My Office Chair: The Lifeform Ultimate Review
Like many of you, I spend more than a fair amount of time at my desk/computer. Also, like many of you, I have “experienced” my share of office “chairs.” After years of lower back pain and women being less than impressed with my office chairs, i decided it was time to invest. What subsequently followed was a grand journey through the world of ergonomics, deep contour seats, and maxed out credit cards.
Let me cut to the chase for the impatient out there. I ended up with the Lifeform Ultimate Executive Chair (with separate headrest, of course). It was, in my experience, the best overall chair I tested. No if’s and’s or but’s about it. Best, bar none. No disclaimer of, “well for some of you…” or even “I could see how in different applications…” Nope. Lifeform = Best. For those of you interested in how I spent almost 6 months trying to find an office chair, please read on. For those who party/go to business school, please feel free to leave now and make Happy Hour/the super-important “networking event.”
My Road of Chairs:
Recaro Commander
I mean…did you expect me to be able to resist a chair called The Commander? The Commander is a baller of a chair that is meant for, well, Commanders. Police Chiefs, Command Post Operators, Kings, etc. Basically it is meant for 24/7 use. Recaro has an illustrious history of making some very important seats and chairs. Their clients include Aston Martin, Bentley, and numerous law enforcement agencies. The Commander is their top of the line. It is one beast of a chair. I’m not a small person (actually reasonably large) and I had trouble moving this thing. Once you get it into position, it’s there. No baby shifting going on here. It also is one of the hardest chairs I have ever sat in. I mean, hard. It’s built Tonka Tough. If you have rock-hard glutes or just enjoy the comfort of sitting on asphalt, i would recommend this chair. If not…you might want to pass. That said, they do have a 30 day, no questions asked return policy and the customer service department was top-notch. Maybe I am being too hard on the Recaro. Maybe. I assure you I really wanted to like it (remember it is called The Commander) but alas it just wasn’t what I was looking for. Did I mention the chair was $3,100? Moving on…
Body Bilt Executive Chair
Yep, definitely not as fun a name as The Commander. This company prides itself on customization. And they aren’t messing around; you can customize everything from the arm rests to the casters. The problem is, when you’re done customizing, you get a chair that’s just merely OK. Doesn’t look or feel special. It just is…OK. At close to $2,000 I want better than just OK.
HermanMiller Aeron Chair
The Granddaddy of ergonomic chairs. You can’t go into an expensive office and not see one of these little mesh bad-boys hanging around like they own the place. Truth be told…the chair is fine. It didn’t wow me and I felt some Office Depot knockoff’s that had a similar feel for $800 less. That said, it’s small, lightweight, has a small footprint, and is fairly comfortable. Not bad for a small office environment. It will set you back a little more than a grand.
Humanscale Freedom Task Chair
Weird chair but interesting. It actually grew on me but the armrests were so painfully bad it wasn’t even an option. I don’t know what they were thinking or what they were trying to accomplish but the armrests are practically useless. If you need a chair to just sit in the corner and never use at a desk then by all means grab this chair. Runs about $1,100.
Lifeform Ultimate High Back (with headrest)
Now we’re talking. This chair is like sitting on a soft buttery pillow. Which sounds off but I suggest you try it. It is firm and soft in the right spots. I ordered my chair with deep brown harness leather which is some high-quality stuff. Extremely soft, smooth, and it looks fantastic. Superficial point alert: when you buy something expensive, it’s nice when it actually looks expensive. Some of these other chairs look like you could pick them up for $200 at Staples. NOTE: that is not knocking chairs from Staples. It is knocking chairs that are asking prices 15 times more than the Staples chair. End point, the Lifeform looks great.
The Lifeform can be adjusted in practically every way imaginable. Armrests even tilt toward you so your arms are supported when you are using a keyboard. It took about 10 minutes to get the chair to my liking. With practically every other chair I have used, it hits me somewhere on my body. Thigh, lower back, upper back, etc which forces me to get up every now and then. Annoying and not exactly productive. This chair just feels right.
There are a fair amount of models in the Lifeform series and this one was by far my favorite but I also liked the midback version if you don’t want a headrest. Personally, leaning all the back and having a headrest is pretty nice and recommended. My final note is that my exact chair comes in their fabric (called Dreamweave) and it is unbelievably comfortable (not to mention much cheaper). Not going to lie, the fabric version doesn’t look as good but it’s every bit as comfortable (arguably even softer) and also is highly recommended.
This is not a chair that you throw away after a year or two. This is a chair you keep for the rest of your life. It moves with you. Is it expensive? Holy American Express yes it is. Is it worth it in my opinion? 100% yes. You spend a fair amount of your life in your bed and your office chair. Might as well enjoy the time spent.
14 Comments to “My Office Chair: The Lifeform Ultimate Review”
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Curious to know if you still love the chair. How is the foam holding up? bruno at bopia.com
I’m also curious if you still love the chair, and how long have you had it now? Do you mind posting how much you paid for it?
Absolutely love the chair. Everybody who sits down instantly is jealous and wants to know how to get one. Highly, highly, recommended!
How is the chair holding up after a year and a half? Are you still satisfied with its comfort? How is the breathing on the leather? What is the type too? Stone Mountain, Deer Run, etc..
I am torn between the Lifeform and Bodybilt chairs. Lifeform feels more comfortable, but after sitting in a Stone Mountain chair for 15 minutes in-store it feels like the leather doesn’t exchange air very well.
I can’t say enough good things about this chair. Really just a solid, well built, even more comfortable than they day I got it. My friend purchased the dreamweave/non leather version which actually feels pretty nice. i personally don’t think it LOOKS as good as the leather but I could see how someone would think it was more comfortable (little more squishy) and possible has more air exchange.
Personally, i love my chair and i think it looks beautiful.
keep me updated!
Very informative Jordan, though you clearly have the midback. The highback doesn’t need a separate headrest as its back extends above your head; it’s not even possible as an option. I was just in the store today, so its all very fresh in my mind. May I ask how much you paid? Did you buy in store? Did they charge for delivery? Did you consider the wood base? My back has failed me and I’m in desparte straits to find a good chair. Once again: excellent read!
Thanks for your comment!
1. Yes, i have the midback with the head attachment because I’m a pretty tall guy (6’4″) and my head went over the high back model. I also felt the midback with the head adjustment was much more comfortable (again, for me). Both were very impressive.
2. I actually don’t remember how much I paid for it but I know it wasn’t cheap. I received a 10% discount on the chair and received free shipping, however. Just haggled a bit, nothing fancy.
3. I was debating the other bases (steel, wood, etc) but they were so expensive and I really didn’t think they added too much to the chair. Personal preference, though.
I can’t recommend this chair enough. Just an amazing piece of equipment. My one word of advice is spend the few hours it takes to really appreciate how much you can customize this thing to your tastes.
Good luck!
Jordan, I also have been researching chairs for a long time. I really wanted a Tempurpedic chair but they seem to not be making them anymore. I also LOVE sitting in the chair at the store. However, for $3,000, I expect it to last. Have you read the following complaint from one of their customers? http://www.xaxxeon.com/lifeform/index.html
I know there is always a few complainers with any product, but my concern is they don't have any kind of guarantee for the foam itself. Everything else but that.
What is your opinion on his complaint? How easy do you think it would be to replace the foam without wrecking the chair or warranty on the leather?
I LOVE my Lifeform chair. It I am said to say this but I am selling mine because I will be going on a backpacking trip around the world and will not have a place to store the chair.
This chair is about 6 months old and in PERFECT condition. I am asking for $1300 which is a $300 discount from the Lifeform® Ultimate Mid Back Executive Office Chair purchased at the store.
I live in south florida and would rather not ship. Please contact me at bruno at bopia dot com.
Personally, and obviously I can only speak of my experience, but I have had nothing but an amazing experience with my chair. My only problem was not even the chairs fault. I had someone clean my house and they accidentally snapped the headrest off the chair (they thought it was stuck but it was locked). I called up Relax the Back and they delivered me a brand new chair. No questions asked. Pretty amazing.
I think this chair is built like a tank and looks/feels like new. I also think that whatever chair that person was complaining about was the lower end model of their series. Not excusing them in any way, but again, just can speak to the chair that I have.
good luck!
I am researching chairs–this helped a lot. Furthermore, I enjoyed reading this–great writing
Leslie, thank you for the kind words and I'm glad my post helped your search! Please stop by and tell me what you ultimately purchased.
-Jordan
I loved your comments on these chairs. Unfortunately, I just ordered a Body Bilt chair for work today. How did you try bodybilt chair? Why is it okay only?
Did you buy your chair at the relex the back? Thank you, Irene
Hi there Irene! Thanks for reading.
The bodybilt was a solid chair but it didn’t have the wow factor and build quality of the Lifeform. It just didn’t make me want to keep sitting on it compared to the lifeform. Again not to say that the bodybilt is not a quality chair, it is, but just not to the level of the lifeform. Lifeform was softer and thicker plus the headrest was comfier.
I did purchase the chair from Relax The Back
Don’t hesitate to ask me any further questions
-Jordan