Office chairs

Is an Office Chair's Sale Price a Real Discount?

Published · By Ergocrew · Specs and guidance as of that date, from the pages under Sources

Summary

A crossed-out price does not, by itself, establish a real saving. For a seller's former-price comparison, the FTC looks at whether the higher price was genuinely offered on a regular basis for a substantial period; actual sales are not always required. Compare the amount you would pay for the exact chair option, then check return eligibility and shipping costs. The dated examples below show why a larger advertised percentage need not mean a lower purchase price.

What makes a sale price a real reduction

The FTC's Guides Against Deceptive Pricing, at 16 CFR Part 233, address comparisons with a seller's former price. Section 233.1 calls for an "actual, bona fide price" offered regularly over a reasonably substantial period. It also explains that a former price is not necessarily fictitious just because no sales occurred at that price.

For a crossed-out former price, ask about the offer behind the number. Was the chair really offered at that price? Was it offered regularly, not just briefly? Was that period substantial? Ask the store to substantiate the former price over that period; a single dated pair of prices does not establish the history.

What the two stores showed on one date

The examples below are selling prices and higher listed prices at Sihoo's and ProtoArc's US stores, checked 2026-10-13. They show the arithmetic of the advertised reductions, without establishing that any higher figure was a genuine former selling price.

A dated price comparison cannot establish how long either figure was offered. To judge a claim about a former price, ask the seller what that higher figure represents and when it applied.

Chair (store)Selling price, checked 2026-10-13Listed price, same dateMarked reduction
Sihoo M18 (Sihoo's US store)from $169.99$289.99$120 (41%)
Sihoo M57 (Sihoo's US store)from $239.99$319.99$80 (25%)
Sihoo M59AS (Sihoo's US store)from $239.99$449.99$210 (47%)
Sihoo B300 Pro (Sihoo's US store)from $259.99$329.99$70 (21%)
Sihoo C300 (Sihoo's US store)from $279.99$559.99$280 (50%)
Sihoo C300 Pro (Sihoo's US store)from $359.99$789.99$430 (54%)
Sihoo Doro C300 Pro V2 (Sihoo's US store)from $429.99$499.99$70 (14%)
Sihoo Doro S300 (Sihoo's US store)from $599.99$999.99$400 (40%)
ProtoArc Flexer (ProtoArc's US store)$159.99$299.99$140 (47%)
Chair (store), continuedSelling price, checked 2026-10-13Listed price, same dateMarked reduction
ProtoArc EC200 Pro (ProtoArc's US store)$249.99$289.99$40 (14%)

"From" means the lowest of several color or version options. Options carried their own listed prices. For a like-for-like example, the C300 Pro's White Footrest Version was $409.99, listed against $839.99; its White Standard Version was $369.99. At Sihoo's US store, checked 2026-10-13, adding the footrest in white cost $409.99 - $369.99 = $40.

Why the listed price is a weak guide

The same selling price can sit beside different listed prices. On the M18 listing, the Black option was $169.99 against $289.99 and the Blue option was $169.99 against $299.99. You pay the same either way; only the advertised saving changes.

The percentage also does not track what you spend. The C300 was listed at $279.99 against $559.99, a 50% marked reduction, while the B300 Pro was listed at $259.99 against $329.99, a 21% marked reduction. The chair with the larger percentage cost $279.99 - $259.99 = $20 more. The ProtoArc EC200 Pro showed 14% off and the Sihoo M57 showed 25% off, yet the EC200 Pro was only $249.99 - $239.99 = $10 more expensive.

What to compare instead: price, returns, shipping

A close price comparison can change once you account for delivery and returns. Read the policy that applies to the exact model and purchase channel:

If a small price gap is your deciding factor, compare Sihoo's B300 Pro at $259.99 with ProtoArc's EC200 Pro at $249.99 at their respective US stores, checked 2026-10-13. The $259.99 - $249.99 = $10 difference could be outweighed by return shipping. Before choosing either, ask the maker to confirm the selected option's delivery cost and whether your intended fit check would preserve return eligibility.

A quick check before you buy

Our guide to choosing an office chair covers the fit and adjustment questions that come before price.

Browsing for one? Browse chairs in the feed →

Related guides

Sources

  1. eCFR, 16 CFR Part 233, Guides Against Deceptive Pricing
  2. Sihoo US store (site price feed, 2026-10-13)
  3. Sihoo, M18 Ergonomic Office Chair
  4. Sihoo, M57 Ergonomic Office Chair
  5. Sihoo, M59AS Ergonomic Office Chair
  6. Sihoo, B300 Pro Ergonomic Office Chair
  7. Sihoo, Doro C300 Ergonomic Office Chair
  8. Sihoo, Doro C300 Pro Ergonomic Chair
  9. Sihoo, Doro C300 Pro V2
  10. Sihoo, Doro S300 Ergonomic Chair
  11. ProtoArc, Flexer Ergonomic Chair
  12. ProtoArc, EC200 Pro Ergonomic Office Chair
  13. Sihoo, Returns Policy
  14. Sihoo, Warranty Policy
  15. ProtoArc, Getting Started (returns)
  16. ProtoArc, Warranty Policy

We have not tested these products. Specs and guidance are as published on these pages on the date above and can change; the manufacturer's page for your model has the current details.

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