Sense would attest to the need for a good chair. Always. Most people spend a lot of time in chairs and if one were to sit for a prolonged period of time in a chair, and they were to compare it to a bad chair, they would profess the importance of it being a good one. This is why gaming chairs have become as essential as high-resolution monitors and mechanical keyboards for many PC gamers. It wasn’t always the case but with the resurgence of PC gaming, the surgence (yes, it’s a word now) of esports and further explosion of streaming on Twitch and YouTube, it has driven a trend towards a need for comfort during those long gaming marathons. Enter Boulies, a company that is known for blending professional office ergonomics with gaming aesthetics, and the Boulies EP460, a good chair that aims to blur the divide between that blending even further.
When it comes to gaming chairs, and “LEET” hardware and paraphernalia in general, many designs can cater to a specific look that can be polarising for the more conservative type. Bright colours, aggressive lines, integrated RGB lighting are commonplace in those designs, and though they have their place, not everyone wants their gaming setup to feel like the inside of a seizure inducing spaceship. For those who prioritise a more subdued and professional look, the Boulies EP460 presents a compelling option. Unlike competitors such as Secretlab or DXRacer, and even alternatives in their own range, which are unabashedly designed with “LEET” gamers in mind, the EP460 opts for a sleek, minimalistic design, making it suitable not only for gaming but also for a home office environment where a more refined look is required.
The Boulies EP460 stands out upon first impressions with high-quality materials and features. The chair is constructed from a breathable mesh fabric and an aluminium frame which makes it feel extremely durable and solid. This does make the chair noticeably heavy, which could be a drawback for anyone needing to move it around frequently, and not helped further by the aesthetic choice of the caps that cover the main screws. While they provide a clean look, they also make disassembling the chair a challenge. This could be inconvenient if the need ever arose to transport or reassemble the chair. Nevertheless, once set up, the likelihood of needing to disassemble it is minimal. The trade-off, of course, is superior build quality, coming with a 24-month warranty as standard, though it really feels like it’s built to last much longer before imagining it running into any issues.
So, what’s it like to actually sit in the Boulies EP460? “Experience comfort” is the company’s tagline and over the course of trying it out, the chair was put to the test with various games ranging from many sessions of Balatro (I still have yet to beat a deck!) to attempting to catch up with the backlog in The Outer Worlds. Sessions ran up to five hours, and the chair performed well, consistently providing excellent support. The mesh material in particular is effective in keeping the bot-bot cool in the summer months, a noticeable advantage over traditional leather gaming chairs.
The standard multiple adjustment options are here, including tilt, recline, and height adjustment but the standout feature of the EP460 is undoubtedly its retractable footrest. Initially, this seemed like a gimmicky idea, but in action it turned out to be a surprisingly great and differentiating feature. When not in use, it tucks neatly under the seat, but when deployed, it adds a majestic level of extra comfort. A large enough room or enough space under the desk is required to take full advantage of the footrest, yet it could be an absolute game-changer for those who like to kick back during cutscenes or while watching streams.
