JÄRVFJÄLLET: Ikea's Premiere Office Chair

I have been looking for a new chair for some time now.  I purchased my current chair about 5 years ago, and it's decrepit.  Its two main issues are that the cushion has all but gone from the seat, and the mesh is starting to tear away from the chair's frame.  Needless to say, any new chair doesn't have a particularly high bar to clear to become my new throne.

On a recent trip to Ikea, I decided to purchase the JÄRVFJÄLLET to see if it could fill that role. After a few hours of wandering through the labyrinth of Swedish design (and a slice of bland pizza), I made it home with the chair, ready to experience an elevated level of sitting comfort.

Basic Details and Cost:

• Cost: $280 (+ tax), with an additional $30 (+ tax) for arm rests
• Set-up Time: 30 minutes
• Set-up Difficulty: Easy

Pros:

• The chair has strong lumbar support, especially compared to the Markus (the next most-expensive Ikea desk chair at $200).  This, more than anything, informed my purchasing decision.
• The chair includes plenty of customization options once it is built, such as height, back incline, and seat location (ie the part you sit on can be moved forward or backward, a feature not found in lower-cost chairs).
• The chair comes with Ikea's 365 day return policy

Cons: 

• When the chair was fully assembled, there was an unacceptable amount of wobble / slop.  In other words, the chair moved in ways it shouldn't (or at least in ways that I was not expecting) even after it was built.  I understand that some wobble is to be expected, especially when the chair is on carpet, but it wobbled more than my current chair. This meant the the JÄRVFJÄLLET was a non-starter for me.
• The seat is somewhat narrow, and may not accommodate those with larger hips and/or a bit more "fluff."
• I was surprised by how much little details and accessories added to the price.  This included a $30 up-charge for faux-leather rather than cloth upholstery, not to mention the extra $30 for the arm rests.  I appreciate the customization options, but $60 is not an insignificant amount to add to a chair that only costs $250 in its "stock" form.

Conclusion: 

I wanted to like this chair more than I did, especially after a reasonably impressive sit session in Ikea's showroom.  It seemed like a match made in heaven, especially since it would spare me the "gamer" aesthetic of many of the chairs at a similar price point. Unfortunately, the wobble of the finished product means that it is going back to Ikea.

Final Rating: 

4/10