Introduction
The chair market is a difficult one to get a foothold in. Most people buy one chair from a known and reputable brand, and then use that for many years until it breaks; not a lot of people impulse buy a chair. But of course, that doesn’t stop new brands from stepping in. And when LiberNovo gathered over $10,000,000 for their first chair on Kickstarter, expectations were naturally high. But does it live up to the hype? In our full LiberNovo Omni SE review, you’ll find out everything you need to know about this crowdfunding sensation.
At A Glance
LiberNovo Omni SE
The LiberNovo Omni SE is a newer chair for the brand, one that already addressed some community concerns with their earlier releases. Still, I feel like there’s more to improve. That doesn’t mean that it’s a bad chair, though. Quite the contrary: it’s a really good one.
Pros
- Great packaging
- Really clear instructions and easy assembly process
- Comes with a headrest
- Having multiple tilt-lock positions is very nice
- Flexible backrest feels amazing
- Super comfy if it fits your body
Cons
- Armrests don’t lock, so they’re always sliding around
- Mesh upholstery traps hairs and dust quite easily
- Seat might be too soft for some
- Not as breathable as you’d expect
Specs
| Adjustable Seat Height | Yes |
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| Adjustable Seat Depth | No |
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| Adjustable Armrests | Yes |
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| Adjustable Backrest | Yes |
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| Lumbar Support | Built-in and adjustable |
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| Material | Mesh |
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| Max Weight | 112 |
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Assembly
Your first experience with a chair starts before you even sit in it. And the people at LiberNovo seem to understand that. The packaging is extremely well done, for starters. Everything is perfectly safe and secure within its box, but there’s a lot less waste than with most other chairs. Whereas I usually end up with a gigantic pile of cardboard and Styrofoam, here, the amount of material I had to throw away was quite limited thanks to the clever packaging.
But it doesn’t end there. The assembly instructions are also amazing. There are 3D images that tell you exactly what to do, and every step is very clearly explained. You also get all the tools you need in the box, so the assembly process is a breeze.
I would recommend having a friend nearby to help you line up certain parts of the chair, but you can also get the whole thing together by yourself should you need to.
The people at LiberNovo did a great job here, and a lot of other brands can learn a thing or two from this assembly and packaging process.
Why Not The Omni Pro?
It should be noted that I did not get the exact chair that went viral on Kickstarter. That one has a motorized backrest and was offered to me for review, but I quite simply did not want to have yet another thing I needed to charge in my life, and the 2-year warranty on the electric components also did not inspire a great deal of confidence.
Furthermore, the majority of people dial in a backrest once and then leave it, so putting a motor behind it seemed quite gimmicky and unnecessarily expensive to me. The same can be said for the seat ventilator. If your chair is breathable enough, you don’t need such things.
So I asked if it was possible to review the non-electric Omni SE model. To me, that seems like a far better value proposition. So the SE is what I am talking about today.
First Impressions and Materials
With this being an ambitious project by a new company, I initially had fears that it would feel low-quality or make a ton of compromises in order to reach a certain price point, but that’s not really the case. Sure, the chair doesn’t feel as premium as something like a Herman Miller Embody, but then again that chair costs pretty much double, so that’s something I can forgive.
Most of the chair is made out of nylon, which might cheapen the overall product to some, but I personally don’t mind it. A chair made out of mostly plastics can still be very durable, as long as the plastics are dense enough, and that seems to be the case here. In addition to that, everything seems to be machined well. All the individual parts fit together properly, and there are no obvious gaps or sections that feel awkwardly wedged in.
The material used for the upholstery does look quite thin and doesn’t quite feel high-quality, though, so I’d say that’s an area for improvement. I’ll speak more on that later, however.
All in all, my first impressions in terms of overall craftsmanship and finishing were good, and I thought that the LiberNovo Omni SE mostly lived up to its $899.00 price tag.
Adjustability and Features
You can adjust the LiberNovo Omni SE in a multitude of ways:
- Height adjustment
- Lumbar support adjustment
- Chair tilt force adjustment (plus multiple levels of tilt-lock)
- Armrest adjustment (height, forward/backward, pivot)
- Headrest adjustment (height, depth, and tilt)
This makes for a chair that has pretty much everything you need to find a good fit. I also love that it comes with an included headrest. That’s not needed if you’re sitting in an ergonomic position (which is why some super high-tier chairs don’t include one) but it can be very comfy if you’re lounging, which is something that this chair also supports. So you really are getting the whole package here.
Comfort and Adjustability
Foam and Frame
The LiberNovo Omni SE uses a combination of foam and a flexible ‘skeletonized’ frame to provide support. This is a combo that’s often used on high-end chairs, and it’s implemented quite well here.
The backrest has enough flexibility to it so that you ‘sink in’ very slightly when you first sit down, almost like the chair hugs your back in a subtle way. When you then move your body, the backrest moves with you (up to a certain point, of course) so you’re always fully supported by the chair, even if you’re rotating your body. This is a sensation that I personally really love, and once you’ve dialed in the lumbar support (more on that in the next section) it really feels like a custom-made backrest.
The seat itself is a simple hard base + foam assembly. The foam is perhaps a little bit too soft for me, but I’m mostly splitting hairs here. The seat remained supportive, even after a full working day, and I could not notice any sagging or bottoming out either. I will say the foam does feel a bit ‘airy’, though, which leads me to have some doubts about how long it will last. I can’t really put a finger on it, but the foam used here doesn’t feel as durable as the foam on some other chairs.
The above is just based on a feeling, though. In my two months with the chair (which admittedly isn’t much in the context of a gaming chair) I didn’t notice any deformities, so make of that what you will.
Seat Base
It’s worth noting that LiberNovo made a change to the cushions when the SE was released after receiving feedback on the cushion being too soft. The new cushions are thicker and use a one-piece construction for a more stable seating experience. Owners of early versions can contact the company for a replacement. That’s a great response to community feedback in my opinion.
In terms of size, the seat is just about big enough for me (I am 180 cm), but I do sometimes feel as if the chair is trying to push me out via the front in certain positions. So if you’re any taller or larger than I am, I can imagine the chair can feel quite cramped. The chair in general could do with a slightly wider and deeper seat base in my opinion.
Lumbar Support
The LiberNovo Omni SE uses a knob to dial in the lumbar support. I vastly prefer that over the electric adjustment that’s on some of their other models, since it’s a lot less prone to breaking over time.
In terms of adjustment, there’s a huge range to go for. The lumbar support can go out so far that I doubt anyone has a back that’s that curved. So, as long as the lumbar portion pushes in the right area, you’re absolutely going to find a setting that fits you perfectly. Combine that with the flexible backrest, and you’ve got a chair that really tends to hug your back in a great way.
As I said, your back needs to fit the position of the support, though. There’s no height adjustment, after all. Different positions do slightly influence how high up the focus point of the lumbar gets, but there is no dedicated height adjustment. That immediately limits the number of people that can use the chair, as this type of backrest really needs you to fit it perfectly, otherwise it can become quite uncomfortable.
For me, it lands just about right. And once everything is dialed in, it becomes a super comfortable chair. The dial is also positioned in such a way that you can quite easily turn it while sitting in the chair, which is a bonus when you’re setting it up.
Headrest
If you’re sitting in an ergonomically optimal position, you don’t need a headrest. But a lot of users also like to lounge when they’re taking a break from work, serious gaming, and what have you. LiberNovo understands that, so there’s a headrest included with the chair. This can be adjusted in both height and depth, and I love it.
When I’m working, I don’t need a headrest, but when I am lounging and playing some controller games, it does come in awfully handy. And this chair can recline very far, so a headrest is absolutely necessary at some of the more extreme angles.
The headrest feels decent, but the foam feels quite spongy, so if it’s not positioned perfectly, my neck/head sits directly on the hard plastic, which is less than ideal. Luckily, adjusting the headrest is very easy. You can tilt it and adjust the height by applying pressure, and the depth can be tweaked by pressing a button and moving the headrest.
The headrest also stays in position nicely when using it normally, so you’re not getting any unpleasant jump scares when you’re using it.
Tilt Lock
There are five preset lock positions present here, at 105°, 115°, 125°, 135°, and 160°. As someone who uses the tilt function on their chair quite often, I like this. I use different lock settings for different applications, and with the tilt resistance dialed in perfectly, I find it very comfortable to use the chair.
When I’m working, I don’t recline past 115°, and when I’m chilling out, I tend to set it to 135° as the maximum lock. For me personally, the different positions are logical, and I prefer this over having one static lock.
Everyday Usage
Upholstery and Breathability
As I noted earlier, the upholstery feels a bit thin and, for lack of a better term, ‘cheap’. That might be noted down as being merely a subjective preference thing, but there’s also the fact that the textured material traps hair and other debris really easily.
This makes it really difficult to keep the chair looking pristine. I know that fabrics tend to hold on to hairs and skin particles more easily than (faux) leathers, but most fabric chairs can be cleaned with a quick sweep. Here, I really have to pull out the vacuum cleaner or purposefully pry out hairs and other objects when I want it to look clean again. If you have pets or you have lots of hair, this can definitely become annoying.
Another issue lies with the breathability. I expect a chair of this type to be very breathable, but it really isn’t. We had an unfortunately hot summer where I live, and there were some days where I felt the need to get up for a minute or two. That’s the case with a lot of chairs, but with this being a lighter, more modern type of chair, I expected the breathability to be better than it is.
In short: there’s some work to be done with the fabrics if you ask me.
Build Quality
In general, I’m very satisfied with the build quality of the LiberNovo Omni SE. These types of chairs are often a creaky affair, but the Omni SE is mostly quiet, even when leaning back and moving around. In addition to that, everything seems well-made. The wheels rolls smoothly, the gas lift stays in position, the lumbar support has no issues, …
Things like the thin-feeling upholstery and spongy foam are a minor letdown, but the ‘bones’ of the chair (wheel base, hydraulics, …) feel very well done.
Ease of Use
All of the controls can easily be reached when sitting in the chair. This includes the tilt resistance adjustment knob, which is often hidden underneath the seat. I love how easily accessible this all is, as it makes it much easier to configure the chair to your body.
What I don’t love are the armrests. These do not lock into position, as the forward/backward and rotation adjustments can be done without a button. The problem here is that they are way too loose. I am constantly finding myself accidentally moving these armrests when I’m readjusting myself or moving the chair around, and that’s really annoying. Especially since this type of complaint has been made against a ton of chairs over the past couple of years.
I get that a buttonless adjustment makes it easier to adjust armrests on the fly and that there are fans of that particular system, but I really dislike them and would prefer a way to lock the armrests. And, if they really want to go with a buttonless adjustment, they should tighten up the resistance.
Alternatives
The obvious contender/inspiration for this chair is the Herman Miller Embody. Seeing as I have experience with that chair, I’ll compare the two against each other.
LiberNovo Omni SE vs Herman Miller Embody
First off, it’s important to frame this correctly. The Omni SE has an MSRP of $899.99. The Embody is more than double that.
And that’s a difference you do notice. In general, the Embody feels like a more robust and more refined product. It also offers a more ergonomic seating experience to me. On the flip side of that, the Omni SE gives you a slightly more couch-like sensation (meaning it can feel more comfortable, but less ergonomically optimal), and you get the ability to recline. The smaller seat and lack of seat depth adjustment might not sit well with some, however.
I also know for a fact that my Embody still feels the same after six years as it did on day one. The Omni SE might, but there’s no way of knowing since it’s a new product. And I do have my doubts about the durability, even though that’s just based on a feeling rather than any objective measurements.
So really, it comes down to what you’ll be using the chair for. If you’re someone who spends hours at their desk every single day and you find an optimal position important, the Embody can be worth the extra money. It’s a proven chair with a deserved legendary status.
If you spend less time at your desk, or you want to try something different from the typical racing-style gaming chairs, the Omni SE can be a really good choice. It’s also a good way to get an experience that’s quite similar to the Embody’s without having to cough up more than 2000 dollars.
See our Herman Miller Embody review
Conclusion
The LiberNovo Omni SE is a newer chair for the brand, one that already addressed some community concerns with their earlier releases. Still, I feel like there’s more to improve. That doesn’t mean that it’s a bad chair, though. Quite the contrary: it’s a really good one.
The base of the chair is extremely solid. It’s also on sale quite often, so for the price of $659.00 (which is the sale price at the time of writing) you’re getting a ton of bang for your buck. The way the backrest supports and hugs your back feels amazing, provided the lumbar support is positioned right for your body. It also moves with your body, which is another major benefit. The included headrest is a nice touch. The seat is comfy and consistent. And you can fully recline in this chair, which is rare on these types of more ergonomically focused products.
All in all, this is a super promising chair that can no doubt be the ‘endgame’ product for a lot of people.
Sadly, there are some minor ‘early adopter’ flaws here and there. Whether these are a dealbreaker is obviously subjective, but the heat management isn’t great, the foam feels a bit too spongy, and the armrests flop all over the place, to name the most important ones.
Most of these things can be fixed, so I’m very curious to see what the people at LiberNovo will do if there’s ever going to be a V2 of this chair, but even this V1 is a very capable product. If you’re in the market for a high-tier desk chair without necessarily paying the prices of the established brands, this is a good one to consider.
This product was received for free from the manufacturer and given to our reviewer to test and review. Brands and manufacturers have no editorial control over our reviews. For more information, check out our review FAQ.
Former semi-pro gamer turned writer, product reviewer, and community manager.
