Bergerault B1025

While this brand seems to lean towards more professional musical endeavours, I bought it for general home use because I wanted a simple and sturdy work chair with a tall gas spring and a footrest for playing guitar. Every chair I've ever had was ergonomically sub-par even for the standard (~72cm) desk height, let alone my studio desk (~85cm) and I'm not exactly a midget nor a giant.

Build quality and materials seems adequate, although the fabric doesn't exactly invite you to plant your bare derriere and sweaty back on it, but I'm hoping this is a non-issue to (most) orchestra personnel. The seat is rigid yet soft enough for majestic posture and angle/height adjustments are ample. The brushed steel surface on the foot rest is a nice touch and in certain settings probably retains elegance better than the black coating used elsewhere as you can't see shoe stains on it so clearly. In short, nothing to complain about.

I am, however, appalled at the packaging. While I like the fact that it came in 2 pieces, eliminating all the usual screwing and cursing at the sloppily drilled holes, for a somewhat "premium" item I would expect an effort to deliver the goods undamaged. In my case two of the feet had penetrated the carton and are now completely scratched, but with worse luck the back rest's metal bar could've punched a hole in the seat's cushion.

As the local mailmen couldn't deliver the chair while I'm home, I had to carry this darned thing arms erect for about 1,5km from the post office and in the end it didn't even fit in the elevator. Yes, the box is like a freaking cubic metre with parts loose inside. I take it the people responsible for this have never used logistics services in their lives and aren't aware of the amount of manhandling involved, no density or thickness is enough if you let the goods bounce around inside the carton. All you needed for doing it right was a slightly smaller box and a rubber band.