- Branch Verve Chair, High Performance Executive Office Chair

I did so much research before buying this chair and I hope it helps whoever is considering it. I’ve also been using this chair for 5 months now. The reason for all of my research? I wasn’t quite sure I could justify $600 for a chair, especially when other high quality ones existed from reputable companies for around the same price or less or would give me more gizmos for my money. But if you’ve landed on the Verve, chances are you’re someone who values aesthetics as much as function, if not more. I think most ergonomic chairs are UGLY and bulky, which is why I kept coming back to this one. Basically…I discovered that the manufacturer isn’t Branch for this chair. It’s a company called Goodtone, and Branch essentially acts as a retailer yet markets the chair as their own. Unfortunately, you can’t just buy it straight from the manufacturer cause they’re based in China and only sell wholesale. This is when I started to question the price. Essentially, you’re paying a premium for shipping and handling. But that’s just how it is and if you’re okay with that, then go for it! Clearly shows you how much I like the design that I was still willing to buy. As far as function, I definitely would recommend this chair for those who value simplicity. I don’t understand the negative reviews online—I think they’re coming from people who were expecting all the customizability of a Herman Miller. If that’s you, then this won’t be for you. There are five things you can customize with this chair, and that’s more than enough for me. It’s comfortable, there hasn’t been any pilling so far, and the seat is wide. Personally, I don’t like mesh seats, so I love the cushion of the Verve. However, I do agree with most people that the arm rests aren’t great. They’re awkwardly positioned and the mechanism to raise them up and down is finicky. Although I hardly ever adjust their height so it doesn’t bother me. It’s nice to have the option though because I’ll sometimes play my guitar while seated. As for the lumbar support, I honestly forget it’s there. TLDR - (1) if you really love the design, (2) are okay with the price, and (3) don’t require extensive customizability, then it’s worth it. I shelled out $540 for this and I don’t have regrets.

This was a gift for my son. I had never bought a chair online before and was nervous about the comfort and quality. He told me that after adjusting the chair to fit his body, it's been perfect: comfortable, attractive and has relieved tha pain in his back. (He had been using an old office chair of mine for years and it gave him no back support). He loves the chair so I'm happy.

Initial impression: 4 to 4.5* Assembly: very simple. ~30-45min start to finish. Unboxing it was clear the quality of the product just in the shipping materials alone. Base is made of a cast iron with textured coating. Feels very nice to the touch. Assembly instructions included although it was hidden in the interior boxes with the handles. I had initially started assembling using the QR code and looking at instructions on my phone until I found the full size instructions. 4 simple steps and all tools included. A few tips for assembly: 1) the casters don’t “pop” much when you push them in all the way. As long as you’ve pushed it as far as it can go (there will be a little space left). 2) the instructions say you can assemble the back and seat together on your lap but I don’t know anyone’s lap who is tall enough for this step. It also says or use the box the product comes in and that’s what worked best for me. I attached a photo for reference. 3) assembly is possible on your own. I am a 5’1” woman and did it myself. The hardest part was lining up the assembled back and seat on the base without help but it wasn’t impossible. Warranty: very simple to register product but I found it odd the postcard with the registration info said it had to be done within 7 days of product receipt. Product Recline: the tension on recline is nice. I don’t like the spots for holding the recline in place so I just increased the tension on recline and it rests in a perfect position when I want to recline. Lumbar support: nothing fancy here, just a bar you can slide up and down but it seems to rest in the right spot. I am 5’1” 145lbs with short legs and a standard torso. Arm rests: the reviews on the arm rests almost had me not purchase this chair. They were not as narrow as I thought they would be after reading the complaints. They measure about 3” across while my old chair is 3.5” across. My biggest concern was they cannot be pushed up and back out of the way like my others. They do raise up higher but if you go to the very top, that is the trigger release so they fall back to the lowest position. It can be a bit cumbersome to get them at the highest height without hitting the release. They are not very cushy so if you lean on the armrests a lot like I do you might find your elbows get a bit sore. I’ve been playing around with positioning and ultimately I think I’ve landed on putting them at the lowest position so they don’t hit my keyboard holder. At the lowest height I really have to lean to use them so hopefully I will rely on them less and my elbows won’t fatigue. Height: as a shorty with short legs I try to find chairs that can go as low as possible. My feet just barely rest on the ground at the lowest setting. I’m hoping this will improve as the seat breaks in a little. Ergonomics: there is an ergonomics 101 postcard in the packaging. Using it as a guide I was able to update my desk setup and my shoulders rest nicely on the back of the chair. I am hopeful this setup will help alleviate some of the pain I was experiencing with my last chair. Materials: the quality of the materials is impressive. I wish the fabric hadn’t been treated with fire retardant but I’m sure that is hard to find these days. Seat: the seat is very cushy. As indicated above, I hope it breaks in just a bit so my feet more firmly rest on the floor but I think the seat will be very supportive. Overall value: I do think this chair is worth its price. My last one was probably in the $200 range and it has no seat cushion left. I bought the Branch chair when it was on sale during Amazon prime days so if you can wait, you may be able to snag a good sale but I still think it’s worth it at full price. I will update this review after a few months of use.

Overall, a very comfortable chair, made of good materials, well-built, smooth functioning, and good aesthetics. Especially liked the mid back support with tension without exaggerated protrusion of the lumbar support area. The only issue I have is that the seat itself can not be tilted. Only the back is. Plus, the rear end of the seat feels firmer, which in turn makes me feel like I'm slightly sliding forward if I'm not consciously leaning/pushing backward. I'd take a half star off if I could because of that.

The Branch Verve chair is very attractive for an ergonomic desk chair, but it's not for everybody, and ordering/returning through Amazon is not an easy experience, so I highly recommend sitting in one before just ordering it blind, or if you're really not sure, then order direct from Branch instead. Two things to look out for: 1) The seat height is advertised as being the same maximum height as the Herman Miller Aeron, but this chair has a soft seat and is angled differently, so the effective maximum height is a couple of inches SHORTER than the Aeron. For me, that made all the difference in the world. I could not get the seat high enough. 2) The arm adjustments are ratchet-based and can't be locked into your chosen position. You can't make subtle adjustments up or down. You have to lower it and raise it all the way to find the right spot. Then if you knock it even accidentally you have to start all over again finding the right spot. Not ideal. In terms of the "free returns", just consider that this chair is heavy and packed into its shipping box like a jigsaw puzzle, and it isn't easy to assemble (I needed a mallet to get the casters in place). Amazon makes you break the whole chair down and get it back into the box, which is near-impossible, especially if you're trying not to damage the chair. By contrast, if you buy direct from Branch, they just say to leave out any parts that don't fit in the box. Much better to make sure you love the chair before ordering it.

I'm 5'7" and 135 pounds and I feel like this chair fits me perfectly. I don't think it would be as good if I was much bigger. Feels like it was made for me. I LOVE how everything is adjustable. Only been a few days and I'm already feeling like my posture is better and can sit longer more comforably.

I had two major complaints one with Branch in general and one with the chair: The chair: I’m 6’2” 220 lbs and it’s just not comfortable. It’s as comfortable as a generic office max 100$ chair. Definitely not worth the price. The arm rests are so dumb. They’re elbow rests at best My wife is 5’ 2” 100 lbs and she described it as the same so it isn’t just because of my size. Just overall an average quality chair. I would not pay more than 150$ for it. Branch in general: I bought this chair directly from branch rather than Amazon because I wanted them to get a higher percentage of the profits. Two days later this was on a flash sale for $100 less than I bought it for. I reached out to support and asked to get the difference back or just a credit so I could buy a storage unit or something but they denied all of that and just pointed to their policy of 35$ returns. I returned the chair and bought a refurbished steel case from a retailer for less than this chair and haven’t looked back. You should cut out the middle man , save $35 of return fee man and just get something else.

I expected that I would like this chair but I was surprised how much I loved it. It is a very comfortable chair, even for my 6' 2" frame. I love the adjustability of the chair. Assembly was simple and took me almost no time. This is a solid, well-built chair. If I had any complaint it would be that I wish it would rise a little higher, but this isn't a problem.