Flash Furniture Waylon Mid-Back Ergonomic Mesh Chair

It’s coming up on the one year anniversary of my purchase of this chair, and I’m very pleased.
About a year ago, I purchased this to go with an antique drafting table I’d set up as a hobby work space in my basement.
At the time, I was looking for something very affordable, as it would only see occasional use. Little did I know we’d soon be asked to spend the next two weeks working from home to “flatten the curve”. Thankfully the product shipped quickly, was packaged very well and was easy to set up, because a couple weeks later that antique drafting table and this chair would become my new office.
To my surprise, I’m closing in on a year of flattening the curve, and this chair has held up very well for something I only expected would see occasional use. I’ve had a bit of a leak in the pneumatic cylinder, but only at the upper end of the stroke. As a result it tends to sink down about an inch from my upper level set point, but it stays firm from there and it’s still within a comfortable seating height, so I normally don’t notice it.
As for comfort, the chair is ergonomically very comfortable with firm back support. My only complaint would be the mesh seating can feel a little rough when you have to sit through long online meetings and decide it’s shorts day at “work” that day. Otherwise, I’m very surprise how well the mesh fabric has held up for something in this pricepoint. It feels just as supportive as the first day in my new office, and other that some dust and food crumbs doesn’t really show any wear.
I may occasionally (every 3 or 4) months tighten the foot ring, but I use it all the time and regularly push off on it to reposition myself. Overall, it’s been very sturdy.
As we close in on the anniversary of “two weeks to flatten the curve”, it looks like I’ll be continuing daily use of this chair for some time to come. I expect it to last quite a while yet, but if it failed tomorrow I wouldn’t hesitate to order another one.

This chair does not feel comfy. The material used feels like it’ll wear out really quick over time. I ended up returning it.

Note up front, some people complained that the front of the seat digs into their legs. I wonder if they installed the seat backwards. The instructions seem misleading and at first I did the same. See photo. But the photo of the chair on the site makes it clear that the sloping side of the seat goes toward the front. After I switched it around, totally comfortable and no way the frame or rim can dig into your leg, you’re just resting on the cushion curved mesh at front.

Assembly took me about 40 minutes working very slowly (and stopping to watch the Grammys). It is not difficult at all. Just about three sets of screws and the tool to screw them in with. Only one set of screws used washers and the instructions advise tightening everything once every 6 months. Realistically, we know that nobody is going to do that, so I wonder how long till it gets squeaky and falls apart if you lift to move it. I put the spare parts and the little allen wrench in a plastic baggie with the one sheet assembly instructions and tucked it under the seat. But of course I’ll never remember it’s there or that I should tighten the screws.

The chair seems much nicer than I expected for the price. I took a tape measure before ordering to see if the height adjustment would suit my needs. At its lowest setting, it’s 2 in. higher than my current office chair, and I can’t quite rest my feet flat on the floor, but the metal footrest is perfect at that height. So really I love it. I’m 5-8. At the highest setting it is great as a high stool for drafting table or stand-up desk. The raising and lowering mechanism works perfectly, at least right now.

There are little hints of its cheapness if you look for them. Like, mystery unused holes, I assume on a part mass manufactured and used in different types of chairs. See photo. And there were blemishes in the finish, visible when you look closely. It looks like my chair had about a 2-inch scratch that they painted over with touch-up. But absolutely no problem for me, the chair looks great and works well so far.

I like that the arms fold up, in case I want to pull the chair right up to the desk. I miss that they are height-adjustable, like on my 4-times-more-expensive office chair…they are a little low for my elbows but I will adapt. I can tilt them up a bit and as long as I don’t lean heavily on them, they will support without folding all the way down to horizontal low position.

I unboxed it yesterday and it still has that overwhelming strong plastic odor. No doubt that will fade away and not kill any of us in the meantime.

Comoda