Newtral NT002 Ergonomic Home Office Chair Review: Modern Aesthetic with Active Lumbar Support

While studying at San Diego State University, Newtral founder Stan Deng developed Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and severe back pain, which planted in him the seed for ergonomic innovation. The company manufactures a line of office and gaming chairs and accessories, including standing desks and gaming tables. In this review, we look at their top-of-the-line Newtral NT002 Ergonomic Home Office Chair with Ato-following Lumbar Support.

Design

Newtral refers to the NT002 as both a home office chair as well as a gaming chair. I can see how the chair’s modern design aesthetic is refined and serious enough for the office, while sleek and cool enough for the gaming rig. There are no RGB lights, sound, or haptic effects here, just a solid and attractive multi-use chair.

The Newtral NT002 at first looks much like many other chairs in this market segment, with individual panels of a taut breathable fabric for the lower and upper back areas. This model takes it a few steps further with a removable, integrated headrest of the same material, as well as a retractable leg rest, but the real innovation of the NT002 is its auto-following lumbar support.

One of the chair’s most eye-catching elements is the orange knob and matching orange backplate of the lumbar support. This knob controls the strength of the support provided by the mechanism and can also lock it in place. This means that, when desired, the chair can provide lumbar support whether you are leaning back or forward.

As you might expect, the other parts of the chair are equally well thought out and provide the desired level of flexibility and adjustability. The backrest, for instance, can be adjusted to five different levels, making it suitable for everyone between 5’1″ -6’3″.

The Newtral NT002’s armrests provide adjustability in four directions. The armrests can be turned in or out, slid forward and backward, and, using the integrated lever, pulled up or pushed down. The armrests can also be moved farther apart or closer together, but this requires loosening the bolts under the seat. This may seem like a chore, but many chairs do not offer this adjustment.

The headrest can move up and down a total of 5.15” and can rotate up and down 30 degrees. It is made of the same material as the backrest components.

The seat is composed of high-density foam covered in black fabric. The Newtral NT002 is offered in two color schemes: black and orange (as in this review) and light gray. In this second scheme, the seat fabric, as well as the breathable fabric on the backrest components, is light gray. The steel components of the backrest and the rubber components of the armrests are also in light gray.

The only components that are the same in both schemes are the orange features, the chrome five-wheeled base, and the black chassis mechanism.

I find the design of the Newtral NT002 to be modern and elegant, and I think that it looks great in most settings. When I compare it to chairs from other manufacturers, I am drawn to the more traditional seat cushion rather than the same breathable fabric used on the backrests. This may be a decision based on ergonomics, but I must admit that I prefer the more monolithic look of chairs that use the same materials throughout.

Also, like other chairs in this segment, the NT002’s design is strongest in the way that the back rests and headrest cascade. Then we get to the armrests, which don’t echo the same flow. It appears that this is a result of skewing towards the best ergonomics as opposed to an integrated design, and I find that most chairs suffer from this lack of consistency. In the case of the NT002, it makes it look like two chairs combined into one – a lightweight, breathable fabric back and rest assembly, and a more traditional seat cushion, arm rests, and base.

While perfectly functional, I think that the way that the headrest integrates with the back of the chair could be better as well.  Just to be clear, the chair is a pleasure to use and works as designed. These comments focus solely on the overall design implementation.

What’s in the Box

• Newtral NT002 Ergonomic Home Office Chair with Auto-following Lumbar Support

Assembly

If you dread assembling furniture, have no fear, Newtral has made this process as painless as possible. The chair arrives in a suspiciously small box that, when unloaded, reveals a number of carefully wrapped pieces. My chair arrived in perfect condition, and once everything was unwrapped, I got down to putting it together.

As you can see from the photos, each step in the procedure is well documented and easy to perform. The chair is ready in a few minutes. The assembly kit comes with an extra of each bolt, an Allen wrench, and a pair of white gloves.

Performance

The chair is very comfortable. With its many adjustable features, it is quick and easy for anyone to make the chair fit them. The breathable fabric feels good and keeps you cool even after long hours of use.

The seat cushion is also comfortable regardless of seating position. My only criticism is that the seat cushion fabric attracts hair, and, being black, it can be annoyingly visible if users are blond or have pets with light-colored hair. I suppose that the inverse is true for the light gray version.

The adaptive lumbar support is a nice and unique feature. Especially those who suffer from back pain after long sitting sessions will appreciate the addition of this feature. Best of all, like many of the features of the chair, you don’t have to use them if you prefer not to do so. Simply lock the lumbar support in the desired position.

The added benefit of making the many adjustments so accessible and simple, and of adding the adaptive lumbar support, is that the chair encourages you to move and not be in just one position for long periods. This in itself will help alleviate the issues that some people find with traditional office seating.

The chair sits on a very solid chromed five-spoke wheeled base. Some of the other Newtral models have this base in black painted steel. The base is connected to the chassis mechanism with an SGS-certified Class 4 gas lift, which ensures exceptionally smooth and stable height adjustment and is rigorously tested to meet international BIFMA and EN1335 standards for ultimate reliability.

The polyurethane wheels are quiet and do not harm floors, and the base itself is made of 350 aluminum alloy. It is large enough to provide adequate stability even when the chair is reclined to its maximum 136 degrees and the leg rest is extended. The reclining feature is also lockable.

Product Details

Seat Height	43.37″-54″
Backrest Tilt Range	96°-136°
Seat Depth Adjustment	1.97″
Backrest Height Adjustment	5 levels
Weight Capacity	300lbs (136kg)
Net Weight	57lbs (26kg)
Gross Weight	62lbs (28kg)
Shipping Dimensions	22.8x20x23.6” (58x51x60cm)

Optional Accessories

Newtral offers a few accessories to extend the capabilities of the NT002, such as the Laptop Table ($79), which slips onto the chair’s armrests. The laptop table can be purchased with the NT002 or separately. The laptop table is also available in gray and black versions. Other options include long armrests ($89) and different wheels ($45).

At $500, the Newtral NT002 Ergonomic Home Office Chair has a lot of competition. The market is flooded with chairs that, from a distance, look very similar in their design, many available for about one quarter of the NT002’s price. But look closely, and you will see the differences in materials, adjustability, and added features. If you are looking for a chair with ultimate adjustability and/or to help alleviate problems caused by sitting in average office and gaming chairs, you will appreciate the innovation that the NT002 offers.

The Newtral NT002 Ergonomic Home Office Chair sells for $499 (down from $909) and is available directly from the manufacturer (use code JUDIESTANFORD for 15% off) and other retailers, including Amazon.

Source: Manufacturer-supplied review sample

What I Like: Modern design; High-quality materials and finish; Adaptive Lumbar support; Adjustable ergonomics

What Needs Improvement: Seat fabric attracts hair; Price point has serious competition