Review: Ergotune Supreme (ergonomic chair)

Big thanks to Ergotune, Singapore-based company, for sponsoring this chair for review.

Update Dec 2023: This Supreme model seems to be sold as Classic now. The new Supreme model has two piece back, and the Classic has one piece back.

I need to talk about my previous chair to give you some reference for comparison, so that you know what to look out for when getting a new computer or office chair, so that you can learn from my mistake.

I've spent months deciding which computer chair to buy before Ergotune contacted me to ask if I wanted to review their chair.

It's a gaming style chair with a high back which may look like it has some support for the lower back but it's actually a cushion back so you just sink in when lay back.

There's a head rest, not a neck rest. This is the reason why it's so difficult to sleep on air plane seats.

The fake PU leather is nice to touch and sit on but is not durable. The surface started peeling off from the second year leaving black flakes on my floor everyday.

If you want to get a chair, even if you want to get a chair for gaming, don't get a gaming chair. This chair cost me $260 and lasted only two years.

My old chair is now at a happier place.

So I've been searching for a new chair for months and I've decided this time I would spend a bit more money for something more durable. If you sit on a chair for one third of the day, getting a good chair is worth it This of course is me talking in hindsight. I've looked at Steelcase ($500 - $1600), Herman Miller ($1000 - $2800) and even the HAG Capisco ($900 - $2700). I was soooooooo close to ordering the leather HAG Capisco when it was 40% off on Lazada but held back because it was still more than $1600. I understand good quality products may be expensive but spending $1000 for a chair seems extravagant to me.

It's through sheer luck that I have a new chair. Otherwise, I'll still be deciding what to get.

For my review I'm just going to present my findings so that you can decided whether or not the Ergotune Supreme is actually worth your money.

Ergotune sells two chairs currently, the $599 Ergotune Supreme and the $399 Ergotune Classic.

The Ergotune Supreme has more adjustable armrest, metal vs nylon polymide (aka plastic) base, and there's a headrest.

I don't really care about the armrest because I don't use them. My old chair has the armrest permanently up. The aluminium base on the Ergotune Supreme makes the chair heavy which gives it a solid grounded feeling when you're pulling the chair around. But I actually don't mind having a plastic base because I've no issues with the plastic base from my old chair.

The main difference between the Ergotune Supreme vs Classic to me is the inclusion of the headrest. If you want to take a nap on the chair, the headrest will prop up your neck so that you can rest comfortably.

I feel the deciding factor comes down to whether you want to take a nap or not on the chair, and whether it's worth spending $200 more just so that you can take a short nap. You have to ask yourself whether you have ever wished to nap on your chair over the years you have sat on any chair.

By the way, Ergotune chairs come with 8 to 12 years warranty that covers physical defects but not cosmetics, wear and tear.

Ergotune Supreme is available in two colours, Charcoal Black and Coral Pink.

Prior to choosing which colours to get, I've searched online and found several reviews and all the chairs were black. See here, here and .

Black is the safe colour but I decided to go with the Coral Pink instead because it kinda looks nice. I'm glad I did because it does look nice. The pastel-like colours adds a bit of life to my otherwise boring room. When my two-year-old kid saw my new chair, she said "Daddy buy chair." LOL.

The chair does not come installed. Assembly service cost $20.

I watched the two delivery guys spend 10 minutes putting the chair together. Self assembly is possible after watching the assembly instruction video provided on their website but my guess is DIY will take at least half and hour. All the tools, screws, screwdrivers are included.

The little booklets talk about the features and show you how to adjust the chair.

Overall build quality of the chair is quite solid. The mesh is firm and sitting on it feels bouncy.

I initially thought Coral Pink is going to look feminine but no, it looks good.

This is Duraweave hybrid mesh. The mesh doesn't trap heat like cushion or even leather and is a good choice for Singapore's hot and humid weather. If you look close, the mesh design is actually quite cool (no pun intended).

My only concern is how the mesh fabric can be cleaned when it gets dirty.

The mesh seems tucked very nicely between the frame.

The headrest can be adjusted for height and tilt, go forward and backward. There's no lock for the tilt though which is something I wish it had. But it's not a big issue. It's still a comfortable headrest.

This is the headrest at the highest position. It can even go higher because the chair's back can be moved higher.

This is the headrest's lowest position which fits the curve of the neck nicely. This is the position I use when taking a nap.

The back can be moved up or down by moving the arc.

The mesh seat is above some empty space. That empty space is definitely going to collect dust but cleaning is easy since it's a big space for hands to go in.

Below the mesh at the edge of the seat is a big piece of firm foam that helps keep the shape for the edge of the seat.

The seat can move front and back with the latch beneath.

The chair is said to be able to support someone up to 150kg. I'm only 60+ kg so the mesh has no problems holding me up. If you're much heavier, you may want to go to their showroom in Singapore test the chairs yourself. Sit all the way back and see if your backside can touch the solid edge below the mesh because that's where the mesh is closest to the metal support beneath.

The aluminium base with five legs hold the wheels which are coated with polyurethane.

Polyurethane is the same material used to make skateboard wheels. The wheels will not scratch and they roll smooth and quiet.

There are two levers, each with a turning knob and latch.

The knob on the left adjusts the angle of the back and whether you want to lock the position.

If the back is not locked in position, the knob on the right can adjust the tension so that when you lean back, the back will go back easier or resist your lean.

It comes down to personal preference as to which type of support you want.

Latch on the left will move the seat forward and back. Latch on the right will adjust the height.

The chair uses Class IV hydraulics. Not sure what that means but the height is easy to adjust.

This is the so called ATLAS™ AKA Auto Tuning Lumbar Area Support.

This arc follows the shape of the spine of your lower back, and this is the arc that supports your lower back. There's good support when pushing against my lower back. It does what it's supposed to do, and does it quite well.

Basically, the arc helps maintain your body in a comfortable posture.

These are the four positions the armrests can move to.

Basically you can have the armrest closer or away from your body, have the armrests support your wrist and forearm, or your elbow.

The armrests are made of firm rubber with textured surface which makes them easy to clean.

Below the armrest is a button to adjust the height.

When the armrest is at the lowest, thankfully it was able to go under my table (74.5cm height).

The maximum recline is not 45 degrees but close. At maximum recline, I can feel my feet lift off the floor.

To nap at maximum incline, you will need some sort of foot rest. My feet were resting on support (that you can't see) in the photo above. I've already nap numerous times on the chair and I really appreciate that I was able to do so.

It's only after I've sat on a comfortable chair like this that I know how lousy my previous chair was. Now I know what I'm missing out on.

The one thing I really like is how tight the mesh is, and that it provides good firm support for back and bottom.

The other thing I like is how adjustable the chair is, more specifically for the seat, back and headrest. This is not a fixed design chair because you can move parts to fit your body.

So is the Ergotune Supreme worth the $599?

It's difficult for me to answer because I have limited experience with computer chairs. But when compared to more well known chairs from Herman Miller, Steelcase and Flokk chairs, it's certainly more worth the money since it's significantly cheaper. I've not tested the other ergonomic chairs though so I can't say much. But for the high price those companies are changing, they better be special. That's why I've been unable to pull the trigger and get one of those chairs. All I can say is, if you want to get a chair that expensive, it's best to test them out if you can. Reading reviews for chairs is different from testing a chair yourself.

As for Ergotune Supreme vs Classic, definitely get the Ergotune Supreme because the head/neckrest allows you to take a nap. If you're all work and no rest, then save the $200 and get Ergotune Classic. I find that when I'm working, I never rest my head on the headrest. However, I do work long hours and I will take a nap when I'm just too tired.

For the price you pay, you get 8-12 years of warranty. 8 years is default. Ergotune has this social media promotion where they will add 4 years warranty when you share photos of your chair on your social media pages. The long warranty period is a sign of confidence in their products. Looking at the solid build quality, I don't really expect anything to break.

I feel like if you're buying something with the intention for it to be durable, it would be worth it to spend a bit more.

So to conclude, the Ergotune Supreme is definitely a chair you should consider if you're looking for an ergonomic chair.

Pros and cons at a glance:
+ Solid build quality
+ Firm mesh support
+ Mesh is cooling in hot and humid climate
+ Good support for lower back
+ Plenty of adjustments for seat, back, armrest, headrest
+ Good recline angle
+ Heavy metal base gives it a rather premium feel when pushing the chair around
+ Rubber wheels roll smooth and quietly
+ 8 to 12 years warranty
- Headrest tilt can't be locked
- Not sure how to clean Coral Pink colour mesh when it gets dirty

Update after 6 months

The cushion at the front edge beneath the mesh has broken off. There's still cushion there to support the back of the leg though.

Ergotune has replaced the whole bottom part with a new design. Basically there's a taller piece of plastic support there to keep the foam cushion in place.

Customers who bought the first model who have the same problem as me can contact Ergotune for an exchange.

There's also an updated neck rest too. This neck rest can go lower and in front of the back.

Also there are now squeaky sounds so oiling or lubricating the problematic parts is required.

Availability

At time of this review, it seems like Ergotune chairs are only sold through their website https://ergotune.com/