It’s not every day you get to review a chair, yet here we are! I received a Boulies Elite Max chair to test out in my daily life, specifically the 2024 Ultraflex PU edition. This is my first Boulies gaming chair, so I wasn’t sure what to expect when it first arrived. I can wholeheartedly say I’m pleasantly surprised.
To see the Boulies Elite Max for yourself, visit the official website to find out more about the features of the ergonomic gaming chair.
Assembly
Before being able to sit in the chair and actually use it, I had to assemble it. And let me tell you, building it was one of the most straightforward processes I’ve ever had. I’ve had to build quite a few furniture pieces as of late, and the Boulies Elite Max chair was by far the most stress-free.
Firstly, I’m impressed with the manual. Some manuals make absolutely no sense, with only text or simplistic greyscale pictures to go off. For this Bouiles chair, I was treated to photos in full colour, descriptive instructions, arrows to explain, and numbers to link all the steps together. I was happy to see a section regarding how the adjustments work, as I’d of hated to fiddle about with the levers and accidentally break the chair…
There’s even a handy dandy checklist of all the included parts and how many there should be. Thankfully, all the parts were in the box, so I didn’t have any hassle with that. One of my least favourite parts about any furniture assembly is finding all the tiny bits and bobs. However, Bouiles pre-installed the smaller hardware already, which meant I knew exactly where they needed to go when it came to that step in the instructions.
All in all, building the Bouiles Elite Max chair took no time at all. The majority of it included slotting pieces together and screwing in other parts with the provided tools (Allen key, etc).
Daily Use With the Boulies Elite Max Chair
In this section of the review, I’ll break down how the chair feels during my working hours and when using it for leisure.
Working
I work from home! In fact, I’m sitting in my Bouiles Elite Max chair as I type this. While working, I appreciate the adjustments that I can make throughout the day. The chair reclines when I want it to by the simple pull of a lever, and I can move the armrests forwards, backwards, up, and down. Sitting at a desk for long periods requires me to change my sitting position now and again, so I’m happy that I can adjust the chair to my liking as I sit in it, rather than having to get up.
The padding in the armrests makes typing comfortable, and I enjoy switching the lumbar pillow in and out depending on what feels more comfortable at that time. The head pillow also comes in handy, as I’m more susceptible to neck and shoulder pain when at my desk. Speaking of the lumbar pillow, thanks to the straps, you can place it sideways and lengthways, customising what feels right for you. Plus, it’s made from memory foam, which I’m always a big fan of.
Leisure
I love playing games on my PC, which is what I do most of the time outside of work. The shape and size of the Bouiles Elite Max chair means I can shift my position with ease, and sit in a variety of ways to keep myself comfortable whilst relaxing. With the tilt mechanism, I can lock and unlock the chair’s reclining as I wish.
When sitting in the chair to play a game, especially when using a controller, I love being able to unlock the mechanism, so I can recline to support my back. I don’t feel the need to recline when typing away at my desk for work, so I’m grateful that I can lock the position in place when required.
One of my biggest tests for chairs is making sure that I can put my feet up to cross my legs. Is it an unconventional way of sitting on a PC chair? Yes, but I like doing it! As soon as I assembled the chair, I sat in it, pulled my feet up, and crossed my legs successfully. It well and truly passed the test!
Not everyone likes a larger-sized seat, but I think it’s one of the most important parts of a chair. I prefer what I’m sitting on to be more roomy, so I can move around when I want, rather than feeling constricted and stiff.
The good
- Completely adjustable (arm rests, height, tilt, etc)
- Tilt mechanism has a lock and unlock feature to suit your tastes.
- Optional lumbar pillow and head rest
- Wide enough to sit in a variety of positions
The bad
- The levers are quite stiff at first
