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Home Home & Office

I’ve put off buying a new office chair, but this one changed my mind

The Boulies Elite Max is the ultimate productivity booster, and it’s full of comfort.

Written by Adrian Kingsley-Hughes, Contributing Writer on

I needed a new office chair for quite a while and I’d put it off for long enough because finding an office chair that ticks all the boxes is hard. By the time you’ve bought it, assembled it, and sat in it for long enough to find out that it doesn’t tick all the boxes, well, it’s my problem then.

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Then, thanks to a PR contact, I came across a brand I’d not previously encountered, called Boulies. After a bit of umming and ahhing, and some back and forth, I decided to give one of their office chairs a try.

And I don’t regret it.

ZDNET RECOMMENDS

Boulies Elite Max 2024

Packed with everything you’d expect from a high-end office chair, this is a durable, ergonomic “gaming” chair that’s perfect for the office or home office.

View at Boulies

Boulies Elite Max 2024 tech specs

Upholstery: Boulies ultraflex leather (with partial perforated) + microfiber suede Boulies W/R fabric + microfiber
Frame: Extra strong steel frame
Base: Five-star foot aluminum base
Foam: 100% cold-cure foam
Tilt: Multi-tilt mechanism
Casters: 6cm PU casters
Hydraulics: Class 4 (Top Class) gas lift
Features: 360-degree swivel, seat height adjustable, full-length backrest recline, 15-degree rocking, tilt position lock, and armrest that is adjustable in eight ways.

Before I go further, let me explain what boxes I want an office chair to tick.

It needs to be easy to assemble.
It needs to be comfortable.
It needs to be durable.

It’s not a lot to ask for, but finding a chair that delivers all that is a lot harder than you think.

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The chair I went for was the Elite Max 2024, listed as an ergonomic “gaming” chair. It’s constructed from high-end materials and has a high-end feel.

OK, let’s roll back to the beginning. As is the case with almost all office chairs, the Elite Max 2024 is delivered in bits.

Bits you have to assemble.

In order to give this chair the best test possible, I put it together using the tools provided. It’s all too easy to leave those and turn to the toolbox, but most people are going to assemble their chairs using the tools provided, and if those tools are poor quality, this is where your pain begins.

The Elite Max 2024 was a snap to put together. The instructions were clear and easy to follow (yes, I read the instructions), the screws, nuts, and bolts were all present and correct (there were even a few spares in case one rolled off into the void), and the tools were up to the. In less than 15 minutes, my pile of parts had been successfully transformed into a chair.

Also: Office chairs vs. gaming chairs: Does it really matter?

And this chair is packed with everything you’d expect and more. 360-degree swivel, seat height adjustment, lockable tilt mode, fully-reclining backrest, and an eight-way adjustable armrest.

I particularly like the armrests. I’ve had chairs with armrests before, but none that offer the adjustment that these do. I can set them in the perfect Goldilocks position to support my body.

Closeup of the fully adjustable armrest — The fully adjustable armrest is one of the best I’ve seen on an office chair.

Boulies

The Elite Max 2024 also came with a comfortable head and lumbar pillow, a nice touch.

The steel frame, aluminum base, what feels like acres of luxurious upholstery, powerful gas lift, and big, smooth castors all give this a high-end premium free.

It’s a solid chair.

A beast.

I’ve been sitting in this chair a lot over the past couple of months, and I’m pleased to discover that it’s as good as it was the day I assembled it. I’m a big guy, and when not out and about, I like sitting — a lot — and this is a good superpower to have when you’re testing a chair’s durability.

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All the levers and castors still do their stuff, the upholstery is like new, and I’ve not had a single problem with it.

I know that it’s super cliché to say that something is “too good,” but this chair is so good that I find myself spending more time in it than perhaps I need to.

Two months is nothing in the life of a good office chair, but I feel like I’ve given the Boulies Elite Max 2024 a decent enough test.

Does it tick all the boxes?

Yes. It passes with flying colors. I’m not just pleased with this chair, it’s gone above and beyond what I was expecting from it.

At $420, it’s not a cheap chair, but spread over the lifespan that a chair like this offers, it comes down to a few cents a day. Boulies does offer the Elite 2024 for $350, and the Elite 2022 for $300, so there are more budget-conscious choices available.