The SIHOO M18 vs Ticova question looks like a coin flip, because both chairs now have a W-shaped foam seat and a lumbar support that moves. The real split is paperwork against adjustment range, and this SIHOO M18 vs Ticova comparison sorts out which one fits you. Still building a shortlist? Start with our best budget ergonomic chair guide.
These two chairs show up side by side on almost every shortlist for a good ergonomic chair at a sensible price, and the obvious way to split them no longer works. Both now have a W-shaped foam seat. Both have a lumbar support that moves. So what is actually different? Mostly it is the paperwork and the armrests, and that is a more useful decision than it sounds.
I haven’t owned either chair, so this isn’t a three-weeks-at-my-desk write-up. It is built from the current Amazon listings, SIHOO’s own pages, one independent hands-on review and the pattern in owner feedback. It follows the same approach as our picks for ergonomic chairs on a budget, where both of these appear.
SIHOO M18 if you want a written warranty and a higher weight rating. Ticova if you want more armrest movement and recline.
The SIHOO is the better-documented chair: a stated 330 lb rating, BIFMA certification and a three-year warranty. The Ticova’s listing gives you more to adjust on the arms and a slightly deeper recline, but no warranty term and no weight rating on the page. If paperwork matters to you, take the SIHOO. If you are lighter and want to dial in the arms, the Ticova is a fair pick.
See the SIHOO M18 on Amazon →SIHOO M18 vs Ticova at a Glance
| SIHOO M18 | Ticova Ergonomic | |
|---|---|---|
| Seat | W-shaped foam cushion, per SIHOO | 3.4 in high-density foam, W-shaped with a waterfall edge, per the listing |
| Seat height | 16.9 to 20.8 in, measured by an independent reviewer (SIHOO doesn’t publish it) | 16.5 to 20.5 in, from a 2022 roundup, so check the listing |
| Lumbar support | Moves up and down and in and out; the reviewer measured 1.9 in of vertical and 1.2 in of depth travel | Height and depth adjustable, per the listing |
| Headrest | Lifts 3.9 in and pivots 45 degrees, per SIHOO | Height and angle adjustable |
| Armrests | SIHOO’s own pages call them 2D in one place and 3D in another, so check the listing | 3D: height, angle, forward and back, per the listing |
| Seat depth adjustment | Not published | Not mentioned in the listing |
| Recline | Up to 126 degrees, per SIHOO | Up to 130 degrees, adjustable rocking resistance |
| Weight capacity | 330 lb, per SIHOO | Not on the listing (a 2022 roundup said 280 lb) |
| Certification | BIFMA, per SIHOO | Listing says it passed a BIFMA test; no certificate shown |
| Warranty | 3 years, per SIHOO’s brand-wide terms | After-sales service promised, no term stated |
| Seller | Sold and shipped by SIHOO | Sold by Ticova Furniture |
| Owner ratings (November 2026) | About 17,000 ratings | 4.1 stars, about 5,000 ratings |
Two rows deserve a second look. Both chairs start under 17 inches at the lowest seat height, which is lower than a lot of chairs in this class, so neither rules you out if you are on the shorter side. Our guide to getting your chair height right walks through why that number matters before anything else. The other row is the warranty line, because it is where the two listings are furthest apart.
SIHOO M18: Clearer Paperwork, Heavier Rating
The SIHOO’s strongest argument is not a feature, it is the paper trail. SIHOO states a 330 lb rating, lists BIFMA certification and backs the chair with a three-year warranty. An independent reviewer at MMORPG.com measured the chair themselves in 2023, scored it 8 out of 10 and found the numbers close to the maker’s (SIHOO supplied the chair, which the review says upfront). A written warranty matters more than it sounds, because the gas lift is the part most likely to fail first on a chair in this price band. Our chair warranty guide covers what those terms normally include.
The lumbar support is the other draw. The same reviewer measured it moving about 1.9 in vertically and 1.2 in front to back, which gives you a real chance of putting the support where your own curve is. If you are choosing mainly for a sore lower back, read that alongside our lower back pain picks before deciding.
- A stated 330 lb rating, higher than most chairs at this level
- BIFMA certification and a three-year warranty written down
- Lumbar support that moves in two directions
- Headrest that lifts 3.9 in and pivots 45 degrees
- Sold and shipped by the maker, with a very large pool of owner ratings
- Lumbar is easy to overdo. The hands-on reviewer called it hit or miss, because pushing it too far forward concentrates pressure on the spine.
- The W-shaped ridge. It can press into the thighs on some bodies, which is the single most common reason people look at other chairs.
- Numbers that disagree. SIHOO lists a seat depth of 17.91 in while the reviewer measured 20 in, and its pages describe the armrests as both 2D and 3D.
- A fiddly headrest. The two-axis headrest is awkward to set, because upright and reclined want different positions.
Ticova: More Arm Adjustment, Thinner Paperwork
The Ticova’s listing reads like a chair that has been checked against the SIHOO and tries to match it point for point. Lumbar support adjusts in height and depth. The headrest adjusts in height and angle. The armrests are 3D, meaning they move up and down, tilt, and slide forward and back, and that is a clear step up from SIHOO’s muddled description. Recline goes to 130 degrees with adjustable rocking resistance, a few degrees deeper than the SIHOO’s stated 126. Our Ticova vs Hbada E3 Pro comparison goes through the same listing in more detail.
Where it falls behind is what the listing leaves out. There is no weight rating on the page, no stated warranty term (the listing promises after-sales service and nothing more), and a BIFMA claim without a certificate to look at. A 2022 roundup quoted 280 lb and a 16.5 to 20.5 in seat height, but it is a two-year-old third-party figure, so confirm both on the current listing before you buy. Independent coverage is thin too: most of what is written about this chair is affiliate copy rather than hands-on testing, so owner reports carry more weight than we’d like.
- 3D armrests that move in more directions than the SIHOO’s
- A 3.4 in foam seat with a waterfall edge, which owners describe as cushy
- Lumbar adjustable in height and depth, plus an adjustable headrest
- Recline up to 130 degrees with adjustable rocking resistance
- No warranty term. The listing says only that after-sales service is provided.
- No weight rating on the page. Heavier users have to ask the seller or look elsewhere.
- Thin independent testing. We found no hands-on review comparable to the one SIHOO has.
- No seat depth adjustment mentioned. Taller users should check the seat depth carefully.
Which One Should You Get?
Get the SIHOO M18 if you are heavier, want a written warranty, or want the safer choice on documentation. It is also the one with a hands-on review behind it, so you know what the chair’s weak spots are before you order.
Get the Ticova if you are lighter, want to fine-tune the armrests, and are comfortable buying on owner reports alone. Ask the seller about the warranty in writing before you pay.
If you are on the taller side, neither is an obvious fit, and our picks for taller users are the better starting point. If the SIHOO is the one you keep coming back to, our SIHOO M18 vs FlexiSpot OC3 comparison covers its closest rival on warranty.
Setup and the First Week
Neither chair arrives assembled. The independent reviewer put the SIHOO together in 45 to 50 minutes, with two small snags: the armrests went in slightly uneven, and a leftover plastic piece in one leg caused a very mild rotation. Check both before you tighten everything down. I couldn’t find a hands-on assembly time for the Ticova, so I won’t invent one.
On either chair, set the seat height first so your feet rest flat, then the lumbar height, then lumbar depth in small steps. Most of the complaints about lumbar support come from pushing it too far, too fast. Give each change an hour before you judge it.
How We Compared These Two
The evidence behind these chairs isn’t equal, and it would be misleading to pretend otherwise. SIHOO publishes a spec sheet, claims BIFMA certification and has an independent measurement behind it. For the Ticova we relied on the current Amazon listing, a 2022 third-party roundup and owner feedback. Better documentation is evidence about a company, not proof of how a chair feels under you. Where a figure isn’t published, this page says so rather than filling the gap, and where two sources disagree, it shows both.
FAQ
If I had to pick one of these for someone else, I’d go with the SIHOO M18. Not because it is nicer to sit in, since I can’t say that for either chair, but because the weight rating, certification and three-year warranty are all written down and the chair has been measured by a third party. The Ticova is a fair alternative if the 3D armrests matter to you, as long as you confirm the warranty before paying.
Get the SIHOO M18 on Amazon →Still weighing SIHOO M18 vs Ticova? Pick the SIHOO if a written warranty and a higher weight rating matter, and the Ticova if you want more armrest movement and recline. For another close call involving the SIHOO, our SIHOO M18 vs FlexiSpot OC3 comparison covers the warranty trade-off in detail.