBRD stick is almost flawless so far as precision goes, however it sits slightly tall in comparison with most sticks. With my earlier setup, this meant selecting between a clumsy grip angle or lifting the entire chair to save lots of my wrist on the expense of awkward rudder pedal actuation. The M56C armrests permit me to get a pleasant place relative to the stick, throttle, and monitor.
Remaining Ideas
After per week of showing my deepest, darkest posture secrets and techniques to the Sihoo M56C ergonomic workplace chair, we have turn into shut buddies.
The entire ‘workplace chair’ factor is a entrance to inform your boss or vital different that this buy is totally to not fulfill your deepest, darkest gaming needs. No, babe, you do not perceive, the armrests are necessary for my posture at work and don’t have anything to do with my Microsoft Flight Simulator bush flying!
I examined the Sihoo M56C for a full intensive week, which is hardly sufficient to talk on sturdiness points, however the first impressions on construct high quality have been constructive. One factor I am a bit bummed about is that you simply can not detach the mesh from the again part to wash, one thing I beloved concerning the IKEA Flintan, and which is able to inevitably turn into a ache within the rear in the long term.
The Sihoo M56C packs in high-end consolation in a reasonably inexpensive bundle, at the least for the standard you get out of it. Is it value it? Effectively, geography and timing play a significant function right here.
In case you are in the USA or are capable of safe it throughout a reduced interval in different storefronts, then completely. You will be hard-pressed to discover a chair this good within the $200-$250 vary.
On the identical time, European clients who do not have such luck will discover it exhausting to justify dropping upwards of $400 for the M56C, just because for that cash, you possibly can really discover respectable alternate options in any native retailer.
The Sihoo M56C ergonomic workplace chair strikes an important stability between pricing and options, supplied you even have entry to the perfect costs on provide. The cushion is comfy, the lumbar assist is a game-changer, and the adjustable armrests and reclining lock make it a implausible various to devoted, overpriced racing and flight seats. There are some sensible considerations, like the load making it a ache within the rear if you happen to’re planning to maneuver or carry it wherever, and the meeting doesn’t lend itself to simple cleansing. That stated, these are issues outdoors the scope of day by day use, and I will not be dropping an excessive amount of sleep over it. The M56C has allowed my trusty outdated IKEA Flintant to retire, and I would advocate it for anybody in search of an inexpensive chair for lengthy days on the desk.
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