Staples Hyken Technical Mesh Chair Review

If you’re looking for a budget mesh ergonomic office chair, then the Staples Hyken Technical Mesh chair is something that should be on your radar.

You can use this office chair for getting work done at home or relaxing on your computer. Its low price point and name recognition also earn this chair praise.

Today, I’ll review the Staples Hyken chair, covering each of its features. I’ll also discuss what you should look for in an office chair and if the Hyken holds up. If you’re still comparing your options as you read this guide, I’ll even share a few noteworthy Hyken alternatives.

You’re not going to want to miss it, so let’s dive right in. 

What to Look for in an Office Chair

First, before I get into the features of the Staples Hyken chair, I want to discuss what you should be focusing on in your quest for an office chair. Maybe the Hyken will check the following boxes for you and maybe not. 

Here are the most important features of a good office chair. 

Seat Comfort

Sometimes a chair can look really appealing, then you go to sit down on it and it’s like sitting on a rock. The best office chairs combine looks and comfort for a sitting experience that’s an utter delight all day long. 

A comfortable seat is one that’s made of a plush material with foam or mesh that cradles your rear and legs. The seat should also be wide enough to accommodate your bottom half, as being squeezed too tightly into a chair is the exact opposite of comfortable. 

Ergonomic Adjustability

As we spend more and more time in front of our computers, ergonomic support has become a big selling point in office chairs. Yet what’s ergonomically comfy for one person is not necessarily the case for someone else.

That’s why your office chair should have adjustable ergonomic features. What kind of features am I talking about? Here’s a list:

• Headrest for less upper torso tension
• Armrests you can raise and lower as is comfortable for you
• Swiveling for maneuverability so you don’t have to strain your body
• Backrest reclining so you can differentiate between working and relaxed modes
• Backrest lumbar support, which I’ll talk about momentarily
• Seat tilting for ideal pelvis positioning to prevent anterior pelvis tilt, a form of bad posture
• Seat depth and width settings, as a forward-facing seat can lead to pain at the back of your knees
• Seat height that lets you adjust between 16 and 21 inches if not more

Lumbar Support

Besides your bottom half, a good office chair should support your torso too, specifically your back.

An ergonomic office chair with backrest lumbar support will follow your spine’s natural shape, which is that of a slight S. This support keeps your pelvis and spine cared for all day for less bodily stress, strain, and pain. You’ll also find it easier to maintain your posture so you’re not slumping over.  

Build Quality and Materials

Paying an arm and a leg isn’t always necessary for getting a high-quality office chair, but you don’t want one that’s deceptively cheap either. The build quality will be poor, and the materials will likely fall apart after a few weeks or months of use. 

The best office chairs feature a combination of materials like real leather for refinement, mesh for breathability, vinyl for quick cleaning, and fabric for comfort. 

Price

The final factor you need to keep in mind when shopping for an office chair is the price. I’d say this is the most important facet to many people, and rightfully so. According to a 2020 buyer’s guide from PriceItHere, the average office chair price is $100 to $400.

Some chairs are of course cheaper, and others are more expensive too. How much money you can afford to put towards your office chair is at your discretion. Keeping that in mind, the more you pay, the better the quality of your chair in many cases. 

Staples Hyken Chair Features and Benefits

Tuck the above factors into the back of your mind, as you’ll want to touch on them as you read the rest of this guide. 

Now I want to talk about the Staples Hyken chair, covering the features and benefits that make this office chair a favorite. 

Low Price

Remember that an office chair is priced between $100 and $400 on average. The Hyken costs $220, so it’s right in that sweet spot in the middle. 

Good Weight Support

The Hyken measures 27.3 inches deep, 27.2 inches wide, and between 45.3 inches to 49.8 inches tall. That sizable frame allows this office chair to support a max weight of 275 pounds. It’s not exactly a big and tall office chair, but for lots of people, the Hyken is still a reliable everyday office chair.

Also further bolstering the Hyken’s weight support is the chair’s durable carpet casters, five in all. 

Maneuverability 

Once you’ve sat down and entered work mode, you don’t want distractions. Yet if you have to grab a file across the room or pull out a document from your printer, that often means getting up and collecting what you need.

Not in the Staples Hyken executive office chair. Those same casters that add strength and support to the chair also make inter-room travel easy. They can roll over both hard flooring and carpeting so you can move across your home office without getting up.

Adjustability

The Staples Hyken chair has no shortage of adjustable features so you can customize the chair’s comfort and fit for your body. 

Tilt tension lets you switch the tilt of the chair so the angle you sit at is just right. Once you discover that ideal angle, you can use the tilt lock to set it securely. Each day when you walk into your home office, your chair should fit you like a glove. You can then get right to work instead of wasting 20 minutes each day adjusting the chair.

The height adjustments let you sit comfortably so you don’t have to strain your neck and shoulders trying to reach your keyboard or computer. If your home office is for multipurpose use, you may find the height adjustment feature especially useful. You can change the height of your chair seamlessly for one activity to another.

The multi-tilter lets you set the tension control of the Hyken. In other words, you have the freedom to change how much force is required for the chair to tilt. If you feel like kicking back and relaxing, reduce the tension. Then, when it’s time to get down to business, you can increase the tension again.

Finally, you can also set the arm height of the Hyken. Some people find it easier to work with their arms braced on the chair’s armrests and others like the armrests lower and out of the way. However you do your best work, these armrests work with you, not against you. 

Breathability 

Although the Staples Hyken has a high back, you won’t end your days sweating and sticking to the chair. The back and headrest are both mesh so air passes through the fabric and right out. Feeling breezier ought to make getting more work done in your home office easy. 

Lumbar Support

You’re not lacking lumbar support with the Hyken either. That high back cradles yours, including your entire spine. A lower back support brace is included as well. When combined with the adjustable features, especially the tilt and height, you can optimize your lumbar support.

A headrest will keep your head and neck upright, reducing tension and achiness that can make it hard to get through your day. 

Color Variety 

Black office chairs are the standard, but what if you’re looking for something a little different? Besides its black color scheme, the Staples Hyken is also available in charcoal gray and dark red. 

What I Liked about the Staples Hyken Chair

For the next two sections, I want to discuss my experience with the Staples Hyken chair so you can make up your mind more easily about whether you want one too. 

There’s a lot that’s great about the Hyken. Its moderate price point is one such perk. I also like the wide seat, height adjustability, and the various other adjustability features. Almost every part of the Hyken moves or shifts via a lever or button for easy adjustments anytime. 

You can also use the Hyken in all sorts of ways, such as for gaming, as a desk chair, or as an office chair. It’s versatile, and it travels across a room well. Whether you’re streaming a game and you don’t want to make a lot of noise or you’re concentrating on work and you don’t want the casters interrupting you, this chair lets you roll around quietly. That goes for offices with hardwood flooring and carpeting alike. 

What I Didn’t Like about the Staples Hyken Chair

As for what I didn’t like about the Hyken, I do have a few points. First, though the armrests are adjustable, they’re made of a basic foam. 

The lumbar support, although pretty good, could be a bit better. The lower back support can dig into your back a bit, which can cause the pain it’s trying to prevent, at least in some people. You can probably prevent this with some lumbar cushions, but the chair is supposed to provide enough lumbar support.

Also, the Staples Hyken doesn’t have footrests. Admittedly, footrests in office chairs aren’t super-duper common, but once you have a chair with footrests, you may not want to go without.   

Staples Hyken Customer Reviews

Of course, my opinion is one of many. That’s why, in this section, I decided to cull some of the top reviews on Amazon for the Staples Hyken chair so you can see what other people like about it.

One reviewer lauded the chair’s assembly, stating how it took them only 20 minutes to put the Hyken together. Not bad! They also said the Hyken has “very solid construction and quality materials” and that it’s “extremely comfortable for long periods of time. Bonus it breathes very well.” This Amazon reviewer further states that the chair “really helped with my back and neck pain.”

A second reviewer called the Staples Hyken “a great office chair worth the price.” They said that “this chair has sufficient adjustability to accommodate most people. I am average height and weight and I find the chair comfortable to use over a long period of time, about 8 hours average per day. I especially appreciate the breathable mesh support seat and back.”

Yet another reviewer also lauded the Hyken. Here’s what they had to say: “This thing is amazing, and two of my other coworkers have it. I work at a desk job, so I’m sitting all day. The chair I had before was giving me back problems, but this chair eliminated my pain after the 2^nd day.”

Staples Hyken Chair Alternatives

Having options is important, and that’s why I want to talk about some alternatives to the Staples Hyken. Here are three great ones I think you may like. 

Staples Hyken Vs Herman Miller Aeron

If you want the best that money can buy for your office chair, that has to be the Herman Miller Aeron. This is an exceptionally expensive chair at about $1,400, but it’s a highly-rated Amazon’s Choice pick. 

For your money, you get a chair made of recycled materials such as 8Z Pellicle, an elastometric material found in the backrest and suspension seat. This sleek material even releases your body heat so your skin temperature will be more comfortable all day.

The cross-performance ergonomic features include contemplative recline and forward-facing seating. Further, Herman Miller’s PostureFit SL backrest has several pads for spine base stabilization and support. The backrests also let your pelvis tilt naturally forward to prevent pain.

Suspension seating with several latitudinal zones (eight total) is customizable for your comfort. You can also choose from up to three different seat sizes in the Aeron to accommodate smaller and bigger bodies alike. 

Staples Hyken Vs SPACE Seating Professional AirGrid

If you need a chair priced closer to the Staples Hyken, my budget pick is the SPACE Seating Professional AirGrid. This chair costs about $300. 

Its alloy steel frame is covered in custom fabric and padding for more comfort when you work. The AirGrid mesh back is double-layered for even more breathability. Five caster wheels can roll over carpet and hard flooring alike. 

Both armrests, which are covered in a soft PU material, are adjustable. You can also adjust the seat height with a one-touch pneumatic feature. 

As a big and tall chair, the SPACE AirGrid is built for users up to 400 pounds.  

Is the Staples Hyken Chair Right for You?

Now that I’ve talked about the Staples Hyken chair and three alternatives in-depth, it’s time to discuss whether the Hyken is the right chair for you.

If you have a low budget for your office chair but you still want a sleek-looking solution, I’d say the Hyken is a good pick. That’s also true if you’re looking for ergonomic features with lumbar support and support for your lower half as well. 

The mesh back keeps you comfortable and cool all day long, and the mesh even extends to the headrest, which is something you won’t find in those Hyken alternatives. 

The Hyken can’t support all the weight in the world, which is a noticeable downside. Those that can fit into this chair though have noted that it’s reduced or even eliminated their back pain compared to the chair they were using. 

If you have back pain then, you might find that indeed, the Hyken is just the office chair you’ve wanted. 

The Verdict

The Staples Hyken is a mid-priced office chair known for its breathability from the headrest all the way down the tall back. This chair also features a variety of ergonomic and lumbar support-focused adjustability features, from the seat height to the armrests and everything in between.

Although it has some flaws, the Hyken is a solid chair for the price, with lots of happy customers saying as much. It can support you as you work on your computer, play games, or just sit back and relax. If you want a reliable office chair that won’t break the bank or leave you sore, the Staples Hyken very well might be it.