Flash Furniture HERCULES Series Big & Tall 400 lb. Capacity Black Fabric Executive Ergonomic Office Chair with Adjustable Backrest & Armrests - Perfect for Home Office, Gaming & Workspaces

Historically I purchased my office chairs from a nearby wholesale club (headquartered in Arkansas, I think). These chairs (four, maybe five over time) did not last more that a year (or so). I'm fat -- 340 pounds and I spent many hours in these chairs working on my computer maintaining a web site. Thus, there were "heavy" demands placed on these chairs (pun intended). About two years ago, I purchased a "large, heavy duty chair" and that did not last much longer than the ones purchased locally.I have tried to "repair" my chairs. I have used metal hose clamps (like those used on radiator hoses) around that portion of the cylinder that reaches out and connects to the bottom of the chair. I used five or six clamps -- one on top of the other -- stacked for strength with the burden placed on the top clamp bearing down on the clamp below it. (Metal clamps from the bottom of the chair to the top of the cylinder.) And, my engineering worked for a while. The problem is that the stem from the cylinder to chair is tapered and the clamps eventually loosened and wore. On the internet there are sites (perhaps Amazon) that sell kits to repair chairs. One has plastic "sections" that snap onto the stem, described above, thus preventing it from sinking back into the cylinder. Expensive and if metal hose clamps didn't work, I suspect this solution would fail quickly. (But, in fairness, I do not know that as fact.)I am a member of a county board that meets in our courthouse. There are perhaps ten conference rooms in the courthouse and each has a large conference table surrounded by ten, fifteen, perhaps twenty of this type of chair. In many cases these chairs have failed -- just like my office chairs. When you sit in them, you sit as a child at a table. I'm old, my first office chair was wood, it tilted, and it had a height adjustment accomplished by a threaded shaft that went from the bottom of the chair into the wooded pedestal of four legs with casters on each leg. That chair lasted at least twenty years. Thus, the engineering is there to produce a chair that will last and last. I'm sure the producers of these chairs are well-intentioned and making the best product they can for the money, yet I sometimes wonder if the production of these cheap office chairs is a conspiracy to defraud people, our governments (as the county described), and businesses. I know, I'm being a little harsh, but we have the engineering to make chairs that last -- why don't we?This chair is about two months old and it has held up. However, I no longer spend hours and hours working on the computer. So its durability might be due to less use by a "fatty" than actual better engineering. Amazon does sell replacement cylinders for office chairs and I understand that the cylinders are more or less standardized so one size fits all chairs. What is needed are cylinders that are heavy duty and can support us large people -- but the ones posted don't seem to differentiate by this criteria: "Hey, this cylinder is for fat people."This is been a good chair, so far.The arms on this chair are set to far back; when I try to hold onto one arm while I sit down I am unable to do so which makes it very difficult for me as a semi handicapped person to feel safe when I try to sit down. I would not recommend this to anyone who needs to hold the chairs arm in order to sit. Even trying to hold both arms while sitting is impossible for me to do. I have to brace the chair up against my desk in order to sit down. This is the first office chair I have owned that has given me this problem.Though the basic proportions were right for my 6' 4" frame the cushion was very hard and uncomfortable and the seat did NOT have the tilt/lock feature that the company's website said it had (I checked Flash Furniture before ordering). If an office chair can't rock/tilt I can't get comfortable in it. Sent it back, and that in itself was a huge pain since after just sitting in it a couple times the gas cylinder became wedged in the base and the only way I could have shifted it would have been with a hammer (which I wasn't going to do). Basically, wouldn't fit back in the box properly. Be very wary about ordering such a thing online.As others have pointed out, this chair will not stay locked at full height. I am tall, and well below the weight capacity listed, but every 15 minutes or so I need to get up and raise the chair back to full height and then it will gradually lower until it bottoms out. I hate this chair.I contacted the seller, and they said they would need to find out what the manufacturer had to say. What? Take some responsibility for the products you sell. In any case, after that reply, I haven't heard from them again.With so many options out there, if I could do over again I would stay away from this model, and I would also stay away from Flash Furniture as their customer service is non-existent.Ordered this chair for my son who is a big guy but within the weight limits. The chair body is still good but the hydraulic part that keeps the chair up broke after only a few months. It was going to be a big deal to send it back so we didn't. Wouldn't buy this product again.Great chair for my 6 foot, 360 lbs. Love the wide seat, cushions are firm but I miss a seat tilt.Basically pretty comfortable but the seat & back angles cannot be adjusted to a perfect angle. Sturdy construction though..These Chairs are great for the guys that are really tough on them. :) Some of the smaller guys have said how big the chairs are, but all have said they are extremely comfortable.