Backforce One: gaming chair made in Germany

Even if there are now a whole lot of gaming chairs from different brands, many have one thing in common: they mostly come from a few Asian manufacturers. Not the Backforce chairs. Behind the brand is the German office furniture manufacturer Interstuhl, which has so far mainly provided offices and laboratories with seating. With the Backforce brand, you now want to hit gamers with gaming chairs made in Germany. Since we like to sit comfortably, we wanted to try it out.

So far there is only one model from the manufacturer, namely the Backforce One, a suitable name for the first from the chair smithy. The same is not one of the very inexpensive models on the market, after all, the manufacturer wants 499 euros for the seating. For this purpose, quality from German production should be offered, but also the possibility to customize the stool a little.

After all, the chair is available in six different colors, in addition there are two special versions in the designs of Schalke 04 and the E-Sports team BIG, which can be seen above all on the Gamer-Pulse, a lighting element in the back of the backrest. The same can be charged via USB and switched on by printing, if you want. Certainly not a must, but a nice gimmick for those who like it.

More interesting is the option to design the patches on the shoulders of the backrest with your own text at no extra charge. It's very easy: just enter the relevant texts (up to 12 characters each) when ordering on the Backforce website. These patches are simply attached with a Velcro fastener. In addition to these customizations, Backforce offers another service: if you don't feel like struggling with the structure, the chair can be delivered fully assembled for an additional charge of 49 euros.

However, this is not necessarily necessary, because it takes ten minutes to set up. The armrests are already mounted on the seat anyway, so basically you just have to insert the castors and the gas pressure spring, screw the backrest to the seat and the matter is largely over. The necessary materials and Allen key are included, the box also serves as a useful mounting frame.

The processing and the materials leave a very high quality impression. The cover is made of PU and a breathable imitation Alcantara for the seat and the lower backrest, which reduces sweating in warm temperatures. An eye-catcher is the five-jet base made of brushed aluminum, which gives the seat a classy look. The armrests are not made of cheap hard plastic, but a comfortable, softer plastic material.

The wood used as the basis for the seat and backrest is clearly noticeable, which gives the Backforce One the stability it needs for the specified maximum weight of 130 kg. The upholstery has different foam densities, so the seat is a bit softer, on the other hand it is rather firm and supportive. The only point of disapproval are the plastic rollers, which do their job, but have a lower quality compared to the rest.

The design of the Backforce One looks simple but pleasing. The neatly sewn, matt black cover material is nicely accentuated by strips in the chosen colors and pimped on gaming optics. It is interesting that Backforce does not rely on a shape more like a racing seat with little freedom of movement. Overall, the Backforce One is more reminiscent of a stylish office chair with a gaming look. The manufacturer foregoes absurd antics in favor of functionality and ergonomics and focuses on what is important.

In terms of adjustment options, the Backforce One is limited to what is necessary. The armrests are only adjustable in height, but cannot otherwise be adjusted. On the other hand, it is practical that you can fully fold the armrests back so that you can easily drive the chair far below a table. The seat height can of course be freely adjusted using the usual mechanism of the compression spring.

The adjustment of the backrest is more interesting. The chair's sync seat mechanism ensures that the seat inclines together with the backrest, albeit to a lesser extent. This has the advantage that your back thighs are not pulled off when you lean back. The backrest can be locked completely, but you can also adjust the resistance when leaning back with a rotary control. We would have liked to have a little more leeway here, the strongest resistance is good for people up to approx. 80 kg, but a little too low beyond that, so that the only thing left is to fix the backrest.

When sitting, the Backforce One cuts a really good figure and cannot deny its office chair origin, and we mean that in a positive way. The sync seat mechanism together with the shape of the backrest provide stable support for the spine, but leave enough room for movement for the upper body. The seats are relatively firm, but comfortable and the adjustable resistance of the backrest is really great.

Thanks to the sophisticated shape of the backrest, there is no need for separate lumbar or lumbar cushions and they are not even supplied. The curvature of the backrest ensures a good fit, the integrated headrest is exactly at the right height. Compared to other gaming chairs in our editorial team, the Backforce One is almost unspectacular, but it clearly outperforms some competitors in terms of seating comfort. You can clearly see that the know-how from the production of chairs for the professional area has been incorporated.