Mayline Big and Tall Pivot Arm Chair

I was in the market for a new office chair that would hold up for longer than the $50 weekly specials that turn up at office warehouses every Sunday for the basic desk chair that remains comfortable for about a year before becoming intolerably uncomfortable or breaks. The Mayline chair is definitely a substantial chair. Weighing some 65 pounds, this is not a flimsy piece of furniture. If only the workmanship could match the heft. If you've assembled office chairs before, assembling this one will be a familiar experience. Attach the wheels to the star shaped base, place the pneumatic lift inside the hole in the middle, push it aside and then screw on the metal frame to the seat cushion, attach the back to the seat, add the two arms, and place onto the lift and you're finished. As with all of the high back chairs, getting the back of the seat attached to the arms and seat cushion is always the most difficult part. Just be sure not to overtighten the bolts and take your time. You may need to slightly pull the fabric away from the bolt holes on the seat or back to get the bolts to tighten. The fabric has a bit of a pattern to it, but it's barely visible on the black color model, and really doesn't add much anyway. A common complaint about new chairs are the extremely hard cushions. People mistakenly downgrade a chair for having cushioning that feels like a rock when you sit on it just after assembly. This is a critical error in judging a chair. Extremely hard-feeling foams are easily broken in during the first month of use, and they always dramatically outlast cheaper foams placed in chair cushions that feel soft initially, but quickly compress and offer no support. Mayline has a decent quality foam in their cushioning, and you should expect it to be hard and somewhat unforgiving during the first month. After that, things will soften up nicely. The lumbar support inflation device harkens back to a blood pressure cuff, and I did not find much use for it, personally. Be careful with it - it can dramatically press into your lower spine when fully inflated. The bigger problem is the fact there is only one set of clips to hold the inflation tube up under the chair. Inevitably, it falls off and dangles under the chair, looking ridiculous. Now to a significant flaw I did uncover with mine. The fabric covering the seat cushion has a tendency to dramatically pucker after use. It's as if the cover was not pulled tight enough over the foam, and ripples appear after use which show no signs of going away after the foam recovers. Indeed, it's something that will require watching over time. It initially represents a flaw more in appearance than anything else, but my concern is it may eventually reveal a flaw that compromises the longevity of the seat. Obtaining a replacement part under warranty usually requires you to disassemble the chair yourself. Unfortunately, getting the seat cushion off a pneumatic seat lift is nearly impossible after it has been there for a year or more. One final tip I have learned over the years. After assembly, take the spare bolt, bolt tightener, instruction manual, spare bolt hole plastic covers, and the receipt and put them in a quart size zip top bag and take package sealing tape and tape the bag to the bottom of the seat cushion, leaving the bag opening accessible. Then, should a cap go missing, bolt require tightening, or a warranty claim be required, you can just access everything you need from underneath the seat.