UPDATE JAN 2012: New Lifeform Chair Review!. Still read original review first!
UPDATE OCT 2011: I’ve added some wonderful videos on how to adjust your Lifeform chair. Check them out here!
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.
