In today’s fast-paced life and work environment, people are paying more and more attention to health and comfort. As a seat that can effectively reduce fatigue from sitting for a long time and protect human health, ergonomic chairs are witnessing an increasing market demand. In recent years, China’s ergonomic chair industry has made remarkable progress in terms of technological innovation, market scale, and brand building. However, it also faces some challenges.

I. Continuous breakthroughs in technological innovation

1. Innovation in chassis technology:
   • The chassis is a key component of an ergonomic chair, integrating functions such as the adjustment hub of the entire chair and the control of the reclining angle. Its performance directly affects the comfort of the seat. In the past, China was once at a disadvantage in chassis technology for a long time. High-end seat chassis technologies and materials were monopolized by foreign brands. However, domestic enterprises have continuously increased research and development investment and, through unremitting efforts, have made major breakthroughs. For example, Sihoo has successfully launched the sixth-generation space chassis, which uses aviation glass fiber shrapnel materials and has excellent performance such as balanced elasticity, large elastic stroke, and durability and corrosion resistance. It has broken through the small reclining angle technical barrier that traditional glass fiber chassis has stagnated for nearly 30 years and unlocked the 145° golden large reclining angle, realizing the coordinated movement of the seat back and allowing users to achieve arbitrary angle hovering without feeling tired or painful after sitting for a long time.
2. Upgrading of lumbar support technology:
   • Effective lumbar support is one of the core functions of an ergonomic chair and is crucial for the waist health of people who sit for a long time. Domestic brands are constantly exploring and innovating in lumbar support technology. For example, after years of research and development, Hbada has gradually upgraded the lumbar support system of ergonomic products from the integrated lumbar support 1.0 era to the intelligent adaptive lumbar chasing 6.0 era, providing a more perfect and intelligent solution for lumbar problems. Yongyi has pioneered the category of ergonomic office chairs with lumbar support in the industry, focusing on “long-term sitting professionals”. Combining the physiological structure and sitting habits of Chinese people, it is committed to solving users’ lumbar support experience in dynamic sitting postures.
3. Application of intelligent technology:
   • With the continuous progress of technology, the application of intelligent technology in ergonomic chairs is becoming more and more extensive. Some leading domestic brands have already launched intelligent ergonomic chairs, which have the functions of automatically sensing the user’s body shape, sitting posture and physical condition and can automatically adjust. For example, Sihoo’s T6 intelligent ergonomic chair is equipped with innovative modules such as a massage and decompression system, an immersive acoustic system, a health management system, and an intelligent ergonomics system. Through multiple control methods such as voice, mobile phone APP, and touch screen, it brings users a personalized health and comfort experience. In the future, intelligent technology will be further deeply integrated with ergonomic chairs to provide users with more accurate and convenient services.

II. Continued expansion of market scale

1. Demand growth drives market development:
   • As people’s attention to health continues to increase, and more and more people sit in the office or at home for long periods of time to study and work, the demand for ergonomic chairs shows a rapid growth trend. Whether it is in enterprise office spaces, schools, libraries and other public areas, or in private spaces such as home study rooms and e-sports rooms, ergonomic chairs have received extensive attention and favor. According to relevant market research data, in 2022, the market size of ergonomic office chairs in China reached 17.619 billion yuan, and it will still maintain a high growth rate in the next few years.
2. E-commerce platforms help sales growth:
   • The rapid development of e-commerce platforms provides a broad channel for the sales of ergonomic chairs. Major brands have actively laid out online sales. Through the promotion and marketing activities of e-commerce platforms, they have increased brand awareness and product sales. For example, during this year’s Double Eleven period, Yongyi, a representative brand in the ergonomic chair track, achieved significant sales growth on e-commerce platforms such as Douyin, Tmall, and JD.com, achieving the first growth in sales volume and industry growth rate on the three major e-commerce platforms of Douyin, Tmall, and JD.com. Hbada also achieved breakthrough growth in all domestic online channels, with a cumulative global sales volume of more than 10 million.

III. Gradual strengthening of brand building

1. Rise of domestic brands:
   • In the past, the domestic ergonomic chair market was mainly occupied by foreign brands. However, in recent years, domestic brands have been rising continuously. They have gradually narrowed the gap with foreign brands in terms of technology, quality, and design, and even surpassed them in some aspects. For example, brands such as Sihoo, Hbada, and Yongyi have won the recognition and trust of consumers with their innovative technologies, high-quality products, and good services, and have occupied an important position in the market.
2. Increasing brand influence:
   • Domestic ergonomic chair brands actively participate in exhibitions and activities at home and abroad, strengthen brand promotion and publicity, and increase brand influence. At the same time, some brands also cooperate with well-known designers, scientific research institutions, etc., continuously improve the design level and technical content of products, and establish a good brand image. For example, Hbada is continuously accelerating its international market layout and has carried out brand cooperation and sales in more than 30 countries and regions around the world, successfully establishing a foothold in the medium and high-end market and promoting the expansion of Chinese office chair brands globally.

IV. Challenges faced

1. Product homogeneity problem:
   • Although the domestic ergonomic chair industry has achieved certain results in technological innovation, there is still a phenomenon of product homogeneity. Some enterprises lack independent innovation ability and simply imitate and copy products of other brands, resulting in similar products on the market and lack of differentiated competitive advantages. This not only affects consumers’ purchasing experience but also is not conducive to the healthy development of the industry.
2. Uneven quality:
   • With the growth of market demand, some enterprises, in pursuit of short-term interests, ignore the control of product quality. Problems such as using inferior materials and simplifying production processes occur from time to time, resulting in uneven product quality. This not only affects consumers’ trust in ergonomic chairs but also has a negative impact on the development of the industry.
3. Imperfect standard system:
   • At present, China’s standard system for ergonomic chairs is still not perfect, lacking unified industry standards and specifications. This makes enterprises lack a basis in the production and sales process, and it is difficult to ensure product quality. At the same time, it also brings difficulties to consumers’ choices and is not conducive to the healthy development of the market.

V. Future development trends

1. Intelligence and personalization will become the mainstream:
   • With the continuous progress of technology and the continuous upgrading of consumer demand, intelligence and personalization will become the mainstream trends in the future development of ergonomic chairs. Future ergonomic chairs will have more intelligent adjustment functions and can automatically adjust the parameters of the seat according to the user’s body shape, sitting posture, physical condition, etc., providing users with more personalized services. At the same time, intelligent technology will also be combined with health management to provide users with more comprehensive health solutions.
2. Green and environmental protection will receive more attention:
   • Under the background of increasing environmental awareness, green and environmental protection will become an important direction for the future development of ergonomic chairs. Enterprises will pay more attention to the selection of materials and the optimization of production processes, adopt environmentally friendly and recyclable materials, and reduce environmental pollution. At the same time, product design will also pay more attention to energy saving and emission reduction to reduce product energy consumption and carbon emissions.
3. Industry integration will accelerate:
   • With the increasingly fierce market competition, industry integration will accelerate. Some enterprises with weak strength will gradually be eliminated, while enterprises with strong strength will expand their scale and increase market share through mergers and acquisitions, cooperation, and other means. This will help improve the concentration of the industry, promote the optimal allocation of resources, and promote the healthy development of the industry.

In conclusion, China’s ergonomic chair industry has made remarkable progress in technological innovation, market scale, and brand building. However, it also faces some challenges. In the future, with the continuous progress of technology and the continuous upgrading of consumer demand, the ergonomic chair industry will usher in a broader space for development. Enterprises need to continuously strengthen technological innovation, improve product quality, and improve brand building to meet the growing needs of consumers.