Expert Rating

86

The AmazonBasics Multi-Purpose Chair is an adjustable office chair from an Amazon brand, adopting a barstool design in a small, functional package. Since it comes straight from Amazon, it benefits from free shipping and a one-year limited warranty, making it a safe buy; on the rare chance it arrives defective, it can be easily returned and replaced. It’s a strong contender for the best drafting chair on the market thanks to its attractive price and sleek design.

Why We Like It – AmazonBasics Multi-Purpose Chair

The AmazonBasics Multi-Purpose Chair is an affordable, adjustable office drafting spa stool straight from Amazon’s own in-house brand, AmazonBasics. While it lacks several quality of life features, it comes in at half the price of a standard chair or stool, and it’s incredibly well-built for the price point it’s placed at. Its small size means it can be used nearly anywhere, making it a very versatile chair suitable for home use, office use, and more.
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  • Very attractive price
  • Sleek design
  • Portable

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  • Could sit lower
  • No footrest

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Support

The chair’s support is a mixed bag that largely depends on personal preference. As it employs a barstool design, it has no back and it sits high to the ground, meaning there’s no back support and the only foot support is dependent on if your feet touch the ground or not. Thanks to a chrome base, the stool is sturdily built and doesn’t really wobble, but if you need support for your back you’ll probably want to look elsewhere unless you want to buy an optional accessory that gives it a back. Its maximum supported weight is fairly standard, at 250 pounds.

Comfort

Thanks to sturdy build quality and a leather seat cushion, the AmazonBasics Multi-Purpose Chair is a comfortable seat if you can live with the shortcomings mentioned above. The cushion has generous give–not too soft, not too firm–making it well-suited for long periods of sitting, be it for work or recreation. On top of that, it’s reasonably adjustable, and it has high maneuverability thanks to its wheels and its ability to swivel, making it comfortable for anyone that needs to move around a lot and/or can handle a chair without a back.

Adjustability

The AmazonBasics Multi-Purpose Chair is designed to be an adjustable drafting chair, but it’s a bit lacking in the adjustment department. Though it has adjustable seat height, it lacks an adjustable footrest (or even any kind of footrest), meaning shorter people may find it uncomfortable at taller heights. If you’re short or need a footrest for any reason, this might be a poor pick on that merit, but if you’re in the market for a bar stool or an unconventional office chair, it still makes a good pick. The Boss Office Products Ergonomic Works Drafting Chair beats out Amazon’s offering in terms of adjustability thanks to an integrated footrest and an attached back, but it loses soundly in value; even when it’s on discount it costs almost twice as much as the AmazonBasics Multi-Purpose Chair, and it costs nearly three times as much when it’s not.

Breathability

Breathability is a mixed bag on this chair. The lack of a back means that you won’t have to deal with back sweat or anything of that nature, but the stool’s seat is made of leather, a material that doesn’t exactly breathe well. It’s better than a leather office chair in that regard, but it can’t compete with anything made of mesh if breathability is a concern. The Modway Veer Drafting Chair is a superior buy in that regard thanks to a mesh back, but it costs over twice as much.

Value

As is the case with most AmazonBasics items, the AmazonBasics Multi-Purpose Chair is nearly unparalleled in the value it provides. It’s reasonably affordable while still packing great build quality, an attractive design, and a decent amount of function. Perks such as free delivery only sweeten the deal; if you’re in the market for a drafting stool, this should be at the top of your list of choices. It’s strictly inferior to the Flash Furniture Mid-Back Black Mesh Ergonomic Drafting Chair, which has a more form-fitting shape, an attached back, and a footrest, but the AmazonBasics’ compact form factor and low price make it a better value than both that and all of its other major competitors.

AmazonBasics Multi-Purpose Chair Wrap-up

Whether you’re looking to spice up your home office, set up a home bar, or whatever else you’d want a stool for, the AmazonBasics Multi-Purpose Chair is a solid option. Owners of the stool agree; customer reviews, which require a verified purchase, are overwhelmingly positive, nearly unanimously proving that this is one of the very first stools one should consider if they’re in the market for a stool. It’s not the fanciest stool on the block, but at the price it goes for it’s very hard to ask for more from it.