As a taller and heavier chap, it can often be tricky to find chairs that support me in all of the right places. Even tougher is finding a chair that feels as though it will last years of punishment during both office and evening gaming hours. Enter the Boulies Elite Max, a chair that was “born to gain comprehensive support for big and tall people.” How has it held up after months of daily testing? Here’s my review.
Simple setup
The build process of the Boulies Elite Max is pretty straightforward. Though it might be daunting when you first get the many pieces out of the box, each step requires the simple turning of bolts, slotting in of parts, and the popping in of wheels. This process will take a newbie around 30 minutes, while following the clear instructions. Take it slow and there’s little that can go wrong. While I did it alone, a second pair of hands could be helpful when handling the heavier components.
The optional head and lumbar pillows are included. These are super-soft and attach with straps that keep them in place.
“Formidable yet subtle”
Once it’s built, the Elite Max looks formidable yet subtle. It’s large in both height and width, but the subtle black color makes it appear somewhat sleek. Both the “Ultraflex PU” in black and “Water Repellent Fabric” in Charcoal appear understated and should blend in with any gaming or office setup.
While it can blend in with the typical office setup, the Elite Max still boasts “gamer chair” features that lead to enhanced comfort.
Adjust to your liking
The seat can recline up to a maximum of 175 degrees. For those who want to, say, sleep in their chair, this could be useful. However, I’m more fond of keeping the chair in a rocking mode with the tension tuned just right. A knob on the bottom of the chair is used to tune the tension, making it easy to adjust.
The armrests are adjustable in four different dimensions, hence the “4D” name. With up and down, side to side, and rotation it’s easy to angle them into the perfect spot.
A must-have feature for me when it comes to gaming chairs is a built-in lumbar support. Unfortunately, the Elite Max does not boast such a feature, though the included lumbar cushion does offer a basic level of support.
Supporting larger folks
The Elite Max boasts additional features for the larger individual. At 6’ 7” and 100 KG, I was pleased to see the taller and wider backrest, in addition to the wider seat base. It’s a bigger chair for big individuals and that includes support at the extreme ranges.
In terms of longevity, the Boulies Elite Max boasts an impressive amount of metal in its construction. This latest version features stronger armrests though with a softer padding material to make it more comfortable on the user’s elbows.
I’ve loved using the Boulies Elite Max for both work and play. As a larger person, I’ve found the additional width and height a godsend when it comes to the overall feeling of support.
Final Verdict
At $459, the Boulies Elite Max positions itself at the upper end of the market. However, for that extra cash, buyers get an overall bigger chair, generous range of adjustability, and high quality of materials that could well be worth it, especially for a bigger person. Definitely add it to your shortlist when looking for a new gaming chair equipped with my must-have features.
Positives and Negatives
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Subtle design will be suitable for any setup.
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Solid build is reassuring.
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High-quality materials.
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Build process is simple enough.
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Comes with my must-have features.
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Price is competitive when compared to similar higher-end chairs.
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A sharp squeak in my unit when reclining all the way, though seems to be a rare fault.
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Limited color options.
Disclosure: Elite Max gaming chair review sample provided by Boulies.
