Review on Steelcase Series 1 Work Office Chair Canary: Comfort and Style Combined by Courtney Cameron

Didn't find this chair in store to try before buying (they had Leaps but not this model). But given that Steelcase generally makes good chairs and the good reviews here, I decided to order them without trying them personally. Now I really regret it. THE GOOD (let's start with that) - 4D Arms: You get 4D arms, which you don't typically find on cheaper chairs. There is nothing more to say here. Comes Assembled: It came pre-assembled packed in a giant box and it was great. However, note that the box was so big that I didn't have space to keep it in my apartment (in case I wanted to return the chair) and I had to throw it out right after I took the chair out and made sure everything The levers work and nothing was broken SO IS: - Armrests: They're 4D so it's good, but other than that they don't need much. They are made of thin and hard plastic, so they are not very comfortable, especially for long-term use. Aside from the fixed height, the 4D's armrests don't hold their position well. If you adjust your seating position by leaning on the armrests, the armrest is likely to move or rotate, and I'm by no means a heavy guy. Because of this, I often remount the armrests as they move a lot. Lumbar Support: The lumbar support is a horizontal bar that can be adjusted up and down. You do this by pushing/pulling the left and right sides of the bar up and down. However, they don't move smoothly and require a lot of effort, so it's difficult to make small adjustments and it's hard to tell if the left and right sides are level. Overall, though, I find it doesn't offer that much support. This is not a contoured back brace, it is simply a bar that moves up and down. POOR build quality: When I first got the chair the build quality seemed pretty good. The armrests don't rattle and the casters roll very smoothly across the floor. But as soon as I sat down, I noticed the first big problem. There seems to be some play between the seat base and the gas cylinder, hence it makes a loud creaking noise when I move in the chair. It makes noise when I sit down or stand up. It also makes noise when I change my position on the seat. This raises some concerns about the lifespan of this chair. The seat is not flat: This is my biggest criticism of this chair. The seat sides are folded up. I find this uncomfortable during long sitting sessions. I bought this chair for home use so I don't wear shoes and occasionally cross my legs in the chair. But when I sit for a long time, my hip joints hurt because of the curvature of the seat. The backrest tension isn't very adjustable: that's also quite uncomfortable. Backrest tension is not fully adjustable but has 3 preset levels. The handle for this is very cool as it is adjustable on the side of the chair and securely attached in 3 levels. But the inability to adjust tension is pretty terrible for a $400 chair. The three settings are unlocked, tightened unlocked and fully locked. Fully enclosed, as you would expect, it's like sitting on a wooden dining room chair. When unlocked, it reclines with very little weight. So higher tension (medium setting) is probably the only setting you will use, so I hope you enjoy the default tension. For me, the default voltage level isn't quite right. On a cheap chair, this is easily remedied by adjusting the tension. I'm stuck in this $400 chair and can't adjust. Understand. Conclusion: I regret spending $400 on this chair. Due to the shape of the seat, it hurts me to sit on it for a long time. Creaking noises are also annoying. If there is an opportunity to return this I will definitely be back. However, I no longer have the original box either, as it was too gigantic to keep in an apartment.