Back in the days of big hair and brick phones, your status in the office could be implied by the size of the chair that you sat in and that usually meant big, padded and covered in leather; in other words, the executive chair.

These chairs were all about premium comfort and there wasn’t much thought given to the ergonomics involved. Thankfully the world of work is more enlightened now about the benefits of having a chair that works with you and supports your body’s natural structure.

But while other eighties status symbols have gone the way of shoulder pad dresses, the exec chair is still very much with us, as demonstrated with this high backed leather faced chair from Ryman (£119.99, Ryman.co.uk).

We reviewed this chair for our round up of the best ergonomic office chairs, earlier this year and we found it well-priced, very comfortable to sit in and concluded that it provided a good deal of back support, particularly in the lumbar (or lower back) region. Since then, there have been plenty more executive chairs released around a similar price point, so is Ryman’s version still worth the money?

How we tested

Over the course of six weeks we used it as the main chair for our home-based nine-to-five as well as weekend admin. We were looking at how easy it was for us to get into an ergonomic position while we worked and how adjustable it was so that we could fine tune our sitting position as much as possible.

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Aside from ergonomics we were also tested how functional the seat was in general use. For example, how easily the castors rolled on both carpet and hard surfaces and how easy it was to tuck the chair away under a desk? Executive chairs are renowned for their bulk, so would the Ryman work in a home office that was a little tight on space?

Here’s what we thought.

Ryman executive chair

Rating: 7/10

We didn’t have a problem assembling the chair when it first arrived although it would have been even easier if there had been two of us on the job.

In terms of design, it’s most certainly a throwback chair ideally suited for a dedicated office space rather than sitting at a desk in one of the main rooms in the house. Although, it is available in both brown and blue leather, so you do have some customisation options depending on the colour palette of your home.

It is also nicely proportioned. The back rest is 72cm high and the seat is nice and spacious with a width of 52cm, making it very comfortable whether you’re sitting forward at a keyboard or reclining back. The height adjustment goes up to 58cm via a very efficient gas lift mechanism which makes it a good chair if you’ve got multiple users with varying heights.

We really liked the recline on the chair, which had good tension and didn’t feel like it was about to tip the chair over when we sat back. Plus, with a weight capacity of 25 stone, it’s a real workhorse that’s built for all body types.

In terms of ergonomics, the Ryman’s backrest does a superb job of cradling the spine and back with a pronounced lumbar support. The sides of the chair encourage you to sit centrally and not veer off to one side or the other so that you get the maximum amount of support from the lumbar cushion too.

The raised headrest is also large and well placed so that it feels like your neck is being encouraged to maintain contact with the chair rather than sag forward. And the sloping armrests do a good job of encouraging your arms into the correct position in line with your shoulders. The seat height lowers to 48cm, which, when coupled with the armrests, means that the chair was easy to roll under a desk to save on space and keep things looking tidy when you’re not working.

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The verdict: Ryman executive chair

Executive chairs are all about premium comfort, but this can often be at the expense of good ergonomics. However, the Ryman executive chair manages to tick both boxes and still remain good value for money. In particular, the back rest seems to have been moulded with sitting health in mind, which is not always an easy outcome to achieve when working with leather and foam.

It is a big chair and we found it tended to take over when placed at a desk in a living room or lounge and looked somewhat out of place. Instead, we think the Ryman would work best if you have a dedicated office space in the home.

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Ryman executive chair review: Premium comfort, good ergonomics and superior lumbar support

This work-from-home essential has got your back...literally

How we tested

Ryman executive chair

The verdict: Ryman executive chair

Voucher codes

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