In this review, I look at the Boulies EP460 Ergonomic Desk Office Chair and reasonably priced ergonomic chair that features a lot of adjustments at a more wallet-friendly price.
You can buy this chair for $299.99 direct from Boulies – https://bit.ly/bouliesep460
TLDR: The Boulies EP460 boasts a wide range of adjustable features, from lumbar support to a retractable footrest, and offers a mesh design that keeps you cool. Assembly was straightforward, and while it’s mostly comfortable, there are some trade-offs. The footrest felt a bit short, and the armrests can shift unintentionally. The tilting mechanism also lacks smoothness. Overall, the EP460 is a good value for those seeking ergonomic support without a high price tag—just keep a few of its quirks in mind.
I spend much of my working day at a desk, and since using many gamer chairs in the past I find most do not give any significant lumber support, so now that I’m in my more ‘mature’ years, I thought it was a good time to swap my unsupportive gamer chairs with an ergonomic chair upgrade. When the opportunity came up to check out the Boulies EP460, I jumped at the chance. This chair is marketed as an ergonomic marvel with a ton of adjustability, and seeing as many ergonomic chairs cost a kidney these days, I found the EM460 to be reasonably priced, so I was curious to see if it lived up to the hype.
The Boulies EP460 arrived in a hefty box, which reflects the materials used and hopefully be durable and last the test of time. Inside the box, you’ll find everything you need to assemble the chair, including a paper instruction manual, all the pieces of the chair, metal bolts, and a surprisingly large hex wrench. Sadly, there were no extra bolts included, but luckily I had every part I needed to assemble the chair.
Assembling the chair took about 30 minutes. The instructions were pretty straightforward, and all the parts fit together well. I decided to leave the chrome covers for the headrest and back portion of the chair last in case the chair needed any further adjustment. These covers didn’t look easy to remove once they were clipped on.
The Boulies EP460 has a modern, unique-looking design with a mesh back and seat. It’s very different to all the gamer chairs I had owned in the past, and this is likely due to all the chair’s ergonomics. The mesh material is designed to be breathable and keep you cool, which is a big plus for anyone working in hot locations. Pretty much everything on this chair is adjustable, from the headrest, backrest, armrests, seat height and depth – even the all-important lumbar support. Tucked away under the seat is also a retractable footrest, should you wish to take a break and recline with your feet up.
The chair is fairly comfortable to sit in. I say ‘fairly’ because if you’re used to a gaming chair with a foam cushion seat, sitting in a full mesh fabric chair feels quite different. There is some foam support at the very front of the seat, underneath a denser portion of the seat mesh. But, even with this extra padding, I found the front edge a little uncomfortable behind my knees when my feet weren’t fully contacting the floor. The mesh material means both its seat and back provide excellent airflow, and the adjustable lumbar support is fantastic. Its position can only be adjusted in three stages, but I found one set to be sufficiently where I need it, and it helps with posture and it keeps my back from getting sore over time. After many hours in the EP460, I didn’t feel at all uncomfortable, but using a raised footrest did help reduce the pressure from behind my knees.
The attached armrests are adjustable in a variety of ways: up and down, forward and back, and even rotate outwards and inwards. I find this feature very invaluable in my last desk chair, and with all six ways of adjustment, it is great for finding the perfect position for your arms, as well as fitting underneath a tabletop surface. One issue I did find was that the armrest pads tended to slide or rotate unintentionally when grabbing an armrest before sitting down in the chair. It wasn’t a deal-breaker, but it is a bit annoying when it happens.
The backrest adjusts up and down in three different positions. I found this was easier when sitting in the chair and lifting the lumber controls upwards behind you. Combined with the adjustable lumbar support, this means you can fine-tune the back support to fit your body. My only gripe here is that I wish the backrest options were more granular and that the lumber had a few more granular adjustments between the three main settings that are given to you.
The headrest is simple, yet it also has some tilt adjustment as well as being able to be raised and lowered. Personally, I am not really a big user of headrests on chairs, and I found the headrest on the EP460 didn’t quite reach that far into the back of my head to naturally place my head onto it. Luckily, if you’re like me, and you’re not a fan, you can remove this part easily from the chair and also reduce the overall height of the chair.
The footrest is a nice addition on paper, but in practice, I don’t think it was executed as well as I had hoped. First, it’s not quite long enough for me to fully stretch out my legs, it cradles the back of my calves more than my feet, it doesn’t slide out/in as smoothly, and it’s also quite narrow in size to position my legs naturally onto it, and I’d also prefer it if it was padded – the hard plastic isn’t the most comfortable surface to rest your legs on and I quickly opted for a dedicated footrest instead.
The chair’s tilting mechanism is a bit of a letdown when compared to some other, and more expensive, brands. I found it’s quite forceful in its weight and return pressure, which doesn’t allow for smooth reclining back and forth in the chair. With only three different positions to lock the backrest into, I would have preferred a lot more options in this area, and generally, the mechanism feels a bit clunky. In the end, I’ve found myself leaving the chair in the upright position most of the time and not using this function.
Overall, the Boulies EP460 is a good chair for its low price of entry. It’s comfortable and supportive, and it offers a wide range of adjustments. However, it does have a few minor flaws, such as the loose armrest pads, and the awkward tilting mechanism, and a few extra colour options would have also been welcome. If you’re looking for an ergonomic office chair that won’t break the bank, the Boulies EP460 is worth considering. Just be aware of these minor shortcomings before you buy.
TIMESTAMPS:
0:00 – Brief overview
0:36 – Unboxing & Assembly
1:17 – Features & Design
1:34 – Adjustable Features
1:48 – My Impressions