PRODUCT: Zody_System 89 office chair
COMPANY:
Haworth
VERDICT: 4 / 5

'Provides very good pelvic and lumbar support, promotes dynamic postures, is very comfortable, fits a wide range of sizes and weights, and is environmentally friendly with a distinctive look.'

BACK SUPPORT

The key feature of this chair is its very good lumbar and pelvic back support, a combination that is rarely found. They help maintain the natural S-shape of your spine and avoid slouching. The pelvic support is fixed. The innovative lumbar support can be adjusted asymmetrically to apply different pressure to each side of the back, something that Haworth’s research found that many users preferred.

It is a 15cm high flexible plate made from concentric rings of plastic, cleverly curved so as not to press on your spine. It is also height adjustable.

COMFORT

You feel especially comfortable in Zody. It gives a great sense of relaxation and control over how you sit. You feel well supported with no pressure points on the soft, yet firm seat pad, which has a suitably contoured shape. There’s also a gel option. The small forward tilt of the seat combined with the long waterfall effect enables you to reduce pressure on your abdomen without slipping off the chair or losing the benefit of the pelvic support.

The highly adjustable armrests with wide semi-soft pads allow you to get close to your workstation and provide good support. There are many adjustments that ensure a good fit for a very wide range of heights, shapes and weights of users. The extra long optional seat depth adjustment is a bonus for those with long legs.

CONTROLS

Controls are easy to reach and smooth to operate. They are unobtrusive and neatly grouped. Good design provides very intuitive actions, such as the lever for tilting the seat pad, but the instructions are not very clear. Evafter reading them, it is not easy to understand how to operate the back stop.

The tension control is very responsive when you turn the crank and supports an extremely wide range of body weights. Icons are shown by depressions but without contrasting colour so are too hard to see.

DYNAMIC SITTING

The synchronous motion and forward tilt provide good dynamic sitting. You can lean back a long way, although there’s no optional headrest to help you maintain a comfortable posture when you do. The adjustable back stop that limits the extent of backrest recline is therefore very useful. You can only lock the chair in an upright position. The flexibility of the mesh backrest allows you to lean or turn to the side comfortably.

LOOK

Zody has a distinctive and stylish rear view, particularly when it has a light backrest frame and silver trim. From the side, the backrest looks extremely slim and sleek but the mechanisms below the seat look a bit bulky.

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT

Zody has a low environmental impact. It is made from 50 per cent recycled material and is 98 per cent recyclable. It is free of chrome and PVC and is quickly disassembled.