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The battle for supremacybetween office and gaming chairsis going strong, and the UK-based chair manufacturer Boulies has a new competitor in the field: the 2024 Master series. Available in two sizes, three types of upholstery, and seven total colors, this ergonomic gaming chair is ready to serve a host of players both in and out of the office.
Boasting a minimalist design, high-quality construction, and thoughtfully engineered ergonomics, the Boulies Master chair seems to be an ideal choice for gamers who want a wide, comfortable seat that doesn’t look too much like a prototypical “gamer chair.” Game Rant was offered the opportunity to test out a fabric Master chair to see how well it delivers on these promises and how it stacks up against an increasingly crowded market. After a few weeks of testing, the verdict is in!
What’s In The Box
Assembling the Master chair was a fairly standard experience. The entire process took about half an hour, though some may find it challenging to assemble by themselves due to the sturdily built, heavy tilt mechanism. The included instructions show high-quality images of each step, though the associated text is short on details. Luckily, there are a ton of YouTube videos on assembling the chair, which isn’t always the case with specific chair models.
Features
Boulies’ Master chair has all the bells and whistles that should beexpected of an ergonomic gaming chair, along with some extra features only sometimes found in comparable chairs. For instance, although they have become very popular, 4D armrests tend to be hit or miss with office chairs. The armrests on the Master can be moved every which way and are additionally topped with a durable foam that feels soft yet textured.
This chair also offers an adjustable lumbar support, a velvet-like head pillow, and easily adjustable tilt and height settings. All of this sits on a heavy-duty, aluminum base, which connects the tilt mechanism housing, gas lift, and the casters. The casters themselves are seriously impressive, designed specifically to avoid damage to wood floors with a super smooth finish.
Players should be able to customize their seat in a snap, with a wide range of reclining space and tilt sensitivity that’s perfect for both people who like to keep their chair straight as an arrow or for those who would have a rocking chair in front of their PC if they were a bit more ergonomic. All of these features combined result in an ergonomic chair that’s suitable for almost any setting: on wood floors or carpet, in an office, or in a bedroom.
Material
Game Rant received the Boulies Master chair with their water-repellent fabric option in the “Como” color, which is shown as a shade of green flecked with white and black. In reality, the chair is actually quite gray, and though it does have a slight greenish hue to it, the chair is far from the green color shown on the Boulies site.
Regardless, the fabric is one of the best parts of the chair. It’s a super soft cotton blend that is extremely comfortable and durably stitched with an unobtrusive yet somewhat thick, white thread. The water-repellent feature was also tested during use, with about a quarter cup of water poured directly onto the chair. The fabric performed extremely well, as the water naturally rolled to the back of the seat, resting between the two cushioned parts of the chair. Despite this, a few swipes with a paper towel left the seat completely dry; almost no water had been absorbed, and if the spill had been picked up immediately, there would likely have been no evidence of it at all.
The rest of the chair is similarly well-constructed, relying on the lightweight and strong aluminum base to hold everything up. The base has five legs, each rounded at the end to prevent damage to other furniture or rambunctious pets and kids. Under the base are the XL PU casters, which give the feel of rollerblade wheels – a popular (albeit DIY) alternative to traditional chair casters.
Above the base are the levers for height adjustment, tilt locking, and reclining, all of which can be a little stiff at first but definitely hold strong no matter where users settle their chairs. Each side has a knob to adjust the lumbar support, though these are much less stiff and give audible clicks to let users know the position is locked in as they adjust it. The easiest-to-use buttons are on the 4D armrests, which are also made with a high-grade aluminum alloy and a thick layer of stiff foam that’s perfect for resting elbows on.
Comfort & Ergonomics
Boulies employs a number of standard practices for their Master ergonomic chair, including adjustable lumbar support, a wide seat, and a high back. The lumbar support is similar to the systems used in other affordable ergonomic chairs. It can be adjusted up and down or in and out, depending on which of the two side knobs a user turns. There’s a big difference between the maximum and minimum flex of the lumbar support, though the height only seems to move between around the middle of the chair back and about two inches lower. However, that’s plenty of adjustability for most users.
While the lumbar support is helpful in maintaining good posture, it’s also very good at preventing airflow. After sitting in the chair for a few hours, the back gets quite warm right along the flexible lumbar support, which seems to trap body heat between the user and the chair. The rest of the chair has excellent airflow, especially the seat base.
The seat base is probably the absolute best part of the chair. Made with an extremely thick foam, it’s incredibly comfortable to sit in. The wide shape is perfect for a variety of body types and features short side wings, helping to keep a person’s legs and back aligned without being annoying or obtrusive. The foam drapes over the front of the seat too, creating a waterfall effect that prevents painful pressure even after hours of sitting and making minor positional adjustments.
The high back also has some side wings, though again they’re minimal and mostly aim to keep shoulders aligned properly. The chair’s back shape is reminiscent of racing-style gaming chairs, which isn’t ideal for some tastes but works well for users who are medium-height or tall. The included headrest pillow adds to the comfort, though it highlights the fact that shorter users would be better off with a different chair. The pillow comes with a strap to wrap around the top of the chair. While it can be placed fairly low on the headrest, it’s most comfortable for users around 6 feet tall. Even without the pillow though, there is plenty of padding along the top of the chair, so any user can thoughtlessly relax.
Outside of ergonomic comfort, there are the armrests and the adjustable tilt and reclining features. As previously mentioned, the armrests use a stiff foam that even the heaviest users will appreciate as their elbows no longer dig straight into the metal paddles. They’re also super soft and the max height is in line withmost standard desk heights, which can support ergonomic wrist health alongside desk accessories like wrist rests. The chair can be reclined absurdly far back and stay there no matter what. Likewise, the tilt lock really stops the chair from tilting even when sitting down forcefully. Of course, users can also set the tilt mechanism to an extreme looseness, if they like to rock or fidget while gaming and working.
Overall Impression
For $400, the 2024 Master gaming chair from Boulies might be a little overpriced, but there are a few key factors that will make it worthwhile for more than a few gamers. First and foremost, the wide, comfy seat base is an absolute win,especially for big and tall gamerswho opt for the Master Max size of the chair. Secondly, the adjustability is superb; it would be difficult to not find a comfortable position.
On the other hand, there’s not much that makes the chair stand out from the competition, where similar chairs can be had for a significantly lower price or a slightly higher one. Boulies’ middle-of-the-road approach leaves players with a great alternative to more well-known, and more distinctive, gaming chair manufacturers. The minimalist design makes great use of ergonomic support systems without completely leaving the realm of executive-style office chairs.
Boulies Master 2024 Gaming Chair
The Master 2024 gaming chair from Boulies is a minimalist ergonomic chair ideal for average-sized gamers. Featuring a thickly padded seat and durable 4D armrests, the Master 2024 offers top-notch comfort right out of the box. The wide adjustability allows players to make this seat their own by changing the height and reclining angle on the fly. Ergonomic health is further supported by an adjustable lumbar support and the included headrest pillow. Plus, with high-quality materials and convenient extras such as 4D armrests and super smooth casters, this chair is destined to be a winner with plenty of players.
Alternative Options
If this tall and wide chair doesn’t seem like the perfect fit, there are a few similar options that address needs other than soft padding:
