Ergonomic chairs can be found just about everywhere online. The biggest problem that exists is most companies will label chairs “ergonomic” when in fact they are not. That term can be loosely thrown around and can really mislead a lot of customers into buying a chair that does not work for them. Below, I will be reviewing a true ergonomic chair that will not break the bank. The Eurotech 4x4SL is a fully loaded ergonomic office chair with every possible adjustment. The chair also comes with some drawbacks.
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Eurotech History
Since 1979, Eurotech seating has specialized in offering high quality items with one of the fastest order processing times in the industry. Eurotech also operates and distributes furniture worldwide. They offer furniture lines geared towards ergonomic efficiency and they have become leaders in ergonomic seating.
Specifications
Overall Size: 29.5″W x 26″D x 37-43.5″H
Seat: 20″W x 19″D x 3″ Thick
Seat Height: 18-21.5″
Back: 19″W x 20″H x 3″ Thick
Weight: 60 lbs
Rated for 250 lbs
Eurotech 4x4SL Price
$293.50 + Free Shipping
Features
Contoured cushions
Tilt Tension Control
Center-Tilt
Tilt Lock
Back Angle Adjustment
Seat Height Adjustment
Waterfall Seat
Forward Seat Tilt
Seat Depth Adjustment
Width Adjustable Arms
Arm Height Adjustment
Seat Angle Adjustment
Ratchet Back Height Adjustment
Upholstery
The Eurotech 4×4 chair is available in four standard fabric colors. They include black, burgundy, charcoal and navy. The 4×4 series is also available in a leather version which has a different item number 4x4LE – LM59802A. Eurotech offers a custom upholstery program called “Fabrix” which allows the chair to be customized in 100’s of in stock upholsteries.
Delivery And Assembly
Eurotech does a great job getting all of their chairs out within 48 hours of the order being processed. Transit time can be anywhere from one to three business days depending on your location. The great news is they have warehouses in California and Maryland cutting down on overall transit time. Assembly will take approximately 15 minutes, but the parts are lightweight and will be easy to maneuver. All assembly tools are included; these consist of two different sized allen wrenches.
Eurotech 4x4SL Warranty
Eurotech offers one of the best mid market furniture warranties in the industry. They explain everything without leaving anything up for interpretation. All parts are covered for the life of the chair (if you hold onto your receipt) and fabric is covered for five years. If anything were to fail Raynor would send out the parts at no charge.
Initial impressions
My first impression of the 4×4 chair was that it looks similar to most standard office chairs on the market. Maybe this is why it is hard for consumers to tell the difference between something that is ergonomic or just your everyday office chair offered by Staples. Once I sat in the chair, I realized all of the capabilities this chair really has to offer. It has five levers on the side of the chair all used for different ergonomic adjustments. After testing out all of the adjustments, I was pleased with the ergonomic support this chair offers. Below I will be discussing what I like and what can be improved on the chair.
What I like about this chair?
Infinite Tilt Lock
This chair is truly remarkable when it comes to the back angle adjustment. Very few chairs offer infinite back tilt and infinite tilt lock. This means users can lock the back anywhere they want when the back is tilted. Most chairs that have tilt lock offer only a few predetermined locking positions. Since all users are not the same size, predetermined back tilt positions may not fit everyone.
Forward/90 degree Back Tilt
To put this in perspective, 90% or more of the office chairs we sell do not have forward backrest tilt or a back that can be locked upright at a perfect 90 degree angle. We get customers requesting this feature all of the time. The 4×4 chair is special because it not only it locks at 90 degrees, but the chair features a forward tilt which will take you well past the 90 degree point/mark. This feature is nice because it allows the user to sit upright which is the ergonomically correct way to sit. When a chair back is angled even slightly over 90 degrees some people will find it hard to sit upright and will begin to slouch.
Seat Depth Adjustment
I have mentioned the importance of the seat depth adjustment in past reviews. A truly ergonomic chair will feature a seat depth adjustment. Without this feature, users will have a hard time finding the perfect fit. This is one of the most valuable adjustments available on an office chair because the seat can be adapted to help fit multiple users.
Height/Width Adjustable Arms
In today’s world, height adjustable arms are almost expected on all office chairs; however, this chair also comes with a width adjustment for the arms. This will help those that want to use the armrests for typing, no matter what the width of your shoulders is.
Value for Price
For a chair under $300, the 4×4 series offers all of the adjustments typically seen on $1,000+ chairs. Sure, the chair parts may not be heavy duty, but the chair does offer every adjustment possible. Most manufacturers will skimp on the adjustments to keep the price down, but Raynor offers all of the adjustments at a very reasonable price.
Warranty
In our recent post Top Five Office Chair Warranties, Eurotech was featured for having one of the best warranties in the seating industry. In fact, at this price point you would be hard pressed to find a better warranty. Eurotech offers a lifetime warranty on the parts (casters, mechanism, armrests, etc.) and a period of five years on the foam/upholstery. All you need is your proof of purchase and they send you the parts. We’ve done business with them since 2005 and their warranty support has been excellent since day one.
What can be improved?
Chair Parts/Components
The chair parts used for this chair are similar to other $300 chairs on the market. The base is plastic, the arm pads are made from polyurethane, and the design of the standard upholstery is fairly average. The good news is that the most important part of the chair was well invested in. The mechanism, which holds all of the chair adjustments, is what gives this chair its good value.
Lack of Lumbar Support
This chair back is contoured and is meant to offer lumbar support; however, the shape of the back still doesn’t offer enough support to make much of a difference. The lack of good lumbar support found on chairs that only utilize the natural curve of the backrest is something that was recently mentioned in our Top Five Chairs For Lower Back Pain. I had to raise the back to the exact point of where that lumber “contour” is cut out. Even then it was fairly unnoticeable.
Cheap Arms Caps
Even though I really like the adjustable arms, I do not like the arm pads. They are undersized for me and more firm than I typically like. In my opinion, comfortable arm pads will typically have some soft give to them, but these are just really hard to the touch and almost plastic like.
Fabric Design
The upholstery colors and design leave a lot to be desired. I am not a fan of the standard colors they offer, but this can be expected when buying a chair under $300. They have to cut costs somewhere and offering a better design would increase the price of the chair. I do like the leather upholstery they offer on the 4x4LE.
Chair Size
I am 6’ 1” and the chair does not have a large enough back to fully make contact with my shoulders. The good news is that Eurotech makes a version of this chair in a high back which I would recommend for anyone over 5’ 10”.
Final Thoughts
Overall, the Eurotech 4×4 SL chair is one of the best values when it comes to shopping for an ergonomic desk chair. The chair may look like a standard edition office chair; however, it offers the same adjustments as chairs that sell for two or three times as much money. For those taller individuals, the 4x4XL will offer a larger back which will add to the overall comfort and back support. Those looking for nicer upholstery will want to consider the 4x4LE in leather which is my personal favorite. If you are shopping in the $300-$400 price range, I would highly recommend considering the 4×4 series.
