As a writer, I spend a lot of time on my butt. I have a standing desk and I use it. But the majority of my life is spent sitting around typing. It's an ergonomic experience similar to gaming, requiring the same physical positioning and actions over generally the same amount of time. And after sitting in a chair for a few hours, you quickly become familiar with its shortcomings and failures. I found the E-WIN Gaming Chair to be carefully designed, well constructed, and comfortable.
ContentsAssemblyVisual appearanceErgonomicsAdjustabilityConstructionConclusionCheck out E-WIN Gaming Office Chairs and mention the code ETM to get a 15% discount.
The chair comes in a large box that requires two people to transport it easily. It can be lifted by one person, but it is not easy to move.
Nonetheless, I was able to build the chair quickly with minimal confusion or difficulty. The chair also came with a pair of white gloves, presumably for use when building the chair, which was a thoughtful touch. If you've assembled IKEA products before, you won't have a problem with this one.
The chair has a visual design common to chairs of this style. Marketed as "gaming chairs", they adopt the bucket-shaped design of a race car seat. Since this seat model was designed to maintain physical comfort during long sitting sessions, it is an ideal model to fit into a computer chair.
It also means you have what is essentially a piece of a car sitting in your house. The thing is, the chair is unlikely to match your decor. But once someone sits down in it, they will immediately forgive the chair's unique aesthetic.
Gaming chairs are all like that, but E-WIN keeps things pretty low-key compared to competitors. The E-WIN chair eschews the more dramatic design aesthetic of similar chairs, opting for subtle design choices in most places rather than the aggressive dramatic and perhaps cartoonish lines of some other gaming chairs.
The chair is probably one of the most comfortable office chairs I have ever used. As remnant as the upholstered elements seem, they are actually crucial to your long-term comfort. Without the padded elements, you will miss the lumbar and neck support that makes the chair so comfortable during long sitting sessions.
If you don't like the pads, their elastic straps are easy to remove. They detach completely, leaving no parts or equipment on the chair, so they obviously don't "miss" the chair when removed.
However, I found the chair significantly less comfortable without them, especially with the poor posture I share with most heavy computer users. In the upright orientation, removing the neck pad did not significantly change the comfort of the chair. When angled, the neck brace is useful for keeping your head tilted enough to see what's going on in front of you. This quickly became my favorite pose for watching movies and TV.
The chair is also large enough to accommodate multiple body sizes, including larger frames, both in width and height. The width of the seat provides plenty of seating options, whether you prefer the standard feet-on-the-floor posture or, like me, prefer to sit cross-legged with your feet tucked under your thighs. The chair accommodated both positions with equal and comparable comfort, which is unusual in a less expensive office chair.
It should be mentioned that I am lanky and tall, measuring 6'0″ (183 cm) and 150 lbs (68 kg). As a result, my frame has some cavities that can be easily supported with padding. For heavy users, you may find that the padding presses uncomfortably against your body, but it can be easily removed.
Like most other office chairs, the E-WIN gaming chair is highly adjustable and configurable. If you're looking for serious ergonomics, this will help you adapt your chair to both your body and your environment. In fact, the chair is probably more adjustable than you'll ever need or want.
The back of the chair reclines at an angle of approximately 170 degrees. As a result, it's entirely possible to tip the chair so far that you'll fall, as the famous streamers so aptly demonstrated. The back of the chair can also be tilted uncomfortably forward, so you have access to a full range of back positions for any comfortable position. The adjustment is completely gradual, so you can fine-tune the position of the backrest and expect it to stay there.
The armrests have a small amount of yaw, as well as four-axis adjustment. They are hard plastic, but still comfortable. The positioning is good and my elbows find the armrests naturally and comfortable. However, the arms can't be pulled out or tilted and out of the way, so if you're really anti-armrest this could be a problem.
The height of the chair is adjustable, of course. At minimum height, the top of the seat cushion is 18 inches from the floor. At maximum height, the top of the seat cushion is 23 inches from the ground. Although this adjustment range is not as wide as the other parts of the chair, it hits the highlights.
The construction is also solid. The chair uses a high quality leather substitute that looks like leather but does not require the care and nourishment of real leather furniture. If you've never owned a leather chair or sofa, you might not realize how careful you have to be with them.
Without regular oiling and maintenance, the leather will become brittle and eventually crack. The crack usually cannot be repaired and requires a complete replacement of the damaged part. Leather substitutes can be made with the desired flexibility and yield without requiring significant upkeep, resulting in a more comfortable yet more durable chair. Vinyl leatherette can also be easily cleaned with readily available household cleaners.
The padding material is comfortable and dense, with minimal compression during use. Elastic straps cannot be tightened or adjusted and may loosen over time. As a result, I could imagine a future in which these elastic straps loosen with constant shrinkage and adjustment, but that seems like a small chance.
The moving parts are heavy and well designed. The adjustable parts work cleanly and snap firmly into place when needed, with no jerking or rattling when locked into position. The wheels are quite firm and sturdy, holding position even as you shift your weight in the chair. In fact, when you first open the chair, you might have a little trouble rolling it across your floor.
The wheels loosen quickly, but that's actually a good sign. I would much rather the wheels start a little too firmly and loosen up for proper use over a day or two. The alternative is the cheap wheel found in most office chairs, which rolls almost without force, makes a lot of noise and chatters easily. They're nothing like it, and they're virtually silent on my hardwood floor.
If you don't like the wheels, they use a standard stem mount, so they can easily be swapped out for a different type of mount. You can also replace them with bell legs, removing the rolling feature from the chair. If your home is deeply carpeted, for example, even a thick plastic rug cover might not allow the chair to roll easily without sinking into the pile of the carpet. As a result, non-rolling legs may be better, and this is an option for this chair.
The E-WIN gaming chair is a great choice for everyone from League of Legends pros to office workers. Although it's more expensive than a regular task chair, it's also a major improvement over those uncomfortable and flimsy chairs. Just know that the visual design is both opinionated and impactful.
Check out E-WIN Gaming Chairs and mention the code ETM for a 15% discount.
