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- Comfortable mesh seat and back
- Supportive lumbar support
- Adjustability not always intuitive
- Quite expensive
Ergonomic furniture brand FlexiSpot might be best known for its range of height-adjustable desks, but it also manufactures sofas, armchairs and office chairs, as well as beds, fitness machines, storage solutions and more.
I tested FlexiSpot’s now-discontinued BS1B office chair in 2022 and, while I found it a pleasure to sit on during the initial review period, I was disappointed to discover it started creaking after a few months. So, I was initially sceptical about the build quality of the FlexiSpot C7 that I’m reviewing here.
However, I’ve found the C7 both comfortable and supportive, even if its adjustable features are sometimes less than intuitive.
What do you get for the money?
There are two iterations of this office chair available: the Base (BS14) model, which has a list price of £340, and the Wave (C7) model, which starts at £360. I was sent the latter, with footrest included (a £20 optional addition), taking your total spend to £380.
Both the seat and the backrest are upholstered in a mesh fabric that feels a bit corduroy-like. Adjustments include the usual seat height and backrest tilt (with five locking positions and a tilt tension knob). You’ve also got fully adjustable arms (which can be rotated 360 degrees and adjusted in height and depth), adjustable lumbar support, seat depth adjustment and an adjustable headrest.
As I mentioned above, I tested the model with a footrest included. The only other office chair I’ve tested that offers a footrest is the Boulies EP460, and I found it to be a rather flimsy addition. The C7’s footrest doesn’t feel that much more sturdy, though I appreciate that it’s made with the same mesh fabric as the rest of the chair rather than solid plastic.
What did we like?
The FlexiSpot C7 is comfortable. At around 51cm wide at the front and 49cm wide at the back, the seat is spacious, and the adjustable lumbar support feels supportive yet cushioned. What’s more, FlexiSpot has also included a small cover for those who find the lumbar support too firm. I found this a bit warm and also rather awkward to strap to the chair, but it’s a thoughtful touch nonetheless.
The armrests are quite plasticky, but they aren’t so hard that they’re uncomfortable to rest your elbows on. And while I personally don’t care for office chair headrests, the one included with the C7 feels comfortable, and you can adjust both the height of it and its angle.
In fact, the C7 offers every adjustment option I look for from a good ergonomic office chair. Bonus points go to the armrests that can be rotated 360 degrees.
What could be improved?
The FlexiSpot C7 is a pricey option for what it offers. The model I reviewed is over £100 more expensive than similar chairs I consider “good value”, including the Slouch Task One and the Sihoo M57.
And, although I’ve not had any problems with the C7 during my time with it, the creaking issues I experienced with the FlexiSpot BS1B leave me a little wary about it as a near-£400 investment. However, it would be unfair to condemn it based on the failings of another (and cheaper, I might add) product.
My main issue with the FlexiSpot C7 is how difficult it can be to adjust. Tweaking the seat height and back rest tilt is easy enough, though the lever for the latter can be a bit stiff, and I found I had to study the instructions a few times to work out what everything does.
Adjusting the lumbar support is more bothersome: the plastic switch that’s used to adjust the height of the lumbar support is situated in a very awkward position between the mesh of the support and the back of the chair’s frame. This means that you have to blindly reach behind you for the switch or get off the chair. Neither is ideal, but once I’d got used to it, I found the former the preferred method. Thankfully, the lever to adjust the tilt of the lumbar support is much more conveniently located towards the right-hand side of the backrest.
Should you buy the FlexiSpot C7 office chair?
The FlexiSpot C7 is comfortable and supportive, which are the key priorities for an ergonomic office chair. Its mesh fabric is ideal for those who get too warm sitting on a foam seat all day, and it’s adjustable in all of the ways you could reasonably expect.
That said, making some of those adjustments should be a lot easier than it is, and this awkwardness holds it back from a higher rating. I can’t understand why the lumbar support height adjustment lever was put in such an inconvenient spot.
If you’re looking for a more affordable (and easier to use) office chair, my top recommendation would be the Slouch Task One. And for a list of fantastic options for every budget and use case, check out our roundup of the best office chairs.
