Razor Task Chair
Sitting at a desk all day can have negative effects on your overall health and this is especially true if you’re doing so on an old or uncomfortable office chair. While you may want to remedy this situation by purchasing a standing desk instead, upgrading to a new office chair will provide you with immediate benefits without having to go through the hassle of getting rid of your old desk.
Office furniture manufacturer Clear Design got its start in Sheffield, England back in 1982 before opening its US division in 2003. The company offers three-day lead times as well as free project quotes and renders in 48 hours for businesses but it also sells its products to consumers through a number of brick-and-mortar as well as online retailers.
Today we’ll be taking a closer look at the design, build quality, setup process and comfortability of Clear Design’s Razor Task Chair to see whether or not it's the right upgrade for your work from home setup or office.
Pricing and availability
While the Razor Task Chair from Clear Design has a list price of $884, it is actually available for quite a lot less from a number of online retailers including Juniper Office which sells it for $442 as well as Wayfair that offers this office chair for $569 at the time of writing. Although the Razor Task Chair is usually only available in black, Clear Design does offer the seat cushion in a total of 15 different colors but you’ll likely have to find a retailer in person to get this kind of customization. Clear Design also sells an optional drafting stool kit for $139 that raises the height of the chair and adds an elevated foot ring.
Design and build quality
As we mentioned before, the Razor Task Chair is available in black though its seat can be reupholstered using FX (Grade 1) or Com Fabric by Clear Design for an additional fee. This office chair features a breathable mesh back to keep you cool while working though it does lack a headrest.
The arms at either side of the chair are both height and depth-adjustable as is the lumbar support mechanism at the back of the chair. At their lowest height the Razor Task Chair’s arms are seven inches (17.8cm) tall but they can be raised to a maximum height of 10.5in (26.7cm).
The cushion of the chair has a width of 19.5in (49.5cm), a depth of 20in (50.8cm) and is wrapped with a contoured air mesh pan to improve air circulation just like the fabric covering the backrest. The Razor Task Chair’s pneumatic height-adjustable seat can be lowered all the way down to 17in (43.18cm) and raised up to 21in (53.34cm). If this is too low for you, remember that you can add eight inches (20.3cm) to the chair’s minimum height and 14in (35.5cm) to its maximum height by purchasing the optional drafting stool kit.
Underneath the Razor Task Chair’s cushion, a lever on the right allows you to adjust the height of the chair while a handle on the left allows you to adjust the chair’s tilt.
The base of this office chair is made from polished aluminum and provides a maximum weight capacity of 300lbs (136kg). The Razor Task Chair also has a total of five 2.5-inch casters which has become the standard for office chairs in recent years as this provides a firm foundation for the chair to sit on and offers better balance while working.
Setup and assembly
The Razor Task Chair sent to TechRadar Pro for review arrived in a single large white box with strong plastic strips wrapped around the box to protect it during shipping.
Once unpacked, we were left with all of the pieces to assemble the office chair including the seat cushion, the backrest, two armrests, a pneumatic cylinder, the base frame, five 2.5-inch casters and the bolts needed to put everything together.
Clear Design has you attach the casters to the base first and then insert the pneumatic cylinder.
From here you need to attach the armrests to the seat cushion as well as the backrest before putting both pieces together.
Assembling the Razor Task Chair took only a few minutes and overall, the assembly process was easy to follow and putting this office chair together is a simple one-person job.
In use and comfortability
After we finished assembling the Razor Task Chair, it was just a matter of adjusting the armrests, lumbar system, seat height and tilt level to our liking.
The armrests can be raised or lowered by pushing in on two angled pieces on their sides as well as brought forward or back by pushing in on two handles on the inside of each of the arms. A lever on the right is used to raise or lower the seat and the pneumatic lift system enables you to quickly adjust the height of the Razor Task Chair. However, there is also a handle on the left side that can be pushed forward to allow you to tilt the chair and pushed to lock your preferred tilt angle in place.
Of all the adjustable features of the Razor Task Chair though, we were most impressed with the lumbar system at the rear of the backrest. Two handles can be twisted in to bring it closer to your back or away to move it further from you. The entire lumbar system can also be moved up or down to accommodate for people who are shorter or taller.
We tested out the Razor Task Chair for several weeks and overall it provided a very comfortable experience. The one downside to the chair we did find is that dirt and other debris can get lodged between the holes on the cushion’s air mesh and is difficult to clean. If Clear Design decides to make a new version of this office chair, we would love to see a removable cover but the air mesh did keep us cool while working from home.
The competition
If you’d rather buy your next office chair directly from the manufacturer instead of having to go through a reseller, then you have two excellent options available from Branch Furniture and Vari.
The Branch Ergonomic Chair is available for $329 at the time of writing and like the Razor Task Chair, it’s designed with ergonomics in mind. This chair has seven points of adjustment including 3D armrests, height, tilt and tilt tension, seat depth and it even comes with a removable lumbar rest. Just like the Razor Task Chair, it can support up to 300lb (136kg) but Branch offers several more customizations when it comes to color. You can choose black, grey or light blue for the seat cushion and backrest as well as a white or black frame.
Just like Clear Design, Vari also makes a task chair but its office chair is available in several different configurations. First off you have the Task Chair without a headrest starting at $330 in blue or grey then the Task Chair with Headrest in black or grey starting at $385. While Clear Design offers an optional drafting stool kit, Vari sells a Drafting Chair that features the same lumbar support as its Task Chair. Finally, the company even offers a budget version of its office chair with the recently released Essential Task Chair at just $249 though it is only available in black.
Final verdict
The Razor Task Chair from Clear Design checks all of the boxes when it comes to an ergonomic office chair. The chair offers plenty of adjustability to ensure that you can find the perfect fit for your body shape and size and it remains comfortable to sit in even after long hours of use. Setup was also quite easy and the chair arrived in almost no time at all from Juniper Office.
If you’re looking for an ergonomic office chair with a professional look then the Razor Task Chair certainly fits the bill. However, if you want more color and fabric options or a headrest, you’ll have to look elsewhere.
Looking to upgrade your home office? Check out our roundup of the best standing desks, best office chairs and best laptop stands
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