There have been more and more chairs popping up with quite a similar design. But unlike others, this H1 Pro ergonomic chair from Hinomi grabbed my attention with three unique features - the chair can be folded in half, the armrests can be fully lifted up and it has a leg rest extension. So I had to try it out to see if these are actually useful additions.
The H1 Pro model has 4 colour options to choose from: starting with neutral black and grey, to a more popping Coral Red and Ice Green. There are also two size options: the Standard is ideal for most people, and Extra-Tall (as the name suggests) is for taller people. The version that we are reviewing here is the Extra-Tall.
The overall look gives a fairly clean and polished impression, it would easily fit in any office or home alike. But at the same time, if we were to judge it only by its looks, the H1 Pro doesn’t really differ that much from the rest of mesh chairs. What makes this chair special are the little customisation points that honestly I haven’t seen too often. Let’s just dive right into it and start with the features that make it stand out from the crowd.
How often have you seen an office chair fold in half? This frame can be folded, allowing you to easily push the chair under a table when it’s not in use. It’s actually quite impressive. The mechanics behind the folding itself are also straightforward and quick - lift the armrests, press two buttons at the same time and your chair is half the size. This feature gets a solid yes from our side. We measured the height, and the lowest it can go is around 68cm which will fit under most standard desks. Or even better - if you have a sit/stand desk but don’t have much space in the room, you can easily fold your chair and push it under, so it doesn’t take up any space.
Also while we’re at the subject of standing and trying to be healthy, Hinomi has a pretty nifty accessory for that. It is their ergonomic Moto Peda Balance plate. With the chair nicely tucked away under the desk, I can combine standing with exercise at the same time. This is the first time we are trying out something like this, so will probably need to use it for a bit longer to be able to really tell if there is any difference in the way I feel, but one thing I noticed straight away - standing is not as boring anymore. I like to fidget, so this balance plate gives some purpose to my legs while my brain is actively engaged in work. Plus it can also be transformed into a footrest and used while sitting. I just wish the colour options were a bit more toned down. It doesn’t really look too premium.
Ok, let's get back to the H1 chair and the other two features that impressed me the most.
We already mentioned this feature while talking about foldability, but let me expand on it more - it’s the Flip5D armrests, meaning that the armrests can be fully flipped backwards. This feature can be used for space saving purposes when the chair is not in use or I know some people who would be really interested in it for the ability to slide under the table fully while working. I know it’s not the most ergonomic way of working but just look at my editor and you will start to accept any type of sitting as normal. Also this design allows to easily cross legs and not be in a way. So this feature overall gets a loud yes from my editor.
Next is the leg rest extension. It is pretty masterfully hidden so if you didn’t know about it, you might not even guess it’s there. This feature most definitely will activate your lazy mode, it’s great for lounging around and bingeing show after show (apart from a minor headrest issue, but we will get into that in a moment). The leg rest feels sturdy enough even when fully extended with the chair fully reclined, however I wish there was no gap in between. When I was initially testing it out, the feature seemed like the best invention since the light bulb, but the longer I was lounging, the more apparent it got - for ideal lounging experience it feels natural to cross the legs (it’s especially true for the ladies) so in order to avoid this massive gap in between, I needed to shift my weight to one side, which is not ideal. But to make it retractable I suppose they had to make some sacrifices. Also since it doesn’t affect the overall structure of the chair itself, and works purely as a bonus for taking short naps or stretching out, it gets our approval as well.
Apart from these three fairly unique features, there are a couple more details that are worth mentioning.
Mesh material feels well made
On the base of the chair it has a place where you can rest your feet
Casters and wheel base do feel abit cheap and plasticky
The height adjustability is super smooth, making it easy to find the right level that feels comfortable
The seat is nice and wide with adjustable depth. Sometimes the mesh feels a bit too rugged (especially if you’re wearing short shorts), but it’s a toss up between comfort and coolness, so the choice is yours
The lumbar support has 4 levels of adjustability with additional 5 levels of height adjustability, allowing you to finetune it to the max. Lately all these lumbar supports feel too invasive for me so I would rather opt for a pillow instead, but once again - then I am sacrificing the breathability of the chair
Shoulder area has enough support thanks to the wider upper frame
The headrest is wide and generally comfortable. It can be adjusted nicely, but I wish it had that extra point of adjustability for pushing it forwards as well. Normally when I’m working it is too far back, so I can use it only when resting. But with that being said, I do want to give some bonus points for the stiff adjustment settings. Once I have found the right position, it doesn’t get pushed up or down whenever I lean against it
The armrests height is pretty hard to adjust, it needs quite a bit of force to move them, but with such force it is easy to skip the step you actually want.
So overall it’s a decent chair. Considering its price, I think it is most definitely comparable with the rest of the mesh chairs out there. It has its unique features that are quite specific but to some people they could prove to be the deciding factor.
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