What I Learned Comparing Two Up-and-Coming Work Chairs: Cofo and NEWTRAL
Hi to everyone sitting more than ever thanks to remote work — I’m Hide, tech journalist and part-time house-husband.
High-performance, reasonably priced work chairs keep coming out.
This time I tried a work chair from NEWTRAL. The backrest and headrest move forward and back with your weight, so it supports you in the ideal position all the way from sitting upright to leaning back.
NEWTRAL MagicH, gray model
I also recently tried Cofo’s work chair, so I’ll review what I liked while comparing the two.
A backrest and headrest that follow you — a new feeling
I’ve used an Aeron chair for years, but maybe because it’s an older model, the armrests kept sinking and the lumbar support never quite fit. (The Aeron does let you pick a size S with a much more compact seat, while Cofo and NEWTRAL are one-size-fits-all.)
Having no headrest was a pain too, so I added a third-party one
So I’ve been on a quest for a new work chair, and the Cofo Chair I tried last time was pretty good.
The new white model is stylish too
For looks and solid build, the Cofo Chair wins. The flowing metal parts are beautifully cast, and it’s as stylish as an Aeron.
The Cofo Chair is plenty stylish
But for lumbar support and other functions, the NEWTRAL was far more comfortable. The Cofo Chair lets you fine-tune things somewhat, but the supports are fixed, so they feel a bit off when you recline — it’s never perfect at all times.
The lumbar and headrest are fixed, so they don’t match when you recline
NEWTRAL’s MagicH, on the other hand, uses springs to follow you, keeping perfect support both upright and reclined.
The NEWTRAL MagicH backrest and headrest automatically follow your weight, so it’s always comfortable
Another thing: the Cofo Chair is on the big side and its recline is stiff, so even on the softest setting, it wouldn’t lean back well for my build. It has a footrest, but when I put my feet up it wouldn’t tip back… Probably fine for bigger people, but a shame.
The MagicH, on the other hand, adjusts perfectly to your weight within its range, and you can change how strongly the backrest follows you. You can also move the lumbar support up and down, so it supports you just right through the mesh.
Turn this to adjust how strongly it follows youIt has a wide range of motion and follows you well. If you don’t want it to move, turn the knob below to lock it.The lumbar support height adjusts too, so you can set it flexibly for your body
The footrest was also way easier to use on the NEWTRAL MagicH. The Cofo Chair’s footrest has poles on both sides, which makes it a little awkward to put your feet down. The NEWTRAL MagicH has just one pole in the center, so you can put your feet down on either side — handy.
The footrest supports you with a nicely soft matThis design lets you lower your feet smoothly — really convenient
If function matters more to you than design, you should definitely go with NEWTRAL.
Not being full mesh is surprisingly nice
Chairs with mesh all the way through the seat, like the Aeron or Cofo Chair, don’t get stuffy, but the overlooked downside is that they’re freezing in winter.
The overlooked downside of a mesh seat: it gets really cold in winter…
The NEWTRAL has a cushioned seat only, and I worried it’d be hot in summer, but it really wasn’t. It’s a trade-off, but even I — someone who keeps the room at a comfy temperature year-round — found mesh cold in winter, so I think a cushioned seat is the sensible choice.
But careful if you have a cat — ours clawed it immediately… (sigh)
## Might be great if you ever move?
Another surprisingly nice thing: the parts come apart and pack down small. I’ve only done it a few times, but moving an office chair has always cost a ton of effort and money… The Aeron barely comes apart, so you either cram it in a car or ship it (over ¥10,000).
Same with the Cofo Chair. It’s well built, but really heavy and big. Once assembled, the base is wide, and in some homes you might not be able to get it out. The legs are just pushed in, but since they normally bear weight, they basically won’t come out. Shipping the Cofo Chair was a real hassle.
The Cofo Chair is well made but insanely heavy… and each part is big
The NEWTRAL MagicH’s base breaks down into small pieces, so it ships in a moderately sized box. It’s easy to take apart too, so if you think you might ship it somewhere someday, it’s a good design.
The NEWTRAL MagicH breaks down into small parts (plus the backrest)Except for the backrest, the parts came in a box about two sizes smaller than the Cofo Chair’s — I was surprised
## Excellent function, but I hope the polish keeps improving
Honestly, sitting in it is extremely comfortable. I wouldn’t be lying if I said it’s comfier than an Aeron. That’s exactly why I wish the overall build quality were a little better.
For example, how rigid each part feels — the Cofo Chair is way ahead, and it doesn’t feel cheap even next to an Aeron. The NEWTRAL MagicH’s details are a bit disappointing for the price.
The thin metal parts help keep it light, but compared to other premium work chairs, it can feel a bit cheap
Assembly also had issues: parts shifted as I tightened screws, and positions didn’t stay fixed. I’d like to see the product refined a bit more.
There are no notches or anything, so parts and screw positions drift as you tighten… I hope they fix this
It’s a bit rough as a product, but I really like how it functions. It’s also much cheaper than work chairs from Japanese makers. Overseas brands iterate really fast these days, so I bet the NEWTRAL MagicH will keep getting better with each generation.
A comfortable work chair I’m excited to see evolve.
