Chair Upgrades! The BS2 to the C7 Pro Ergonomic Office Chair from Flexispot

I did a quick synopsis of my time with the BS2 office chair when I was talking about the Flexispot Comhar Pro desk from Flexispot. I pointed out that it was a sturdy chair, flexible in the right spots and solid where it matters. I also mentioned that the mesh back was airy, and that the chair seemed to be comfortable thus far. Well, now 90 days later I’ve had a lot of time in the seat, but Flexispot wanted me to take a look at the upgrade to the BS2 – the C7 Pro Ergonomic Office Chair. Billed as a “Premium Ergonomic Office Chair”, at first I thought it was the same chair. Well, it turns out there’s a handful of tweaks to the formula that made it worth taking a look.

Assembling the C7 is similar to the BS2, and that’s got some good and bad points. Mounting the primary tilt system is still harder than it needs to be as the bolts are still entirely too close to the controls. This is an area where Flexispot (or their subcontractor) should take a note from gaming chairs as they’ve mastered the assembly approach.

The C7 has redesigned the mount on the chair, as well as the mount point on the tilt mechanism. On the BS2 it lies flat against the surface, but with the C7 there are four circular holdoffs that provide a bit of, I’m assuming, shock absorption between the chair and the mechanism. It may also provide clearance for additional tilt, but I’m not certain. Either way, it can be a challenge to get the Allen wrench in where you need it. That said, it’s a minor inconvenience as you’ll be doing this precisely one time, and it’s only one bolt that’s problematic. Every other element of the assembly is a breeze.

The new mechanism has a steel “tail” on it where you’ll be mounting the back of the chair, as well as a heavily reinforced box frame. While much of the rest of this chair is ultra lightweight PU molded plastic, this part, which houses so much of the moving parts, is rock solid durable.

This one bolt is problematic to install.

One of the things I really like about the Flexispot chairs is that they tend to have redundancy where it matters. For instance, on most chairs they use a pair of bolts to hold the armrests in place. In the C7 it’s a trio of bolts that lie in a channel, meaning you can place them more precisely, and with the third bolt, ensure they stay there. After all, you’ll likely use this armrest to stand up, so you want it to be sturdy, right? In that same redundancy theme, they also include duplicate screws to ensure you can finish up your assembly, or have a spare should you need it in the future.

The next major change I noticed was on the headrest. The BS2 uses a flexible plastic U-shape, with the mesh headrest attached. It means that the headrest moves into position and conforms to your head and neck, but it doesn’t stay there. On the C7, Flexispot has moved to a hinged system at the end of the flexible U-shape. This allows it to not only conform to the base of your neck, but also stay there as well.

I was very glad to see a complete revision to the lumbar support on the C7. The BS2 has a pair of springs that give a small bit of motion when pressed against, but it’d be hard to call it “adjustable”. The C7 has a lever on the chair back that unlocks the lumbar support, allowing you to place it where it serves you best. I didn’t realize how much I’d appreciate this until I used it for a few weeks. The best part is that the ease of adjustment meant my wife could easily do the same.

Underneath the chair you’ll find a trio of controls, just like you’d find on the BS2, but there are some changes here as well. There is a lever to raise and lower the chair using the gas piston. There is another lever to slide the seat forwards and backwards, which is nice when slouching in the seat – it’s far more comfortable than it sounds, though it’s likely awful for my posture. The change is that there is now a knob instead of a lever for tilting the back of the seat. On the BS2 you’d lower a lever, lean into the position you’d like, and then raise the lever. It’d ratchet a bit, settling into the nearest locked spot. On the C7 there’s a knob that unlocks the mechanism. Tilting the chair, you can then lock it with the turn knob, only here it locks into position almost immediately. It’s an improvement like the lumbar support, allowing you to adjust the chair to fit you, rather than conforming to the predefined spots.

The C7 has a slightly thicker seat cushion than the BS2, though there is also a C7 Air which shifts to mesh instead of padding. I’ve only used the padded ones, but I can imagine the C7 Air being a bit cooler in the summertime.

The last major difference between the BS2 and the C7 is the star base. The BS2 used a shiny, silver aluminum base underneath the chair, whereas the C7 uses a hard plastic star base with infill (infill is the scaffold-style insides rather than being solid). Other than being more subdued in black rather than shiny silver, it also has the side effect of being more lightweight.

I do have to admit there is one change from the BS2 to the C7 that I don’t like – the 4D armrests. On the BS2 there are detents for the various positions you can place the armrests in, but on the C7 they glide a bit, and they don’t really stay there. It’s all a bit too loose, and as such my armrests tended to be all over the place. It’s not a huge deal, but when you put your body weight on them to stand up, it’s rather important that they stay put.

Like last time, it’s hard to say whether a chair will be good or bad without spending more time with it, but after a month with the C7, I can say that nearly all of the improvements here are fantastic. Sure, it doesn’t have that “gaming aesthetic” but at the end of the day I’m more interested in sciatic pain relief than “looking cool on camera” – a consequence of getting older, I suppose.

If you wanted to get your hands on the new C7, I’ve got good news – it’s on sale as part of a celebration of their 7th year in business from August 21st through August 25th for up to 60% off for all of their chairs, desks, and accessories. If you’ve been thinking of picking up a standing desk, chair, or both, this would be the time! You can read our most recent review of the Comhar Q8 right here.

To that end, we have 10% Off your $500+ purchase sitewide at FlexiSpot.com! Use code AFF10OFF, as well as the promo code GAMINGTREND for an additional bonus. Don’t miss out — I swear by these desks and chairs for a reason.

Ron Burke is the Editor in Chief for Gaming Trend. Currently living in Fort Worth, Texas, Ron is an old-school gamer who enjoys CRPGs, action/adventure, platformers, music games, and has recently gotten into tabletop gaming.

Ron is also a fourth degree black belt, with a Master's rank in Matsumura Seito Shōrin-ryū, Moo Duk Kwan Tang Soo Do, Universal Tang Soo Do Alliance, and International Tang Soo Do Federation. He also holds ranks in several other styles in his search to be a well-rounded fighter.

Ron has been married to Gaming Trend Editor, Laura Burke, for 27 years. They have three dogs - Pazuzu (Irish Terrier), Atë, and Calliope (both Australian Kelpie/Pit Bull mixes).

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