AndaSeat X-Air Pro review

Is it a robot? Is it a butterfly? No, it's a chair. Arguably, the best design goes unnoticed, but the X-Air Pro from AndaSeat refuses to sit without fanfare. While AndaSeat does offer a selection of more straight-shot office chairs, the X-Air Pro is a decidedly more 'gamer inflected' offering with its hefty chunk of head-turning plastic partying in the back.

Though a tasteful all-over black version is also available, the celeste colourway of the unit I've reviewed proves just the right side of trashy for me. The back frame case is apparently swappable too, though I'm not sure who has the space to store multiple, chunky back frames like this in different colours.

While the plastic back frame is, let us say, ostentatious, there's more to the X-Air Pro than the fact the back of the headrest looks a little bit like a Transformer. For a start, the wee little ears of the legally distinct robot face are unexpectedly sturdy, making for the perfect perch for your coat; if you hook your hoodie over the back of this seat, it's not going anywhere. Though the back frame proves a surprisingly stylish boon in this respect, we'll return to how it's a bane in a bit.

In the meantime, the all important question: Is this a worthy throne? As a woman who has occasionally shouldered the nickname 'Gimli' on account of my being both short and broad, I don't feel fenced in by this seat. Though the X-Air Pro is currently only available in an 'L' size—as opposed to the 'XL' size also available for the Kaiser 4 and 3—it's hardly a snug perch.

The mesh seat material offers a strong, springy foundation to begin with. I tend to find that more plush seating offering comparably less bouncy resistance tends to sap my focus, as I frequently readjust throughout seated sessions to get comfortable. The mesh seat construction not only comfortably cradles, but it's also far from the only part of the chair that adapts to you.

The X-Air Pro enjoys a robust suite of adjustable features. For one thing, the armrests boast 5D 360° rotation. This means that not only is the height of the armrests adjustable in the way you'd expect, but the armrests themselves also offer the unexpected party trick of spinning all the way around. Rather than turning smoothly, they click satisfyingly into place, offering enough resistance that you're unlikely to accidentally nudge them out of your preferred alignment, but not too much that intentional readjustment requires really giving it some welly.

For another, I can actually adjust the seat low enough that it not only slides under my very much non-adjustable desk, but also so that my feet actually touch the floor (I really wasn't joking about the Gimli height comparison). Besides lowering or raising the seat, the chair's back height can also be adjusted independently by up to 8 cm with seven lockable positions, allowing the integrated dynamic lumbar support to hit you where you really need it. The 3D headrest is mounted on a plastic pivot for postural adjustment, but enjoys independent height adjustment too. In all, the chair's height range is listed as catering to folks between 150 and 190 cm—perfect for small fry like me and those a little more vertically gifted. Add to that the ability to recline backwards at an angle between 105° and 126°, and every slouch proves dangerously close to a nap.

Once assembled, the X-Air Pro offers a comfortable perch with a wide range of adjustable features to suit you—however the road to get there is not nearly as smooth. First, the X-Air Pro rocks up in an absolutely massive box. That does mean there's plenty of room in said box for everything you need to assemble it inside, like allen keys and a screwdriver, but it also proves a logistical mission before you even start the build.

Thanks to the mostly easy to understand visual instruction manual though, construction itself is fairly straightforward—save for those 5D armrests that will keep you guessing as to whether you've attached them the right way around. So, while the website's claim that "You can set everything up in around 15 minutes," is perhaps a tad hopeful, this is hardly a difficult build. That said, it's finally time to address the robot in the room.

This build requires the seat to be mounted onto the gas piston in the wheelbase as the very last step—with the head and armrests already attached. 'Extra' is definitely the word in every sense; the added heft of the oh-so-striking plastic back absolutely makes this a two-person job at least, requiring some tentative 'to-me-to-you-ing' in the office.

Occasionally annoying build aside, I continue to be keen to get in the robot. Offering office chair comfort in the front, and a statement hunk of plastic in the back, AndaSeat have managed to balance both substance and style.