Today, I will be reviewing the Concept Seating 3142 chair. A close relative to the Concept Seating 3150HR chair. This very well built, heavy duty chair, has some of the same features as the 3150HR chair. Overall, it is fundamentally different and has very unique set of features. Let’s take a look at what this chair has to offer and let you decide on which control room chair to go with.
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Concept Seating 3142 Specifications
Overall Size: 21-26”W x 18.-21”D x 43.5”-47.5”H
Seat Dimensions: 20.5”W x 19”D
Seat Height: 16”-21.5”
Back Height: (to top of back): 25″H
Back Height: (to top of headrest): 31”H
Arm Height Range: 7 Positions 3.5” of travel
Arm Width Range: 2.5” Each Arm
Base Diameter: 28” and 7 leg configuration
Chair Weight: 103 lbs.
Weight Rating: 550 lbs.
Rated for 24/7 Multi-Shift Use
Concept Seating 3412 Features
Cut Away Sides
Seat Height Adjustment
Seven Position Tilt Lock
Seven Leg Base
Dymetrol Suspension Seat
Safety Casters
Replaceable Covers
Best Warranty in the Industry
Adjustable Swing Away Arms or Adjustable C Arms
3142 Starting Price in 2024 – $1,870.69 (Buy on BTOD)
Changing upholstery or arms will change the price. There is also the option to add a partial ring footrest for and additional $115.38.
3142 Upholstery Options
The 3142 chair is available in three upholstery types: Fabric, Faux Leather (vinyl) and real leather. Fabric colors are black, burgundy, navy or slate. The faux leather is available in black. The real leather is available in black, burgundy, navy, and firebrick red. Concept seating offers some of the most durable upholsteries on the market; however, their color selection leaves more to be desired. With that said, these chairs are not meant to be stylish but more utilitarian/practical.
| Fabric (Black, Burgundy, Navy and Slate) | Standard |
| Faux Leather/Vinyl | + $130.76 |
| Leather | + $261.53 |
Arm Options
| No Arms | Standard |
| Loop Arms | No additional charge |
| Swing “T” Arms | + $52.30 |
Delivery and Assembly
The manufacturing time for the 3142 chair is 5-7 business days. Transit time can be up to four days depending on where it is being shipped. Smaller orders of 1-2 chairs will ship FedEx ground and that means it will be delivered straight to your office or suite. Larger orders for three chairs or more will ship on a LTL freight truck. This can be dropped off at the loading dock or back of the truck if the building does not have a dock. If you need inside delivery please arrange this with the dealer before completing the order.
The 3142 chair is shipped knocked down or unassembled. Concept Seating is one of the only high end 24/7 chair manufacturers shipping their chairs ground. This can be a huge advantage when receiving deliveries from a freight carrier is not an option. The downside is that you will have to assemble the chair.
Concept Seating 3142 Warranty
The 3142 chair comes standard with a six year warranty which covers all moving parts and upholstery. If something were to break or stop working, Concept Seating would send out free replacement parts. The end user would be responsible for changing out the parts.
Initial Impression
When the 3142 chair first arrived, my initial thoughts were that the chair looks like it is built with high quality, heavy duty parts. The first thing I saw was the seven leg base with a very nice industrial finish. Chairs bases are typically just painted or chrome which start to fade or scratch over time. Just by looking at it I can tell the base will stand the test of time, no matter what it goes through. Another thing that stood out to me was the tight stitching on the upholstery. I could see that not a single thread was out of place nor did it have any loose, sagging material. In some of the less expensive chairs that I have seen, the finer details and careful production can sometimes be overlooked for cost savings. There were some details I was skeptical about. The cut out sides and the really tall back with headrest did not look appealing to me. This also made me think about how those details on the chair might make the seat uncomfortable; however, I have never sat in a chair with that exact shape, so I was not sure what to expect.
What do I like about the 3142 chair?
Seat Design
One thing I really like about the Concept Seating Chair is the seat support. The 3142 chair, as well as the 3150HR chair, are uniquely built and this is noticeable on the seat. The best way I can describe it is that floating feeling you get when sitting on a hammock. This chair does not use the typical seat cushion or springs for support. Instead it uses a strong mesh (dymetrol) to keep you free floating and relieves all of the pressure points that accompany sitting on a cushioned seat for extended periods of time. This is not the standard mesh you see on office chairs that stretch out over time and do not contract back to the original form. This seat mesh, located under the upholstery, conforms to the person using it. When it is not in use, the mesh contracts back to normal, keeping its strength.
Bucket Seat (back and seat are connected)
I am used to sitting in the 3150HR chair where the back reclines by itself and the seat does not move at the same rate (2:1 ratio). The 3142 chair is built completely different. The seat and the back are connected, which can create a “bucket” seat. This means when the chair rocks back, the seat follows at the same angle. I had no idea what I was missing until I rocked back in the chair. I was amazed at how much support the bucket seat offers your back as well as the rest of the body. When rocking back, the chair can support all of your weight. If they were not connected, all of your weight would be concentrated towards the seat. For those working long hours, the bucket seat may offer welcomed relief from the long daily grind.
Back Angle
One feature of this chair, that 99% of chairs don’t have is a back that can be angled straight up and down or slightly forward. When the back is straight up and down, your body will be forced to sit in a position that is ergonomically correct. If you have a chair that slightly leans back when in the lock position, your body will slowly slide down and you will be forced to keep yourself up through out the day. I am definitely guilty of slouching when sitting in my office chair, but after sitting in the concept seating chairs, I can appreciate being forced to sit up straight.
Warranty
Concept Seating offers one of the best all-inclusive dispatch chair warranties on the market. You can tell they stand behind their products because they cover everything on the chair for six years, including the upholstery. Most manufacturers warranties will be all over the place, covering upholstery for one year or the cylinder for only a couple years. What I like is that they don’t dance around the subject of a warranty or try to hide it in fine print and call it a “limited” warranty, which can be up for interpretation, typically in the manufacturers’ favor.
Shipping
All I have to say is free ground shipping! That is a big plus for the consumer because the chair will be brought up to your specific suite or even to the front door of a home. Most 24/7 chairs ship on a pallet, which are delivered on a very large LTL/Freight truck. When something ships on a pallet, customers are always responsible to take the chair off the truck and bring it inside. Delivery can sometimes make or break a purchase, depending on if the end user is able to receive the order. It is not common that a chair this large can ship Fedex Ground.
C-Loop Armrests
When it comes to arms, this chair has a couple of options. The arms I really like to use are the C-Loop Arms. Not only are these arms height adjustable but they are width adjustable as well. The best part is the natural curvature at the end of the arms; it really helps offer an ergonomic sit/arm position. The rounded arms allow your wrist to fall naturally onto a keyboard tray/mouse.
What are my concerns about the 3142 chair?
Bucket Seat Continued
Now I don’t want to contradict myself about how much I liked the bucket seat because I really do like it. As comfortable as the bucket seat design is, I instantly missed the seat depth adjustment that the concept seating 3150HR comes with. Because of the chair design the seat depth cannot be changed, but this detail must be considered when choosing a chair. The seat depth allows you to find the right seat depth for a users height or multiple users’ heights. This may need to be adjusted to fit you correctly in the legs. When I sit in the 3142 chair, I could tell right away that my seat could use an adjustment. When I sat up straight in the chair, there isn’t enough contact made with my legs. Moving the seat forward would solve that issue.
Another negative about the bucket seat design is that when you lean back in your chair, the seat will pull your legs upward with the rest of the chair. If your feet do not remain flat on the floor this can create intense pressure on the back of the legs.
Back Rest/Headrest
Being able to adjust the back height is also something I miss from other chairs i’ve sat in. This chair is designed with a one piece back, with a headrest at the top. This means there is no ability to adjust for multiple users. The bucket seat is kind of a one size fits all situation. The only adjustable part on this chair was the seat height and the arms.
The headrest does not serve much of a purpose when you sit up straight. I physically had to lean my head back just to make contact with the headrest. Now, if you are leaned back in full recline, this headrest did offer support; the chair made full contact with my back and head.
Swing T Armrests
I have mixed feelings about the swing t arms that concept seating has to offer. The fact that the arms can swing out of the way is great and can be useful. They are height and width adjustable which is also good; however, the shape of the actual arm pad can make typing and using your mouse a real pain. Unlike the C Loop arms I mentioned above, these arm pads were flat with no curvature. It forces your wrists into being straight rather than angled downward, which is considered proper ergonomic posture. Typing on the straight arms rests really makes the wrist area stiff, which more than likely means the blood flow is being restricted..
The swing T arms also block the tilt lock button found on the mechanism. It is still accessible; however it is a definite design flaw.
Final Thoughts
Overall the 3142 chair is a solid and reliable chair with a six warranty to back it up. The way the seat is built and the back angle made this a very comfortable sit; however the bucket seat design is not meant for everyone and has its share of drawbacks. If you like your chair to be adjustable you may have to look elsewhere, such as the Concept Seating 3150HR. If you are looking to lean back and relax during those long work shifts, this chair will be the best option to fully support your body.
For more questions about the Concept Seating line and other 24/7 chairs, please contact sales at btod.com or call 866-733-0698 option 1.
