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Flexispot BS10 review – a solid office and gaming chair

Call it the BS10 or the OC13, Flexispot's chair will give your gaming setup a cleaner office look if you don't mind a slightly heftier price tag

Flexispot BS10 office chair, otherwise known as OC13, against a white background
PCGamesN

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FlexiSpot PC games hardware 

Our Verdict

The Flexispot BS10, confusingly called OC13 in the US, is a good gaming chair with an office flair but will cost you a pretty penny.

If you’re after a chair for your office that’s ostensibly for gaming, but you’re not into flashy-looking ‘gamer gear’, you may find yourself wandering into the world of office chairs in order to find your poison. That’s an altogether more crowded space and it’s not always easy to work out what you’re investing in, yet there’s a sweet spot between the two worlds with the Flexispot BackSupport BS10 – named the OC13 in the US.

It arrived at the office in a box that wasn’t particularly easy to shift due to the lack of grips on the side; I was glad that I didn’t have too far to drag it. Still, once I had it where I wanted, it was fairly straightforward to put together thanks to reasonably clear and concise instructions, and because the more complicated components come pre-assembled. It probably took around 20-25 minutes to build and everything needed was packed into the box.

Right off the bat, it’s clear the Flexispot BS10 is made of quality materials, so it’ll make it onto our list of the best office chairs. The cushions are coated in a tightly woven dark grey fabric, the armrest covers are made of hard foam that has just the right amount of give, the frame is sturdy and elegantly designed with an elegant walnut finish on the back of the lumbar support, and the mesh on the back of the chair is pleasingly tactile. Hell, even the wheels look great thanks to their distinctive black-and-white design (although they don’t lock).

The grey color scheme is plain if you’re looking for one of the best gaming chairs, but if you’re after something understated that won’t look out of place during work-from-home video calls, the Flexispot BS10 is a great option.

It’s also very adjustable. Under the seat on the left-hand side there’s a paddle that allows you to slide the seat back and forth; ideal if you want to recline while you play. Also on the left is a knob that, once turned, allows you to adjust the tilt of the backrest – simply turn it to unlock the mechanism, find the position you want, then turn it again to lock the mechanism and fix it in place.

 

Flexispot BS10 office chair, otherwise known as OC13, as seen from the side

There’s a second paddle on the right-hand side that lets you change the height of the chair, which is essential as you adapt it to suit your desk/workstation. There’s also another knob on the right, although it offers a more subtle adjustment: tilt resistance (although for some reason, this feature wasn’t mentioned at all in the manual – a strange oversight).

The armrests are also adjustable. You can position it at one of six different heights and reset it by bringing it to its highest point. The armrests don’t move back and forth, but they do swivel roughly 30 degrees inwards, although there isn’t a huge amount of resistance to stop them moving when you don’t want them to. Still, it’s good to be able to turn them inside when playing with a controller, as it provides support when your hands are closer to your body and away from the desk.

Flexispot BS10 office chair, otherwise known as OC13, shows its adjustable headrest

You can position the headrest for comfort, whether that’s moving it 6cm up and down or tilting it back and forth. Once in position, it’s very comfortable, but like the armrests, it sometimes slips out of place. The lumbar support behind the backrest is more robust and it offers a similar range of vertical movement (8cm), so you can ensure that it sits against the small of your back, providing comfort and support over prolonged periods of time – and it’s comfortable.

Between the aforementioned adjustable features and the four knobs and levers under the seat, the BS10 offers a good range when it comes to height and positioning, and thanks to its intuitive design, it won’t take long to get used to how it all works and then position everything exactly where you want it. It looks great too, with a clean and elegant modern design that looks the part in pretty much any setting.

Flexispot BS10 office chair, otherwise known as OC13, as seen from the front and back

When it comes to buying a chair for your office, or even the best gaming desk to pair it with, you can spend pretty much what you want. If you consider its current $379.99 (£399.99) and weigh that against the range of features it offers, the Flexispot BS10 (OC13) strikes an acceptable balance, even if it’s on the expensive side and some aspects of its design aren’t quite perfect.

Overall it makes a good impression thanks to the fact that it’s highly adjustable and made from decent materials, it looks smart (albeit in an understated kind of way) and, most importantly of all, it’s pretty damn comfortable to sit in.

Mike cut his teeth writing for Yahoo! (back when they still produced their own video game coverage) before joining up with Gamereactor UK, where he worked his way up to editor-in-chief before eventually joining Network N. Since arriving he has worked in audience development and content strategy, and has written words for both PCGamesN and Wargamer.