Ahh, not strictly tractor seat time eh. Ok, here goes.
I've spent so much time at my computer recently that my 6'+ 170lbs lard-bottom broke the frame of my computer chair. Spent a week on a hardpan kitchen type chair waiting on the new seat to arrive. Pure misery...
I didn't care if the new one had leather, fake leather, or fabric, just so long as the hinge was made differently and there was thick padding on the seat. I also prefer a high back chair I can rest my head when leaned back, but all the high back chairs were always too low. All my previous seats have had the same junky hinge assembly and padding that would fail in six months or less.
Started shopping and found all the chairs under $200, no matter where you buy them or what name is on them, they have the same junky base and hinge assemblies. The only real difference is the seat that is mounted on top of it.
One of my clients has a REALLY nice office chair, so one day I snuck a peek under it to see who made it. Searched 'em out on the web and all their chairs start at $1200 and go up to about $3000. Well out of my price range.
Continued my search, focusing on the hinge to find something different and ended up coming across what I think is the perfect computer chair, even if it is the most expensive chair I've ever bought. Comfort exceeds most recliners.
First thing I noticed, the hinge pivots at the front of the chair, rather than in the middle. This is great for two reasons; first is that when you lean back, the front edge of the chair doesn't raise up. That means it doesn't raise your feet off the floor and/or reduce circulation in your legs. Second, with the hinge at the front of the chair, the only real weight on the hinge is your legs and knees. Your bottom and the majority of your body weight is actually supported by the recline spring (sort of like many tractor seats).
Beyond that, the padding is thick and supportive. Think of a great grand touring car like a Mercedes or BMW. That is the sort of padding it has.
The base is a single piece of cast aluminum, polished to a shine. The armrests, which act as part of the framework to support the back are thick slabs of polished aluminum with thick padded bits for your elbows. You cannot dig your elbow in far enough to find a hard/uncomfortable position.
The back is TALL. It is a full 7" taller from the seat to the top of the headrest than my previous $179.99 Office Depot High-Back Executive Chair. My head can actually lay back on it comfortably when reclined.
What I ended up with also has real leather on all the touch points. The back and underside are covered with a fake leather. The real leather feels thick and of good grade, also much like a great grand touring car. To look at the fake leather, it doesn't appear any different than the real stuff as they did a great job of matching the grain and texture. You can feel the difference when you touch it side by side with the leather though.
As for what I don't like, isn't much. I can live with the few gripes. The chair is obviously made for someone bigger than me. I weigh 170lbs and with the recline spring at the lightest tension, it is more of a rocker than a recliner. I don't have enough top end weight to fully recline it. Other would be that my legs are the minimum length one would want, and I wear a 34" inseam on my pants. I have to keep it at the lowest setting to keep my feet on the floor. My final gripe is that it was made in China, but it seems you need to exceed the $1000 mark to find a US made seat.
If anyone else is looking for the same sort of chair for their computer-seat-time, I do highly recommend it.
Gates Genuine Leather Aluminum Base High Back Executive Chair | Zuri Furniture
