Get ready to relax! Today’s review is of the Clutch Chairz Crank Charlie Gaming Chair – In Black & Blue, which I’ve recently had the privilege of sitting comfortably in in my own home office.
Chair Description & Initial Impressions
The Crank Charlie Gaming Chair is a stylish & modern office type chair featuring a high back, steel frame, foam cushioning, rolling casters, extra (specialized) cushions, and multiple reclining & adjustment options. The Crank Charlie is very comfortable to sit in for extended periods of time, which is what makes it great for serious gamers. Arriving disassembled in a large cardboard box, the Crank took me roughly 30 minutes to assemble by myself—though it was meant to take this much time with 2 adults working together on it. The primary reason for its taking some time & work to assemble is the significant weight of its tubular steel frame, but this heft pays off handsomely in the realm of strength and durability. As I mentioned in a previous blog article (The Top 5 Chairs for Studying), this chair feels almost indestructible. And while the faux leather polyurethane upholstery may not offer the same level of toughness, it’s very easy to clean and should look extremely sharp in any home office (or similar) environment. Overall I was more than a little impressed when I first got this chair together. I knew immediately that it was well on its way to a positive review.
Key Features & Specs
– A high-strength, tubular steel frame that can support weights of up to 330 Lbs
– High-density foam cushions that offer support, comfort, and a long life span
– Additional over-sized lumbar support & head/neck cushions
– A Class 4 (and BIFMA tested) gas lift for raising and lowering the chair to your desired height
– Non-marking casters that offer smooth rolling action on most floors & surfaces
– A swivel-tilt mechanism (with a total built-in range of 12 degrees)
– 3D arm rests that adjust in multiple dimensions (including up & down, forwards & backwards, & with 10 degrees of rotation)
– A reclining back that ranges between 85 and 135 degrees
– Easy to clean faux leather polyurethane upholstery (a simple wipe will do)
Testing & Use
Testing this chair is the ideal job for the exceptionally lazy—all it requires is sitting around and relaxing! As such work calls for total dedication, and because my readers deserve only the best from any review I undertake, I steadfastly endeavoured to leave not a shred of effort unspent in putting the Crank to the test! I worked tirelessly & endlessly to bring you all the most thorough and accurate results possible, and I’m quite happy to report that this chair is as comfortable as it is solid. Since the height is fully adjustable, you can easily achieve an ergonomic & comfortable posture wherein your feet are evenly planted on the floor. Equally, you can recline the chair back and enjoy a brief nap when it’s time for a break from work or gaming. While I found the reclining feature extremely easy to use, the raising and lowering feature was quite a bit more stubborn. Unfortunately, I never quite mastered it, and to this very hour I’m really not certain whether the problem lies with me or with the chair. In any case, I would’t expect this to be a recurring problem with other Crank Charlie units. At least I hope not!
One thing that I didn’t particularly enjoy about the Crank Charlie at first was the neck cushion. You can only raise or lower it so far (within maybe a 4 or 5 inch range), and no matter where I placed it, it just didn’t sit where I needed it to. However, with the chair back sufficiently reclined, the neck cushion suddenly slipped into the perfect location, and my opinion did a complete 180! It’s actually very comfortable when you just want to lean back and really take it easy. Of course, the rest of the time you can simply omit the cushion as it’s not permanently attached to the chair. In fact, that’s one of the things that’s great about it. After all, it’s nice having choices!
One slight drawback to the Crank Charlie is that it can get quite hot sitting in it, and it may even get a bit sticky (just as with real leather) if your bare skin is in direct contact with the upholstery. I doubt that this would always be the case, but I’m testing the chair during the summer & my studio does get fairly hot. I suspect it might be a bit cooler & more comfortable (from a temperature perspective) at other times of the year… Still, it is worth mentioning that the material may cause you to perspire and stick to the chair under some circumstances. I will say, however, that this did not actually happen to me. A friend I had over during my time testing the chair reported experiencing the sticky, leather effect.
On a more positive note, I did rather enjoy the adjustable arm rests, and I never once felt like the chair was labouring beneath my girth—struggling to keep me elevated. The Crank Charlie is an incredibly strong piece of furniture, and I was generally quite comfortable while sitting in it. I can certainly see the appeal of owning one of these beauties. If I were a serious gamer myself, or needed an office chair for working at a desk (which I don’t actually do), I’d be a lot more interested in actually getting one of these Charlies myself. As it is, I think the chair is very well suited to its intended market, and I certainly enjoyed my own time with it!
Examining the Video Evidence
Please take a few minutes to peruse the brief video overview I made of the Crank Charlie Gaming Chair. I’ve attempted to summarize some of the chair’s key features in the video—complete with some action footage:
Final Thoughts
The Crank Charlie Gaming Chair comes with everything you’ll need to assemble & get started with it. That is to say, it comes with an Allen wrench and a brief set of instructions in a rather thick little booklet covering a broad range of languages. If you don’t mind using a little bit of muscle to get this thing together—really putting your back into it, then I fully expect you to get years of comfortable use out of this fine looking and functional chair. I really liked it a lot myself and would certainly recommend it to others. It’s not perfect, mind you. But, after all, what in this world is? As a stylish piece of modern office furniture, it does most of what one might ask of it. It’s sturdy, comfortable, attractive, ergonomically designed, & enormously adjustable. All up, the Crank Charlie is a very fine chair! Recommended for gamers, home office workers, and those who enjoy the wonderful pastime of sitting.
Gallery of Additional Photos
Very solid review. I’ve been looking at for these chairs at other stores in the usa. I hope other bestbuy stores begin to carry them.
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