Boulies EP400 review: creature comforts slightly hampered by height limitations

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Office chairs person been some nan bane of my life and nan saviour of my spine. In my agency activity days, successful a criminally underfunded NHS department, nan geriatric agency chair I was assigned near maine pinch predominant backache and tight muscles successful my shoulders from hunching. The Boulies EP400, however, would person been a joyousness to use; it’s dense connected nan ergonomics pinch almost each constituent being adjustable. 

I sewage nan EP400 successful for testing complete respective weeks, and shared usage of it pinch my partner complete nan testing play to spot really it functions pinch different-height users (I’m 5’4 and he is 6’3), and whether it tin compete pinch nan best agency chairs for backmost pain retired there.

Boulies EP400: Key specifications

Assembly

The Boulies EP400 came packaged successful a ample container and ideally should beryllium built successful nan room you want to support it successful arsenic it’s beautiful dense erstwhile afloat constructed. The pieces were separately wrapped successful integrative pinch nan instructions connected apical and nan nuts, bolts and Allen cardinal were conveniently packaged together. Putting nan chair together was a comparatively straightforward occupation (although I americium known for my emotion of building flatpack furniture); location are a mates of tricky moments wherever I could person done pinch an adjunct but I built it successful astir 25 minutes.

The assembly hardware was beautiful coagulated — nan bolts were each engraved pinch their type, which was a thoughtful touch, and location were spares provided for that inevitable ‘bounces-off-into-the-corner-never-to-be-seen-again’ moment. The L-shaped Allen cardinal provided bully torque but it was a small tricky to get into immoderate of nan tighter corners because of its length.

The only confusing infinitesimal during assembly was that 1 of nan photos successful nan manual is reversed (or location is simply a type pinch nan levers connected nan different side) which gave maine a minute’s region while I figured retired if it was going together correctly, but different nan directions were clear and easy to travel and nan holes for nan bolts were a tight, coagulated fit, truthful they felt for illustration they’d last. And they’d better; nan bolts for nan caput and nan spinal supports are past concealed down a snap-in non-removable integrative cover, truthful if they travel undone you’ll request to do immoderate harm to nan chair to screw them backmost successful again.

Design and features

The Boulies EP400 is designed to look sleek and modern, and for nan astir portion it achieves its brief. The exemplary I received was successful a ray grey pinch a grey mesh fabric. The cloth I for illustration functionally, arsenic mesh is awesome for erstwhile nan upwind heats up, but nan shape is simply a small off-putting to my eyes.

My main interest pinch nan grey of nan chair is really it will guidelines up to respective years of UV, arsenic grey integrative does person a inclination to yellowish aft a while. Given that offices aren’t ever havens of earthy light, however, it’ll astir apt beryllium rather a agelong clip earlier yellowing is an issue.

Essentially, it’s improbable to triumph immoderate awesome creation awards, but it’s sleek for an agency chair.

An constituent of nan Boulies EP400 that I've not really encountered earlier is nan limb hammock, which swings retired of nan guidelines to support your legs erstwhile you thin back. It’s a neat thought but I’m not judge really good it’ll guidelines up to regular use; there’s a batch of flex successful nan hammock portion and it’s successful nan cleanable location to put your feet connected alternatively than remainder your legs, which adds unit it’s not designed for.

The adaptability of nan Boulies EP400’s armrests could besides beryllium their downfall; they move a lot, and arsenic location is nary measurement to fastener them into 1 position they perpetually displacement arsenic you usage nan chair. As they move forwards and backwards arsenic good arsenic astir 30 degrees near and right, they presumably were designed to supply changeless support immoderate position you usage them successful but successful believe they’re ne'er successful rather nan correct place.

User acquisition and comfort

As a female of 5’4, which is nan UK’s mean female height, nan Boulies EP400 is not designed for me, which is disappointing: their recommended tallness scope is 5’7-6’3. While my feet are mostly connected nan level connected nan lowest setting, having a chair that is excessively precocious puts strain connected nan little backmost that wholly negates nan worth of decent lumbar support. While galore average-height-and-below agency workers compensate pinch ft rests, nan truth is that astir agency chairs are designed to beryllium excessively precocious for much than 1 half of nan world’s population.

The Boulies EP400 does person aggregate adaptable elements. The spot depth, spot height, limb tallness and limb position are each easy altered, arsenic is nan cervix support and spot angle. It takes a small while to get utilized to nan lumbar support, which is deep, but it does supply bully support successful different positions. Unfortunately arsenic mentioned supra nan arms do displacement astir arsenic you usage them (they connection 3 different rotations but location isn’t a lever to fastener rotation). They’re besides difficult integrative alternatively than padded, making them a spot little comfortable to remainder on. The castors are coagulated and easy to move, and nan aluminium guidelines is very sturdy.

Should I bargain nan Boulies EP400?

You don’t bargain agency chairs that often and fixed that a bad 1 tin really messiness up your back, it’s worthy investing successful a decent one. The Boulies EP400 is simply a decent value for a decent chair; astatine £289/$359, it’s a solid, affordable prime that should last. I’d urge nan achromatic exemplary for longevity unless nan ray grey is simply a cardinal style constituent for your office, but either measurement it feels for illustration a chair that will guidelines nan trial of time. The hammock’s longevity remains to beryllium seen but it’s an absorbing constituent that makes an different comparatively mean chair guidelines retired from nan crowd. If you’re looking to cheque retired much options wrong a akin value bracket, we’ve compared a wide scope of agency chairs for you to find nan correct 1 for you.

The Boulies EP400 is simply a bully finance for users who for illustration beardown lumbar support and adjustability but won’t suit buyers who are shorter than 5’4 aliases are peculiar astir their armrests. While nan grey integrative looks coagulated alternatively than cheap, nan achromatic decorativeness is astir apt easier to support successful nan agelong run. We were besides willing by nan limb hammock but clip will show really sturdy it really is.