Bouiles Elite Series review: "The longer I sat in it, the more comfortable I became"

For a company that’s only been around since 2015, Boulies has certainly come out swinging with some heavy hitters that have cemented its place among some of the best gaming chairs on the market today. Earlier this year we gave their Master Series chair four stars and named it as the best low-profile gaming chair, so my expectations were high for the Elite series.

Personally, I always find my gaming chair to be a forgotten aspect of my setup. While I will happily fork out a lot of money to ensure I have the latest and greatest technology under the hood, I often look past upgrading to one of the best gaming chairs - which seems silly since it’s something I use when playing with all that tech.

Landing on the market at $379/£289, the Elite Series from Boulies feels like a very affordable and compelling offer especially when you take into account that it undercuts its biggest competition such as Secretlab and Razer while offering similar, premium features. But does the chair live up to its ‘Elite’ name and truly stand out while you’re sitting down?

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Assembly

As I said previously, the chair I sit in to game is often the forgotten aspect of my gaming setup. It’s been around 10 years since I last purchased a gaming chair and my current one has done me fairly well since. It was nothing to write home about, just a simple chair from Amazon that looked ‘gamer-y’ but it did the job. However, it was rarely used as the majority of my time gaming was spent on my sofa with my consoles or PC plugged into the TV.

Because it has been so long since I assembled a gaming chair I was a little apprehensive when it came to throwing the Elite Series together. While I enjoy putting together furniture - thanks IKEA - I really didn’t want to mess anything up and crumple under my own weight when sitting down. I can’t say that the assembly of the Boulies Elite Series chair was anything truly groundbreaking. The parts came in a box with an instruction sheet and tools. Easy enough.

The instructions were easy to follow with both a written guide and pictures which were helpful in seeing which part went where. Although I did have some issues with attaching the wheels to the base of the chair. It appeared that one of the clips was a little loose and really took some force while the other simply clicked into place - I have a feeling this was just a slight issue with my particular chair but it is worth noting. I will say that you should acquire a little help in carrying the package the chair arrives in as this thing is heavy and is not safe to carry alone.

Design & Features

When reading up about the Boulies Elite Series chair prior to getting my bum on it, I was impressed at just how much choice was available for potential buyers. Getting plenty of color and upholstery choices isn’t as common as you’d think with gaming chairs outside of Secretlab’s officially licensed designs, so it was reassuring that even though the Elite Series is a little cheaper, you do have options to customize.

While the Elite enters the market at the previously mentioned price tag of $379/£289, you are able to upgrade to the Elite Series Max if you’re in the UK, which runs a little bit bigger and has additional lumbar support for £329. Both models have a choice of Ultraflex PU or Water Repellent Fabric, I have been testing the former in the blue color which both feels and looks very sleek. Other colors available include black and white for the Ultraflex PU or Ash Grey or Charcoal Grey for the water-repellent fabric.

The Elite series chair highlights the fact it features a “firmer, flatter seat cushion” which claims to give you a more comfortable sitting experience. Alongside this, the backrest of the chair is curved to the spine’s natural shape to ensure that you are supported through those long gaming sessions or long work days. One of the aims highlighted by Boulies with the Elite Series chair is that the design of the chair evenly distributes your weight and results in you sitting with better posture.

Like most of the best gaming chairs, the Elite Series features some pretty nifty armrests to allow you to relax into it. Attached to either side of the chair is an aluminium ‘4D’ armrest that gives you full control over the height, the angle, and the depth of it, greatly adding to its versatility.. Just like the now discontinued Boulies Ninja Pro, the material at the top of the armrests is quite hard but has a slight give to it if you press down, although it isn’t uncomfortable by any stretch.

Packaged in with every chair are some incredibly soft lumbar and head support pillows that are incredibly easy to install via some simple clips. These black pillows are here to provide you with that little bit of extra support should you need it, but are not essential for getting the most out of the Elite Series chair.

As standard the chair is able to recline, although much further than I expected as I can practically lie flat in it, and also change the height. Features you’d expect on any office chair, rather than a great gaming chair.

Performance

Considering the majority of my time sitting at a desk is done at my office I decided to take the Elite Series chair with me to work. After all, I spend eight hours a day sitting at my desk and in an office chair. And when I tell you that the Boulies Elite Series gaming chair was game-changing, I truly do mean it.

My first impression of sinking into the bucket-like design of the backrest was remarkable, coming from a standard office chair and a 10+-year-old ‘gaming’ chair from Amazon, I was instantly taken aback by how comfortable and supported I felt. This lasted well beyond initial impressions as I genuinely got excited to come to work to sit down.

I didn’t have any issues sitting for long periods of time, I actually found that the longer I sat in it, the more comfortable I became as the seat adjusted and took shape around me. I think it’s worth saying that I am someone who likes a harder seat compared to a softer one; I asked my colleagues to give the seat a go to give me their initial impressions and while the majority of them enjoyed it, there were a couple who said it was much too hard for their comfort. So if you’re looking for something with a more cushioned seat then you may find this a little solid.

The range of motion on offer via the various handles and levers was impressive, as I wrote earlier I genuinely could lie all the way back if I wanted to and so I was able to find an angle for the backrest that really felt customized to my posture. Speaking of posture, the shape of the backrest genuinely does feel like it’s tailored to the shape of my spine. While I used to find myself sitting forward or slouching in my chairs, I never had that problem here as I was perfectly comfortable to sit back and relax.

I did try using the packaged-in cushions with the chair and while I found them comfortable enough I ended up having a similar experience to our Boulies Master Series review, which resulted in me not using them for the majority of the time. The headrest cushion became a little annoying as it didn’t stay in position all the time and I ended up removing them pretty soon after I began using them.

Similarly, the customizable options for the armrests were a great addition for someone like me moving from something with solid plastic armrests. The 4D movement allowed me to position it in ways that fit my needs at any given time. Right now as I write this I have them level with my desk to support my arms while I type, but previously I had them a little lower and a little further apart to allow me to relax a little more and use one of the best Xbox Series X controllers. However, I did find myself often accidentally pressing some of the hidden buttons that control where the armrests go. This was incredibly frustrating when I would have spent time positioning them perfectly only for them to decide to go in their own direction.

Should you buy the Boulies Elite Series?

On a personal note, for the past couple of years, I have noticed my knees and back were quite often sore at night, particularly during the working week. I never really figured out what could have been causing it but I realize now that my previous chair just wasn’t helping. Since starting my sitting journey with the Boulies Elite Series gaming chair I have noticed my back is no longer sore and my knees are much better supported with less frequent pain.

So if you’re asking me if you should buy the Boulies Elite Series gaming chair I would hands down say yes. It has given me increased comfort in both my professional and personal life and I should have looked at buying it sooner.

However, that is a personal take. I also acknowledge that my case would have been solved by the majority of the best gaming chairs on the market. The Boulies Elite Series Gaming Chair gets everything right from its lumbar support to its design to its price but with how hard the chair actually is, it might not be right for everyone.

How we tested the Boulies Elite Series

I used the Boulies Elite Series Gaming chair as my main chair for work and gaming for a few weeks. I primarily used it at my office where I sat in it for up to 8 hours every day and performed a variety of tasks. The chair I tested was the Elite Series base model in the Ultraflex PU upholstery and in the blue color option.

For more on how we test gaming chairs, take a look at the full-sized Hardware Policy.

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