Tested: the Boulies Master Rex is a good chair, but it's somewhere between gaming and office chairs

There are now plenty of options out there to bring premium luxury and comfort to your office set up, with a large range of chairs offering better ergonomics, comfort and longevity than many examples we’ve seen in the past. Boulies is a brand that offers a range of gaming and office chairs that cater to both the professional and gamer markets. Here, we take a look at their new Boulies Master Rex chair, which offers a good deal of comfort, support and features at a competitive price point. Here’s how it stacks up against the best office chairs for lower back pain on the market...

Design and Assembly

Unboxing and constructing the Master Rex office chair is very similar to other chairs of its type, and helpfully there are bolts and screws already screwed into the base so it’s just a case of loosening them and retightening with the components in place.

It’s a fairly unremarkable process and an easy one, but two things that are worth pointing out that indicate where Boulies have managed to save some costs – and we’d expect to see slightly improved given that a chair of this nature is a sizeable investment.

Firstly, the weight is noticeable, and although it’s not exactly a two-man job, it’s worth having the box already in the room you intend to use it in before constructing, as moving the chair once it’s already made is not for the faint-hearted. We found out the hard way!

Secondly, the instructions aren’t the most comprehensive, and you’ll have to do some deciphering of the illustrations, although that’s not unusual for a chair in this price range.

The chair once assembled is a sizeable unit, and if you’re moving from a regular office chair it may come as a surprise, although users of other gaming chairs in the past will be used to the high back, lumbar support and ‘Recaro’ style side supports that you’re more likely to find in a high-performance car than other office furniture.

Choose the right colour and fabric combination, however, and it’s a nice-looking unit – choices range from Ultraflex PU leather-style fabric or a textured, water repellent option that’s a little more subtle. Colour choices are black or brown for the PU fabric, and grey, green or grey for the water-repellent one.

It's a subject of taste, but the overall impression of the chair is sleek and modern, and its aesthetic blends well into both office and gaming environments.

Features and Comfort

The Master Rex is engineered with a host of features aimed at providing exceptional comfort and support, more than we’d expect for a chair that can be picked up for a little over £300.

The integrated lumbar support can be adjusted to align with the spine's natural curvature, promoting better posture and reducing the risk of back pain, and we particularly liked the ‘4D’ armrests, which allows the armrests to be positioned in four directions — up and down, front to back, side to side, and rotationally.

There’s a reclining range from 95° to 165°, accommodating various activities from focused work to relaxation, and of course, this can be locked. We did find this a little stiff, and we’d have liked to have seen a lighter tilt and recline function – it was quite hard at times to push back and get the right level of tilt.

There’s also an integrated leg rest, which can be extended from the bottom of the chair. Perfect for periods in front of your favourite TV show, perhaps, and genuinely very comfortable and supportive. The attachment on the leg rest is perhaps a little flimsy, and we found the extension motion a little clumsy in our tests, but it’s not a dealbreaker for most people who will be using this in an office environment.

Target Audience

The Master Rex is designed to cater to a diverse audience, but perhaps one issue in that is that it sits somewhat between a rock and a hard place. If you’re a committed gamer, we think that perhaps you’d be prepared to spend a little more money on a premium gaming option, and if you just need an office chair, the Boulies Master Rex perhaps comes with slightly too many bells and whistles and is more expensive than other products. If you’re in a tight office space, you may also be slightly concerned about its size and weight.

That being said, those working long hours will appreciate the chair's ergonomic features, such as adjustable lumbar support and 4D armrests, promoting proper posture. The reclining and height capabilities are very good, and the leg rest makes the chair ideal for kicking back and relaxing in front of your screen with a good film.