X4 Executive leather chair review

Update (December 2023): After another year of using X-Chair's X4 chair as one of my primary work seats, I've decided to up the score from its initial 4.5 stars out of 5, to a full 5. In short, it's really hard to fault this beautifully built chair, and it remains supremely comfortable and supportive 16-plus months after first using it. Back to the original review...

X-Chair is somewhat the new kid on the block. Whereas the likes of Herman Miller and HÅG have been releasing iconic office chairs for decades, X-Chair is relatively new on the scene. But they are no pretenders, and instead of trying to compete with the output of the aforementioned chair producers, X-Chair has played it clever. The US company has put all its focus into making the very best single ergonomic, stylish chair that they can. There's one major design – the X-Chair – and then there are iterations of that main design (X1 to X4, plus the X-Tech for the US market), which range from $799/£685 to $1,299.99/£1,063. 

But has this business model paid off? Well, we've spent nearly every day of the last six weeks using the X4 Executive leather chair, with heating and massage features, as both office and gaming chair, and we've got some pretty strong thoughts. If you want the short version – this is a seriously impressive office chair, and one of the most comfortable that this writer has ever used. But there are some issues, which I'll cover below.

If you want to delve deeper into our choice of the best office chairs, or specifically the best office chair for back pain, we've got guides for you to check out. And if you're feeling like really giving your back and posture a helping hand, we've also covered the best standing desks out there too. 

Assembly

X-Chair makes a good impression from the off. I've put together many chairs in my time, and though it could never be described as hard work, some are more fiddly than others. The X-Chair wins the prize of simplifying the process of assembly, sending you minimal chair components to put together, and clearly separating the tools you'll need to do so. 

It took around ten minutes to put the chair together, and another 10 minutes taking the plastic and cardboard off the component parts. As mentioned, the laminated tools and screws mean there's no way you'll be sat there thinking what screw goes where, and the total seven parts of the chair is an easy number to manage. 

The chair is seriously heavy though, and though that's a positive when it comes to comfort (see below), if you're just not looking for a very heavy chair, you might want to look elsewhere (perhaps the X1, 2 and 3 are lighter than the X4, but as I haven't tested them, I cannot say for sure). 

Comfort and build

Comfort and build will probably be the main points of interest to you, and it happens to be the area that the X-Chair X4 excels. In both build and comfort, the X4 Executive leather chair is top drawer. We tested the black X4 chair with memory foam seating and headrest, and genuinely enjoyed every second sitting down on it. As mentioned above, the X4 chair has a heft to it, but that solidity is perfectly complimented by a delightfully soft, smooth leather finish. And with the mix of solid plastic and chrome metal framework offering strength behind the luxury finish – plus the weight of the chair – the end result is a chair that feels solid yet soft. 

There are several adjustments on offer (fully explored below), but I can say here that it took seconds to figure out an ideal set up for my initial working day, and then when it came to a quick gaming session, or just relaxed TV viewing, the many tweaks and alterations that I could make were all useful and were easy to achieve.

Design and features

The X-Chair comes with several feature options. The actual chair will come with a 'DVL', which is basically what X-Chair call their lumbar support. This, as with the rest of the chair, feels solid yet has the appropriate give to make it feel comfortable yet supportive. The optional headrest is comfortable, but as it's limited to a small rotational movement, I would have liked to see more options there. There is no up or down movement options, for example, though you can move the whole back seat to adjust the DVL and headrest together. That might not work for all body types. 

The armrests that come with the X4 are perfectly comfortable, and have several movement options (up-down, forward-backwards, sideways). I also received the FS 360 armrests, which you can get for an additional $174, but have been unable to remove the standard armrest to try them out, so will not be reviewing them here (I'll update when I can). 

Then there's the option for an extended wide seat (22-inches instead of 20.5), which also allows you to select the memory foam option too. I can report that the memory foam seating is fantastic, but in a way that you don't notice it at first. It's after hours of sitting on it that you notice that you're still really comfortable – something that is not always the case with office chairs. 

Then there's the option for massage and heating features. I've got to admit that although I enjoyed the novelty of the massage feature initially, giving me a nice vibration on my lower back, it's not something that I went back to use all that much. It's easy to install behind the lumbar support, easy to charge, and there are three button options to keep things nice and simple to use – although it wasn't easy to press the right buttons while still sat in the chair. 

As mentioned, you can move the back seat of the chair, including the lumbar support and headrest, up and down, so there's a couple of inches' range as to where the massage will focus, but it's still a narrow area. Ultimately, I wouldn't chose the massage or heating options on this chair, but that is a matter of taste. It may be up your street, but for an added $130, I'm not convinced (but X-Chair sell the $9,000 X77 massage chair, if you really want a thorough massage chair!) 

Should you buy?

I really like the X-Chair X4. It's built from quality materials, is as comfortable as I could want, and has enough adjustability and features to provide comfort for the largest range of users. The novelty massage and heating options aside, I can't really fault the X4 Executive leather chair, as the company X-Chair has clearly worked hard on getting the essential elements of an ergonomic chair just so. Perhaps there could be more adjustability on the headrest, but I found what was on offer was sufficient for me. The main takeaway is that the X4 provides that great feeling of solidity and comfort like few chairs I've used. You feel pampered with the comfort, and like you're in safe hands when sitting in it due to the build, and that's as much as I want from an ergonomic chair.