The faux leather upholstery is practical. It’s marketed as pet-scratch-resistant, so I intentionally left the chair in my living room for a few days where it would attract attention from my toddler and my Velcro corgi. The material survived without any noticeable scratches, and while it picked up the occasional applesauce smudge or grease mark, everything wiped away with a damp cloth. But if given the choice, I’d probably still opt for a more breathable fabric. The pleather got a little warm, especially when I was wearing shorts and was working in an upstairs corner of my home where the AC has a hard time reaching.

Smooth Operation

Wide office chairs have a reputation for being a little gimmicky. So upon testing this one, I half expected it to feel flimsy or wobbly after weeks of use, but it held up really well.

The assembly took about 20 minutes, and everything lined up with the instructions. More importantly, once it was together, it felt solid. After more than a month of working from it (and routinely climbing into it in ways that ergonomic-office-chair designers probably never intended), there’s still no wobble or creaking in the frame.

Photograph: Nicole Kinning

As I mentioned earlier, the last cross-legged chair I owned didn’t have wheels, which was my biggest gripe. The Amseatec rolls just as well as it holds up. It glides smoothly across hardwood floors without getting too slick, but the casters are also large enough to roll on carpet.

There is a downside to all the room I keep gushing about: This is a lot of chair. At their highest, the armrests don’t tuck neatly under every desk, even with the chair seat lowered all the way. Clicking the armrests down a few notches solved the problem, but then they sat too low to use comfortably as actual armrests. It wasn’t an issue with my adjustable-height desk, but if you work at one with a fixed height, it’s worth measuring your clearance before you commit.

Regardless, I think I’ve found my unicorn desk chair. The Amseatec Criss-Cross Chair is not perfect, but it gives me enough room to sit however I want, and I’ve even caught myself lounging in it after I’m done working, which is probably the highest compliment I can give an office chair.

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