Branch Softside Chair review

Branch is an ergonomic furniture company that has "branched out" to include accessories in addition to its already popular office chairs and standing desks. We have reviewed a handful of Branch chairs and desks. These products are fantastic and have all received high praise from our team, and rightfully so. Branch has phenomenal gear, excellent build quality, and a great company mission. The Softside Chair is just another step in that mission. While almost all the the best office chairs are ergonomic or gaming chairs, Branch created a chair with a primary aesthetic feel, fitting the space while being comfortable and shockingly good for long days.

Branch Softside: Unboxing & first impressions

Right out of the gate, this box was pretty heavy. I wanted to see the fabric material and the leather, so I snagged one of each, and both boxes were shockingly weighty given how small the chair is overall. The deconstructed chair elements were well packaged and preserved, without any creases or indents from a misplaced flap or an accessory box. Everything looked great when it came out of the box.

Assembly as a whole was simple in concept, though since the arm resets are added where there is padding already, those were a bit difficult. I ended up having to put a bit of pressure leaning into the chair with the armrests and then lining up the screws. Once I got each screw started, I was able to use the tools to tighten them down to finish assembly.

The Branch Softside Chair looks great, is comfortable, and uses fantastic materials. The cushion is nice and supportive while still surprisingly comfortable, and the adjustments for height and tilt are smooth and logical.

I've tested far more than my fair share of office chairs. I have many lightweight, black, minimal, maximal, bulky, and high-quality chairs. I just now had a simple, clean leather chair that looks great, even if it's in a shared space and not my office 24/7.

Branch Softside: Design & build quality

As I briefly mentioned, I grabbed a vegan leather (canyon color) and a fabric (overcast) chair. Both material choices are fantastic and look great in their way. I love that the darker fabric goes with the darker, moodier spaces, like my office, or it can also blend away in most spaces as "just another chair." 

However, if you want a multipurpose, comfortable chair in a bright color, there are also options, such as the sunflower yellow color or the light bone color. These are sure to make a statement. The leather and vegan leather pieces look refined and luxurious. I love how my Canyon vegan leather Softside looks, so much so that when people come over, I am happy to grab this chair and have it be another seating place in my living room for those who don't want to sink into my couch. Regardless, the leather material has a premium feeling and is comfortable, cool, reasonably durable, and high-quality.

These chairs are comfortable for all-day use and great for the office or your home office, especially if you are looking for something to fit your workspace rather than an ergonomic chair aesthetically. The Branch Softside chair is a fantastic middle ground of function and flair.

Branch Softside: In use

I've comfortably sat in the Softside for an entire day of work. Yes, it is not the most ergonomically correct chair, but it's still comfortable for most. The integrated lumbar support promotes proper seating position without forcing it. The height and tilt adjustments are excellent and not overly complicated, helping me easily adjust when needed. So far, I have used this chair almost entirely with the armrests on as it looks better, but knowing that if my future workspace needs an armless chair for whatever reason, I can easily remove these and still have a fantastic chair is excellent.

This chair has been fantastic to use and have around as I do not feel I need to hide it or rationalize it for when it is visible to guests. I can enjoy this chair in my workspace and living space and utilize it for many different use cases.

Branch Softside: Final verdict

This differs from your chair if you need something to help with back pain. However, for most, if you are looking for a comfortable chair that looks fantastic, the Branch Softside Chair is for you. It stands out for its combination of comfort, design, and functionality. 

Kitting out your workspace? We reviewed the best standing desks. best standing desk converters and best standing desk mats.