An innovative company has done away with the one-size-fits-all model of seating, with a chair that is more like a furniture Transformer, letting you adapt it to your needs, rather than you adapt to its static design. And it looks like a statement piece in the process.
The Newtral Freedom-X: Multi-Position Chair is, at first, an odd one. When we first saw this campaign, illustrated by the image of a woman reclining on this deconstructed chair – we were ready to make fun of it. But on closer inspection, we quickly saw why the project had amassed more than 1,300 backers within a day or two of its launch.
The idea is that regardless of your needs, you can adjust every part of this atypical chair for what you require: a standard office desk, a gaming seat, one that suits posture or specific physical needs, something that allows for other tasks like playing guitar or even having a pet join you while you type away. As well as being fully height adjustable, the back and arm rests can be manipulated to essentially form entirely new pieces of furniture.
While you will be stuck with the color and texture of your choice – scratch-resistant fabric or vegan leather – that's about it. It comes with flexible armrests that can be positioned anywhere along its 120-degree range, from upright to slightly lower than horizontal to the seat. The backrest can be elevated 100 mm, and it can tilt from 90 to 104 degrees. The seat itself can be moved forward from standard position 70 mm, which allows you to reverse your seating position to turn the backrest into chest support (sort of like sitting backwards on a chair).
Overall, the backrest has seven different levels of height adjustment and three levels of recline angles; the armrests have eight different angles, and the seat can be moved back and forward in six different stages. The desk tray also has three angle settings.
One of the biggest selling points, the makers say, is the ability to seamlessly adjust the seat throughout the day – which is generally considered a good thing, because there's plenty of evidence to suggest that sitting in one position for a long period of time is detrimental to spine health and circulation.
The armrests, when down, provide extra space for work, devices and even your pets (the makers recommend the scratch-resistant fabric for this use). Having worked for several months with a broken leg that needed constant elevation, I would have loved this kind of functionality – much better than a stool with pillows alongside my office chair that was both impractical and uncomfortable.
What's more, it'll even hold your coffee. The Freedom-X has a side table that extends from the backrest, that can be flipped up for a laptop stand, and from that a cup holder on each side swings out if needed. If you're stuck for space, this setup essentially provides you with chair and desk, all in one.
There are some extra touches too – silent wheels, attention to detail with the cushioning and, as you'd hope, excellent stability. The chair supports up to 150 kg (around 330 lb), and the joins are designed to be loaded up with bodyweight when in reclining positions.
Because a lot of attention has been paid to the aesthetics, the fabric edition comes in the midcentury favorites of vibrant orange or cream white, while the faux leather setup is just as designer-like in coffee brown or dark gray.
Given the success of the campaign so far, this one was always going to enter production. With 55 days left on Kickstarter, the Freedom-X is available for US$199 (MSRP $359) for the leather look, and $249 (MSRP $389) in fabric. Both come with all the pieces you need to assemble at home, which actually looks easier than many standard flatpack items of furniture.
There are some add-ons too, such as a larger multi-functional folding laptop desk (in black or white) for $59, and a stylish wood-grain double-paneled rolling side table/footrest for $55.
Source: Kickstarter
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