Has having one of the best office chairs ever been so important? With so many of us frequently working from home, the threat of back pain from poor sitting posture is constant. A lot of attention goes to the best standing desks and the best under-desk treadmills, but even if you go for one of those, you'll still need a good ergonomic office chair capable of supporting you and keeping you healthy when sitting for long periods.
As a writer and author, I've spent too much of my life sitting down. I'm constantly wary of slouching forward when tired, which can strain the spine and back muscles. Trust me, I know. Sitting at a desk takes a significant toll on the body.
A decade ago, I invested a lot of money in the Humanscale Freedom Task Chair, which was the best around at the time. Since the pandemic, however, the market has exploded, and there are now hundreds of home-office chairs to choose from. When my old office chair finally bit the dust, I decided to try a mid-priced option. An ergonomic chair with adjustable headrest, height, seat adjustment and lumbar support, the FlexiSpot BS12 Pro went straight to work a few weeks ago. Here are my thoughts about how well it coped in my hectic home office.
FlexiSpot BS12 Pro review: price and availability
FlexiSpot – a brand on the rise thanks to its motorized standing desks – sells no fewer than 12 ergonomic chairs designed to be used in an office setting. They sell for between £99.99 and £499.99. The FlexiSpot BS12 Pro comes in at just under that, at £429.99, positioning it one rank below the brand's new flagship FlexiSpot BS14. That's a reasonable price for a chair of this quality, in my opinion, but some hefty discounts are sometimes available, so look for a code before purchasing.
It's a simple enough purchase process, with no extras to think about. The only choice is between black or grey for the color of both the polyester fabric and the plastic frame. At the time of writing, the FlexiSpot BS12 Pro was only available from the UK website.
FlexiSpot BS12 Pro review: unboxing and set-up
The FlexiSpot BS12 Pro arrived in a giant cardboard box at my doorstep, though wrestling it into my office was easy. It was well-packed and protected, with two large armrests, a headrest, a backrest, a base and, of course, the seat. There was also a tiny box containing screws and washers, two Allen keys, a column and five push-in castors for the base. The major component is the seat base, which is by far the heaviest part of the chair.
Building the FlexiSpot BS12 Pro is easy. I resisted the temptation to construct it without referring to the instructions, but there wasn't much to do. The two major steps are attaching the armrests to the seat base and the backrest to the seatbase. I had to get some help picking it up and placing it on the base and castors. The final job was to attach the headrest to the backrest, which required a little care to position it snugly before tightening the screws.
In total, the build took me about 15 minutes, with only seven screws required to construct it, and two more needing tightening. If you've au fait with an Allen key and have mastered simple flat-pack furniture before, you'll have no problem with the FlexiSpot BS12 Pro. I wouldn't have any issues disassembling it for moving house.
FlexiSpot BS12 Pro review: design and features
The FlexiSpot BS12 Pro comes with enough bells and whistles to make it an appealing office chair, but there are a few things to know that detract from its appeal slightly.
It has lumbar support, reclines, armrests are adjustable, and the headrest is removable. An easy-to-reach panel just beneath the left-hand side of the seat contains three small levers to adjust the height, the back tilt angle lock, and the seat depth.
What the FlexiSpot BS12 Pro lacks, however, is ultimate comfort. The problem is its need for a seat cushion. The one choice you have when you buy the FlexiSpot BS12 Pro is the color of the Wintex mesh fabric – available in black or grey – but it's not apparent until later how integral that polyester fabric is to how this chair works. It's breathable and soft but also a stand-in for a cushion. Instead of proper contoured cushioning as you get on high-end office chairs, the Wintex is stretched taut across the seat, the back, and the neck rest. It makes the chair soft, but is it a cost-cutting exercise that robs you of the support you need over long periods?
FlexiSpot BS12 Pro review: performance
I've been testing the FlexiSpot BS12 Pro for a month now, and during that time, I've learned its strengths and weaknesses.
The first thing to know about the FlexiSpot BS12 Pro is its quietness. I had feared that stepping down from a more expensive chair to the FlexiSpot BS12 Pro would mean a few clunks and creaks as it moved, but the backrest moves silently, as does the swivel mechanism on the seat and the castors against the carpet.
The armrests are impressive. They feel much sturdier than on my previous chair. While calling them 3D is perhaps overdoing it, they click into three separate positions, from pointing inwards to outwards. The soft, pressable material they're made from is a nice touch, too. However, it's a slight shame that the armrests can't be adjusted up and down.
That's also an issue with the lumbar support on the backrest, which is static. It's comfortable, and it helps keep my posture upright while sitting. However, I can see why some people might like to slightly recess or extend the lumbar support depending on body shape. One worry about the lumbar support is that it is just fabric stretched tightly. It feels taught for now, but what could it be like in five years once it's been stretched? It's the same potential problem with the seat itself, which again relies on taut material rather than proper cushioning. It feels like a hard surface after a while.
What I liked most was the tilt/lean mechanism, which is smooth and fully adjustable. Leaning back to give your back a rest (and a stretch) during extended work periods is rewarding on the FlexiSpot BS12 Pro, whose lumbar and neck supports are positioned so accurately — at least for my body. That said, the headrest should be adjustable because it won't be correct for everyone.
One thing to know about the neckrest is that it's worth avoiding wearing anything with a hood while sitting in it. Such is the snug fit of the neck against rest that the hood's rim gets in the way and makes it uncomfortable. So leave your best fleece jacket somewhere else before getting to work.
FlexiSpot BS12 Pro review: verdict
The FlexiSpot BS12 Pro is a good value office chair that will suit most people. It's reasonably comfortable for long periods, and its height, recline, and armrests can be adjusted and its headrest removed. Its mechanisms and hinges are quiet around the office, and it's easy to assemble when it arrives. What you don't get at this price, however, is cushioning, with the FlexiSpot BS12 Pro instead relying on stretch fabric to act as a seat, backrest/lumbar and headrest. It's a decent substitute for cushioning, but after long work, it left me recalling my old chair's soft cushioning.
FlexiSpot BS12 Pro review: alternatives to consider
If you like the look of the FlexiSpot BS12 Pro but want something slightly higher-end, consider the pricier NeueChair, which looks incredibly stylish and is very comfortable to sit on for long periods. However, it also lacks cushioning. If you're after an ergonomic chair at a lower price, the Boulies EP200 offers plenty of adjustments but does have a build quality to match. Gamers should check out our round-up of the best gaming chairs.
