Master Massage’s Berkeley saddle stool carries a professional pedigree — the brand has built massage tables and chairs since 1998 — and the highest weight rating in this entire comparison at 660 lbs, priced at $382.02. But at 3.9★ from 86 reviews, it also has the lowest rating we’ve covered so far. Here’s why.
Quick take: Aluminium five-star base, 2″ permanently-molded foam cushion (not glued, per the manufacturer), hypoallergenic and waterproof PU leather, pneumatic height adjustment 21″-28″, soft polyurethane wheels, no backrest, 660 lb weight capacity. Reviews are mixed — positive on initial comfort and build, but with a genuine recurring pattern: multiple independent reviewers across different countries report the gas lift sinking under weight and the seat fabric wearing faster than expected under daily heavy use.
Master Massage Berkeley: quick specs
Build quality
Carolyn Levis, reviewing from Canada, called it “very well made” and said it was worth the 2-3x premium over cheaper stools she’d trialled, singling out the sturdiness of everything except the casters, which she said “glide very well” despite feeling lightweight. That’s a fair reflection of the standout spec here — a 660 lb weight rating is well beyond anything else in this comparison. But two independent reviewers flagged the same mechanical issue: Mario (Italy, 4★) found the gas piston “doesn’t hold height” and sinks noticeably more than other gas-lift chairs he owns once you sit down. That’s not a one-off complaint — it’s the kind of pattern worth taking seriously when it shows up independently across different buyers.
Comfort and posture support
Carolyn uses it at her home office specifically to help with posture and avoid prolonged hip flexion, and rates the comfort highly. Bettina P. (Germany, 5★) was simply and fully positive. But the second recurring issue shows up here too: Cliente Amazon (Spain, 4★) found the seat fabric “deteriorated relatively quickly” under 8-hour, 5-day-a-week administrative work, eventually tearing — their workaround was covering the seat with a cushion cover once it wore through. Gazza341 (UK, 4★), who uses his as a piano stool rather than a desk chair, also docked a star specifically for the seat surface not being as durable as expected. Between these two, the pattern suggests the seat may not hold up as well under sustained, full-time daily use as it does for lighter or intermittent use.
Who is this best for?
The 660 lb rating makes this a genuinely useful option for larger or heavier users that most other saddle stools in this comparison simply can’t accommodate — that’s a real, distinctive strength worth paying for if it applies to you. It’s a harder recommendation for full-time, 8-hour-a-day office use, where two independent reviewers reported the seat wearing out faster than expected. If you’re a lighter or intermittent user (a few hours a day, or non-desk uses like Gazza341’s piano stool), the durability concerns matter less.
Master Massage Berkeley Saddle Stool
$382.02 · Aluminium Frame · No Backrest
A 660 lb rating from a professional massage-equipment brand — but weigh that against a lower rating and recurring wear complaints
How does it compare to other no-backrest saddle stools?
Here’s how it stacks up against the other no-backrest saddle stools in our comparison:
FRNIAMC Professional Saddle Stool
$157.49 · Metal Frame · 771 reviews · 4.4★
Much cheaper, with a far higher rating and nearly 9x the review sample — the safer buy for most people.
VEVOR Saddle Stool with Wheels
$98.99 · Alloy Steel Frame · 12 reviews · 4.3★
A quarter of the price with a notably higher rating, though a 400 lb capacity well below Master Massage’s 660 lbs.
Desky Move Ergonomic Saddle Chair
$378.90 · Alloy Steel/Aluminium Frame · 0 reviews
Nearly identical price with lockable wheels and an Australian seller, but no review history at all to weigh against Master Massage’s mixed one.
Which should you buy?
- Master Massageonly if you specifically need the 660 lb weight rating — otherwise the rating and wear reports are hard to ignore.
- FRNIAMCthe stronger buy for most people — cheaper, higher-rated, far more reviewed.
- VEVORthe budget pick if 400 lbs capacity is enough for your needs.
- Desky Movea similarly-priced alternative if you’d rather bet on an Australian brand than a mixed review history.
Our verdict
Master Massage’s Berkeley stool has one genuinely standout strength — a 660 lb weight rating that nothing else in this comparison comes close to — backed by a legitimate 25+ year brand history in professional seating equipment. But its 3.9★ rating isn’t just a low number in isolation: two separate durability complaints (a sinking gas lift, and seat fabric wearing under full-time use) show up independently across different countries, which is a real pattern rather than bad luck. Unless the weight capacity is a specific requirement for you, FRNIAMC offers a cheaper, higher-rated, far more proven alternative.
Related reviews:
→ FRNIAMC Saddle Stool Review
→ VEVOR Saddle Stool Review
→ Desky Move Saddle Chair Review
→ See the full saddle stool comparison table
