If you spend long hours at your computer, a proper chair is one of the best investments you can make. Gaming chairs can be great, but if support is what you need, it’s time to look into the ergonomic market. With adjustability and support to match the unique contours of your body, the OdinLake Ergo PLUS 743 is designed for all-day sitting that will leave you free of back and neck pain when your day is done. At $799, it doesn’t come cheap, but this chair has curves in all the right places.
Specifications
- Current Price: $799 (OdinLake)
- Dimensions: 25.2” - 27.5”L x 27.5”W x 45.5” - 52.4”H
- Seat dimensions: 18.5”L x 20.5”W
- Seat height: 18.5” - 22.5”
- Back dimensions: 20”W x 21”-22.6”H
- Back dimensions (with headrest): 20”W x 27” - 29"H
- Tilt range: 45°
- Armrest height (from the seat border): 25.8” - 32.7”
- Armrest adjust
- 1.57” forwards &. backward
- 1” leftwards &. rightwards
- Caster wheel diameter: 2.5 inches
- Number of caster wheels: 5 pieces
- Adjustability
- Headrest, armrest, backrest, back tilt angle, seat height, seat depth, footrest(optional).
- Materials
- Aluminum alloy frame, fiberglass nylon plastic seat, PU armrest and caster, high strength elastic mesh.
- Certification: BIFMA X5.1-2017(R2022)
- Weight capacity: 350 lbs
- Item weight: 60 lbs
- Shipping dimensions: 30.3”L x 18.5”W x 28.7”H x 69 lbs
- Warranty: 5 years
- Free returns: 30 days
OdinLake Ergo PLUS 743 - What Is It?
The OdinLake Ergo PLUS 743 is the new flagship ergonomic chair from the team at OdinLake. Odinlake is a relatively new company based out of the U.S., founded out of the difficulties of the pandemic and working from home. You wouldn’t guess they were new based on its array of products, however. Though its catalog isn’t very deep, its chairs are well-designed and have the kind of premium aesthetic you would expect from a company twice its age.
The Ergo PLUS 743 is a highly adjustable mesh chair that emphasizes support and premium build quality. It is reminiscent of other ergonomic chairs in this space, most notably the X-Chair X2, which we also reviewed back in 2018. It includes premium features, like dynamic lumbar support, high-strength elastic mesh, plentiful adjustments to ensure it matches your body, and a solid aluminum frame that is made to last. It also includes the ability to add an optional footrest that folds under the seat, which the X-Chair did not have.
The magic of the PLUS 743 is that virtually every part is designed to offer you the proper support. The highlight, in addition to its excellent breathable mesh, is its dynamic lumbar support. Viewed from the side, the lumbar appears to just out from the backrest with a pronounced curve. Its c-shaped wing is attached to a strong spring, so while the mesh flexes to become an exact match for your back, it automatically adjusts in and out to maintain that support as you change position.
This type of system works well, but only so long as the lumbar support is positioned correctly in the first place. Often, gaming chairs include adjustable lumbar systems (or pillows) that can be adjusted in and out, but on the PLUS 743, the entire backrest can move up and down, allowing you to position it perfectly for your own back.
The lumbar system works hand in hand with the seat. It’s wide enough to match a wide range of users (20.5 inches) and doesn’t have the winged bolsters of most gaming chairs (though isn’t a good fit for crossing your legs while sitting. More meaningfully, the 743 allows you to adjust the depth of the seat to customize the angle your back hits the lumbar system. It wasn’t difficult to adjust while actually sitting in it, like the X-Chair, and being able to control seat depth is key to support in different postures as well as the amount of leg support you receive.
A headrest attaches to the top of the back. It’s made of matching materials and can adjust up and down, as well as tilt forward and back for the most comfortable angle. In a normal seating position, it doesn’t come in contact with your neck but is nice to have when you need to rest your head.
OdinLake also sent over the optional footrest for the chair. It’s a bit expensive at $89 but allows the chair to act as a full-on recliner, which is nice if you want to use it for gaming or kicking back on a break. It attaches to the chair with a pair of rods under the seat and is able to extend up to 24 inches when it’s in the upright position. It uses locks rather than a spring or ratchet mechanism, so you won’t need to worry about it popping up in the middle of an assignment. With the seat locked in a reclined angle, it’s surprisingly comfortable and a worthy investment if you’ll find yourself relaxing in the chair.
Of course, the chair has all of the other standard adjustments you would expect. Seat height and seat depth are both controlled using levers on the side of the seat and you’re given 18.5 - 22.5 inches of height range, which is perfect for most desks. There is no true recline, but the backrest is able to rock back up to 45 degrees and lock in place using a lever on the left side of the seat. This system allows the Ergo PLUS 743 to have a natural rocking motion that’s tensioned using a knob on the bottom of the seat. It pulls out for easy access while seated and slides back in to tuck away when it’s not in use.
The chair is impressively built. The frame is made of heavy polished aluminum and reinforced plastic around the edges of the mesh. The five-armed wheelbase is also made of heavy aluminum so you won’t need to worry about it breaking over time. The casters are less impressive, simple plastic, but are tall at 2.5 inches.
The armrests deserve special mention because they’re very well done. First off, they’re four-dimensional, so you have height, depth, width, and angle adjustment. There are triggers built in under each rest to unlock height adjustment but everything else works off of friction. It’s a bit tight, but more importantly, you won’t have to worry about them sliding out of place just because you want to move your chair. That’s an actual, frustrating “feature” of other ergonomic and even some gaming chairs that the PLUS 743 wisely side steps. The foam on them is firm but not hard, so it didn't hurt my elbows, even over full workdays.
OdinLake Ergo PLUS 743 - Assembly
The OdinLake Ergo PLUS 743 does require assembly but it’s quite a bit quicker than your average gaming chair. You’ll need to insert the casters and gas piston into the base and set the seat on top of the piston. Since the seat base is pre-attached, you won’t need to spend time attaching it out of the box. With the seat in place, the armrests and back simply slide into their own channels and are screwed into place. The final step is to attach the headrest with two screws.
Attaching the footrest is just as simple. With the rods attached, you simply slide them into the channels under the seat, add two screws to keep them from pulling out and slide it into a close position.
The total build time is fairly quick. It took me about 15 minutes, reading the manual as I went. Compared to the average gaming chair, there were fewer frustrations since all of the screw holes lined up almost perfectly and there was no finicky backrest to hold in place. With the armrests, back, and footrest all having set metal channels, it really is as simple as sliding them into place. They stay on their own, so you tighten them down and you’re done. The chair is fairly heavy at 60 lbs, but you never have to lift that whole weight at one time, so single-person assembly is very possible.
OdinLake Ergo PLUS 743 - Performance
The OdinLake Ergo PLUS 743 is an outstanding chair for back support and is very comfortable all around. The mesh fabric is breathable and supportive and seems very well woven for long-term durability. The biggest selling point, however, is its adjustability.
It really can’t be overstated how important its back and seat adjustments are. Being able to raise or lower the backrest allows the chair to conform to your unique anatomy and actually pull off its ergonomic wiles. If you have a longer back, like me versus my wife, you’ll be able to raise it to provide support where you need it. The c-shaped lumbar also does an excellent job of promoting good posture without jutting into your back uncomfortably (largely due to the tension of the mesh, which is well-tuned).
Seat depth adjustment is also extremely important and one of the most overlooked features in traditional gaming chairs. With the depth all the way out, you’re free to slouch and recline, but with it pushed farther back you can achieve a forward alert posture. Productivity and awareness bullet points aside, it’s very nice to be able to dial in the angle your back hits the lumbar and the amount of pressure it’s applying. It’s huge for the comfort of the chair over long days and allows you to adjust on the fly to give your body what it needs.
I’m in a unique position in that I can no longer lay claim to the “sore back” I used to when I first started reviewing gaming and ergonomic chairs. I’ve been lucky enough to escape that by learning about posture, support, and settling on chairs that give my back what it needs on those especially long days. Unless my kids have run me through the wringer, it’s not a major issue anymore.
What I can say, however, is that this chair didn’t take anything away and had absolutely zero adjustment curve. That surprised me given its pronounced lumbar curve. Being able to precisely position it and the seat allowed it to be immediately comfortable and supportive. I’ve had days where I’m sitting for 6 hours at a pop, taking a break, and then coming back to work more at my PC. The Ergo PLUS 743 gave my body exactly what I needed to make it through those stretches, get up, and move on with the rest of my day without feeling fatigued.
The breathability of the mesh does give it an advantage over most of the gaming chairs I’ve tested, however. There’s no heat build-up with this chair and no sweaty back. I also liked that OdinLake tensioned the fabric so that it wasn’t too firm. It provides enough tension to be supportive but is soft enough to still be comfortable.
I’m also very impressed at the overall construction of the chair. While gaming chairs often like to brag about their “steel frames,” there’s something extra nice about seeing polished aluminum, feeling its weight, and being able to really get hands-on with such hearty materials. While the mesh could eventually tear if something stabs it, the frame is probably going to outlive me.
The only area where the OdinLake falls short is the warranty. The company provides a 5-year warranty while X-Chair provides an impressive 15-year guarantee. Having used both, I don’t feel that the Ergo PLUS 743 is any more poorly built or lacks compared to that chair, but it would still have been nice to see a 10-year guarantee or more.
Final Thoughts
The OdinLake Ergo PLUS 743 is excellent. It’s supportive, customizable, and comfortable. While I wish the warranty were more than five years, it’s an impressively built chair that perfectly rides the line between support and comfort. At $799, it costs more than your average gaming chair but offers a far better seating experience for that investment that can leave you free of back and neck pain over long work and gaming hours. A good chair is an investment in your health and comfort and this is a very solid choice that is well worth considering.
The product described in this article was provided by the manufacturer for evaluation purposes.
