Officemaster Yes Executive Chair Review

Say Yes to Back Support

So what exactly is a saddle seat? These contoured seat pans have become increasingly popular of late, and you’ve likely seen one around the office. Saddle seats generally have a raised central ridge, with two troughs for a user’s thighs. A declined seat angle helps open up the hip-back angle, reducing pressure on the spine by encouraging a healthy amount of lordosis, or inward flexion of the lower back. The upshot is a seat that places users in a relaxed, splay-legged position.

That’s the theory, and independent studies as well as the popularity of the design seem to confirm it, but there are some downsides we feel compelled to share. Cross-legged sitting is more difficult in a saddle-seat – it’s an ergonomically positive change, but some users may not like it. A small study found that while saddle seats do reduce pain in the lower back, they may increase discomfort in the legs. However that study did not use this chair, and our experienced seat testers did not experience any such discomfort.

The other back-friendly design choice that Officemaster made with the Yes was the inclusion of a lumbar support area. The mesh back of the Yes is yielding (and mercifully more breathable than leather competitors), so users tend to sink into it to some degree – normally a move that results in a slouched posture, which in turn invites back pain. However, the Yes’s contoured support rests at the small of a user’s back, and keeps a healthy curve in the spine of a reclining sitter.

One Chair to Fit Them All

Adjustability has been one of Officemaster’s best features. Their chairs tend to offer either extensive active adjustment, as in the Discovery and Paramount, or a wide range of “passive adjustment” (automatically adapting to the user), as in the OM5. If there’s a knock that can be made against the Yes, it comes from its relatively one-size-fits-all approach. It’s something we’ve knocked in other products – different users will have different body types, and a single model rarely fits everyone. On the other hand, the mesh back design of the Yes mitigates this issue. It offers a large, gentle lumbar support section, instead of one small rigid one, making it much easier for a wide range of users to find an ergonomic spot.

The other primary adjustment that the Yes can make is a 2:1 recline. Leaning back two degrees into the seat back inclines the seat pan by one degree, a ratio that testers here at the office have found extremely comfortable. The Yes is also vertically adjustable, and can come with the standard variable-height, pivoting Officemaster arm kits.

Warranty

The Yes Executive chair comes with a 12-year limited warranty.

For more ergonomic office chair options, see our full roundup of reviews, including treadtop seats that are meant to use at a treadmill desk.