Before joining the WellPlayed crew, my ‘desk setup’ consisted of an art desk, a Surface Pro and, most egregious of all, a dining chair. I quickly saw the error of my ways, but my solution was being a penny pincher and buying a cheap gaming chair from a stationery store that will remain unnamed. It wasn’t until I traded my active retail job for a work-from-home position that saw me become a professional arse-sitter that I realised the true importance of a proper desk chair. So, when I was offered the chance to review an ergonomic desk chair, my spine accepted before I even had a chance to respond.
Arriving in a whopping 77 x 64 x 37cm box is the office throne in question – the ErgoTune Supreme V3. With fairly hefty dimensions and weighing around 23kg, you’d hope to be lucky enough to work from home like me, because shlepping this bad boy home from the post office would be an adventure (sorry Kieron). Once comfortably in my house, the unboxing and assembly were a breeze. Separated into four components (seat mechanism, seat, back and headrest), I managed to follow the clear instructions and have the chair together in about ten minutes without waiting for my partner to get home to help. Even if the instructions have you scratching your head, ErgoTune has a handy dandy YouTube guide that demonstrates how to assemble it. Only 15 screws are required to hold the chair together and they all come in their own marked boxes to ensure you don’t mix them up. Even if you do, there are a few extras included, so don’t sweat it.
With the armrests down, the V3 fits comfortably under a desk
I’m admittedly a little on the shorter side of average, but not everyone can be as wonderfully basic as myself, so a one-size-fits-all approach to desk furniture just doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. Luckily, the V3 can be ordered in three height ranges: Petite (140cm), Standard (160–179cm) and Tall (180–210cm). Even though I fall into the Standard height, I appreciate that there are options for everyone.
The V3 is currently available in three colours: Charcoal Black, Aqua Blue and Coral Red. Because I’m a colourful flower, I went with black. The unit’s look is more or less what you expect to see from an ergonomic chair, with it being far more understated than many gaming chairs. The seat, back and headrest are made from a fabric and polyester-blended mesh dubbed the DuraWeave hybrid-mesh. You might jump to the same conclusion that I did originally and think that the foam/plush seats found on most desk chairs would win out in the comfort department, but I was happily proven wrong.
While you’re unlikely to want to seek it out for an afternoon nap, the mesh on the V3 is comfortable and, more importantly, it’s supportive and breathable. All points that come in contact with your body have give, moulding to the shape of your back and backside, while also feeling durable and strong. I’m sure snags in the fabric could occur, but I’d say it would take some force. Unlike most faux leather chairs, the mesh also lets your body breathe, regulating your temperature while also avoiding the dreaded sweat. We’re still in the throngs of winter at the moment, but I’ll be singing the praises of the DuraWeave when the blistering heat of summer rolls around.
On the left is work mode. On the right is “yeah, sure, I’m listening” mode.
As I briefly mentioned, the main function of any good ergonomic chair is to support the user. With several great supportive features and 11 adjustable points, the V3 can be easily customised to best suit the user, no matter what they’re doing. Below the seat, there are two levers and two knobs. The lever on the right raises and lowers the seat height using the gas lift, with the lever on the left allowing you to change the depth of the seat, sliding in and out while the lever is held. The knob of the left locks and unlocks the back’s reclining feature that is used by simply leaning back. Lastly, the knob on the right toggles the pressure required to recline, with three options available. I love this feature as it makes the chair nice and versatile. Want to hang back and play games with a controller? No worries, whack it on the lowest resistance and chill out. Need to get work done but still want to take a break on occasion? Set it high so you’re still supported but have the option of a relax.
Contrary to my initial thoughts, I use this feature a lot during the day, which, unfortunately, comes with a certain degree of frustration, because the levers and knobs are awkwardly placed more than an arm’s length away and in the middle of the seat. This means that whenever I want to adjust, I need to either stand up or uncomfortably reach under or over the armrests. If you find your ideal settings you won’t be bothered by this, but if you like to adjust regularly it might be an annoyance.
I can’t go past black, but the other two colours look shmick as well
Something completely absent from all of my previous chairs was any form of lumbar support. Thankfully, the Supreme V3 has my back (quite literally) with the ATLAS (Auto-Tuning Lumbar Area Support). Separated from the back itself, the lumbar support sits on a hinge that retracts, forming to the c-shape of your lower back. Similar to the reclining function, the lumbar resistance also has three settings that can also be changed by turning a knob at the back of the chair. This is more likely to be something you set and forget once you find your preference, but the option is a welcome one for sure. If you’re a taller person than little old me, you can also adjust the height of the back itself by holding and raising it. You’ll hear a click when you hit each of the 11 heights before it automatically sends you back down. I love how easy this is to alter, but a firm stop at the top would be nice if only to avoid needing to try multiple times to find the right spot.
Continuing on the trend of customisation, the chair’s TriTune 3D headrest supports your noggin no matter how you sit. By applying a little bit of pressure, not only can you raise/ lower the headrest and angle it up to 60 degrees, but by pressing a button at the top, you can adjust its depth. All three of these adjustments mean you can support your head or neck exactly how you wish, or retract it close to the back if you prefer to go wild without it.
Taking the top spot as my favourite adjustable feature is the GyroBrace 5D armrest. As standard with most higher-end chairs, you can adjust the height of both armrests individually with the press of a button, choosing from six different levels depending on what you’re doing. The real highlight though is the ability to freely rotate the armrests up to 270 degrees. If you’re typing, you can angle them in, supporting your arms as you write, or you can angle one straight as you use a mouse with one hand. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg. If you push past the point with light resistance, you can fully swing these bad boys around, making it super comfortable to lean on if you prefer to play games with a controller or use your phone while on a break. This is a quality-of-life feature that genuinely makes a difference. I’m constantly changing the position of both armrests throughout the day and it’s as simple as moving them to where they need to be. It’s simple, it’s useful and it maximises comfort.
If you’re like me and you have multiple PCs to move between, or you just prefer to roll rather than walk, you’ll be pleased to hear the castors on the V3 are smooth and almost silent. Whether it was a hard surface or (God forbid) carpet, the chair moved with nothing more than a light push of the feet.
The build quality of the entire chair is premium, with metal being used for all structural pieces and a hard plastic used to connect everything else. It’s a heavy sucker, but it’s sturdy and looks and feels like a high-end product.
Final Thoughts
I know that it’s all well and good for me to sit here (comfortably) and say that buying a $750 chair is worth it when I’ve been sent a review unit, but if you’re spending extended periods sitting at a desk, it’s genuinely a worthwhile investment. The ErgoTune Supreme V3 doesn’t have the flashy look of a gaming chair, but what it does offer is excellent support and comfort. Versatile beyond belief, the V3’s many adjustment points allow the user to fully customise their experience no matter the situation. The ergonomic features such as the ATLAS lumbar support and the TriTune headrest will keep you from aching during long stints of sitting, while the reclining back and brilliant armrests will make sure you’re comfortable and content at all times. I have small nitpicks here and there, like the placement of levers, but they’re overshadowed by everything else this ergonomic and feature-rich chair has to offer.
Review unit supplied by the manufacturer
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If you’re interested in getting your own ErgoTune Supreme V3 or would like more information on them, you can head over to the ErgoTune website here.
