I was asked if I’d like to review the LiberNovo Omni, an $1,100 ergonomic desk chair. I mean, have you ever sat in a $1,100 desk chair? I hadn’t. I wanted to.
I’ll start by saying that it’s difficult to describe the difference between a $150 gaming chair and a high-end, professional ergonomic desk chair like the Omni.
If one is a trusty work truck with an AM/FM radio, AC that blows cold, and never lets you down, then the other is a bespoke Rolls-Royce Phantom … complete with a chauffeur and an exceptional single malt Scotch in a cut-crystal decanter, awaiting your bum planted in the luxurious rear seat for a trip to your private airstrip where your Gulfstream G800 is waiting to take you on your overnight trip to Monaco.
The Omni borders on obscene.
When I opened the box, I was immediately surprised by how well it was packaged. And how few parts there were that I’d have to assemble. It took me all of 10 minutes to slap together. It’s the first piece of furniture I’ve ever received that had a true Allen head driver, and not one of those 2-cent, cheap throw-away Allen keys that you probably have a dozen of floating in your toolbox.
JS @ New Atlas
Before I even sat in the Omni, I rallied my children into the office and laid down the law, “This is MY chair. This is NOT your chair. You may NOT sit in this chair, ever. Don’t even LOOK at it.” I did my best to maintain a scornful look in my eyes while they nodded solemnly.
And then shoo’d them away and sat my eyes closed. I was immediately taken away to a land of bliss – warm and enveloping, where strong but gentle hands cradled every part of me, lifting me into the air as I flew from cloud to cloud, all connected by rainbows. Or maybe that’s what I dreamt when the 4D arm rests zipped away from me unexpectedly. I thought I’d stuck the landing, but maybe I was just concussed? Anyhow …
I leaned back into the sweet 105° embrace of what I’d thought was but a mere desk chair, but no, it was a teleportation device – whose only purpose was to send signals to my brain to release all of its endorphins at once. Multi-density sponges – wrapped in impossibly soft elastic micro-linen fabric – in the seat and headrest contoured to every curve in my anatomy, deliberately cupping each vertebra as if the chair were custom fitted to me, and me only.
I clicked it back one more notch into the 160° NSFW mode. I internally feigned confidence that the chair, designed to seat a 300 lb human (far heavier than my 6-foot-3 frame), would lower me into a near supine position without upending itself – and me – in the process. The thousand-dollar chair did not fail me. In fact, though I was slightly afraid, I explored the limits of movement while in the fully reclined position and the chair stayed firmly planted. Not even a teeter.
While in full recline, I activated the OmniStretch feature – a motorized actuator in the lumbar area that suddenly had me doing slow, robotic pelvic thrusts that would surely earn me a trip straight to HR had I been anywhere but my home office.
JS @ New Atlas
In all seriousness, the Omni is, without a doubt, the nicest, most exquisite desk chair I’ve ever had the pleasure of hunching over a keyboard in. I’ve sat in La-Z-Boy recliners that aren’t as comfortable as the Omni. And the OmniStretch feature isn’t at all obscene. It’s a slow, deliberate stretch across your lower back that’s surprisingly both relaxing – where you might have to fight sleep – and invigorating, giving me a second wind, especially when paired with the optional StepSync footrest that has you completely Barcalounge’d out.
I could easily fall asleep in that chair while reclined, and I’m 100% not the type of guy to fall asleep sitting up. Depending on your lumbar’s mood, a simple press of a button will either move the support further forward or backward. Neat! The battery that powers the lumbar position and stretch feature should last you about a month, but honestly, the cartridge-style battery pops out super easy and charges with USB-C, so it’s no big deal to charge it up every few weeks.
JS @ New Atlas
The Omni is built entirely around dynamic support rather than just simple padding and nice fabrics. The segmented backrest not only looks like the chair has its own spine, but it also moves and flexes with your spine as you lean or recline, actively maintaining contact with your lumbar.
The elastic fabric, as I mentioned, is ultra soft and comfortable. It moves with you if you twist around in your seat. It feels like it could easily rip or tear. Maybe because the fabric itself feels expensive, I’m worried more than I should be. I don’t know the exact composition of “elastic micro-linen fabric.” I haven’t had any rips, tears, runs, or snags. I hope I never do … I really like this chair.
JS @ New Atlas
The armrests have “4D” adjustability. Not just height and width, but also angle and rotation. And if I’m honest, this is the only thing I genuinely don’t like about the Omni. Angle and rotation matter very little to me to begin with, but what makes me not like it is the lack of being able to lock the armrests into any position. Every time I get up and sit down, the armrests want to twist and splay, making getting up and down an actual thought process … and a bit risky if you’re not paying attention.
Even just shifting around in the chair can be annoying when you’re accustomed to using your arms to help you shift. If this chair weren’t so expensive, I’d put a set-screw into the frame to make them not move anymore. I didn’t actually fall out of the chair the first time I sat on it, but it sure did surprise me.
LiberNovo markets it as “the armrests follow your arms.” Maybe some people like that? I don’t. If there were an option to lock the armrest into my favorite position so they didn’t follow my arms like lost puppy dogs, the chair might just be perfection.
The Omni has all the usual stuff, like a gas lift from 17.3–21.7 inches (44–55 cm), and a seat width of 21.3 inches (54 cm). Two options for seat depth, either 17.7 in (45 cm) or 18.9 in (48 cm). The backrest is absolutely beautiful at 21.3 inches (54 cm), and the headrest is fully adjustable in both height and depth, meaning you can put it exactly where you want it. It’ll even follow you a bit when you turn your head.
And if it makes any difference, the chair weighs right around 48 lb (21.8 kg). It does have those nice, quiet wheels, so it won’t suddenly roll away from you, but it still rolls nicely on my hardwood floors. So far, the build quality has been great. No squeaky-creakies yet in the two months I’ve had it.
JS @ New Atlas
You’ve got two color choices for the Omni: Solid gray or solid black. Mine is grey … I think black would have been a better choice.
The LiberNovo Omni has largely been compared to the Herman Miller Embody chair, which retails for $2,045. At the time of writing, the Omni is on sale for $848. All in all, my poor back, with the posture of a child, has fared much better since the Omni made its way into my office … and it’s going to make future seat reviews more difficult.
I still use the $150 gaming chair. It’s in my “production room” where my laser engravers and DTF printing equipment puts in work and I’m not scared of it getting dirty … so cheaper chairs still have a place in this world.
Product page: LiberNovo Omni
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