X-Chair X2 K-Sport Mgmt Chair review

Two minute review

The best office chair - the one that's right for you  - can make all the difference especially if you find yourself seated at your desk all day when working from home. While you can certainly get by with a budget office chair, sooner or later you’ll either want or even need to upgrade to a premium one especially if you suffer from back problems. The X2 K Sport Mgmt Chair from X-Chair is a premium option worth considering if you find that mid-range office chairs just don’t cut it anymore and you're hesitant about dropping loads of money on a chair from Herman Miller. Alongside numerous customization options like the ability to add a headrest or rubberized wheels, you can also equip the X2 with a massager and heating pad for not that much more. Still though, the X2 and the rest of X-Chair’s office chair lineup come at a premium price that could be a turnoff for those on a tight budget. If you have the funds and want a well-built office chair – or even the best gaming chair without the bucket seat look – you can use for years to come, the X2 should certainly be on your shortlist.

 X-Chair X2: Pricing and availability

The base model of the X-Chair X2 K-Sport Mgmt Chair is available for $849.99 at the time of writing. However, there are a number of add-ons that can help make the chair more comfortable including a headrest ($90) and an extended width seat ($50). 

Although the base model of the X-Chair X2 ships with standard 2.5” wheels, you can also opt for the company’s X-Wheels that feature ball bearings and resemble a rollerblade wheel which are available in three different versions: clear blade wheels ($54), black blade wheels ($58) and clear locking wheels ($78). This is also the case with the X2’s armrests and those looking for even more adjustability can upgrade to X-Chair’s new FS 360 Armrests ($174) which can be rotated a full 360 degrees.   

If you find yourself spending a great deal of time in your office chair each day, it also might be worth considering the upgrade to X-Chair’s X-HMT or ELEMAX variants of the X2. While X-HMT adds heat and massage for an additional $100, ELEMAX adds cooling along with heat and massage for $130. Heating, cooling and massage are all powered by a battery which you can charge over USB or with the included wall charger. It’s worth noting that you can also upgrade your existing X-Chair with either X-HMT or ELEMAX if you change your mind later.

As a premium office chair like the X2 is a serious investment, X-Chair provides a 5 year warranty on all moving parts and materials as well as a 15 year warranty on all the non-moving metal components of its chairs.

X-Chair X2: Design and build quality

The X2 immediately sets itself apart from other office chairs thanks to its unique design and high-quality components. The chair’s frame is in the shape of an X (hence the name) and while the part of it attached to the backrest is made from plastic, the base that attaches to the seat is made from polished aluminum.

While other office chairs we’ve reviewed in the past like the Vari Task Chair and the Branch Ergonomic Chair feature mesh backrests, X-Chair takes things a step further with the X2. Both the chair’s headrest and even its seat are made from mesh. X-Chair’s K-Sport Advanced Performance Material features a tighter weave that makes it softer, more adaptive and very comfortable. An office chair made entirely from mesh is also much easier to clean and you can even use an air blower to get all the hard to reach places.

The X2’s stock armrests are four dimensional and you can easily adjust their height, depth, width and angle throughout your work day. 

If you want even more adjustability though, you can also upgrade your chair with X-Chair’s FS 360 Armrests which can freely move a full 360 degrees.

The base model of the X2 comes equipped with black 2.5” casters that have a silver strip down the middle to match its wheelbase. However, we opted to use the clear blade wheels that have ball bearings at their center and rubberized wheels to more easily roll about on our hardwood floors. While the stock casters are more than capable, the company’s X-Wheels add to the X2’s premium feel.

X-Chair X2: Setup and assembly

The X2 K-Sport Mgmt Chair sent to TechRadar Pro for review arrived in a single large box that was heavily padded to protect all of the pieces inside. 

Once unpacked, we were left with the chair’s backrest, seat, headrest, wheelbase, gas cylinder, armrests, casters and all of the bolts and tools needed to put it together. We appreciated the fact that all of the hardware was clearly labeled and one of the included Allen wrenches came with a handle.

Assembling the X2 begins with slotting the casters into the wheelbase. From here, you need to flip over the wheelbase and insert the gas cylinder into its center.

After this is done, you then need to place the X2’s seat onto the gas cylinder and sit on the chair to make sure the seat and the cylinder are interlocked. The armrests are then secured to either side of the chair using the two included bolts.

If you chose to add a headrest to your X2, you must first remove the plastic covering from the top of the backrest before bolting it on. If you didn’t though, you’ll need to insert the plastic protective covering on the top of the backrest instead.

With the headrest attached, the backrest slots into the back of the chair’s seat and is secured using four bolts.

Putting together the X2 was a fairly easy process and this is especially true if you’ve assembled an office chair before. For those that haven’t though, X-Chair has detailed instructional videos on its site that will walk you through the process.

X-Chair X2: In use and comfortability

After assembling the X2, we then proceeded to adjust the chair so that the seat height, depth, lumbar support and headrest were in an ergonomic position so that we could work comfortably. Just like with assembly, X-Chair has another video on its site with adjustment instructions for the X2 as there are a number of different paddles on both its left and right side.

The X2’s height is adjusted using the front paddle on the left side of the chair while its seat depth is adjusted using the rear paddle.

The X2 also allows you to recline and this is done using the paddle at the top of the left side of the chair. Flipping the paddle up allows you to recline while the knob under it lets you increase or decrease the resistance of the X2’s recline.

The X2’s Dynamic Variable Lumbar Support has four height settings and each time you reach while lifting up the chair’s lumbar support, you’ll hear an audible click. It’s worth noting that you can adjust the lumbar support while standing in addition to doing so while seated.

The X-Chair’s 4D armrests allow you to adjust their height, depth, angle and spacing. Adjusting their height is done using the black button on the outside of each armrest while the positioning of the arm pads is done by simply pushing them forwards or backwards.

The X2’s headrest is also adjustable and you can raise or lower it by pulling it up or pushing it down while standing. You can adjust its tilt as well by pulling it toward you or pushing it away from you.

During our time spent with the X2, we found it to be a very comfortable office chair that was easy to use for long periods of time. The X-Wheels made it easy to roll the chair around the room and the mesh back and seat allowed for plenty of airflow to keep us cool while working. Still though, you may need to watch X-Chair’s adjustment video to get the chair set up to your liking.

While we didn’t get to test the X-HMT heating and massage module or the ELEMAX one that also adds cooling to the mix, we were impressed by their design and the fact that you can add them to the X2 after purchasing the chair. As these modules are hot-swappable, they’re also easy to replace if something goes wrong without having to buy a whole new chair.

Should I buy the X-Chair X2?

Also consider

If you like the look and design of the X2 but don’t want to break the bank, X-Chair’s X-Basic DVL Task Chair starts at $499 and has the same lumbar support system and mesh back. It can also be outfitted with an optional headrest and the company’s X-Wheels. However, while the lumbar support and backrest are made of mesh, the seat cushion is made of foam and the armrests aren’t nearly as adjustable.

The FlexiSpot BS10 is another premium office chair worth considering under $500. Unlike the X2’s modern design, the BS10 features a retro-inspired look complete with a walnut panel on the backrest. It’s not nearly as customizable but it does have a mesh backrest to keep you cool while working.

First reviewed April 2022