We’ve had plenty of fun testing fancy, high-end office chairs over the years, but the brands that truly impress us are the ones that can produce something pretty close to the same quality for a fraction of the cost. Enter Vari and Branch Furniture, two relatively young brands whose products we’ve covered every time there’s a new release. Unlike premium brands like Herman Miller and Steelcase, they’ve managed to build entire lineups of chairs that largely cost less than $500. And despite that price ceiling, both Branch and Vari have made some of the best office chairs we’ve sat on.
Now, because these two brands have similar products and price ranges, it can be a bit difficult to determine which one is going to serve your needs best. Without a doubt, we’d be willing to recommend either of them on their own, but if you’re stuck between the two, here’s a closer look at Vari and Branch.
We’ve tested a slew of these brands’ best chairs, including the bestselling Vari Task Chair and Branch Ergonomic Chair. We’ll use our experience and detailed knowledge of each brand’s full lineups, to discern the fine details of where each company excels and manages to outshine the other.
Vari vs Branch: Design and materials
Branch’s and Vari’s chairs can be tough to distinguish from one another at a glance, but you’ll likely notice that the former tends to have slightly slimmer, more rounded backrests. If you’re tall and you have wide shoulders, this may not be as comfortable or supportive, but it does eliminate awkward, sharp corners that could dig into your shoulders.
Branch’s chairs also tend to offer more color options and add-ons. This means the price isn’t as certain with these models as they are with Vari’s, but it helps you add a bit more of a personal touch to your workspace, which can be a relief if you’re tired of the same old black and gray.
In terms of build quality, the two brands are relatively evenly matched, but Vari does have a few more options with polyethylene bases than Branch, which lends to Vari’s slightly lower prices. It may not always be as robust a material as aluminum, but it will still last you years without any issues.
Vari vs Branch: Products and price ranges
At the low end of the price range for both brands, we find Vari’s humble Essential Task Chair. As the name suggests, this relatively barebones chair gives you little more than the essentials in terms of adjustment and comfort, but it also costs only $235. It has a polyethylene base, whereas Branch’s cheapest option has a metal one, but it makes up for this step down in build quality with adjustable lumbar support.
On the other hand, Branch’s cheapest chair, the Daily Chair, is just $20 more than the Essential Task Chair and boasts a similar number of adjustment points. This chair comes with more color options, as well as the option to upgrade to a vegan leather seat, and it has a metal base. Unfortunately, the adjustments are all relatively basic — no lumbar support height adjustment here.
Solely in terms of ergonomic office chairs (i.e. not including pricier conference room chairs), Branch has the most expensive option of all with the $550 Verve, which we consider the best office chair overall and for most people based on our testing. It has a 3D-knit backrest lining that’s super breathable like mesh, but it’s noticeably softer. It doesn’t have too many out-of-the-ordinary features, and there are only six points of adjustment, but it’s unbelievably comfortable and sturdily built, and its design will definitely turn heads.
Vari’s most expensive option, the brand-new ComfortFlex, is a bit of a different story. It’s a much more minimalist design than the Verve: it has a three-piece mesh backrest that includes a headrest, and all three parts can move around independently. In total, there are nine points of adjustment to work with, but this chair definitely isn’t one you can sink into the same way you can with the Verve. For just $20 less, you can try the Performance Task Chair as an alternative, which has fewer adjustment points but a much comfier cushion.
Vari vs Branch: Assembly
Since you’re working with two budget brands here, you can expect to put a little more work into the assembly process than with higher-end brands, but it’s luckily not too bad with either Branch or Vari. Both brands’ chairs take about 10 minutes to assemble, though we’ve found in our testing that Branch chairs have just a few more steps, including attaching the casters to the base.
Otherwise, the only assembly you’ll have to navigate with either brand is the joining of the backrest and armrests to the seat, then the base and air cylinder to the underside. In the case of the Vari Task Chair, this only required us to screw in four bolts with an included tool. It took us more time to remove all the packaging than it did to actually put the thing together.
Vari vs Branch: Warranty
In terms of longevity, Branch has Vari beat in the warranty game. While you can expect warranty coverage for three to five years from the latter, the majority of the former’s options extend all the way to seven years. Just be careful with Branch, as you have a limited time (seven days) to activate your warranty if you purchased through a third party, e.g. Amazon.
In terms of coverage, both brands are in roughly the same place. Both cover any and all manufacturer defects in any parts and components for the full length of the warranty term. You just have to be careful not to damage any of the parts on your own, as neither brand will cover, say, sun bleaching or an ink stain.
It’s also worth noting that installing third-party components, such as upgraded casters, will void all of these warranties. If accessorizing your office chair is something you end up wanting to do, but you still want that coverage, be sure to avoid any component replacements and stick to noninvasive add-ons.
Well-matched with their own unique strengths
Overall, Branch and Vari are pretty evenly matched in terms of model variety, build quality and design. But that doesn’t mean they’re equal. Vari is our pick for adjustability and saving a little bit more money, whereas Branch is our choice for more customization. Both are solid options, especially at their price points, and we’d have a hard time saying any of these chairs aren’t worth your money. But even a chair as cheap as $235 can be an investment to some, so it’s worth sending that money in the best direction for your needs.
