Our Verdict
The FlexiSpot C8 ergonomic chair (released as the BS11 Pro in the UK) is a good all-rounder, even if it doesn't excel in one area. It's well priced, easy to assemble, and well-built, and it gives you smooth movement over carpet and hard floors. This is a functional and comfortable office chair, but it also has enough "design" elements to avoid looking boring.
- Full-body support with head rest
- Mesh design is cooling
- Lots of customization
- Some may want a more padded seat
- More expensive than some rivals
Most of us have experienced or at least noticed the global shift to home working over the last five years. Because of that, there’s been a veritable explosion in the number of companies making office chairs, and the best office chairs are no resigned to being black and boring. They promise style, greater comfort, back support, and if you’re lucky, better productivity.
FlexiSpot has been making office furniture like standing desks since 2015, and we rate the E7 and E7 Pro highly for both working and gaming. The company’s range of ergonomic chairs share similar benefits to its desks; solid build quality, sensible pricing, and a modern design, and they sit somewhere in the middle of the market compared to premium options from Herman Miller or budget options from unknown brands.
I’m testing FlexiSpot’s premium ergonomic office chair; called the BS11 Pro in my UK region and the C8 in the US. Designed to offer consistent back support and a huge amount of customization to make sure you’re sitting comfortably, the BS11 Pro is almost FlexiSpot’s most luxurious offering, under the Ergonomic Chair BS12 Pro.
I wondered, could it really help me to stop slouching? And after a few weeks of use, would my nagging back pain have reduced? More importantly, is it worth your cash if you spend most of your time sitting at a desk, and need some relief from the posture-related woes that come with doing that?
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Specifications
The BS11 Pro currently sits between the BS8 and BS12 Pro in FlexiSpot’s range of ergonomic office chairs. It has a tiltable headrest (12.5 degrees) and back (30 degrees), and the seat is 52cm wide.
FlexiSpot C8/BS11 Pro specifications:
| Max load | 130kg |
| Materials | Mesh Cloth: High elasticity filament Backrest: PU soft plastic material Chassis: Italy DONATI chassis |
| Height range | 118cm-126cm |
| Warranty | 5 years |
| Colors | Black, Gray, Light Blue |
Price & availability
This FlexiSpot chair is available globally, but it has a different name depending on where you live. For me in the UK, it’s officially called the Mesh Ergonomic Office Chair BS11 PRO, but for US shoppers the equivalent is the Exclusive Ergonomic Chair (C8). Don’t ask me what or why that’s the case.
The C8/BS11 Pro is $399.99 (full price $599.99) on the FlexiSpot US website, and £279.99 on the FlexiSpot UK website. That’s nowhere near the lofty prices of Herman Miller’s office chairs, but far more than the best Amazon gaming chairs, so it’s all about context (and your budget). Having sat on more office chairs than most, I think the chair is well-priced for its build and the adjustment options that you get.
Assembly
The FlexiSpot BS11 Pro office chair requires home assembly, and all the parts come packed separately in one large cardboard box, with the individual parts wrapped in polystyrene and bubble wrap inside. I think it’s a shame to see a big company like FlexiSpot relying on so much single-use plastic, but this does help to keep the chair protected during transit.
Assembly took me about 45 minutes overall, but your mileage will vary. It’s easy enough to build the chair on your own, but having a family member or friend on hand to hold bits as you screw them with the Allan key would probably speed things up.
Design
Looks are subjective, sure, but even objectively the FlexiSpot C8/BS 11 Pro chair is quite futuristic and minimalistic. That’s partly thanks to its mesh build, which allows pockets of light (and air) to travel through it, for an aesthetic that’s less “heavy” than a solid black chair. This is a good thing because the C8 is big and heavy (45.2 lbs/20.5kg), and anything that makes it look less dominating in a small room, to my mind, is a good thing.
In terms of quality control, I looked closely at the separate parts of the chair. There are no rough or unfinished edges, and the Wintex Mesh material that makes up the seat and backrest is finely woven and smooth rather than itchy. Overall, the build is incredibly solid. So solid in fact, that it’s hard to move the chair between rooms if your office or gaming space changes regularly.
The plastic wheels of the chair glide across my hard office floor smoothly (and nearly silently), but occasionally I’ll find the chair sliding backward unexpectedly. For carpet users, the wheel motion will likely be slower, but you could invest in a chair mat underneath for smoother moves.
Comfort
I felt like I’d earned a relaxing sit-down after assembling the FlexiSpot BS11 Pro (and then carrying it out to my garden office). But on the first perch, I was surprised at how firm the mesh seat was underneath me. This was my first time sitting in a fully “ergonomic” office chair, rather than a generic polyester padded type, and it took me a while to get used to the backrest almost pushing me forward, to avoid slouching.
Of course, one of this chair’s main selling points is its level of customization, and it shouldn’t take you long to recline the back angle and adjust the height until you find the sweet spot for sitting upright with your legs flat on the floor. The levers for doing so are easy to grab and well-positioned.
The headrest is easy to adjust, too. My partner also used the chair during the testing period, and even though he’s 11 inches taller than me, he was able to tilt it for a well-supported feeling. The arms are also very comfortable and can be raised or lowered with small levers underneath them. That means you can get them at the perfect height for leaning on, or for tucking the chair under a desktop.
Despite being used to a thickly padded seat, I still found the FlexiSpot C8/BS11 Pro comfortable for a full day of work and didn’t experience any of the pins and needles sensations I have done in chairs before. Although the mesh is firm, it moves with you and is flexible if you’re like me and fidget a lot throughout the day.
Should you buy the FlexiSpot C8/BS11 Pro?
Yes: If you’re after a well-made, relatively affordable office chair with plenty of adjustments, the FlexiSpot C8/BS11 Pro is a good choice. The mesh seat won’t be for everyone (I personally love a good amount of padding beneath me), but it keeps you cool, especially in warm temperatures.
No: You’re after color and a real statement chair, the C8/BS11 Pro isn’t the one for you. It blended into my neutral office, but I wasn’t inspired to look at it in the same way I am about the Herman Miller Sayl.
How I tested
It takes anyone a while to get accustomed to a new chair and experience whether it can ease discomfort like back pain. I used the FlexiSpot C8/BS11 Pro as my daily office chair for over two weeks before writing up this review, and around 8 hours daily. I tried moving it around on hard laminate flooring, uneven wood flooring, and different carpet thicknesses (it was no mean feat, having to carry it upstairs).
Alternatives
If the FlexiSpot doesn’t sound like the best office chair for you, consider these alternatives. If you’re a gamer, check out our guide to the best gaming chairs.