Today we will be taking a closer look at the Mogo Seat leaning chair by Focal Upright. The Mogo is a really unique standing chair. It is one of the least expensive standing desk chairs available. It is also the only standing chair I have found that can be used outdoors. While these unique features are attractive to a lot of people, the Mogo definitely has its downsides. This review will make sure to cover both the good and the bad of the Mogo Seat so that you are able to decide whether the it is the correct standing chair for you.

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Manufacturer

The Mogo Seat is a product by Focal Upright Furniture, LLC. Focal was founded in 2012 by Martin Keen. Martin Keen is an industrial designer most famous for his KEEN Footwear line of products. As someone who preferred to stand while he worked, he quickly found that there were few options to assist him with standing throughout the day. That’s when he decided to tackle the problem and the Focal line was born. Focal Upright is now one of the most recognizable brands in the active seating category.

In early 2016, the assets of Focal Upright Furniture, LLC were acquired by Safco Products. Safco Products has been doing business for about 50 years. They have a massive product offering which includes things like desks, chairs, organizers, training room furniture and many more applications.

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Focal™ Mogo Links

– Specs / Features / Pricing
– Colors
– Return Policy and Warranty
– Shipping and Assembly
– Build Quality
– Portability
– Seat Comfort
– Range of Motion
– Making Adjustments
– Ergonomics
– What I Like
– What I Don’t Like
– Bottom Line

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Country of Origin

China

Specifications

Seating Surface Size: 14.5″W x 8″D
Seat Height Range: 18.5” – 38”
Weight Capacity: 300 lbs.
Chair Weight: 2.5 lbs.
Shipping Weight: 6 lbs.

Features

Non-slip, easy-to-clean, contoured seat cushion
Indoor or outdoor use
Soft, durometer rubber foot works on non-slip, indoor surfaces
Reinforced-fiberglass turf tip keeps you stabilized on grass, dirt, and turf
Collapsible, compact, and portable design
Includes drawstring bag for easy carrying
Multiple notches for easy height adjustments

2024 Price  (Buy on Amazon)

Color Options

The Mogo Seat is available in red or black.

Return Policy

The Mogo Seat is sold through a network of authorized dealers. It is no longer sold directly by Focal on their website. This means that the return policy for your Mogo will be dictated by the authorized dealer you make the purchase from. Make sure to contact them prior to ordering to get their return policy.

Warranty

Safco offers a one year warranty on the Mogo Seat. This is among the shortest warranty periods I have seen on a standing chair. While the warranty period is shorter than most other standing chairs, I do think that it is adequate due to the simplicity of the design and the low price point.

Shipping

Most Mogo orders will ship within 48 hours. It will then arrive a few days later via FedEx or UPS ground. The Mogo arrives in a small box that weighs six pounds. It is well packaged, leaving very little chance for parts to be damaged.

Installation

The Mogo Seat arrives knocked down, the way you would use it to carry in the included bag. To use the Mogo, you just need to screw the leg into the seat. This only takes a few seconds.

Build Quality

The Mogo received one of the lowest build quality scores I have given to a standing chair. This is due to the simplistic design and basic parts. The Mogo does not have pneumatic seat height adjustment like the other standing chairs. Instead, it has a pin locking system with tubes that expand in both directions to provide a large height adjustment range. The tubes are made from anodized recycled aluminum.

The seat pan is made from fiberglass-reinforced nylon. The seat cushion is a thin EVA foam. The Mogo is also lacking a base. Instead, it has an attachment at the end of the aluminum leg that can be used with a round, rubber end or a spiked, plastic end for outdoor applications. While the parts are lower end, there is not a lot that can go wrong with the Mogo to make it unusable.

Portability

One of the biggest selling points for the Mogo Seat is that it is incredibly mobile. The whole chair only weighs 2.5 lbs. and can collapse down small enough to fit inside a small drawstring backpack that is included with the Mogo. It only takes a few seconds to re-attach the leg or to take it off and put the item in the bag. It can be used indoors or outdoors so it is a great option to take with you on the go.

Seat Comfort

The seat comfort on the Mogo is one of its biggest downsides. The sitting experience is very firm because the seat only has a thin piece of foam for padding. This really limits the amount of time you can sit on the Mogo before getting uncomfortable. I found the seat to be uncomfortable after about 30 minutes. Another problem with the seat comfort is that the seat is small. This limits the body types that can use this product. The seat is designed more for slim or athletic builds.

Range of Motion

There is a good range of motion on the Mogo. You are able to move in all directions. The only motion it lacks is the ability to bounce and I have only seen that on the Swopper. Since it lacks a base, the motion will be limited by your ability to stay balanced while changing your sitting angles. Some people will be able to tilt further than others before feeling uncomfortable or unbalanced.

Adjusting the Mogo

The only adjustment on the Mogo is height adjustment. It may be the only adjustment but the seat height range on the Mogo is the largest I have seen on a standing chair. It has an overall height adjustment range of 20” with 22 different predetermined heights to choose from. There are two pins on the pole that need to be pressed, which will allow you to slide the pole to be larger or smaller. Once you’ve found your preferred height, snap the pins into the closest holes. The seat height adjustment range goes low enough for you to use the chair in a normal sitting position with your knees at 90° which is not common on standing chairs.

Ergonomics

The Mogo Seat follows the same ergonomic principles as the VARIchair® and Muvman. You do not have a backrest, armrests or a thick padded seat. You are not meant to sit in the same position, with your knees and elbows at 90°, for multiple hours at a time. The Mogo is designed to keep your legs at an angle close to 135°. This helps to alleviate pressure on your lower back and hips. The Mogo also allows you to move around while staying in the chair. This gives you the ability to easily sway, fidget or reposition yourself if you get uncomfortable. Being able to move constantly helps to keep your muscles active which helps you stay alert and more engaged with your tasks.

Stability

One area of concern for most people is going the be the stability. When you first see the chair, it is tough to believe that the pole isn’t going to just slide out from under you. I did not find that to be the case. I certainly didn’t feel as stable as you would with a product that has a base but I felt comfortable using the Mogo. I did not ever feel like I was going to fall or that the pole was going to slide out from under me.

The end of the pole has two different attachments, depending on the application you are using the chair for. The first is going to be a round, rubber ball that has several ripples. This attachment is meant to be used indoors and will work on carpet or hard surfaces.

The second attachment has several plastic spikes in a circle pattern. This attachment is meant to be used in outdoor areas with grass or dirt. I found both attachments to be effective. I was able to test the outdoor attachment on grass as well as snow and it worked well. I would avoid slippery areas or areas with loose gravel though.

What Do I Like?

Great mobility

The mobility of the Mogo is my favorite feature. Being able to break it down to fit in a backpack really expands your options. It also weighs less than three pounds so you won’t have a problem carrying or holding it for long periods. This is a good option for all sorts of applications like offices, concerts or even a youth soccer game.

Wide adjustment range

The Mogo doesn’t have infinite position lock but he large adjustment range makes up for it. The Mogo allows for the largest range of people I have seen on a standing chair. The Mogo has the lowest minimum seat height while also having the second highest maximum seat height.

Good range of motion

The Mogo is not restricted by a base so your range of motion will only be limited by your ability to balance. If you don’t want to lean too far, you will still be able to move a little bit in all directions, which is a great place to start.

What Don’t I Like?

Uncomfortable seat

I found the seat on the Mogo to be uncomfortable after about 30 minutes, sometimes earlier. I didn’t like how the small, contoured seat forced me to sit in the seat in one specific way. The seat has almost no padding so not being able to move around on the seat itself was one of the main reasons why the seat was uncomfortable to me.

Not a good option for long hours at a time

The uncomfortable seat is a major reason why the Mogo is not a good option for long hours but it isn’t the only reason. The lack of armrests and a backrest are also big factors that make the Mogo difficult to use for long periods. It takes a lot of effort to maintain good posture without ever having anything to lean your back against or rest your arms on.

Can feel unstable

The lack of a base on the Mogo makes it a bit intimidating to try. There were a couple people in our office that were too scared to try it in fear of falling over. I thought that the Mogo felt stable while I was using it but some people won’t feel comfortable using a product without a base that provides a solid anchor point.

Lower end build quality

The basic parts on the Mogo Seat don’t have a lot that can go wrong but they are also not all built to last the long haul. Things like the rubber end will eventually wear out. Focal only covers the Mogo with a one year warranty period so it is important to understand that this chair may only last a couple years, or less, before you have to buy a replacement. The good news is that the replacement cost for the entire chair is only $79.

Bottom Line

After getting the opportunity to try out the Mogo, I think that it is a really cool product. Being able to pull it out of your trunk for things like a parade make it a very unique product in the world of leaning chairs. The uncomfortable seat and lower end build quality do not make it a practical option to replace your everyday office chair. The low price point, wide adjustment range and fantastic mobility make it a nice option for a wide range of people that are looking for a standing chair to use for short periods of time or for applications other than the office.

*QA Check 3/24/23