One of the most overlooked high-end ergonomic office chairs is the Nightingale CXO. I still remember seeing the CXO for the first time at a tradeshow called NeoCon, in Chicago. We were very impressed by the overall quality of the entire Nightingale brand and were happy with the opportunity to add their products to our website. A CXO Chair was shipped to our office after becoming an authorized dealer and I have been using it extensively ever since. I would estimate my usage to be close to 20,000 hours. I am happy to share my experience with the CXO Chair in this review.
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Nightingale CXO 6200 Review Links
- Nightingale History
- Price
- Specs
- Features
- Options
- Upholstery
- Delivery / Assembly
- Warranty
- Build
- What I Like
- What I Don’t Like
- Final Thoughts
Nightingale Chairs History
Nightingale is a Canadian based seating company that was founded in 1928. They specialize in ergonomic task seating, but also manufacture executive, guest and lobby chairs. Nightingale has a companywide focus on developing high quality products. Many of their chairs have their own patent or are design registered. They also have what they call their Innovation Lab, which is a team dedicated to coming up with innovative new products. Nightingale is also a company with the rare GREENGUARD Gold certification on their chairs.
2024 Pricing $2,323.99 (Buy on BTOD)
The CXO is a high end ergonomic chair and this is shown in the price. Nightingale didn’t skimp on parts quality anywhere on the chair, so there are no areas to cut costs, like many other models do. The build quality, adjustability and high weight rating are all reasons why the price is going to be around the $1,900 mark.
CXO 6200 Specs
Overall Size: 26-29”W x 22-24”D x 37.5”-42.5”H
Seat Dimensions: 21”W x 22-24”D x 16”-21”H
Chair Height with Headrest: 42.5”-48”H
Back Dimensions: 22”W x 23”H
Distance Between Arms: 17”-20.5”W
Chair Weight: 85 lbs.
Weight Rating: 350 lbs.
Rated for Single Shift (8 hours per day, 40 per week)
CXO 6200 Features
Mesh backrest with ABLEX patterned weave
Adjustable lumbar support with ENERSORB foam (up/down, in/out)
Multi-Functional armrests (up/down, in/out, forward/backward)
Thick padded ENERSORB foam seat
Synchronous knee-tilt mechanism with slow seat and back release
Tilt tension control
Multi-position tilt lock
Pneumatic seat height adjustment
Seat depth adjustment
Five star aluminum base with anti-slip threads
2” carpet casters
TB117-2013, ISO 14001, ISO 9001
Additional Options
Optional adjustable headrest with ENERSORB foam for extra charge
Optional polished aluminum frame for extra charge
Optional 2” soft tile casters for extra charge
Optional Task Intensive 24/7 rating for extra charge
Optional Heavy Duty 450 lbs. rating for extra charge
Nightingale CXO Upholstery
Nightingale offers an extensive line of several hundred fabrics available on the CXO chair. They currently have eight different fabric grades, plus a real leather line. The eight different fabric grades offer a wide selection, from basic polyester fabrics to mesh to vinyl. This amount of versatility makes it easy for designers to give their customers a custom look. It is also great for specialty applications, like labs, to find a vinyl strong enough to hold up. All upholstery options above a grade 1 will have an extra charge per chair.
Delivery and Assembly
The standard lead time for the CXO chair is 10 business days. Your chair will arrive via LTL freight. Due to the size of the box used, the CXO cannot ship FedEx or UPS Ground. Standard delivery will be made to your loading dock or the nearest curb. If you need special services, like a lift gate or inside delivery, contact your authorized dealer prior to ordering. This way arrangements can be made with Nightingale. Additional charges will apply for these special services.
The assembly for the CXO chair is extremely easy. Almost everything is pre-assembled for you. You will need to drop the cylinder into the chair base and place the plastic cylinder cover over the cylinder. Next, you set the chair on top of the cylinder. If you purchased the optional headrest, then you will need to install the headrest by attaching it with two screws and then snapping on a plastic cover, so the screws cannot be seen.
Tip: We recommend having two people place the chair on top of the cylinder. The chair weighs 85 pounds total, so lifting the chair onto the cylinder will be much easier with someone there to help.
CXO 6200 Warranty
The CXO warranty only applies to the original purchaser and proof of purchase from an authorized dealer will be required to file a claim. Once your claim is approved, your chair will be handled with one of two remedies. The first is that Nightingale will send replacement parts. You will be responsible for the shipping costs for the parts and for replacing the parts. The second remedy is used if Nightingale deems that more significant labor will be required. In this situation they will allow for a paid, 3rd party technician to be hired at an hourly rate of $20. All shipping charges, plus labor charges beyond $20 per hour, will be your responsibility.
Standard CXO Build
| Product | Length of Coverage | Weight Limit | Shift Usage |
| Non-Moving Metal Parts | Lifetime | 350 lbs. | Single Shift |
| Mechanism, Components and Plastic Shells | 10 Years | 350 lbs. | Single Shift |
| Upholstery | 5 Years | 350 lbs. | Single Shift |
Task Intensive 24/7 CXO Build
| Product | Length of Coverage | Weight Limit | Shift Usage |
| Non-Moving Metal Parts | Lifetime | 350 lbs. | 24/7 |
| Mechanism, Components and Plastic Shells | 5 Years | 350 lbs. | 24/7 |
| Upholstery | 2 Years | 350 lbs. | 24/7 |
Heavy Duty CXO Build
| Product | Length of Coverage | Weight Limit | Shift Usage |
| Non-Moving Metal Parts | Lifetime | 450 lbs. | Single Shift |
| Mechanism, Components and Plastic Shells | 5 Years | 450 lbs. | Single Shift |
| Upholstery | 2 Years | 450 lbs. | Single Shift |
What do I like about the Nightingale CXO 6200?
Padded Seat
The seat on the CXO is my favorite feature. The seat is very thick and features Nightingale’s ENERSORB foam, which feels similar to a Tempur-Pedic style of sit. The seat feels as though it is contouring to you specifically. While standard foams will eventually start to sink or bottom out, I have not noticed this effect with the ENERSORB, in the thousands of hours I have spent in the CXO.
Note: ENERSORB foam will harden when cooled. If you live in a cool climate and your office turns down the heat overnight, then it may take an hour or so for the foam to warm and soften.
Lumbar Support
A good lumbar support system is something that is typically lacking on a mesh back chair, which is why designs like the Ergohuman chair have been so popular. This is not a problem for the CXO. You are able to adjust the lumbar vertically, which is great for positioning it right on the small of your back. The best feature is your ability to adjust the lumbar in and out, making it more or less pronounced, depending on your preference. Another little detail that actually makes quite the difference is that the lumbar is padded with ENERSORB, so it does not feel hard when touching your back. This is one of the better lumbar support systems I have seen on an office chair.
Armrests
The CXO armrests are soft with a very large surface area. The rounded edges are much more
comfortable than squared off edges found on a lot of task chairs. The best thing about the arms is their adjustability. The arms adjust vertically by pressing and releasing a button. They also adjust in width with a ratchet system. The arms caps are controlled by two separate buttons that allow them to swivel or adjust from front to back.
Note: Due to the weight of the CXO and ratchet armrest system, I recommend always moving your chair by holding onto the backrest. I sometimes make the mistake of trying to move my CXO by grasping the armrest, which will make me extend the arm to its maximum width with the ratchet system.
Build Quality
The quality of build coming from this Canadian company is among the best I have seen. Everything on the CXO screams quality. From the durable, hard plastics to the soft upholstery to the smooth functions; this chair truly is among the best ergonomic chairs on the market. This chair is also a tank, coming in at 85 pounds, which in another indicator that only the best materials were used when manufacturing the CXO.
Versatility
The CXO can be used for a lot of different applications. The huge adjustment range and 350 lbs standard weight rating allows for a wide spectrum of users to be comfortable. The task intensive addition can convert the chair into a 24/7 chair for dispatch or call centers. The incredible upholstery selection also makes this a great chair for offices, industrial spaces and healthcare facilities.
What are my concerns?
Price
The price of the CXO is without question the biggest downside. A $1,900 price tag is not an option for a large percentage of people shopping for an ergonomic chair. Once a chair gets into this price range, it is competing against the highest quality products by the most well-known brands, so there is a lot of very good competition out there for the CXO.
Warranty
In most situations, I would consider a limited lifetime warranty with 10 years on components and 5 years on fabrics to be a great warranty. The problem is that the CXO is in the same ballpark as chairs like the Aeron by Herman Miller, Freedom by Humanscale and Leap by Steelcase, due to its very high price point. These other manufacturers are providing full service warranties with no shipping, labor or parts costs to their customers.
Nightingale is not willing to pick the chair up and have it repaired in the factory, like their competitors do for no charge. The CXO is a complicated chair and the average user may have a difficult time replacing its parts. Customers that need repairs that go above and beyond Nightingale shipping out replacements, may find themselves in an even tougher spot than simply trying to replace a part. Finding a service technician that is qualified to fix a CXO in your area may be a tough task. Finding one for less than $20 an hour is going to make it even more difficult.
Shipping
Nightingale’s inability to ship the CXO chair FedEx or UPS ground, due to the size of the box, will be a problem for some customers. Most customers that order a single office chair expect it to be delivered inside or to the door, but a CXO will arrive on a semi-truck and the driver is not responsible for delivering it inside or to the door, unless you paid extra for that service. Another problem is that some locations are simply unable to accept a freight truck delivery, which means that a CXO is not an option.
Not so great for tall people
The CXO has a fantastic standard weight rating of 350 lbs, with an option to make it heavy duty to support 450 lbs. This large weight rating, 21” wide seat and width adjustable armrests, make this a nice option for wide or heavy individuals. The mid back backrest, with no back-height adjustment and only a standard cylinder height option, make this a subpar chair for tall people. Even though the CXO has a seat depth adjustment to help accommodate taller users, I do not think it is enough to make up for the other areas that are lacking for tall people.
Headrest
I have had one recurring issue with my headrest since I have had the chair. The two screws that are included for the headrest assembly do not come with washers. Every month or so, I need to re-tighten the screws or the headrest becomes wobbly.
Final thoughts
The CXO is a fantastic chair and is probably the most comfortable chair that I have sat in for an extended period of time. Although the price is on the high side, I think it is completely worth it. I have a ton of personal experience in this chair and during that time, everything has held up very nicely. It still functions as if it were brand new, which helps to temper my warranty concerns. This is a product that I recommend to customers on an almost daily basis and this in-depth review only strengthens my confidence in the Nightingale CXO chair.
