Rear Seat Padding

The HM x Logitech Embody Gaming Chair is supposed to have more padding than the original Embody. If this is truly the case then I can only imagine the issues that the original Embody has. The padding is very nice in the Thoracic area (mid-upper back area), but the padding fails and becomes very thin in the Pelvic\Sacral\Lumbar area (lower back). At the very top of the chair on the edges there is thin padding as well. The thin padding on the top of the rear of the chair is where you feel the chair digging into your upper back if you attempt to force the chair to allow you to sit upright at all times. So it’s better to match the curvature of your spine to prevent the hard plastics from digging into your upper back around the shoulder blade area depending on your height. I have included a picture below that shows the areas of the chair that have nice padding and the areas that have little to no padding. Padding feels very nice until you get down to the 4th pattern on the fabric and it’s pretty much little to no padding at that point.

Now the major issue is the lower Pelvic, Sacral, Lumbar region (lower-back area). The padding falls off a cliff and I can only wonder why Herman Miller decided to get cheap with the padding in the lower area which happens to be one of the most crucial areas. It literally makes no sense to release a chair that cost this much with thin padding in the lumbar region. Once again the padding is nice until you get to the lower back area. The padding becomes very thin, so thin that I would not recommend wearing a belt or anything that could press into your skin. It’s also feels as if you’ll be leaning directly on the plastic itself at times. For a chair that retails at MSRP - $1,795.00, this is simply atrocious. No matter how well you adjust the BackFit you will encounter the hard plastic in the lower back area on your spine. If you sit cross-legged or sit with one of your legs over or under your other leg, your spine could naturally curve outwards for some people depending on several factors and the chair will remind you every single time you don’t sit in the correct position. This chair won’t just assist you with your posture it will force it. It’s best to keep your feet flat on floor and directly in front of you. If you like to sit with your legs wide this could be a problem due to the padding on the seats and the fact that the padding will dig into your lower back.

The HM x Logitech Embody Gaming Chair has something called “Copper-Infused Foam” that will supposedly assist in keeping your body cooler while sitting on the fabric. I speak more about this marketing below in the Bottom Seat section, but just know that your back will get very warm in this chair. Maybe if you can manage to keep your house\room very cool your back might not get as hot. I am not sure how much Herman Miller “Copper-Infused Foam” helps remove heat, but it doesn’t seem to do much. Also I am talking thin clothing, even when wearing an undershirt and I still get very warm. So if you are wearing a regular T-shirt or if you tend to get hot quickly this might not be the chair for you.

Bottom Seat & Cushion

The seat has a decent amount of cushion and is very spacious. You can sit any way you choose even cross-legged if you want. However, just know the chair will punish you for it as I explained earlier about sitting properly. The seat initially feels great when you first sit in it every time, but after a while the seating loses its padding and you can literally feel the rough lumps in the bottom of the chair at times. I have heard that some models should have more padding, but I am reviewing the Logitech Embody that I have at my computer desk right now. Overall the padding is pretty good.

For long gaming sessions the Embody has something that Herman Miller calls ““Copper-Infused Foam”. This foam is supposed to prevent pressure from building up and keep the seat\fabric from getting uncomfortably hot. The padding is decent and although Herman Miller advertises its “Copper-Infused Foam”, unless you keep your room fairly cool your underside will get warm and hot, even with the thin clothing on. This can be frustrating in the warmer months of the year or when you are running the heater to warm up your home during the colder months. I felt like the padding on the edge of the chair was pretty decent for my thighs, but the base of the seat doesn’t feel as great after about 20 minutes or so.

Adjusting the seat length doesn’t have a “premium” $1,795.00 ‘feel’ to it either. It’s basically just two plastic handles on the side of the chair that you either pull forward or backwards. It’s simple to use, lift your left slightly, grab the handles on both sides of the chair, pull upwards on the handles, then push\pull with a little force. Other chairs offer a smooth sliding mechanism with the press of a button typically on the bottom or side of the seat, but oh no, not the Embody Gaming Chair.

You cannot change the “seat depth” in the traditional sense either. The seat simply doesn’t move. That is because the seat is permanently attached to the rear of the chair. So although you can “extend” the seat “length” for leg support you will not be shifting the entire seat for maximum comfort. The thought process behind this design choice was allowing a more “natural” position for better support while sitting at different reclining levels. So if you are looking for relief you won’t be getting it here in the lower back area. The chair rear is permanently connected to the seat with no opening for relief for the lower back if needed.