Kyle spends at least 12 hours a day at his desk. Five years in a Secretlab Titan XL left him with chronic lower back and shoulder pain, so he went looking for something else. A few weeks into the Maxis, he says fidgeting has stopped.

Overview

Kyle is 6'4" and 185 lbs, with a torso long enough that doctors need two chest X-rays to capture it. After five years in a Secretlab Titan XL that never quite fit his shoulders or height, he won a spot in LiberNovo's 10-person early-access lottery for the electric Maxis. Weeks in, the biggest change isn't one feature. It's what stopped happening: the fidgeting, the pain-driven need to stand, the constant self-adjusting he didn't even realize he'd been doing.

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The Person Behind the Setup

Can you introduce yourself and what a typical day looks like?

I typically do anywhere from 12 hours minimum a day in this chair, and that's a combination of work from home plus before- and after-work stuff. I'm gaming, watching movies, getting into 3D rendering and Fusion 360 CAD work for personal projects, plus some video editing in DaVinci Resolve and recording in OBS. My desk is kind of my Zen zone. I basically live in my office. I do have a standing desk and I try to stand throughout the day to keep things moving, but I can't stand all day.

When during the day do you rely on your chair the most?

Honestly, all day, just because when I need it, I need it. But if I had to pick a moment, it's right after work. If I'm not getting up to make dinner, I'll recline all the way back for a solid 10 or 15 minutes, screens off, lights off, and just take a power nap. We don't have a couch or a sofa chair in the house, so that moment of decompressing is when I rely on the chair the most.

When do you feel your body needs support the most?

My lower back and my shoulders. I'm 6'4", 185 pounds, and I have a longer torso, long enough that when I get chest X-rays the doctors have to take two of them because my lungs are so long.

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Before the Change

What was going on with your old chair?

On my Secretlab Titan XL, I'd feel the pain start in my hips, then my lower back, and I'd have to get up and walk around for a few minutes. That was usually about an hour in. I had it for five years, but I knew after about a year that it wasn't going to be a good chair for me long-term. I just couldn't find anything else, so I dealt with it.

Was there a specific moment you realized it wasn't working anymore?

The bucket seat's shoulder wings really dug into me since my shoulders go past where the chair curves in, and I ended up putting pillows behind my back just to get ahead of that curve. Looking back, that chair forced me into a bad posture habit the whole time.

What did you misunderstand, or assume, about ergonomic chairs before this?

I'd heard the argument that headrests promote bad posture. Maybe that's common knowledge I'm just out of the loop on, but I'm no ergonomics expert, and I tried a Haworth and a Steelcase specifically and hated not having neck support. For someone doing 12-hour days, not being able to lounge back and relax your neck muscles at some point just doesn't work.

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Why LiberNovo

What made you decide to try it?

A friend of mine backed the original Kickstarter. I sat in his chair, and it was way too short for me. The headrest hit me around the middle of my back. So I figured it just wasn't going to fit someone my height. When LiberNovo announced the Maxis, built with taller users in mind, I thought, "Maybe this is my chance." I started googling, found the socials, and eventually won a spot in a 10-person early access lottery for the electric version.

Did you have any hesitation before trying it?

Definitely. When LiberNovo posted the chair's measurements, I wasn't sure it would work for me. I'd basically resigned myself to the idea that there was never going to be a real chair for someone my size, that I'd either have to make peace with a mediocre fit or spend close to $8,000 on something fully custom. So I went in skeptical.

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A New Way to Sit

What was your first impression the first time you sat in the Maxis?

Three things stood out immediately. The width, because I shift around a lot when I sit. The armrests—I, I was shocked by how much room and support they gave, and how I could move them in, out, forward, and all the way back. And the way the back molded to me as I sat down, which felt completely different from the flat, almost concrete feel of the Secretlab. It reminded me a bit of sitting in a Herman Miller Embody.

What changed about your daily routine after switching?

I can just sit longer. On my old chair, I knew it was time to get up because my back and shoulders would get tight. Now my watch has to remind me, because that tightness just isn't there anymore. An hour and a half, two hours will go by, and I'm not fidgeting or trying to get comfortable; I'm just sitting and working.

Which feature do you use the most?

The armrests, constantly, and the electric lumbar. I change how much it's pushing into my back probably a dozen times a day, depending on what I'm doing and how reclined I am. Having it motorized, especially being able to dial it in while I'm already reclined, is honestly a game changer. I keep it around halfway out most of the time because having that prominent push against my lower back keeps me from slouching.

How much do you use OmniStretch or the different recline angles?

Less than I expected. I don't really use the continuous OmniStretch motion; I mostly use the motor to find one exact lumbar position and lock it in. For recline, I'm almost always either in the first setting for active work, or fully reclined for that after-work nap.

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Built to Fit

What would you still change about the chair?

The backrest height, mainly. My shoulders sit a little above the top edge, and if the whole back assembly was stretched maybe three inches with a slightly taller headrest, it would be ideal for my torso length. I'd also like the upper back to taper in a bit more as it goes up, since I don't have the shoulder width to fill out that squared-off top. That said, I know I'm right at the edge of the height range this chair was designed for. It wouldn't make sense for LiberNovo to redesign the whole chair around one outlier user when the priority has to be what works for most people.

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Their Words

What does comfortable sitting mean to you now?

No more lower back pain. No more shoulder pain. No more of that strain from a bucket seat pushing into my shoulders. And maybe the biggest thing: I don't feel like I need to get up. I'm not fidgeting to find that sweet spot anymore.

"After using LiberNovo, I realized how much I had been adjusting myself around my chair instead of having a chair that adjusts to me"

Fast facts: 6'4", 185 lbs, unusually long torso · 12+ hours daily desk use, work plus gaming, 3D rendering, and video editing · Previous chair: Secretlab Titan XL (5 years) · Also tried: Haworth, Steelcase, nearly purchased a custom chair · Acquired the Maxis (electric) through a 10-person early access lottery