OFM ESS Collection Racing Style Gaming Chair, adjustable, High Back, Black

Qualifier: this is my reaction after assembly and using the chair for a few days... we'll see how it holds up.I've needed a chair with flip-up arms for some time, and the Gen. 1 has been on my radar for at least a year or two. I've held off purchasing because of review comments about the seat padding. The Gen. 2 seems to have fixed that issue, so I pulled the trigger on this one at $142 (only ten days later it's now $121...).For the price I think this chair is a pretty good value. The new design's seat cushion is indeed quite comfortable. The chair is light but doesn't feel flimsy. The piston actuator works as expected, and holds position well. The armrests are nice and soft, but as a taller person I wish they were about 1'' higher (they're not adjustable). The fabric and faux leather feel like they'll be just fine with normal usage, and IMHO the manufacturer's design / styling choice here is well done.Some caveats... in case it's not clear from the pictures, this chair is not adjustable other than height and whether or not you want it to rock. The seat back angle is not independently adjustable and the seat cushion can't be tilted by itself forward or back - it's fixed. Tilt tension works fine - from very loose / rocking to very stiff. You can't rock back and lock the position, as you can with some chairs.The lumbar support is extremely pronounced, which may be an issue for folks who don't care for that (I need it). Most importantly, it is not possible to adjust the chair so that it supports an erect posture (e.g., the way I was trained to sit while working at a desk). In order to sit straight up, you must support yourself far forward of the seat's contoured back - basically like sitting on a stool. Relaxing into the seat back puts one into a reclining position - fine for gaming (hey, it's listed as a gaming chair, after all), not so fine for extended periods of typing, practicing guitar, audio mixing, programming, 3D modeling or other similar tasks. Also note that while the headrest appears taller than most chairs, it will not support your head if you're taller than about 5' 8''. I'm just shy of 6' and I'm looking directly at the ceiling before my head touches the (top of the) headrest, making it completely useless for me.I assembled it alone with only minor issues. On that score I'd strongly recommend putting the entire chair assembly (seat / arms / back) together on a workbench or on the floor. That is, contrary to the assembly instructions (Step 3) don't set the seat on the piston once you have the lever assembly attached. You'll need to get some good leverage to align the screws when installing the back between the arms, and you won't want the chair spinning around freely on the base or rolling away from you while doing that. I also had issues getting the small plastic cover panels to seat completely, and I'd advise checking these for fit and, if necessary, taking some sandpaper to the alignment posts before inserting them into the arm assemblies. Other than that, an allen wrench and all necessary hardware (plus spares) were nicely arranged in a blister pack and the sparse directions are clear enough.All in all, a pretty nice product for this price point. If it lasts even half as long as the one I'm replacing (which I've had for well over ten years), I'll be more than satisfied.

Son loves it. Easy to assemble.

Backstory (skip just for chair details):So I bought this chair to replace my aged and beaten 10 year old ikea rolling chair. I decided to get the 3 tone Black/Red/White one even though its much more expensive than the other colors. I opened an Amazon Prime Rewards Card (I didn't get paid to say that I promise) and Amazon gave me $70 towards the purchase, so the chair cost me $68 and change, and at checkout, I had the option to use the prime card or my debit card to pay the balance. I ended up putting it on the prime card anyway even though I didn't have to.Assembly:It wasn't difficult to assemble. Please note that you don't use 4 J bolts for the bottom of the seat like a woman on youtube says to. Its 2 J bolts and 2 I bolts. Another reviewer said to put the wheels on last, I didn't but you could. While you could screw the bottom seat screws for the post in tight, leave all the screws for the arms loose. Also put the lower two back screws on first, then the top two back screws. With everything loose, kneel in front of the chair, and push your palms into the arm rest brackets that hold everything together, feel the edges of the back and the seat and make sure they're aligned. Then screw the bolts in little by little in an X pattern like a rocket scientist would. I used a ratchet to do this, and screwed everything down nice and tight. I don't think the included allen wrench is sufficient even when holding it sideways for torque.Chair details:Very comfortable, looks great, I love that I can fold up the arms to play guitar, and for racing sims with my steering wheel and shifter. I bought aftermarket Stealtho rollerblade wheels (turquoise, looks tricked out) and put them on right away so I can't comment on the quality of the stock casters. Some people complained about the material on top of the armrests being rough on the skin, but I don't see an issue with that. I'm an office worker, it's not like I have callous elbows or arms, so if it's fine for me, it will probably be fine for you.Final thoughts:If there are issues in the future I will update my rating but for now it's 5 stars, don't let the bad reviews scare you. I took a chance since I was backed by Amazon's return policy, and I'm glad i did.

So far so good with this chair. I was a bit hesitant with all the mixed reviews, but I really didn’t need a fancy chair with all a bunch of different settings. This chair is pretty much that, it took me 30 mins to setup. There were no issues with the setup it was all very straightforward and simple. It has the basic features,1. lower or raise the seat.2. Lock/unlock the back rest3. Raising of the arm restsAs for the lumbar support which was a main reason why I was looking for a new chair, this one rests perfectly on my back. However if may vary based on height and there’s no admustment for that (Im 5’7). All in all it was what I was expecting. Additionally I’d like to say the chair cushion is quite comfortable. Will see how the durability of the cushion/rest of the chair goes as I keep using. Hope this helps :)

Great chair overall with a rating of 4. My delivery was missing instructions which is the reason for a 3 out 5 rating on ease to assemble. Despite the missing instructions it was easy to put it together. Given the price point the quality is surprisingly good in terms of comfort, support, and materials. The only criticism is that the piston will sink from time to time. Hopefully, the manufacturer can fix this.

I like the features (flip up arms and high back), but the seat cushioning is pathetic. In three days of use, I can already feel it bottom out. I'm not a big guy, only about 195 lbs, and this is just not a comfortable seat. Also, one of the seams on the seat is not well-placed. Unless you sit all the way back, it digs into your rear end. I'll likely have to buy a seat cushion to augment the comfort of this chair for longer sessions of work/gaming.

It seems to be a good chair. Definitely needs two people toput it together. It's new so lets see how long the arm rests last.That is always the first to go.

It's pretty average and mostly just an office chair. Nothing to do with more fancy/pricey gaming chairs. Finish is nice. Cushions are a bit thin. Arms are rather narrow. No Head rest for an adult. Lombar support is low (kids?) and cannot be adjusted. Just the basic adjustments all around. Rather leaned back. One arm gets loose all the time and bolt needs to be tightened. If you're going to spend a few hundred dollars on a chair, do yourself a favor a get a good one that you will enjoy and will last even if it means spending more.