Boulies EP460 review: a cracking budget chair that is better than it looks

As with every chair that I review for Creative Bloq, I've been using the Boulies EP460 for a few weeks now – long enough to get a fully rounded picture of what it has to offer, where it falls short, and where it excels.

And the Boulies EP460 does combine all those facets, making it a bit more of an interesting chair than the majority of budget chairs out there. Below I breakdown what I think about the looks, design, ergonomics, price and value of the Boulies EP460. Just to cut to the chase – this is one of the better budget chairs out there. Certainly not perfect, but offering a lot more than other do at it's $300 price range.

In fact, it's a shoo-in for my list of the best budget office chairs , and with its in-built lumbar support and adjustable arm rests, a contender for my list of the best office chairs for back pain .

Comfort & ergonomics

The Bioulies EP460 is very comfortable to sit in. I've used the chair for just over a month, as my primary office chair, and have racked up just shy of 1,000 hours of use – for work but also for gaming and movie-watching. It's airy, with its mesh back and seat being great for airflow. As with nearly all modern office chairs, you can slide the seat front and back, to make sure your legs sit comfortable, and the arm rests – although not soft – are comfy enough to take your weight on an elbow without feeling uncomfortable.

The mesh material used is pretty unremarkable, and comparable to any number of mesh chairs. That's not necessarily a criticism, but if you're looking for a touch of luxury when it comes to comfort and materials, you won't find it here. Nevertheless, the seat and back is supportive while having a little give, so that long sessions of sitting on the EP460 is a pleasant experience.

For a $300 chair, I think the Boulies EP460 offers great ergonomics. The most noticeable feature is the built in lumbar support. It's adjustable (as all lumbar support should be), by lifting the lumbar and whole back panel up or down. As it's a wide lumbar support, I like that you're not going to press your back against it at a wrong angle – some lumbar supports are more localised and narrow, and if you're a fidgeter like me, pushing back on it from an acute angle can feel a little uncomfortable. No such problem with this chair, and as it's a mesh panel, it's more comfortable that many.

The arms offer more than they have any right to for a $300 chair. At this price range, you usually get arm rests that go up and down, and little more. These guys do that, but also forward and backwards, and have three rotation settings. Believe me, moving arm rests can become important after long periods of time, and this also encourages micro movements (an essential part of healthy sitting).

There's also a leg rest, tucked under the seat, that comes out and allows you to kick your feet up. I talk about this feature in the design section below, but it's worth noting that it also has an ergonomic side to it. If movement is key to healthy sitting, then I guess it follows that moving from sitting to lying down is good for you (if not exactly the best for, you know, doing any work).

Design & aesthetics

The design of the Boulies EP460 is pretty standard for budget chairs. It definitely resembles many other models out there. Its wide curving lumbar support and mesh back and seat, and attached headrest, isn't exactly new – you see it everywhere. It's pretty much a staple for big budget chair manufacturers like Hinomi and Sihoo. Plastic, mesh and metal – cheap materials to keep the price down, but still offering ergonomic features and comfort. It's a pretty awesome combination if you're looking for value, so top marks here.

Now we come my least favourite aspect to the EP460 – its looks. Of course, if you like it, you like it. So you're getting a budget chair that does the business, that also fits with your office aesthetic. Winner, winner!

But there are most definitely better looking chairs out there than the EP460. Like its numerical name, it feels like yet another chair that's been churned out the factory, looks-wise. From the back you get that faux-over-engineered vibe that many budget chairs go for. I think it looks like someone from the 1980's idea of what the future will look like. And that is a look! Just not really one I'd like in my home office.

The best budget chairs at least offer multiple colour options to bring colour into the conversation. Not so much here. You get black or grey. That's it.

And there's no reason why Boulies doesn't go for a classier vibe with a colourful palette. My all-time favourite budget chair – the Sihoo M18 – comes in the colours of the rainbow, and has a stylish minimal thing going on, that definitely helped me give it one of the only five star reviews I've given for an office chair.

Specs

Assembly

Another thing that Boulies has taken from other budget chair makers is the assembly of the EP460. It comes in many pieces, and it's a bit of a fiddly affair, just like all cheap chairs. Obviously that's to keep the price down, which is great, so I'm always hesitant to complain about this. But it's definitely worth noting. If you're like me, it'll take you 20 to 30 minutes to put it together.

You may also notice that some of the jutting out bits of the leg rest get in the way of screwing some screws on the underside of the seat. That was pretty annoying. I managed to figure it out, like some king of legend, but if any Boulies chair designers are reading – please sort that out. Thanks!

Price

This is where the Boulies EP460 shines. It retails at $300 on the Boulies site, but I've already seen it sold with a $70 discount, which means you should be able to get this excellent budget chair for under $250. That's fantastic value, especially when you consider the ergo flex it offers, the comfort it affords, and the weird over-engineered look that it has that you may like...

Should I buy the Sihoo M18?

If you want a comfy chair that has decent ergonomic features, but you're on a fairly tight budget, I can definitely recommend the Boulies EP460. It's excellent in many ways, and it's great value is top of the list.

Just don't expect a particularly pretty chair. A unique Herman Miller design wonder this is not. But then you're not going to be expecting that for less than $300, are you?!