Amazon Basics Padded Swivel Review

The Amazon Basics Padded Swivel is a budget option that falls short of a higher tier of performance. While its comfort and adjustability do not compare to the premium options in our fleet, it's a decent choice if you're after an affordable office chair for occasional use.

Performance Comparison

Comfort

After spending some time in this chair, our testers found themselves sinking through the seat cushion onto the wood and metal supports below. Couple that with minimal lumbar support and this is not a chair that you can expect all-day comfort from. For short stints in your home office, or as a budget option to equip a conference room with, you might find value in this chair.

Adjustability

This chair offers little in the way of adjustability. With only a small bump that touches your back — which acts as lumbar support — it is in no way adjustable. While you can lock this chair into an upright position, there are no other means of adjustability, such as an adjustable back tilt. The armrests are fixed in place and quite narrow. They are also attached to the backrest, so when you lean back, the armrests go with it. You can adjust the backrest low enough to somewhat accommodate shorter people, but taller folks will find the height adjustment lacking.

Durability

Our test team experienced durability issues, as did other users. In many cases, there are reported instances of parts breaking, seams splitting open, the chair being unstable, and screws falling out. The seat cushion quickly lost its loft and there are reports of the seat fabric tearing. However, it's hard to beat the price point.

Ease of Assembly

If Amazon got one thing right with this chair, it's the clear and well-written instructions. The instructions include pictures even going as far as to show you which direction to turn the screws as you install them.

Once you move from the instructions to the actual assembly, we experienced issues. While assembly is not inherently difficult, it is time-consuming. Many of the screw holes are misaligned and take some finagling to accommodate the screws. The backrest takes a surprising amount of force to unroll and makes a startling popping sound when you push it into place.

Value

The Padded Swivel is incredibly affordable; however, if you're after an option for all-day comfort, we would recommend you look elsewhere. For shorter periods of time or a few hours here in there in your home office, the chair might just be the ticket.

Conclusion

Priced reasonably, the Amazon Basics Padded Swivel is an intriguing option. When compared to the premium options in our fleet, this chair does not compare, as can be expected. It provides a lower tier of comfort and lacks lumbar support. It features minimal adjustability and a sub-par backrest. However, the price point is acceptable for the level of performance it provides.