Hello everyone – welcome back to another of my reviews! In today’s article, I’ll be reviewing the Supreme ergonomic chair from local brand ErgoTune.
With WFH being the norm, I’ve found myself sitting in front of my computer for hours on end. My back had started to suffer as a result – I was getting frequent back aches – and I began to look for more ergonomic solutions online. I chanced upon ErgoTune, which did a marketing blitz earlier this year. I reached out to the brand, and it kindly sent me its ErgoTune Supreme to review. Let’s see if it’s any good!
UPDATE: I reviewed the new ErgoTune Supreme V3 here.
ErgoTune Supreme – Review
For starters, the ErgoTune Supreme is crafted out of what the brand calls DuraWeave™ Hybrid Mesh Upholstery. Essentially, it’s a breathable material that’s a mix of fabric and polyester, one that’s more durable than traditional mesh. Personally, I’m a fan of the Hybrid Mesh – it’s significantly more comfortable and breathable than the faux leather one finds on most gaming/office chairs at this price range. Furthermore, faux leather is also prone to peeling, especially in Singapore’s humid weather.
In addition, I found the hybrid mesh to be easier to clean compared to conventional faux leather. ErgoTune also states that its DuraWeave™ hybrid mesh upholstery is “insured against tearing after 190,000 cycles of abrasion testing”, and that the colour will never leak or fade. DuraWeave™ is also certified with the OEKO-TEX Standard 100 label, which essentially means that it’s appropriate for those with sensitive skin allergies. Lastly, the material is accredited by FR-One for being fire-resistant.
There are plenty of ergonomic office chairs on the market – you can find them anywhere from IKEA to Herman Miller. Even Secretlab has a new ergonomic office chair. However, they all look pretty…boring, in my opinion. Most office chairs are black, designed to blend into the background. That’s great if you’re at the office, but at home such drab aesthetic feels dull and dreary. By offering the ErgoTune Supreme in bright, pastel colours – there’s also a coral red variant – the chair stands out from its competition in a refreshing manner. Yet, it still looks professional enough for Zoom meetings, unlike the gaudy and flashy looks of most gaming chairs. However, only the ErgoTune Supreme come in these colours – the cheaper ErgoTune Classic is only available in black.
Another key difference between the ErgoTune Supreme and the Classic is the presence of an adjustable headrest on the former. Like the rest of the chair, the headrest is made from DuraWeave™ hybrid mesh. ErgoTune calls it the TriTune™ 3D Support Headrest, which is basically a fancy way of saying that the headrest is adjustable in three dimensions – height, laterally, and the incline angle.
The TriTune™ 3D Support Headrest on the model I received is actually newly improved, allowing for lower adjustments as compared to the original. The brand tells me that this change was made after receiving feedback that the original headrest was too high for more petite users. I think it’s great that ErgoTune listens to its customers and constantly iterating its products. Nevertheless, I still think that there’s room for improvement. As there’s no “locking” system to secure the height of the headrest, I found that the headrest kept sliding down when I’m resting my head on it, which resulted in a less-than-ideal resting position. Nevertheless, it’s still better than the (unadjustable) neck pillow found on most gaming chairs.
What I really enjoyed though was the lumbar support, which is arguably the best aspect of this chair. In fact, if your chair feels uncomfortable, the chief reason why that’s the case is usually the lack of lumbar support. Here, ErgoTune calls its lumbar system the ATLAS, which is a fancy acronym for Auto Tuning Lumbar Area Support. Not only is it adjustable with nine different height settings, the lumbar support actually shifts simultaneously to adjust to the natural curve of the user’s spine. Needless to say, everyone’s bodies are different, with some spines more curved than others. For example, if you’ve followed my earlier tailoring reviews, I talked about having a severely arched back. Just like in tailoring, a more aggressive remedy is required for a tailored fit, and ErgoTune’s ATLAS system accomplishes this. This is also the biggest differentiation factor between the ErgoTune Supreme and similarly priced gaming chairs from brands such as DXracer and Noblechair (my previous chair). The lumbar support on most gaming chairs usually comes in the form of a seat cushion, which is clearly insufficient and usually results in back aches after prolonged hours. I’ve been using the ErgoTune Supreme for almost three months now, and I can safely say that my back aches are alleviated, even though I’ve been spending more time sitting in front of the computer at home due to this accursed “stabilisation phase”.
The ErgoTune Supreme also features what the brand calls a GyroBrace™ 5D Armrest. Essentially, this means that – like the headrest – the armrest can be adjusted in different lengths, heights, and angles.
For example, if you’re using your phone to play Genshin Impact for hours, you can swivel the armrest inwards to provide support for your forearms.
Alternatively, if you’re a student cramming for A levels, the armrest can be swivelled forward to provide maximum support for your arm, making it ideal for long hours of writing.
There are several other customisation options, such as seat depth, chair height, as well as the extent of recline. I won’t bore you with going through each of the 11 adjustable points – if you’re interested in the various aspects, do watch the video by ErgoTune above. The level of customisation available is impressive at its price point, allowing the user to get a significantly more personalised sitting experience as compared to a similarly priced gaming chair or an office chair from IKEA.
Conclusion – so the ErgoTune Supreme chair “shiok” or not?
If you’re someone who’s spending long hours in front of your desk (especially during this WFH climate), then the ErgoTune Supreme is a worthy investment. I kid you not – when I was using my old gaming chair, my back aches were terrible, and I had to go for regular massages to alleviate the pain. Since using the ErgoTune Supreme, I’ve found the simple act of sitting to be a much more comfortable experience. Ultimately, I’m impressed by the innovativeness of the ErgoTune Supreme. The proprietary DuraWeave™ Hybrid Mesh material is breathable and robust, the ATLAS system conforms to the user’s back and works like a charm, and the level of customisation available is simply the most comprehensive at its price point. It even manages to look youthful and comes with a lengthy warranty of up to 6 years. It’s not perfect – I wish the headrest had a locking system, and that the armrests had more adjustment settings laterally, instead of the mere two positions available currently.
For those interested in purchasing the ErgoTune Supreme V3, you can use the promo code “WAHSOSHIOK” to enjoy $5 off. The promo code is combinable with existing promotions, meaning the ErgoTune Supreme V3 can be had for just $524 currently, which I think is a great price for an extensively personalisable ergonomic chair. I would also recommend topping up a further $29 for on-site assembly. You can technically fix it yourself – ErgoTune even has a video tutorial on it – but I struggled with assembling the chair and took well over an hour to do so. Perhaps I’m just not good with hands-on stuff, but in hindsight, I would have gladly paid $29 to avoid the sweat and frustration. Some parts are pretty hefty too, which is a point of consideration if you’re of a smaller build.
If ~$500+ is too pricey for you, consider the more affordable ErgoTune Classic, which is actually quite a value proposition. Yes, you don’t get a few of the bells and whistles such as the headrest, 5D armrest, and aluminium base, but the key components that make the ErgoTune Supreme great – namely the ATLAS lumbar system and the DuraWeave™ Hybrid Mesh material – can still be found on the cheaper ErgoTune Classic. And just like its bigger brother, it comes with up to 12 years of warranty. And if ~$500 is too pricey for you, consider the more affordable ErgoTune Classic. Those interested in the ErgoTune Classic can use the same “WAHSOSHIOK” promo code to enjoy $5 off the ErgoTune Classic, which would cost a mere $394 after the promo code. At its price, it’s a no-brainer alternative to the generic office chairs one finds at IKEA
View the ErgoTune Supreme here.
View the full range of ErgoTune products here.
P.S Do check out the new “Discounts!” page for exclusive discounts for Wah so Shiok readers! More brands will be added very soon – stay tuned!
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P.S.S.S Shiok is a common word Singaporeans use to express admiration or approval. As of 2016, you can find the definition of the word in the Oxford English Dictionary.
