The realm of workplace chairs is an odd one. You’ll discover weird wanting seats just like the Herman Miller Sayl or Anthros chair and virtually too-simple-looking seats just like the Humanscale Freedom all making an attempt to do the identical factor: present glorious ergonomics and luxury for long-term sitting. Unfortunately, many fail to ship, and fairly a number of have worth tags that match what you’d anticipate from a high-end gaming PC. The Autonomous ErgoChair Ultra 2 tries to string the needle with a extra modest worth at $599, and it has a few of the trappings of a flowery workplace chair due to its peculiar help system. But it takes loads of parts coming collectively in concord to make a wonderful chair, and the ErgoChair Ultra 2 has its work lower out for it.
Autonomous ErgoChair Ultra 2 – Design and Features
The Autonomous ErgoChair Ultra 2 is a looker. From a method standpoint, it’s one thing of a cross between a Herman Miller Embody and Sayl chair with its latticed again and springy plastics all supporting the mesh of the seat and seatback. Ergonomic chairs are inclined to have considerably outlandish designs, so it’s little shock to see the ErgoChair Ultra 2 maintaining with this development.
The title would possibly give it away, however the ErgoChair Ultra 2 isn’t precisely unique. It follows up the ErgoChair Plus (additionally named ErgoChair Pro+ and Kinn at completely different time limits). There are strikingly few variations between this new mannequin and the Kinn that dates again a number of years. There seem like a number of refinements to the construct although: the armrests now have 4D adjustment, and all configurations of the ErgoChair Ultra 2 embody a mesh cowl the place some Kinn and ErgoChair Plus units might skip the mesh for a straight TPE (thermoplastic elastomer) design.
The ErgoChair Ultra 2 is on easy caster wheels and a sturdy, aluminum base. Between the bottom and the gasoline raise, the chair is rated to help customers as much as 320 kilos. For the worth, it’s shocking to see simply how a lot plastic is used within the construct. Just about all the things I can see above the piston and the underside half of the seat base is tough plastic. Now, a few of it feels fairly sturdy, however the attachment between the backrest and the seat is a reasonably easy slot-in held in place by a number of bolts and screws. The overlap for this slot isn’t confidence inspiring. That mentioned, I haven’t heard any worrying creaks or groans. The aluminum seems to increase as much as the arm relaxation holders as nicely, and that provides them a fairly tanky really feel, although I wouldn’t rely on the armrests to bear loads of weight. Given a few of the issues all of the plastic use raises, it’s a bit disappointing to see Autonomous supply only a two-year guarantee.
Autonomous says the chair can help customers from 5-foot as much as 6-foot-4, and the piston can elevate the seat nicely above what’s comfy for me at 6-foot-3. The lowest seat peak is eighteen inches, and that rises as much as 23 inches. Add within the armrests’ peak at 11-inches, and also you’re an ergonomic match for a 34-inch tall desk, which is unusually excessive.
The armrests supply a great deal of flexibility. They don’t go very low, however they’ll prolong to fairly a peak. And they embody side-to-side, front-to-back, and rotational changes. The high materials of the arm rests pretty agency plastic with only a little bit of give to supply some cushion.
The spotlight of the ErgoChair Ultra 2 is its seat and seatback. These are each coated in a polyester mesh for versatile, breathable help. Underneath the backrest, Autonomous has constructed a lattice of TPE that provides much more help whereas nonetheless offering flexibility, so you may modify your physique and transfer a short time remaining seated. Beyond its flexibility, the backrest presents no changes. The optionally available headrest doesn’t get the TPE therapy and simply has a mesh space to cushion customers’ head and neck. It can slide up and down vertically to regulate to completely different heights, and the arm that holds it has a little bit of give for extra flexibility, however it’s altogether a quite simple and slender headrest that doesn’t really feel as much as the usual I’d anticipate from a $100 add-on.
The seat cushion combines each the mesh, a little bit of reminiscence foam, and a grid of spring-like constructions. This provides the mesh further help and offers a little bit of give to the seat for added consolation. That mentioned, I nonetheless discover it a bit on the stiff aspect. The chair permits for some adjustment of the seat, letting it slide ahead or backward to accommodate customers with longer or shorter legs.
The ErgoChair Ultra 2’s closing adjustment is a 25-degree recline, which feels deeper than it’d sound. The seat shifts subtly when the again is reclined, and the armrests recline in sync with the backrest, so that they angle up as you recline. You can lock the seat in a recline, and the chair additionally helps a pressure adjustment, although it takes loads of cranking to totally modify this, and I discovered that even at full pressure it was slightly too simple to recline.
Autonomous ErgoChair Ultra 2 – Assembly
The Autonomous ErgoChair Ultra 2 is surprisingly light-weight at simply 36.5 kilos, and this makes the setup course of further simple. The chair comes largely disassembled, however the low weight of every half makes it simple to tug them from the field and prepare them for meeting. The five-point base simply wants the gasoline piston and wheels pressed in. The seat base and seat again slide collectively after which take 4 bolts close to the center of the seat and 4 screws working alongside the underside fringe of the backrest. The bolts is usually a little tough to get lined up and screwed in, however are nonetheless simpler than some gaming chairs I’ve needed to line up and bolt collectively. An Allen wrench is included for the bolts, however Autonomous doesn’t provide a screwdriver. Altogether, it took me lower than 10 minutes to get the chair assembled. Attaching the optionally available headrest was slightly trickier, because it has a plate that should sneak between the backbone and mesh of the seat again and bolt in, requiring me to snake my hand into that void, line up the bolts, and maneuver the Allen wrench. This nonetheless solely added one other 5-10 minutes to the meeting.
Autonomous ErgoChair Ultra 2 – Performance
The Autonomous ErgoChair Ultra 2 is a mixture of good-but-not-great and virtually dangerous. I typically discovered I might get by spending a substantial period of time within the chair. The mesh is kind of breathable, serving to me keep away from uncomfortable heat and sweat even when my historical steam radiators kick on to assist me overlook it’s winter outdoors. The materials of the mesh is a bit coarse, and direct pores and skin contact is uncomfortable. So, in case you’re usually going shirtless, sporting a tanktop, or sporting brief shorts, you’ll doubtless discover the mesh harsh.
The base of the seat is first rate. It’s not too agency, and it’s not so delicate that I instantly backside out. It’s additionally so broad that my thighs don’t find yourself urgent into the outer edges, which aren’t so padded. This is a giant benefit over the numerous steel-bolstered racing chairs that you simply’ll discover in any seek for the most effective gaming chairs. That mentioned, at the same time as high-tech because the cushioning could appear, it might nonetheless be higher. It’s agency sufficient that any time I sit for an prolonged interval with my legs not simply straight out on the chair (i.e., if I cross a leg over my knee or lean closely to 1 aspect) the agency base of the seat results in extra strain. From there, it’s not lengthy earlier than I’m sore and one in every of my legs begins to go to sleep. Tucking a leg can be dominated out because the outer edges of the seat are stiff. While the seat is a lot broad and evenly cushioned, getting anyplace close to these edges is a recipe for discomfort.
The armrests are additionally a miss. They are so faintly cushioned that more often than not I can’t imagine there’s a cushion on there in any respect. With my elbows urgent into the floor, they don’t actually present sufficient padding to keep away from the discomfort of bone contacting a tough floor. They are at the very least fairly versatile of their positioning, making it simple to get a great ergonomic alignment with my desk whether or not a slender place for typing or a wider one for gaming. The proven fact that they recline with the backrest additionally means nearly any quantity of leaning again will lead to critical discomfort making an attempt to nonetheless use a mouse and keyboard.
The backrest is the place the ErgoChair Ultra 2 ought to have been essentially the most promising, however it falls brief for me, figuratively and actually. I’ve discovered the ErgoChair Ultra 2 isn’t nicely suited to people a lot over 6-foot. Much of the backrest is kind of delicate, however the high edge is agency. And at 6-foot-3, my shoulder blades press into the sting, which finally ends up uncomfortable rapidly. The TPE weave of the backrest has a firmed part meant to function a lumbar help, however it’s a bit too low for me. And the remainder of the backrest is delicate sufficient that I find yourself extra stooped than I ought to be. Shorter customers could also be extra comfy right here, although the headrest will doubtless be too excessive in case you’re shorter than 5-foot-5 or so.
