The Basics:

The first thing you will notice is how big this chair is. It really seems enormous. Next what you will likely think is: damn, this is a nice looking chair! The back really reminds me of a performance driving seat, but the bottom is a bit flatter than I expected. The quilted stitching adds a really nice high end touch to the aesthetics. Unfortunately I think the E-Win logo placement is a bit over the top. I think it would have been plenty to have it just on the headrest instead of in three locations, but that is a personal preference.



Below is a picture from their site showing some dimensions for the Flash XL. I made some of my own measurements, and while some do match up there were some discrepancies. For instance; I measured the base to be approx. 23.5” wide by 21” deep and 13” between the bolsters. The seating surface started at a height of about 22.25” to 26”. The back measured approx. 34” high, 23” wide, and 13.25” between the bolsters. The armrests are height adjustable from 6.5” to 10” from seating surface, they slide fore and aft about 2.25”, rotate +/- 15 degrees or so and can be adjusted 20.5" to 21.5" apart.



Unlike the image above, the Flash XL series chair I received didn’t have the holes in the neck area. This means the neck pillow simply slides over the headrest and the lumbar pillow on this version doesn’t have any straps like some of their chairs for height adjustment.

Speaking of adjustments; this chair has a lot of them. As mentioned, the armrests can be adjusted in height, rotation, fore and aft, as well as spread between them. Of course you have you typical seat height and back adjustments, but you can also adjust tip.

Performance:

From the outset it was obvious to me this was a well-made heavy duty chair. Just the sheer weight of the chair conveys quality. They really didn’t skimp out on the hardware. The base is solid and heavy cast aluminum and the included casters are large enough to make rolling on most surfaces a breeze. The only issue I have with the casters is the rubber is quite tacky. So if you have debris on the floor the wheels will pick this up. It didn’t cause any damage, it just looked a bit messy.

The included adjustments are all super easy to use, sans the armrest rotation. As mentioned in our previous review, this adjusts too easily. Grabbing the chair by the armrest to move it will pop the rotation adjustment. While this isn’t a showstopper it seems they could have done better. Also while the armrest is comfortable, I would have rather had a replaceable PU cover here. I think that would have really made the chair look even more upscale. Right now it just looks like you lost the covers.

As mentioned the chair includes a neck and lumbar pillow. While this is a very subjective thing, I found the lumbar pillow to be useless. Since there are no straps to hold it in place like some of EwinRacing’s other chairs, you have to adjust it each time you sit down or even move in the chair. Plus I found the pillow to be just a little too big, it just shifted my hips a little too far out. This is somewhat apparent in the pictures below, one I appear to sitting more upright in. But I do think I am on the small side for this chair, so perhaps this pillow is better suited for someone twice my size. On the other hand I found the neck pillow to be quite comfortable and useful. Not so much for desk work since I have a tendency to hunch forward, but if you sit back for gaming or even watching a movie I felt better supported and more relaxed. I also found that it didn’t interfere with the use of a headset.



The height of this chair was really unexpected. At its lowest setting my feet reach the floor just barely. While I concede I am not the tallest I am of average height, so this feeling of being in your dad’s chair is a bit weird. I also wonder who could use this at its highest setting. My desk at work has a clearance of 27.5”. If this chair goes up to 26” your legs would have no room unless you also have a height adjustable desk. Just something to keep in mind for you big guys out there.

I found the range of adjustments for the seat back angle to be more than enough to find the right spot for desk work, gaming or movie watching. I was very surprised with how stable the Flash XL felt fully reclined. Equally surprising was how large the base of the seat is. It was so roomy front to back and side to side I was easily able to sit with my legs crossed and not feel like my legs were about to slip off. Having such versatility really made the Flash XL more comfortable for long stretches.