Are you in the market for a new, reasonably priced office chair? Do you consider yourself to be a bit of a do it yourselfer? If you answered yes to either of those questions, then you’re going to be intrigued by our in-depth review of the Viva Office brand.
About Viva Office
This young Swedish company was only established in 2008, so they haven’t been in the game long at this point and as such, they don’t have a lot of brand heft. Nonetheless, they do make some surprisingly good furniture, and even better, they’re one of only a few companies that sell replacement parts for the chairs they make.
If you’re a DIYer, it’s easy to swap out a failed component and keep right on using your chair! Granted, that kind of thing isn’t for everyone, but we think it’s really cool that you can if you don’t mind applying a bit of good old-fashioned elbow grease. And indeed, the fact that the company offers replacement parts gave them a slight nudge in the “Brand Reliability” department than they otherwise would have had.
We consider them about a half step below Flash Furniture, which is a smaller brand that we’re quite fond of.
It should be said though, that no matter how good a brand is, they do occasionally miss the mark where some models are concerned. Viva Office is no different in that regard. While most of their products are quite good, they have swung and missed a few times, too.
Not to worry, in the sections that follow, we’ll break down the various chairs they currently offer for sale and tell you each one’s strongest and weakest points, so you can not only get a feel for the brand, but also, we hope, find your next office chair!
Viva Office Chairs Overview
Now that we’ve provided a broad overview of the products Viva Office sells let’s spend a few minutes talking about the things that all of the company’s office chairs have in common before looking at individual models.
Modularity
One of the things we like about the Viva Office brand is the fact that in addition to selling office furniture, they also sell the parts that are most likely to break down over time, individually.
In our view, this makes the brand stronger, and a perfect choice for Do It Yourselfers who like to maintain their own furniture and equipment. Because they do so, we rated their brand reliability slightly stronger than we otherwise would have.
Granted, not everyone will appreciate this approach, but we like it very much.
Here are some of the components you can buy individually:
Casters (Sets of Five)
You can order these in either black or grey.
Casters tend to be pretty durable and long-lasting, but especially in chairs with a nylon base, if and when the base cracks and break, it can bend the spokes that slide into the base, securing the caster.
That’s the most common reason you’ll eventually need a replacement set. Although, if your casters have become damaged, they may scuff the surface of your hardwood or linoleum floor, or they may not roll as smoothly on carpet as they once did. In either case, replacement is quick, inexpensive and easy.
Tilt Control Mechanism
Among the various components of your chair, in most cases, this will be the last thing to break down. Sooner or later though, it’s going to happen, and when it does, it’s nice to know you can get a replacement that’s guaranteed to fit the chair you’ve got.
Gas Lift Replacement
This is one of the first things to go in most chairs. The first thing you’ll notice is that every time you sit in the chair, it won’t maintain the height adjustment you’ve set it at, and will slowly sink to its lowest position.
In the short run, you can just keep raising the seat back up, but it’s going to happen again, and sooner or later, it’s going to stop working altogether. Fortunately, it’s super easy to swap out.
Chair Base
If you ordered a chair with a nylon base, it’s probably not going to last more than a year or two if you use the chair for several hours a day, every day. Over time, even aluminum or steel bases may suffer damage.
Lightly constructed metal bases take longer to break down, but if you’re near the top end of your chair’s maximum supported weight and use it heavily on a daily basis, sooner or later, it will happen. Again, it’s nice to know that when it does, you can simply swap it out for a new one.
Our one quibble here is that we wish Viva Office sold a heavy-duty replacement base, even if they don’t offer them on the chairs they sell, but we can certainly live with it.
You can order a chrome base or a nylon replacement base.
Note that the nylon replacement base is ruggedized and claims to support up to five hundred pounds of weight, so at least in theory, is a more durable base than the one that came with your chair in most cases. Still, what we hoped to see is a heavy-duty steel replacement base, but it’s not something the company currently offers.
Assembly is Required
No matter which chair model you buy from Viva Office, it’s going to arrive at your house in several pieces, in a big box. You’ll have to unpack it, sort the pieces and spend some time putting it together.
The production quality of Viva Office furniture is decent, but not outstanding. Although the company uses low-end materials in the construction of the chairs they sell, they’re at the upper end of that spectrum, and you won’t have a problem aligning the pre-drilled holes as you put your chair together.
The build time varies from one model to the next but expect to spend in the neighborhood of 30-45 minutes if you’re putting it together by yourself. You can have about ten minutes off of that if you enlist the aid of a trusty assistant, and you’ll save yourself headaches at various points along the way.
If you’ve put office furniture together in the past, you already know that the hardest part is attaching the seat to the seat back – that’s where you’ll get the most benefit from having a second pair of hands.
One-Year Warranty
Unless otherwise noted, all Viva Office chairs come with a one-year warranty. That’s above average for the value segment of the market, but some companies offer a longer warranty.
Again though, given the fact that Viva isn’t known for their customer service excellence, combined with the fact that they sell spare parts, the reality is that most people just order what they need to fix their chair themselves, rather than try to jump through the customer service hoops.
Upholstery Options
The overwhelming majority of the products sold by Viva Office are upholstered in mesh or bonded leather. They’ve got a fabric-upholstered task chair for sale, but seeing fabric on Viva Office products is the exception and not the rule.
We won’t spend a ton of time on this, but we’ll give you a quick and dirty summary of the implications of the three main upholstery options, to guide you in your search for the “right” office chair for you.
Leather
Leather upholstery tends to look the best, lending an air of elegance to most chairs that are so upholstered. Unfortunately, leather chairs have two serious drawbacks. One is, they’re not pet-friendly, at all. If you have pets (especially cats), you do NOT want to invest in leather furniture of any kind, unless you just like burning money. They’ll rip it apart in no time flat.
Second, leather makes you sweat because it isn’t breathable. If you plan to spend serious amounts of time every day in your chair, you should probably think twice about getting a leather one.
Finally, not all leather is created equally. If you have a chair covered in grain leather, that’s significantly better than a chair covered in bonded leather. Bonded leather is real leather, but it is created by fusing leather scraps together. As such, it’s not as supple or as strong as genuine leather and will start to show its age relatively quickly.
A good rule of thumb is: If you plan on heavy daily usage, you can expect bonded leather to start peeling and cracking after about a year. Moderate daily usage will probably extend its life to two years, and light daily usage will extend it to two and a half, and maybe three years, but that’s about all you can expect to get out of bonded leather.
In short, leather tends to be prettier than the other options, but cheaper (bonded) leather doesn’t stand up well to heavy use.
All of Viva Office’s leather-clad chairs use bonded leather. (Note: This is hardly unique to Viva Office; almost all value-priced, leather upholstered furniture relies on bonded leather for an elegant finish – unfortunately, it makes the furniture a bit of a glass cannon. Use it, and you’re apt to break it).
Color-wise, whatever the type, leather is most often offered in black, fairly commonly offered in brown, sometimes offered in beiges or whites, and rarely offered in any other color.
Mesh
This is about as close to leather’s polar opposite as you’re likely to find. It’s incredibly durable and rugged (not to mention, pet-friendly) but it won’t win any beauty contests.
In theory, mesh furniture can be livened up by offering it in a virtually unlimited number of colors, but most office furniture vendors stick to basic black or grey.
A minority of vendors do offer a range of different colors, however, so it is possible to find some variation if you’re willing to look. The best thing about mesh is that it’s incredibly breathable. As such, it’s ideally suited to heavy daily usage.
Unfortunately, it’s often the case that mesh tends to be paired with low-end construction materials which don’t stand up as well to the rigors of heavy daily use.
This is done as a cost-saving measure because mesh is relatively less expensive. It’s entirely possible though, to find great, high-end mesh chairs.
Fabric
Fabric occupies the middle ground; the territory between leather and mesh. It’s more breathable than the former but less breathable than the latter. It’s also offered in a staggering array of colors and patterns, and in that regard, is the most aesthetically flexible of the three upholstery options.
Where pets are concerned, it also occupies the middle ground, being more durable than leather, but less durable than mesh.
Okay! With those details out of the way, let’s turn our attention to the individual models and see what each of Viva Office’s chairs have to offer!
Viva Office Chair Types & Categories
Because Viva Office makes a number of different chairs, some of their individual models tend to be short-lived. Rather than doing a series of individual reviews for models that may be here today and gone tomorrow, what we’ve opted to do instead is take a snapshot of the brand as it exists today and give you an overview of the models currently on offer.
Of course, we’ll provide links to the individual models, but we’re also including the link to the brand’s page. That way, if a model you’re interested in is no longer offered for sale, you’ll be able to quickly zero in on whatever new Viva Office chair model has arisen to take its place.
Broadly speaking, the chairs that Viva Office sells can be broken into the following categories:
The task chairs category is a bit of a catchall, and you’ll find some leather-upholstered, one fabric-upholstered, and some purely mesh chairs here. In our view, this is probably the weakest segment of the company’s product line, but we wanted to include it for the sake of completeness.
Before we dive into the particulars of each individual model the company sells, we’ll start by taking a look at the brand’s lineup from a high altitude to give you an overview.
We’ll do that just below here in our Viva Office Chair review, and we’ve broken the company’s products down into the basic groupings outlined above. Where needed, we’ve broken larger product sections out by various price points, so you can more quickly zero in on exactly what you’re looking for.
Viva Office Reclining Executive Office Chairs
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3.2
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3.8
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3.0
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4.3
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3.8
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4.5
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3.7
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4.0
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2.3
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2.3
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A slightly above average reclining executive office chair with limited ergonomic support
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As best we can tell, this is a slightly older variant of the high back bonded leather recliner, mentioned just to the left. Aside from a slight reduction in price, its main difference is that it doesn’t recline as far back.
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Not recommended, unless you’re desperate for a reclining executive office chair.
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Provisionally recommended for anyone who wants a reclining office chair and doesn’t care if it doesn’t lay quite flat. (the provisional recommendation is because this appears to be an older model and may not be available in the longer term).
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37” x 27” x 42.9” x 45.3”
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36” x 28” x 44.9” to 47.1”
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77.2 pounds
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77.3 pounds
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250 pounds
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250 pounds
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90 to 160 degrees
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90 to 160 degrees
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22.4”
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21.7”
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21.1” to 23.4”
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19.3” to 21.7”
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17.7”
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18.1”
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*While aesthetics is a matter of taste, aesthetic flexibility is a measure of how easily a given design would fit into a wide range of home or office décor schemes.
**Brand Reliability is a measure of the strength and longevity of the brand, which by extension, is a measure of the level of support you can expect.
Viva1102 Leather Reclining Office Chair
Not recommended, unless you’re desperate for a reclining executive office chair.
We’re tackling these individual products in the same order that we listed them in the tables above, which is unfortunate in this case, because the most expensive chair the company makes is something of a miss and is not something we recommend.
On paper, it’s a pretty good chair, but it suffers from a collection of flaws that, when taken together, we regard as fatal.
Scoring wise, it winds up being a shade above average, but let’s have a closer look:
First, check out the seat height adjustment range. Most office chairs offer about 4” in range, which allows them to be adjusted for use by a relatively wide range of body shapes and sizes.
Some chairs even offer up to 12” in seat height adjustment range. This Viva Reclining Office Chair offers about two and a quarter inches (21.1” to 23.4”). Further, the height adjustment range is wholly inappropriate for petite or shorter people, who simply will not be able to use the chair effectively or sit in it comfortably.
The thing is though, it’s only got a 250-pound weight limit, so although the seat height adjustment range is geared toward bigger folks, the weight allowance isn’t. Mind you, a 250-pound weight limit isn’t bad for a standard sized chair, but based on the seat height range, we’d have expected the weight limit to be more than it is.
Then there’s the fact that almost nothing about the chair is ergonomic. Yes, it’s reasonably comfortable and well padded, but the only ergonomic feature you’ll find in this model is decent lumbar support.
The company tries to make this the focus of their marketing by calling it an “Ergonomic Wave” backrest, but honestly, there’s not much that we can see (beyond the lumbar support) that’s ergonomic about the design.
There’s no waterfall-style seat, no ergonomic armrests, and the headrest tilts too far forward to be comfortable.
Worse, one of the most persistent complaints about the chair is that it has a tendency to tip forward, which makes it even harder for shorter people to use because they’ll be inclined to sit forward anyway so that their feet will touch the floor.
On the plus side, it does lay nearly flat, and if you wanted, you could probably take a decent nap in the chair, but even there, the leather upholstery works against you as you’ll likely wake up sweating.
It’s a reasonably attractive chair, but it’s only offered in one color (brown) which does somewhat limit its ability to blend in seamlessly with your home’s existing home décor scheme.
Also, note that the base is nylon with chrome-like coating sprayed atop it. Not only is the nylon not capable of supporting a ton of weight unless it’s reinforced (it isn’t in this case, ref: the modest maximum supported weight), but the first time your shoes come in contact with the base, you’re likely to start chipping the chrome coating off.
So why do we rate this chair slightly above average, given all those failings?
Well, as we said, it’s a decent looking piece of furniture, and it’s comfortable to sit and recline in, provided you’re only using it lightly to moderately every day.
The weaknesses we mentioned above, combined with the bonded leather upholstery make this Viva Office Reclining Office chair a poor choice for heavy daily usage, but sure, occasional users will find this chair to be a smidge above average IF they fit properly in the chair and don’t exceed the weight limit.
All that to say that we regard this as very much a niche product and cannot, in good conscience recommend it. Fortunately, many of Viva Office’s other models are much better designed.
Viva08501A High Back Bonded Leather Office Recliner
This chair is not only cheaper than the company’s most expensive executive office recliner, but it’s also a significant step up in terms of usability and quality. That said, there are still some issues (some of them serious) to be aware of.
First and foremost, this chair suffers the same small height range adjustment that the chair we just talked about is saddled with. Here, the range spans 18.5” to 20.9.” Again, most office furniture offers at least a four-inch height adjustment range, so this left us wanting.
Although the weight limit is the same as the previous chair (250 pounds), here, that’s much more appropriate, given the seat height adjustment range, so we don’t have an issue with it.
Also, there are more ergonomic features on this model, which increases its score. Those include a waterfall style seat, improved lumbar support, and decent ergonomic head and neck support. Even better, with 4” of block foam padding underneath the leather, it’s surprisingly comfortable, and it’s offered in both brown and black which increases its aesthetic flexibility.
The armrests on this Viva Office Deluxe Reclining Chair are pretty cool too, in that they’re designed to move as you recline in the chair, providing a changing, ever-comfortable position. We love it. This is the kind of finishing feature that makes a great chair.
Unfortunately, the model suffers a bit score-wise because it’s just not designed to withstand the rigors of heavy daily usage. The base is chrome-covered aluminum, which can take that kind of punishment, but the bonded leather upholstery simply can’t.
Still, if you really want a reclining office chair, and you only plan to use it lightly or moderately every day, this is a surprisingly good choice, even if it’s a bit more expensive than we’d like to see.
The one thing we’d love to see added would be a waterfall-style seat, but even without that, we have to admit, we like this chair more than its final score would first indicate. This is one we would recommend buying…IF you feel like you have to have a reclining office chair and meet the size and weight requirements, of course.
Viva08501 High Back Bonded Leather Recliner with Footrest
Provisionally recommended for anyone who wants a reclining office chair and doesn’t care if it doesn’t lay quite flat. (the provisional recommendation is because this appears to be an older model and may not be available in the longer term).
We’re not sure what to make of this chair. At first glance, we thought it was just the brown version of the model we just discussed, but the chair’s dimensions are different, so as near as we can tell, this is the older model that gave rise to the chair we just mentioned.
With that in mind, don’t be surprised if this particular model vanishes at some point, but while it’s here, we’ll give it a brief mention.
It’s functionally similar to the previous chair, but slightly less costly, which makes it a better overall value, but it’s only offered in brown, so it loses a bit of ground where aesthetic flexibility is concerned and winds up in the same place as its younger cousin.
The one big difference is that this chair doesn’t recline as far back, so if that’s something you place a premium on, then it’s worth spending a little more to get the updated version.
Viva Office Executive Office Chairs Under $130
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3.8
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3.8
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3.3
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3.9
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4.8
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4.5
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3.3
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5.0
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4.3
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4.3
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4.0
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4.3
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4.0
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4.0
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3.8
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4.0
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2.3
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2.3
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2.3
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2.3
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This is a really good chair, and a tremendous value for the money.
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A decent chair for the money, with some basic ergonomic features on offer.
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A slightly above average office chair with limited ergonomic supports.
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A surprisingly full-featured chair for the money. Very versatile design.
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Recommended for anyone.
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Provisionally recommended for those who can’t afford the high back bonded leather office chair.
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Not recommended unless you just love the aesthetic. There are better options for the money.
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Recommended for anyone on a budget.
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31.3” x 27.2” x 42.1” to 45.3”
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25.9” x 23.5” x 44.9” to 48.1”
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26.8” x 26” x 39.8” to 42.9”
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25.6” x 26” x 42” to 46”
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43 pounds
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31 pounds
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45.3 pounds
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41 pounds
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250 pounds
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250 pounds
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250 pounds
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250 pounds
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None, but the chair does rock back and forth slightly.
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None, but the chair does rock back and forth slightly.
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None, but the chair does rock back and forth slightly.
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None, but the chair does rock back and forth slightly.
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20.1”
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19”
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21.3”
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23.9”
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17.7” to 20.9”
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23.8” to 26.8”
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19.2” to 22.8”
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18.25” to 22”
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18.5”
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18.5”
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18.5”
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18.1`”
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*While aesthetics is a matter of taste, aesthetic flexibility is a measure of how easily a given design would fit into a wide range of home or office décor schemes.
**Brand Reliability is a measure of the strength and longevity of the brand, which by extension, is a measure of the level of support you can expect.
Viva1272 High Back Bonded Leather Office Chair
Recommended For: Anyone. A tremendous value for the money
The high back bonded leather office chair is a tremendous value for the money. It’s comfortable and surprisingly full-featured. The height adjustment range of 17.1” to 20.9” is well paired with the chair’s 250-pound weight limit, although again, we see something that will be a persistent issue with Viva’s current designs.
The height adjustment range is smaller than the industry average of 4”. We don’t understand it, and it’d be an easy thing to fix, and it did dent the chair’s overall score. Still, it’s not a deal breaker, and this model gets a lot right.
Ergonomically, you’ll find a waterfall-style seat, well-implemented lumbar support, good head and neck support, and ergonomic armrests. Sadly, none of the ergonomic features are adjustable in any way, but that’s no surprise at this price point.
The main thing to be aware of is the fact that as with most furniture upholstered with bonded leather, it’s not going to stand up to the rigors of heavy daily use. If you’re looking for a chair designed for light to moderate daily use though, this one belongs on your short list.
Also, note that the base is nylon covered in a chrome finish. As such, if you’re in the habit of resting your feet on the base, you can expect it to start flaking off sooner, rather than later. Again, this does not lend itself well to heavy daily use, which underscores the point above.
Viva 20182 Ergonomic Bonded Leather Swivel Chair
Provisionally recommended for those who can’t afford the high back bonded leather office chair.
This chair is functionally similar to the high back bonded leather chair we just reviewed, but it doesn’t have padded, ergonomically sculpted armrests and we’re not as impressed with the seat height adjustment range and weight limit.
The weight limit is the standard 250-pound limit on most of Viva Office’s chairs, but the height adjustment range spans 23.6” to 26.6”, which again, is a smaller range than the industry standard, owing to the company’s insistence on using what is in our view, a poor choice where their gas lift is concerned.
In any case, that’s a high range, which targets this chair at bigger/taller users, but there’s no corresponding increase to the maximum supported weight range.
That’s a weakness, in our book. We’d have expected to see at least a slight bump up in that department. It wouldn’t have to have been much. Even fifty pounds would have been acceptable. Unfortunately, it was just not meant to be.
Again, given the presence of bonded leather upholstery, this chair is a decent choice for light to moderate daily use, but you’ll want to take careful measurements to be sure that the height adjustment range is right for you.
This chair does not recline, but it does rock back and forth slightly. If you’re specifically looking for a chair with a recline function, this isn’t the model you want.
We provisionally recommend this model but would urge you to consider spending an extra twenty bucks on the high back bonded leather chair assuming it fits you as well. It’s a better product.
If your heart is set on this one, you’ll find good lumbar and head and neck support, along with a waterfall style seat and a generous 4” of block foam padding. All that to say it’s a good value for the money, it’s just not as good a value as the high back bonded leather chair above.
Note: One minor advantage this model has over the one above is the fact that although both bases are nylon, this one isn’t covered with a chrome finish, so there’s no need to worry about it flaking off if you kick it or rest your feet on the base.
Viva 0973 Diamond Pattern Bonded Office Chair
Not recommended unless you just love the aesthetic. There are better options for the money.
We’re not fans of this model for a few reasons, although we readily admit that part of it is subjective and your mileage may vary.
First, we don’t like the chair’s aesthetic. The company describes it as a “stylish diamond bonded leather pattern,” but we don’t find much stylish about it. The design looks dated to us, and not in a good way.
Further, the tri-color approach doesn’t do the chair any favors. The leather is a deep, rich brown, which is nice, but it’s paired with stubby black nylon armrests (not padded and not ergonomic, but oddly enough, slightly height adjustable), with a sturdy aluminum base.
We like the aluminum base and would have preferred un-patterned leather, with upholstered armrests so that they matched the chair. We’re also not clear on why this model doesn’t have a higher maximum supported weight limit, given the presence of a more rugged base.
Unfortunately, the only ergonomic features you’ll find here is decent lumbar support and something that almost resembles a waterfall-style seat. In our book, it doesn’t quite qualify for the title, but it’s probably close enough that it will provide your legs with some benefits when it comes to helping with circulation.
We can’t say we recommend this model. There are better options available that don’t cost much more money.
Viva1139L1 Swivel Office Chair
This is an incredibly strong low-end model that has a lot going for it. Generous amounts of padding, well implemented lumbar support, head, and neck support, and ergonomic, padded armrests, paired with a waterfall-style seat. Of course, none of the ergonomic features are adjustable in any way, but for the price, that’s hardly a surprise.
It’s not a flashy, showy chair, and it’s only offered in basic black, but those things work to its advantage, making it able to blend in seamlessly with almost any home décor scheme.
Although the product description says the base is steel, it appears to be the same aluminum base they used for the diamond pattern chair above, which makes sense, given the fact that the weight limit didn’t increase.
The height adjustment range and 250-pound weight limit are relatively well paired, although again, we’d love to have seen even a modest increase here, given that the maximum seat height is just north of 22,” which is in tall user territory.
Even so, for the money, this is an awesome find and a very strong model by Viva Office. We recommend it to anyone on a budget.
Viva Office Executive Office Chairs $130 – $160
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3.6
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3.5
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3.8
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3.9
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4.0
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4.0
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4.5
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5.0
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4.3
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3.8
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4.3
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4.3
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3.8
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4.0
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4.0
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4.3
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2.3
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2.3
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2.3
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2.3
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A decent chair with a full suite of non-adjustable ergonomic features.
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A well-designed chair with well-implemented ergonomic features and extra pillows for lumbar support and your head.
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An unobtrusive workhorse. Comfortable and with a full boat of ergonomic features.
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A handsome, modestly priced chair that has all the features and comfort you’d expect.
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Provisionally recommended if you like the aesthetic more than we did.
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Provisionally recommended if you’re patient enough to break the headrest padding in. There’s not enough padding without the extra pillow and too much with it.
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Recommended, especially if you don’t like the Fashionable Executive Chair and want a different aesthetic.
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Recommended for anyone.
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29.9” x 25.6” x 43.3” to 46.9”
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29.8” x 23” x 42.1” to 45.3”
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29.9” x 26.4” x 42.5” to 45.3”
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29.1” x 26” x 46.1” to 48.4”
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31.5 pounds
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51.6 pounds
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47 pounds
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56 pounds
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250 pounds
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250 pounds
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250 pounds
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250 pounds
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90 to 120 degrees
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90 to 135 degrees
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90 to 120 degrees
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90 to 120 degrees
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21.7”
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19.7”
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22”
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21.3”
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18.9” to 22.4”
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18.1” to 21.3”
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18.1” to 20.9”
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19.3” to 21.7”
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18.9
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18.5”
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19.3”
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19.7”
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*While aesthetics is a matter of taste, aesthetic flexibility is a measure of how easily a given design would fit into a wide range of home or office décor schemes.
**Brand Reliability is a measure of the strength and longevity of the brand, which by extension, is a measure of the level of support you can expect.
Viva1575 Luxury High Back Ergonomic Chair
Provisionally recommended if you like the aesthetic more than we did.
We wanted to like this chair more than we did, but there’s something we find “off” about it. On paper, it’s a solid enough contender.
It’s got a decent height adjustment range that spans 18.9” to 23.4”, not quite to industry standards but close enough, and it’s well-padded and comfortable, although we note that the seat cushion feels like it has less padding than the back. We rather wish that had been the other way around.
Ergonomically, it’s got all the basics covered, with a waterfall style seat, ergonomic arms, good lumbar support, and good head and neck support.
We like the flares on the edges of the seat and at the top of the seatback. They give you a feeling of being cradled in the chair, which does add something to the seating experience.
All of those are good things, but again, there’s just something missing here. The upholstery design of the seatback doesn’t “work” with the flared edges and leaves the chair looking a bit cheap in our minds, and they may have slightly overdone it where the angle of the waterfall seat is concerned.
One of the more common complaints with this chair is that users feel as though they’re going to slide right out of it.
Another minor quibble is that given the price, we were expecting more in the way of recline angle. Many other chairs in its price range recline to 135 degrees, while this one is limited to 120. That’s more of a nit, honestly, and won’t be a deal breaker for most, but it’s worth mentioning.
On balance, we provisionally recommend the chair if you’re a fan of the aesthetic but feel that this model is somehow…unfinished. With a few refinements, we think it could be one of their top contenders, but we were disappointed that a chair at this price range didn’t offer anything in the way of adjustable ergonomic features.
At the end of the day, this model more or less satisfies, but it doesn’t dazzle.
Viva0422L1 High Back Bonded Leather Exec. Chair
Provisionally recommended if you’re patient enough to break the headrest padding in.
This is another model we found ourselves wanting to like more than we did. There’s not a thing in the world wrong with the design. It’s a classic, conventional look, with the addition of headrest and lumbar pillows for added support.
The waterfall-style seat is comfortable, as are the ergonomic armrests, which, while they’re not adjustable, do flip up so you’ll have an easier time tucking this under your desk when you’re not using the chair. It’s also a great chair for musicians to practice in for that reason.
The seat is more generously padded than the back, which is appropriate, but without the optional pillow, the headrest doesn’t offer enough support.
The problem is that with the pillow, it offers a bit too much. True, over time, the block foam used in the padding will begin to break down, which is why we suspect they overdid it where the padding was concerned, even so, you might find it a bit much, at least early on.
Our recommendation would be to try it out, and if there’s too much padding to be comfortable since you can’t easily trim some of the foam off, take the pillow off and compress it with heavy books for a week or two, then put it back and try it again. It’ll bounce back some, but you may be able to compress it enough that way to make it a better fit for you.
The lumbar support pillow suffers from much the same problem, but we found it easier to adjust to than the headrest pillow.
Those are about the only real problems we had with the design though, although, in fairness, those are two fairly important aspects of the chair, which is why it ultimately ranked no higher than it did. We provisionally recommend it but be prepared for the possibility of some DIY hacks to make it a better fit for you.
Note: Unlike the slightly more expensive model, this Viva Office High Back Bonded Leather Executive chair does recline back 135 degrees. That leaves us scratching our heads as to why the more expensive chair doesn’t.
Viva1563 Fashionable Executive Chair
We readily admit that we’re biased in favor of this chair. We’ve got a soft spot for wooden furniture, and the wooden arms and base really add something to the look of this chair.
We’re not as thrilled with the upholstery of the seatback, but are more than happy to overlook it, thanks to the presence of the wood, though if we could change one thing, we’d probably ask for a slightly darker stain.
Nonetheless, the wood makes a striking, handsome contrast with the black bonded leather upholstery.
That, combined with the generous cushioning, the waterfall-style seat, good lumbar support, ergonomic, padded armrests and head/neck support make for a high-quality seating experience at a fair price.
The company describes the padding of this chair as “elastic foam” which is, as far as we can tell, an inferior form of memory foam. It is more comfortable than standard block foam, and we definitely noted the difference, so this chair got extra points for comfort from us.
Sadly, they saddled this pretty chair with a nylon base. We’re sure the wood frame could handle more than 250 pounds, so if they’d set it on an aluminum (or preferably steel) base, they could have had a chair with a higher weight limit, although given the seat height range (18.5” to 22”) that’s not necessary, strictly speaking. 22” is headed toward big and tall territory, but only just.
Even so, we felt it to be a missed opportunity. Still, we recommend this model.
Viva1549 High Back w/ Overstuffed Headrest
Recommended, especially if you don’t like the Fashionable Executive Chair and want a different aesthetic.
Another strong model. In fact, this chair probably has the best lumbar support in this product class, so if you’re looking for a comfortable, reasonably-priced chair with terrific lumbar support, this is probably the one you want.
We’re less impressed with the headrest, however. When they described it as being overstuffed, they weren’t kidding! It’s a shade too much for us, but if you’re willing to give it time and break it in, that’s probably not a deal breaker.
We will go so far as to say that the headrest is so overstuffed that any ergonomic value it may have possessed is gone, which leaves you with the excellent lumbar support, the waterfall-style seat, and the padded ergonomic armrests. And again, if you’re willing to spend the time breaking the headrest in, probably that too.
It’s a well-priced chair, and we do recommend it though, especially if you don’t like the aesthetic of the Fashionable Executive Chair we reviewed just before this. Its stats are similar enough that one could easily be substituted for the other in most cases.
Viva3631L1A High Back Manager’s Chair
Recommended for: Anyone. It has all the features and comfort you’d expect.
This chair feels like a trimmed down version of the Luxury High Back Ergonomic Chair, and interestingly, we like it better. It’s got the same basic look, but we like the seatback upholstery better because it works with the flared edges on the flanks of the headrest.
It’s as generously padded and deliciously comfortable, with a full suite of basic, non-adjustable features (lumbar, waterfall-style seat, ergonomic arms and a comfortable headrest for head and neck support). It’s got the same recline range too.
In fact, the only thing it’s not as good at is the height adjustment range is practically nonexistent, spanning a tiny range between 19.3” to 21.7.” This has been a persistent gripe we’ve had with all of Viva Office’s chairs, but this is the worst example of it we’ve seen so far.
The company has GOT to start using better gas lifts. If they did, they’d be able to cater to a broader segment of the market with far fewer models.
It’s the one thing they haven’t seemed to be able to work out yet, and we hope that changes soon.
That’s honestly the only real weakness of the design. As long as you can find a happy height in the anemic adjustment range, this is an awesome chair for the money. Recommended.
Viva Office Executive Office Chairs $161+
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|
|
|
|
3.7
|
3.8
|
3.8
|
4.0
|
|
3.5
|
4.3
|
4.0
|
4.3
|
|
4.5
|
4.5
|
4.5
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5.0
|
|
4.5
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4.3
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4.3
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4.5
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|
2.3
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2.3
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2.3
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2.3
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A handsome, functional design with well-implemented ergonomic features.
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Functionally similar to the chair with flip up arms, this model is a slightly better value.
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This chair is virtually identical to the Thick Padded Exec. Chair, with some slight tweaks to the dimensions.
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This is another model that’s highly similar to the others in this table. While this one doesn’t recline, it does feature memory foam, making it the best of the bunch, in our view.
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Provisionally Recommended for anyone, though some of the company’s cheaper models offer a better value.
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Provisionally Recommended for anyone.
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Provisionally Recommended. Take measurements to see which of the chairs here the best fit for you is, as they’re all quite similar.
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Recommended. In our view, this is the best chair in this portion of the lineup. If this model isn’t a perfect fit for you, check out the others in this product segment.
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28.3” x 31.5” 45.75” to 48”
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25.6” x 31.5” x 43.25” to 47”
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26.8” x 30.1” x 44.1” to 47.2”
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31.3” x 28” x 46.5” to 50”
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|
44.4 pounds
|
34.1 pounds
|
37 pounds
|
39.2 pounds
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|
250 pounds
|
250 pounds
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250 pounds
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250 pounds
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|
90 to 145 degrees.
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90 to 145 degrees
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90 to 120 degrees
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Does not recline but does rock back and forth slightly.
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20.5”
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21.75”
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20.9”
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20.9”
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19.75” to 22”
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17.25” to 21.25”
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18.9” to 23”
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19” to 23.2”
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19”
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19.25”
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19.3”
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18.5"
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*While aesthetics is a matter of taste, aesthetic flexibility is a measure of how easily a given design would fit into a wide range of home or office décor schemes.
**Brand Reliability is a measure of the strength and longevity of the brand, which by extension, is a measure of the level of support you can expect.
Viva1427L Big and Tall Thick Padded High Back
This chair is a disaster, and we wouldn’t mind if Viva Office deleted it immediately from their lineup. There are so many issues with this design that it’s hard to know even where to start, so let’s pick the most obvious.
This is an ugly chair. It doesn’t look like any thought was put into the aesthetic at all. On top of being ugly, it’s got a useless 2” height adjustment range. It might as well not even have a gas lift.
Even worse, although this chair is billed as being for “big and tall” people, it’s only got a 350-pound weight limit. That’s the kind of weight limit you typically see on conventional furniture. It’s not uncommon to see big and tall chairs supporting 400-500 pounds of user weight.
Then there’s the ergonomic features. The headrest is overstuffed to the point of being useless, and the waterfall seat isn’t. It does offer good lumbar support, and the armrests are ergonomic and well padded, but that’s about it.
On the plus side, the chair features “soft spring technology” combined with block foam padding in both the seat and the seat back that makes it delightfully comfortable. Unfortunately, even here, the comfort is degraded by poorly implemented ergonomic features.
If it weren’t for the presence of so many glaring design flaws, the soft spring technology would be a key selling point. As things stand, the flaws overwhelm the chair’s few positive attributes. It’s just not worth the money.
There is something of a silver lining here though. This base proves that Viva Office is capable of making a chair that will support more than 250 pounds of user weight. In our view, every chair they have should be built around this basic frame such that their default max. supported weight is 350 pounds.
The company sells a ruggedized nylon base that’s capable of supporting 500-pounds of user weight. This is what their big and tall chair should have been built around.
Bottom line: This is a really bad design. The weight limit is too low, the height adjustment range is barely in the big and tall zone, and the bonded leather won’t stand up well to the rigors of heavy daily usage.
For comparative purposes, check out the Hercules 24/7 by Flash Furniture. THIS is a Big and Tall chair.
It’s less expensive than the model featured in this part of our brand review, can support more user weight, has a proper height adjustment range, well-implemented ergonomic features, and nothing short of throwing it into a live volcano will so much as slow it down. That’s how it’s done. Viva Office’s Big and Tall chair is a toy by comparison.
Viva0468L1 Executive High Back with Flip Up Arms
Provisionally recommended. Some of the company’s cheaper models offer a better value.
A good design that falls short of greatness. There are some things we like about this model though.
First, the key selling point is the fact that the ergonomic features are uniformly well-implemented. You get good head and neck support, ergonomic armrests, a waterfall-style seat, and solid lumbar support.
None of those are adjustable, which is a minor disappointment at the price the chair is offered, but that’s not a deal breaker.
The well-implemented ergonomic features combine with the chair’s double padding to make it quite comfortable, and the generous recline range and flip up arms are nice finishing touches that make this chair well worth owning.
Even so, the model is hobbled by the persistent weaknesses of Viva’s current designs: an anemic height adjustment range and bonded leather that limits the chair to light or moderate daily usage if you want the upholstery to hold up.
The weight limit is another minor quibble. Given that we know Viva is capable of making chairs that support more weight, 250 seems a bit on the skimpy side. Finally, at this price point, we’d like to have seen double stitching on the upholstery for a bit of added durability.
Overall though, we do recommend the model. It’s got some weaknesses, and there are better values out there, but it’s a good design that will blend in well with most any home or office décor scheme.
Viva1596 Thick Padded Executive Chair
This model is functionally equal to the chair we just reviewed (The Executive High Back with Flip Up Arms), although its armrests are fixed in their positions, and the chair isn’t quite as aesthetically pleasing as the other model.
The weight limit is identical, as are the quality of the ergonomic features and the angle of recline. The key differences are these:
Unless you’re just put off by the aesthetic of this model, if you’re trying to pick between this one or the Executive High Back with Flip Up Arms, this model is the superior product between the two. But as you’ll see below, the next couple of chairs we’ll talk about are also virtually identical, and the Double Padded High Back is actually the best choice overall.
Viva0505L1 Leather High Back Thick Padded Chair
Provisionally recommended. Virtually identical to the Thick Padded Exec. Chair, with some slight tweaks to the dimensions.
There’s very little difference between this chair and the one we just described, with the key thing being that this one doesn’t recline quite a far back (120 degrees here, vs. 145 for the Thick Padded Exec. Chair).
The dimensions are slightly different too, and there’s a small difference in the seat height range. So really, the deciding factor for choosing this chair over that will be:
We won’t linger on this topic, as these chairs are quite similar. In our view, Viva Office could simplify their product line greatly by streamlining.
Better product standardization, combined with a more robust gas lift could see them eliminating many models because a single model would accommodate a broader swath of the market.
Viva1547L Double Padded High Back Office Chair
While this one doesn’t recline, it does feature memory foam, making it the best of the bunch, in our view.
Except for the Big and Tall chair, all the models in this segment of Viva Office’s product lineup are virtually identical in both price and functionality. This one’s no different, being virtually identical to the last three chairs we described.
Again, the key differences are subtle variations in the dimensions, so measure yourself carefully to find the model that would be the best fit for you, and then, let your eyes be your guide and find the one that has the “look” you like the best.
The key differences beyond mere measurements are these:
For those reasons, if you don’t have a clear preference, and you’re considering buying one of the chairs in this part of the company’s lineup, this is the one we’d recommend.
Viva Office Computer Gaming Chairs
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3.3
|
3.3
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3.1
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3.6
|
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2.0
|
2.3
|
3.0
|
4.8
|
|
4.5
|
4.3
|
4.3
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4.0
|
|
4.5
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4.3
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3.0
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3.5
|
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2.3
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2.3
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2.3
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2.3
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This chair tries to be great but honestly misses the mark. It’s comfortable, but the features aren’t cohesive, or especially well-implemented.
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An attractive chair with good ergonomic supports, but pricey, especially given the lack of a recline feature.
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A relatively stylish chair, but the black and white coloration might be off-putting to some. Serves as an adequate gaming chair for light to moderate use though.
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It’s comfortable and fairly attractive but is barely functional as an actual gaming chair. Still, its main selling point is its low price!
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Not recommended. There are much better values on the market where gaming chairs are concerned.
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Not recommended. Works as a gaming chair in a pinch, but there are better options available.
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Provisionally Recommended for people who like the aesthetic. Again, it’s not hard to find better values though.
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Provisionally recommended on the basis of its low price, but again, this is barely functional as a gaming chair.
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25.2” x 16.5” x 48.4” x 52.4”
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30.3” 26.8” x 40.9” to 44.1”
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33.3” x 27.9” x 44.5” to 48”
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40.6” to 44.5”
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|
50 pounds
|
34.1 pounds
|
47.5 pounds
|
35.5 pounds
|
|
350 pounds
|
250 pounds
|
250 pounds
|
250 pounds
|
|
Recline range is 90 to 145 degrees
|
Doesn’t recline but does rock back and forth slightly.
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Recline range is 90 to 120 degrees
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Doesn’t recline but does rock back and forth slightly.
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18.5”
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20.9”
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20.5”
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18.1”
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|
18.9” to 22.8”
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17.7” to 20.9”
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19.1” to 22.8”
|
17.3” to 21.3”
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|
18.9”
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18.5”
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19.25”
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19.7”
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*While aesthetics is a matter of taste, aesthetic flexibility is a measure of how easily a given design would fit into a wide range of home or office décor schemes.
**Brand Reliability is a measure of the strength and longevity of the brand, which by extension, is a measure of the level of support you can expect.
Viva2000 Luxury Gaming Chair
Not recommended. There are much better values on the market where gaming chairs are concerned.
This is a great-looking, comfortable chair, and we wanted to like it, but…we don’t. There are many reasons why, but let’s start with what the chair gets right to try to present a balanced view:
First, as we said, it looks great. All black with silver accents at the base and that edgy look that racing style seats are known for. The all black helps with the chair’s aesthetic flexibility too, because often, gaming chairs are multi-color, and the colors chosen can frequently clash with whatever existing home décor scheme you may have.
Second, it’s well-padded and has a trio of great ergonomic features: Lumbar support, a waterfall-style seat, and decent head and neck support.
Even better, the chair utilizes an aluminum base and is one of the few Viva models that supports more than 250 pounds (this is another one with a 350-pound limit, like their disastrous Big and Tall office chair).
Sounds good, right?
Well, and it is, but only to a point.
The arms are an epic fail. The author of this piece is himself a gamer, and the armrests on this chair are wholly unsuitable for gaming. They’re stubby, flat and not padded. Apparently, Viva is extremely proud of them, touting them as Italian Donati armrests. Be that as it may, they’re not great for the purpose the chair is designed for.
Second, and this is the real nail in the coffin, this chair costs a ton more than it ought to. You can find literally dozens of gaming chairs that rival this one in terms of comfort and have at least as many features for a lot less money. The combination of the low-value score and the relatively low brand heft Viva has given this chair a final score that’s barely above average.
As pretty as it is, and as comfortable as it is, we can’t in good conscience recommend it.
Viva1421 High Back Bonded Leather Racing Style
Not recommended. Works as a gaming chair in a pinch, but there are better options available.
This one’s probably better described as a task chair that’s meant to mimic the look of a gaming chair. As a task chair, it’s not bad, but as a gaming chair, it’s barely adequate.
It’s a sharp looking piece of office furniture, with its two-toned black and grey bonded leather upholstery, and it’s got good lumbar support paired with a waterfall-style seat and ergonomically sculpted (and padded!) arms that can flip up when you don’t need them.
Mid-back support is fine, but there’s no headrest, so no head or neck support, and the chair can’t recline at all, but merely rock slightly.
If you’re a casual gamer, this might be a good choice, but honestly, there are better gaming chairs on the market. This is a market segment Viva hasn’t figured out yet, and we find their entire product line here to be underwhelming.
Viva1446L High Back Ergonomic Chair with Flip-Up Arms
There’s depressingly little to say about this chair except that we don’t recommend it. It’s functionally similar to the chair we just reviewed but offered in a different, less attractive color combination and with different styling.
The dimensions are slightly different so if you want the black and gray model, but it’s not a good fit for you, check the stats for this one to see if it’s a better fit.
Again though, we do not recommend this chair as a gaming chair. Or a task chair for that matter.
Viva1447L Executive Racing Style High Back
Provisionally recommended. Serves as an adequate gaming chair for light to moderate use.
This is an adequate gaming chair, but it falls well short of excellence. It’s relatively attractive, very comfortable, and has well-implemented ergonomic features including:
It does recline modestly (120 degrees) which we like, but it’s saddled with Viva’s standard 250-pound weight limit. That’s problematic in this case because the seat height range is 19” to 22.75” which is Big and Tall territory. We feel that it should have a weight limit to match, and it doesn’t.
We provisionally recommend it for people who like the aesthetic and can fit into it well, but we can’t give it a strong recommendation by any means. There are too many better values out there, elsewhere on the market.
Viva1552L1 Fashionable High Back Racing Style
Provisionally recommended, with its main selling point being its low price!
We’ve said it before, but it bears repeating: Viva hasn’t quite figured out how to “do” gaming chairs, which is why none of their models in this category are particularly strong. This is the best of the bunch, but even it suffers from some serious drawbacks.
First though, let’s look at what the chair gets right.
It’s stylishly designed and handsome, although we’ll be quick to concede that not everyone will be fond of the black and red color scheme, and the colors may make it stand out, depending on your home’s décor scheme.
It’s also delightfully comfortable and well padded, so if you’re using it for its intended purpose, you certainly won’t mind spending time in it playing your favorite games.
The comfort is helped along by well implemented ergonomic features, which consist of good lumbar, head and neck support and a waterfall-edge style seat.
The armrests, however, are problematic.
While they are ergonomically designed, they’re not padded, and this doesn’t work well in a gaming chair, which marks this model as being something best suited for casual gamers. Also, we were disappointed to see that this chair doesn’t recline at all. Its movement is limited to slight rocking, which again, is suboptimal for a gaming chair.
Still, it’s offered for a song. Given that, and its relative comfort (minus the armrests), we do provisionally recommend it.
Viva Office Mesh Chairs Under $200
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|
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3.4
|
3.1
|
|
3.8
|
3.5
|
|
4.3
|
3.3
|
|
3.5
|
3.5
|
|
2.3
|
2.3
|
|
A surprisingly full-featured, durable office chair with well-implemented ergonomic features.
|
Not terribly well padded, so not comfortable for long duration sitting. Good choice for light to moderate use though. Good lumbar support!
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|
Provisionally recommended for anyone, but please note the seat height adjustment range and the max. weight!
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Provisionally recommended for light to moderate use.
|
|
25.2” x 22.8” x 45.7"
|
25.5” x 22.4” x 36.6”
|
|
32.4 pounds
|
24.2 pounds
|
|
250 pounds
|
250 pounds
|
|
Recline range is 90 to 120 degrees
|
Recline range is 90 to 120 degrees
|
|
19.7”
|
20”
|
|
19” to 22.75”
|
16.5” to 20.5”
|
|
16.9
|
18.5”
|
*While aesthetics is a matter of taste, aesthetic flexibility is a measure of how easily a given design would fit into a wide range of home or office décor schemes.
**Brand Reliability is a measure of the strength and longevity of the brand, which by extension, is a measure of the level of support you can expect.
Viva 1168F1 Mesh High Back w/ Adjustable Arms
Provisionally recommended. Please note the seat height adjustment range and the max. weight!
This chair is a bit of a disappointment to us because it’s so close to being excellent, only barely missing the mark with a few feature mismatches.
Aesthetically, it’s not bad looking, although it suffers like all mesh chairs tend to do in that department. It’s surprisingly comfortable, owing to generous padding in the mesh fabric-covered seat and strong ergonomic features which include excellent lumbar support, a sculpted seat (not waterfall-edge), and head/neck support via an adjustable headrest!
The armrests are a bit of a disappointment, not being ergonomically designed, but in a pleasant surprise, they too are height adjustable. There’s a barely visible button on the outside of each arm. Simply press the button and adjust the armrest height to taste.
The chair would be even stronger if it incorporated a waterfall-edge style seat and padded, ergonomic armrests, and if there was a more robust locking mechanism to keep the headrest in place.
Unfortunately, one of the most common complaints about the model is that over time, that mechanism fails and the headrest winds up sliding down to its lowest position. Sadly, the company doesn’t yet sell spare headrests, so if it breaks, there’s no easy way to replace it.
The other, bigger problem we have with the design is that there’s a mismatch between the seat height range and the maximum weight the chair can support. 19” to 22.75” is Big and Tall territory, and yet the chair is only designed to support a maximum of 250 pounds.
On top of that, the seat width and depth are both relatively narrow, marking it as a chair specifically designed for taller, thinner folk with long legs, but not big boned people. In our view, that makes this chair very much a niche product, which is ultimately why we felt a provisional recommendation was more appropriate than an outright recommendation.
Note: We also like that the chair does recline, although the 120-degree maximum was a bit underwhelming. Still, better a 120 degree recline feature than none!
Viva 0581F Mesh Task Chair
This model is about as basic as it gets. We were a little disappointed in the limited feature set given the asking price, but it gets the job done and doesn’t stick out like a sore thumb either.
The seat padding is adequate, but the seat itself is neither sculpted nor waterfall-edge style. Still, the lumbar support in this model is surprisingly good, but that’s the only ergonomic feature on offer here.
We like that the armrests are height adjustable but do with that some padding had been included. Resting your arms on that hard nylon surface for an extended period is part of what makes the chair poorly suited to long-duration stints in it (the other being the modest seat padding).
It does tilt and lock back to a max of about 120 degrees, which gives you a bit of flexibility where seating options are concerned, but this Viva Mesh Office chair doesn’t have a lot of tricks on offer. It’s above average, but not a standout design, and as such, is only provisionally recommended.
Viva 8880 Alien Face Mesh Task Chair
We like this chair more than its final score would indicate, and we love the name. It took us a minute, but yes, the design of the seatback does look a bit like an alien face, and yet, somehow not in a creepy way. That’s pretty cool.
It’s an inexpensive chair and a reasonably good value for the money, but given the price, don’t expect to find a ton of features here. It’s got:
It does have a few downsides though. The padding isn’t sufficient to make it a good choice for heavy daily use, although you could add a small pillow to solve for that if you wanted, but that may blunt the impact of the waterfall-edge style seat.
The armrests are decent, but not padded, nor ergonomically designed. Padding them yourself would be a little harder than solving for the seat padding, but certainly doable. Of course, you could also just spend a bit more money and buy a chair you didn’t have to tweak or modify.
On the whole, then, we provisionally recommend this model. It’s got an interesting aesthetic and is fine for light to moderate use, but if you’re looking for something you can use for 8+ hours a day, expect to do a bit of DIY tinkering.
Viva 2319F Lime Green Midback
This is a really fun, inexpensive chair that would serve most people well. It’s very basic, but that’s hardly a surprise, given the chair’s modest price tag.
While it doesn’t provide lumbar support, the seatback is curved and hits slightly higher than that to provide midback support. Unfortunately, the shape of the seatback makes this chair a poor choice for lounging, which explains why the designers passed on offering a recline range and settled for a simple rocking motion.
The seat doesn’t quite qualify as being a waterfall-edge style, but it is angled and does provide some ergonomic benefit, and it’s got enough padding to make it comfortable for light to moderate daily use. Make no mistake though; this is a work chair, not a leisure chair. It’s just not designed for casual sitting.
We even like the color. Normally you’d think that such a vibrant color would make it hard for the chair to blend seamlessly with most home décor schemes, but in this case, the color is so vibrant it works because it will become the focal point of whatever room you put it in, which makes it more aesthetically versatile than you might first imagine.
We can only give the model a provisional recommendation though because it’s only useful for people who:
If all of those things apply to you, this is a fun, budget-friendly choice.
Viva Office Mesh Office Chairs Over $200
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4.0
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3.1
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4.5
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3.5
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4.3
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3.0
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5.0
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3.5
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2.3
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2.3
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Best looking chair Viva currently offers for sale, and it’s full-featured and comfortable too!
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Significantly less expensive than the company’s most advanced models, this one isn’t as comfortable, but has almost as many features on offer.
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Recommended.
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Not Recommended. Too many feature and comfort sacrifices, but still costs a lot.
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28.2” x 26.7” x 44.1” to 47”
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25.2” x 26.4” 41” to 47.25”
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59.5 pounds
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37.8 pounds
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250 pounds
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250 pounds
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Recline range is 90 to 135 degrees
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Recline range is 90 to 120 degrees
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19.5”
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19.25”
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17.7” to 20.9”
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18” to 21.25”
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19.3”
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16”
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*While aesthetics is a matter of taste, aesthetic flexibility is a measure of how easily a given design would fit into a wide range of home or office décor schemes.
**Brand Reliability is a measure of the strength and longevity of the brand, which by extension, is a measure of the level of support you can expect.
Viva 9699F1A Deluxe Mesh Office Chair
In other segments of their product line, Viva has stumbled with their higher-priced designs and tended to excel at their less expensive ones. With their mesh chairs, the situation is reversed. At the time this review is being written, this is the most expensive chair Viva Office sells, and it’s awesome.
It’s a fairly good-looking chair, which is a pleasant surprise where mesh designs are concerned, and it blends in reasonably well with most home or office décor schemes. It’s also much more comfortable than Viva’s sub-$200 mesh chairs, featuring a mesh-like fabric stretched over a generous amount of block foam.
The padding is augmented by three exceptionally well-implemented ergonomic features, which are:
In addition to that, the seat depth can be adjusted within a small range, allowing you to customize your seating experience to taste. That, combined with its recline range makes this a surprisingly versatile chair.
It gets better though because although the armrests aren’t ergonomically designed, they can move both up and down and backwards or forwards, allowing you to tweak their position to fit you perfectly, and they’re padded too!
As great as all of that is, there are a few limitations inherent in the design. First, as with most of Viva’s models, the height adjustment range isn’t as broad as we’d like to see.
Related to that is the weight limit problem. It’s stuck at 250 pounds, while the height range is clearly designed with bigger, taller people in mind.
It’s a less than optimal pairing that only makes it a good fit for a fairly narrow band of potential customers, so be sure to take careful measurements before committing to a purchase. This is a model we feel definitely should have been built on the company’s 350-pound frame.
Even given those limitations though, this is a super strong model, and we hope to see more like this from Viva in the months and years ahead. We recommend it.
Viva 1388F1K Mesh Chair with Modular Seatback
Earlier, when we were talking about the Deluxe Mesh Office Chair, we mentioned that the approach of moving the entire seatback up and down to adjust the headrest and lumbar support positions was a crude but workable solution.
This chair offers a better solution and is proof positive that Viva Office knows how to do it right, which does make the feature implementation of the Deluxe model a bit of a head-scratcher. Not only is this chair less expensive, but overall, it’s the better product, even if it doesn’t have quite as many features.
It’s functionally similar to the Deluxe we described above, but two key aspects are missing here:
Aside from a few differences in the measurements of the two chairs, that’s about it.
As we said though, this chair does a better job where the headrest and lumbar supports are concerned. Both are strongly implemented, and even better, they can be adjusted independently, which gives you more ability to fine tune your seating experience.
Unfortunately, this model is strapped with the same basic limitation that works against the Deluxe model. The seat height adjustment range spans 18.5” to 22.2” which strays into Big and Tall territory, and yet, it’s only got a 250-pound weight limit, which limits its appeal.
This is another model that should have been built on the 350-pound frame we know the company has available. Even so, we recommend this model without reservation, provided, of course, that the measurements of the chair align with yours. It’s a strong, decent-looking model designed to stand up to the rigors of heavy daily use, and you won’t be disappointed.
Viva1508F1 Artistic Mesh Chair
We’re amazed and blown away that Viva Office even attempted a design like this. It shows though that they have the design chops to produce incredible chairs.
This model bears an uncanny resemblance to the Herman Miller Sayl. That a tiny brand like this would have the gumption to take on a design challenge like this and succeed in turning it into a great product is outstanding. The very fact that this chair exists is one of the reasons we have such high hopes for the long-term prospects of the brand (well, this chair, combined with their fun modular approach).
In almost every case, mesh chairs wind up getting dinged for aesthetic flexibility because they’re not normally great looking pieces of furniture. The Artistic Chair proves that it doesn’t have to be that way. You’ll love it, and it will blend in well with just about any home décor scheme.
It’s got a lot more going for it than looks though, it also offers:
In addition to that, it also reclines to a maximum of 135 degrees, giving you plenty of options for those times when you want or need to change your seating position over the course of a long, grueling work day.
This is one of the best (and prettiest!) chairs Viva makes. We absolutely recommend it.
Viva 1366F High Back Adjustable Mesh Chair with Flip Up Arms
Not recommended. Too many features and comfort sacrifices, but it still costs a lot.
Given how great the last few chairs we’ve reviewed have been, you might go into this mini-review with high hopes. Unfortunately, this model represents a bit of a stumble for the company. It still costs quite a bit, but there’s too much in the way of lost features and capabilities for us to conclude that this is a successful model.
It’s not a bad looking chair, and it’s got some nice ergonomic features including:
Unfortunately, those are the best features of the chair. The recline range isn’t as robust as the company’s other models, and the waterfall-style seat isn’t padded. It’s just mesh stretched over the frame, which means it’s not as comfortable and it’s not as well-suited to the rigors of heavy daily use.
Even if you’re looking for something for light to moderate daily use, wouldn’t you rather have a padded seat? Our sense of it is that most people would.
Finally, there’s the matter of the tiny seat depth, paired with the typical 250-pound max weight limit and a height adjustment range that strays into the Big and Tall Zone. It’s just not a great combination of features that marks this as being very much a niche product, and in our view, an overpriced niche product. We can’t recommend this one in good conscience.
Viva Office Task Chairs
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3.3
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2.6
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4.1
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3.4
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3.3
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2.8
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5.0
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4.0
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4.5
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2.8
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4.3
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3.3
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3.5
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2.5
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4.8
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4.3
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2.3
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2.3
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2.3
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2.3
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An excellent, comfortable drafting chair.
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A minimally functional chair designed mostly for conference rooms. No real ergonomic value.
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A great little design! Modestly priced and surprisingly full-featured and comfortable. You can’t go wrong with this one.
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The sister chair of the lime green mesh chair we talked about earlier. Minimal feature set but offered for a song.
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Recommended for anyone in the market for a drafting chair.
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Not Recommended.
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Recommended for anyone.
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Provisionally Recommended for people looking for a low-cost, short duration seating solution.
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28.7” x 21.6” x 44” to 52.75”
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22.4” x 22.8” x 40.2” to 42.5”
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27.6” x 26.8” x 39” to 42.9”
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19.9” x 18.5” x 40.5” to 45.3”
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35 pounds
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36.1 pounds
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37 pounds
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23.4 pounds
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250 pounds
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250 pounds
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250 pounds
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250 pounds
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Tilt range is 90 to 120 degrees.
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Does not recline but does rock back and forth slightly.
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Does not recline but does rock back and forth slightly.
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18.9”
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20.1”
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21.3”
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18.5”
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25.2” to 33.9”
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17.7” to 20.1”
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18.9” to 22.8”
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23.2” to 28”
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16.5”
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16.5”
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18.9”
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16.1”
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*While aesthetics is a matter of taste, aesthetic flexibility is a measure of how easily a given design would fit into a wide range of home or office décor schemes.
**Brand Reliability is a measure of the strength and longevity of the brand, which by extension, is a measure of the level of support you can expect.
Viva1702F5 Tall Drafting Mesh Chair
Recommended for: Anyone in the market for a drafting chair.
We’ll say upfront that drafting chairs aren’t for everyone, making this a niche product. Even so, if you need one, this is a good, cost-effective option. While Viva Office might not know much about making gaming chairs, they’ve got the particulars of the drafting chair nailed.
There’s a lot to like here, including:
The seat is both sculpted and waterfall-edge style. It’s only moderately padded, but then, draft chairs were never intended for long-duration use anyway.
We do wish the armrests were padded, but that’s a minor quibble. We’re also disappointed with the 250-pound weight limit, but that’s a complaint that spans most of the chairs Viva currently offers for sale.
This is exactly what we’d want in a drafting chair, and Viva Office delivers. A job very well done. We recommend it.
Viva977L1 Bonded Leather “Brick” Task Chair
Not Recommended. It has no real ergonomic value.
Probably our least favorite chair of the whole Viva Office lineup. It might be okay if you run a small company and are looking for some relatively inexpensive chairs you can throw in a conference room, but we
Unless you fundamentally disagree with our assessment of the chair’s aesthetic and fall in love with the design, we don’t recommend it.
Viva10375G Gray Swivel Chair
This chair doesn’t offer anything in the way of ergonomic features, but surprisingly, we still like this chair. It’s stylish and attractive and will blend well with almost any home décor scheme. It’s also comfortable enough that you could use it for either work or relaxation.
Make no mistake, this chair isn’t designed for long periods of work, but if you are an active person and what you’re doing only requires that you sit for short periods before you’re back on your feet again doing something else, the lack of ergonomic features won’t really be missed.
The only thing we wish is that they’d opted to build the chair on their 350-pound frame, which would have made it more appealing to an even broader swath of the market. But as things stand, it’s still a solid value for the money and provisionally recommended.
Viva1430 Bonded Leather Mid-Back Office Chair
Recommended for: Anyone. You can’t go wrong with this one.
Believe it or not, this humble, modestly priced little task chair should, in our view, be the template Viva Office uses to design and improve every chair they make. This is a solid little performer, and of all the chairs in the Viva Office lineup, the one we rated the overall highest.
It offers tremendous value for the money, managing to pack three well-implemented ergonomic features (lumbar support, padded ergonomic armrests, and a waterfall-edge style seat) into a comfortable, low-cost package.
Sure, it’s got some limitations. It has a nylon base and bonded leather upholstery, so it won’t stand up well to the rigors of heavy daily use.
It’s got a seat height adjustment range that strays into the Big and Tall zone while being limited to 250 pounds in user weight (this is another model that would have been an excellent candidate to build around the company’s 350-pound frame). Still, in spite of its limitations and shortcomings, this chair really delivers where it counts.
If you’re in the market for a low-priced, comfortable work chair, and you only plan to use it lightly to moderately every day, this model absolutely belongs on your short list of contenders. Recommended.
Viva967L1 “Modern” Task Chair
This is a lot like the “Brick” we talked about a bit earlier in this section of the review. It’s not a bad chair for an office if you’re looking to buy a dozen chairs to furnish a conference room and you don’t mind its austere aesthetic. But it’s a relatively poor choice for home use, not all that comfortable, and of limited ergonomic value. We don’t recommend it.
Viva2557L Mid-Back Task Chair
Provisionally recommended for people looking for a low-cost, short-duration seating solution.
This chair is functionally the equivalent of the little lime green mesh chair we reviewed earlier in this document, except that it’s offered in a more subdued color and is of a more conventional design, which makes it better for casual sitting, where the lime green chair is exclusively a work chair.
It isn’t blessed with an abundance of padding, so it’s not great for long-duration sitting, but it’s great for people who need a chair to do short bursts of work and then are back on their feet to do something else.
The only ergonomic feature it offers is decent but not exceptional lumbar support. Still, on the other hand, they’re practically giving the chair away, so if you’re looking for a bargain-priced chair, you won’t be spending a ton of time in every day; this is a good, inexpensive option.
Like the lime green task chair, we provisionally recommend this model.
Note: This chair has an impressive 4.8” height adjustment range. Why the company couldn’t use this gas lift on every model they make, we don’t know. Given this model’s height adjustment range, you could probably use it as a stand-in drafting chair in a pinch, which increases its versatility.
Pros and Cons (Our Viva Office Wish List)
As you can see, on balance, Viva makes pretty good products. Sure, they’ve had some mishaps, but that’s true of any company, and some of their designs verge on greatness.
The one thing that sets them apart in our mind, though, is the fact that they sell spare parts for their chairs, which we mentioned toward the beginning. We love the concept, and from what we can tell, the company has plans for building on it in the future.
We think that’s a fabulous idea, and this is what we’d like to see from the company in the future (this list will, by the way, address the various “cons” we see in the company’s furniture designs). Here goes:
If the company did these things, then it would be possible to mix and match components and buy your dream chair in pieces. You’ve got to put it together when it arrives at your doorstep anyway, so why not?
Even if you didn’t want to do that, the ability to swap out any failing part of the chair with a brand new part would mean you’d never have to actually buy another chair in your life. Since it would seldom be the case that more than one part failed at a time, the incremental costs of keeping your chair useable would be quite low.
Most small brands are destined to stay small, but there are a few that show real long-term potential. We feel that Viva Office is one of those.
We obviously don’t have a window into the inner workings of the company, so we can’t speak to their long-term plans, but if they implement anything close to what we’ve outlined above, they’re destined to be a big name in office furniture and could carve out a fabulous niche for themselves. We’re excited to see what they have in store for us going forward.
Viva Office Chairs Review Conclusion
As you have seen, Viva Office has a little something for everyone. You can find everything from bargain-priced, no-frills office chairs to robust, deluxe models that are surprisingly feature-rich. As a brand, we regard Viva Office furniture as being consistently good (a few inevitably missteps notwithstanding), but falling short of true greatness.
We provisionally recommend the Viva Office chairs as a whole, but note that the following chairs are the company’s stand-out designs:
Reclining Executive Office Chairs
- The High Back Bonded Leather Recliner
Executive Office Chairs Under $130
- High Back Bonded Leather Office Chair
- Viva Office Swivel Office Chair
Executive Office Chairs $130 – $160
- The Fashionable Executive Chair
- The High Back w/ Overstuffed Headrest
- The High Back Manager’s Chair
Executive Office Chairs $161+
- The Double Padded High Back
Mesh Chair Over $200
- The Deluxe Mesh Office Chair
- The Mesh Chair with Modular Seatback
- The Artistic Mesh Chair
Task Chair
- The Tall Drafting Mesh Chair
- The Bonded Leather Mid-Back Office Chair
These, we recommend without reservation.
References & Resources
- Types of Office Chairs, PA Prive.
- Choosing the Right Leather: What You Need to Know, Mountain Living.