In a Nutshell:
The Office Star Big Man’s Executive Mesh Chair is an exceptional office chair, offered by an exceptional company. Recommended for anyone looking for a chair for light to moderate daily use.
Value for the Money
Comfort
Brand Reliability*
Aesthetic Flexibility**
Overall Rating
3.9/5
Benefits
Drawbacks
Recommended For: Anyone looking for a chair for light to moderate daily use.
Are you on a budget?
Have you been frustrated in your search for a modestly priced office chair of decent quality, versatility, and a variety of well-implemented ergonomic features?
If so, then you’re going to enjoy learning more about the Office Star Big Man’s Executive Mesh Chair.
There are so many office chairs on the market today offered by such a vast array of companies that potential buyers can often suffer from some analysis paralysis as they try to wade through dozens of different options. After a while, they all begin to look and feel the same.
We’ll be the first to admit that it’s not perfect and has its share of limitations, but given the price the company is selling it for, that’s understood and to be expected. Even if it’s not a good fit for you, other Office Star office chairs might be.
This is a great chair that left us pleasantly surprised, and we think you’ll be impressed as well.
In the following sections, we’ll go over everything this chair has to offer, and we won’t pull any punches when describing its drawbacks and limitations, so you’ll have all the information you need to decide whether or not this is the chair you’ve been looking for. If that sounds good to you, let’s jump in and see what the Office Star Executive Chair offers.
Office Star Big Man’s Executive Mesh Chair Key Features
The first thing you’ll notice about the Office Star Big Man’s Executive Mesh chair is that the company took no chances with its design. This model is entirely conventional and unobtrusive.
That’s not a bad thing at all. On the contrary, it works in the model’s favor because it blends seamlessly with just about any home or office décor scheme. Besides, when most people buy an office chair, they purchase a utility device, not a work of art. It’s got a job to do. Most people are perfectly happy with it as long as it does that job well and isn’t outright ugly.
It is a fairly sizeable piece of furniture and heavier than expected. But again, its unobtrusive design serves it well, enabling it to fade nicely into the background despite its impressive size.
Chair Specifications
As to the basic statistics that drive and define the model, here are a few:
Although the company markets this as a “big man’s chair,” given the above, it suits both average-sized and larger folk well.
The height adjustment range is impressive, spanning five inches, where the industry standard is four, and the band is attractive to taller people. The maximum supported weight limit is decent, but given the above and the 19” seat depth, the tallest and heaviest users in the market will find this chair a shade too cramped for their liking. What that means, though, is that this is a great, versatile chair that will appeal to all but the very shortest and the very tallest, and that’s a very good thing from our point of view.
Adjustability & Comfort
The Office Star Worksmart Big and Tall Mesh Executive Chair covers the basics regarding adjustability. It swivels and tilts, reclining back to a maximum angle of 120 degrees, and has a tilt lock mechanism for those times when you don’t want to lean back.
Where comfort is concerned, this chair has many things going for it.
Upholstery
First, although it’s technically upholstered in fabric, it’s a kind of fabric/mesh blend, offering the best of both worlds. At first, or even second glance, it appears to be fabric, so it doesn’t suffer from the hit to aesthetics that so many pure mesh chairs do. It’s also more breathable than conventional fabric. Kudos to Office Star for taking that approach!
Padding
Second, padding. Although this chair relies on conventional block foam padding, there’s a lot of it, and it offers a delightfully comfortable seating experience.
Ergonomic Features
Third, let’s talk about ergonomic features! On that front, the Office Star “Big Man” chair has the following on offer:
Given the price, we were amazed to find four ergonomic features on this chair, which again speaks very highly of the Office Star design team. However, there’s a catch. The company’s implementation of its lumbar support is somewhat lacking.
Lumbar Support
We don’t mean to say that it’s bad; it isn’t. It’s just not as well-implemented as you’ll find on some similarly priced models. Some users have complained that it doesn’t offer the level of support they were expecting, and unfortunately, the lumbar support isn’t adjustable. This is probably not a deal breaker, and every person is different, so your mileage may vary, but it’s something to be mindful of.
Head and Neck Support
Similarly, the head and neck support is good but falls short of greatness. It gets the job done, and if you lean back to stretch and relax, you’ll be comfortable enough, but plenty of other chairs on the market do as good a job on this front, if not better.
Waterfall Edge Style Seat
On the other hand, the waterfall-edge style seat is very well done, and if you spend extended periods each day in the chair, you’ll be thankful for it. You won’t have to worry about the chair cutting off circulation in your legs, giving you that unpleasant tingling sensation when you stand up for a much-needed break.
Armrests
In our view, however, the ergonomic armrests steal the show. Not only are they well-padded and comfortable, but you can also adjust their height (independently, of course), allowing you some ability to customize your seating experience in the chair.
That’s huge. We’re not sure why more chairs don’t offer this feature, but it’s hit or miss. Some low-end models offer it; most don’t. Less than half of the chairs offered at the mid-range offer the feature.
You’ve got to go to the high end of the market to find it regularly, and that’s a pity. It’s a valuable addition to any chair that doesn’t add significantly to the cost. We view this as a great decision by Office Star, proving they know their way around the office furniture market.
Arrives at Your Door Unassembled
This probably comes as no surprise, and we won’t spend much time on it, but like most office furniture, the Office Star Executive Big Man’s Chair arrives at your door unassembled and in a giant box. The production quality is high, but the materials used in construction are a step or two down from being best in class in a bid to keep the price as low as possible.
Even so, the pieces fit together well, and the weld quality is above average. As with the quality of the materials, the instructions aren’t the best in class, but they’re not awful either. Expect to spend about thirty minutes putting the chair together if you’re doing it solo, and deduct about ten minutes if you have an extra pair of hands to assist you.
Pros & Cons of the Office Star Executive Big Man’s Chair
By this point, we think you’ll agree. The Office Star Executive Office Chair is a solid design. While it falls short of greatness, it is a very good model, and what it lacks in advanced features it makes up for in sheer versatility.
In our view, the armrests stand out as the chair’s best feature, being both ergonomically designed and height adjustable, with the weakest point of the chair being the lumbar support, which isn’t bad but also isn’t stellar.
Office Star Worksmart Big and Tall Mesh Executive Chair Review Conclusion
We like the Office Star Big Man’s Executive Mesh chair more than its total score would indicate. The main thing dragging down its overall rating is that Office Star doesn’t have the same brand heft as, say, Herman Miller or Steelcase. If you’re not especially brand-conscious, and that doesn’t matter to you, taking the brand dimension out of the ranking equation would give this chair an overall score of 4.3, which is impressive.
What we like best about this design is that although it’s being marketed as a “Big Man’s Chair,” it’s incredibly versatile and would be a good fit for all but the very tallest and very shortest people on the market. It’s durable enough to stand up well to the rigors of heavy daily use and comfortable enough that you’ll enjoy sitting in it for several hours every day. This one comes highly recommended.
Recommended Reading
Flash Furniture HERCULES Series 24/7 Office Chair Review
Our Flash Furniture HERCULES Series 24/7 review reveals a rugged and durable office chair for heavy daily use.
Tempur Pedic TP9000 Ergonomic Executive Chair Review
Our review of the Tempur Pedic TP9000 Ergonomic Executive Chair reveals how it can benefit power users.
References & Resources
- Office Star Products, Official Brand Website.
- How to Clean a Mesh Office Chair, Hunker.
- Effects of Differences in Office Chair Controls, Seat and Backrest Angle Design in Relation to Tasks, Researchgate.