Review: Anthros Chair V2

It's rare for me to keep sitting on a chair I’m reviewing well after I’ve given it enough testing time. Usually, I want to hop back on my Herman Miller Embody, which feels just right for my body. But the Anthros V2 has been a pleasant surprise. It's been on my radar for several months, thanks to endless Instagram marketing reels, but honestly, those just made me even more skeptical.

Anthros is a newcomer to the scene, launching the first version of the chair in 2023. It makes grand claims about improving your posture and offering better support than office stalwarts like Herman Miller. It doesn't help that the V2 chair costs north of $2,000, though it seems to be on sale often enough for around $1,900.

But after nearly two months of sitting, the claims hold up—I find it more supportive than almost all the chairs I've tested, and my posture has been great. The Embody still holds a place in my heart, but the Anthros V2 might be the best chair for anyone looking to sharpen up their posture, especially if you've been dealing with back pain.

Pelvic Support

Photograph: Julian Chokkattu

The Anthros chair focuses on supporting the pelvis, not the lumbar, similar to Herman Miller's Aeron and Embody, except it gives you far more to work with when dialing in the backrest. After setting it up, I had a call with an Anthros ergonomics therapist, something that's included for every customer. The therapist looks at how you're sitting in the chair (via video call) and will make suggestions until you feel comfortable in the seat. I wish every luxe chair offered such a service.

The rear knobs on the left and right of the chair control the two-part backrest system. The right knob moves the lumbar backrest forward and back, and the left knob handles the top. I haven't sat on a chair that lets you adjust the backrest to this degree, and I find it helps tailor the chair precisely to your body shape. It's the top backrest that took me a little time to get used to.

On my first day in the chair, I felt a little sore because it almost felt like the chair was pushing in. In reality, there wasn't any pressure, and I started feeling my back gently resting on the backrest. It was my posture correcting itself; it felt straight as a whistle. I also appreciate the compact design, which proves that you don't need your whole back to be held up by a backrest to feel supported, much like how you don't need a headrest on an office chair if it's designed well.

I spent a lot of time reclining in this chair, and my posture didn't change. You can lock the recline with the front left knob, but I kept it unlocked on the tightest tension (via the front right knob), allowing me to gently slope back. I never felt uncomfortable. That might also be due to the plush Cloudfloat seat, which is thicker than what you'll find on most high-end office chairs.

My only gripe with this seat is that I found the depth lacking for my 6'4" frame. It leaves about six fingers' worth of a gap between the edge and the back of my knee, when it should ideally be two to three. It's not a deal-breaker, but I'd have liked to feel that coverage extend closer to my knee. The seat is the perfect width for me, though taller and bigger folks may find it constricting.

Got Your Back

Photograph: Julian Chokkattu

There's a good degree of customization when purchasing the chair. You can choose between a white or black frame, add fun back panels like wood or specific designs, and opt for fabric or leather upholstery. I've been sitting on the smooth Athlon Performance fabric, which hasn't shown any signs of pilling even after nearly two months of daily use.

The problem is that the foam backrests, in particular, don't manage body heat all that well. My room is approximately 75 degrees, and my upper back is quite sweaty. If you don't crank the AC in your home office, you might find this a problem—no one wants to be constantly sweaty while working. I don't think the leather would fare any better.

The seat arms can move up and down, forward and back, and be angled inward or outward. Thankfully, they don't change position when you shift in your seat. They're not immune to that, but the arms do a good job of staying fixed. (You can also opt for no arms.) I tested the V2 with the Swivel 5 Spoke base—five legs instead of four—and I think that's what most people should go with because the 4 Spoke doesn't swivel separately from the chair; the entire chair swivels as one, which sounds annoying.

Photograph: Julian Chokkattu

Perhaps unusually, Anthros includes a footrest by default as you configure your chair, and the company says it's recommended for people under 5'8" using the five-leg base, or people under 5'9" with the four-leg base. I don't fit those parameters, so I didn't need it, but I still tried it and don't love the plasticky build. I suggest skipping Anthros' footrest and grabbing my favorite, the Secretlab Premium Footrest, which is plush yet effective.

If you've been dealing with back pain or struggle with good posture, I think it's worth giving the Anthros V2 a shot, especially if you've already tried competitors like the Herman Miller Embody. My back is more upright in this chair than in many others, my body feels well supported, and it's just plain comfy. I just wish I weren't so sweaty. The company has a 60-day money-back guarantee, so you can at least get a good feel for it if you're on the fence, and like its peers, it has a 12-year warranty.