Overview

Pawel is a software developer in Poland who works from home for roughly 10 hours a day. He spent about fourteen years with two successive DXRacer gaming chairs. A brief switch to an ErgoHuman mesh chair ended after three days because he found it painful.

He had long wanted a Herman Miller Embody for its flexible back. Price, concerns about return fees, and the lack of a local showroom kept him from buying one. He first heard about LiberNovo through a chair-focused YouTuber, passed on the original Kickstarter LiberNovo Omni because he wanted a chair without electronics, and returned when the LiberNovo Maxis Manual launched.

After about two months of use, he rates the experience 9 out of 10. He shares what he enjoys about the recline and footrest, along with the armrest and cushion issues that support helped him address.

The Person Behind the Setup

Can you introduce yourself and what you do?

I'm Pawel, from Poland, a software developer. As you can imagine, I spend most of my time in front of the computer. That's why a proper chair matters so much to me. I normally spend around 10 hours a day in front of the computer, so it can get really tiring. I work from home, so it's basically the entire day in one place, almost nonstop, with small breaks here and there. Once I'm in the zone, I'm in the zone.

Do you build in breaks or stretch regularly?

Mostly just bathroom breaks, or grabbing something to eat. I'm the kind of person who, once I'm focused on something, really needs to stay on it, because it's hard to get back to the proper topic afterward. If it gets uncomfortable while I'm sitting, yes, I'll stretch. Some days I feel stiffer than others, my back hurts more, and when my body reminds me I've been sitting too long, I'll stand up, stretch, walk around the house or outside, or play with the dog. But it's not something scheduled. I've tried setting reminders before and it never sticks. I just end up telling myself "ten more minutes" and forgetting entirely.

Before the Change

What were you sitting on before LiberNovo?

I got a DXRacer as a gift back in college, when I wasn't sitting nearly as much, mostly gaming when I came home. It was wonderful. Nothing broke, even the upholstery held up. I had that first one for seven or eight years. About half a year before the pandemic, I'd grown a bit bigger in certain places, and the height mechanism started sinking too deep into the base and scratching the floor. That's when I had to change it.

What did you replace it with?

Colleagues told me ErgoHuman was a serious ergonomic brand, and I was getting older with more parts of my body hurting, so I did some research and bought one, a higher mid-tier mesh model. It was the worst decision of my life, honestly. The mesh idea was great for airflow, but the plastic frame around where the mesh attached was rough and dug straight into my thighs. I was basically sitting there almost in tears. Everything hurt. Even with all its adjustment options, I couldn't find a position that aligned with my spine. After about three days I had real pain down my back and into one leg. The plastic base was pressing one spot and affecting the nerve. I donated it to family and went back to DXRacer, this time making sure the weight limit and sizing actually fit me. I'm 187 cm tall. That second DXRacer lasted me all the way until I got my LiberNovo Maxis Manual this year, so between the two, about fourteen years total with that brand.

Why LiberNovo

What chair were you actually hoping to buy?

The Herman Miller Embody, for a long time. I lean to one side when I work. I don't sit straight, and with the DXRacer that was a problem. It's a racing chair with hard, sturdy edges that would dig into me and force me to sit upright. The Embody's flexible back was exactly what I wanted. But around the time I was seriously interested, they changed their return policy. These chairs are expensive, and I was worried I'd spend a lot of money, it wouldn't meet my expectations, and I'd be on the hook for a return fee on top of it. The brand isn't very popular in Poland either. There was no shop in my city to go test one. I kept telling myself, maybe when I have more money, maybe later.

How did you find LiberNovo?

Through a YouTuber who's really into chairs. I'd subscribed and he mentioned the Embody often. I'd actually heard of LiberNovo around the original model, but it was Kickstarter and crowdfunding, which isn't really my thing. I don't need electronics in a chair. If something breaks, that's a problem. I just want a regular chair. I lost interest completely at that point.

What brought you back?

I started seeing ads for the newer version, read up on the LiberNovo Omni and what had changed, and then that same YouTuber started testing and mentioned LiberNovo Maxis Manual. That's when I got genuinely interested. I was right on the edge between LiberNovo Omni and LiberNovo Maxis Manual sizing, and I chose LiberNovo Maxis Manual for the extra room, just in case. What really resonated with me was the flexible back, the same thing I wanted from the Embody, with proper lumbar support, at a fraction of the price. That was also the first time I'd seen people on Reddit and in the YouTuber's comments with measurements close to mine, finally something I could relate to. If it worked for people built like me, there was a good chance it would work for me.

A New Way to Sit

What was it like when the chair arrived?

Two huge boxes. My first reaction was, "Oh my God, what have I ordered, maybe I should have gone with LiberNovo Omni." My wife came in, looked at it, and said, "What have you done, where is this even going to fit?" I told her, "Relax, it's just packaging."

Did you assemble it right away?

Actually no, it took me about two days to even start. I was eager to, but I wanted to finish work first and have the time to actually enjoy it without anyone bothering me. It felt like Christmas. I kept glancing at the box sitting in the corner of the room, knowing it was waiting for me.

How did assembly go?

I'd already ordered the footrest separately and it arrived a couple of months earlier with a huge instruction sheet. Everything was mapped out in pictures, very easy. The chair itself was the same experience, a giant paper with every step laid out clearly. I was a little worried it might be too generic since the models look similar but differ in details, but no, it was great. I was honestly surprised by how much foam padding and care went into the packaging. It felt like a premium unboxing. Attaching everything took maybe 30 minutes total, not counting adjustments. The mounting points were genuinely well made. Usually, with metal parts, something's off by a couple of millimetres from the factory. Holes don't quite line up, bolts fight you. None of that here. Everything aligned cleanly.

Which recline settings do you actually use?

Constantly, depending on what I'm doing. The most upright setting is a little too straight for me, slightly uncomfortable, so I mostly live in the second position for regular work. But on a break, or during a webinar, or when I just want to rest, I go all the way to the last setting. I love it. I honestly can't count how many times I've fallen asleep in this chair during a webinar or a meeting, camera off, obviously. And the footrest changes everything. My old one only had a single fixed setting. Here I can lift my feet, straighten them out, and really lie back properly.

Built to Fit

You rated the experience 9 out of 10. What kept it from a 10?

Two things, the armrests and the cushion, and support handled both. I have to give them real credit. They're genuinely fast, especially on Reddit. I posted about the armrest issue without even tagging support, just asking if other users were seeing the same thing. They reached out to me directly. The response was instant. Later, when I had a ticket open over email about the cushion, the person who runs Reddit for the company actually followed up there too, asking how the new cushion was working out, even though I'd already confirmed over email that it was great. Someone was genuinely tracking what was going on.

What was the armrest issue?

The armrests ride on rails, so they slide back with you when you recline. Mine had small plastic rings gripping the rails unevenly, so the motion wasn't smooth, a bit grippy. Not a huge deal, but not the premium feel I'd expect. Support recommended some lubrication and said it would smooth out with use. It did, and it's barely noticeable now.

And the cushion?

Basically zero friction getting it replaced. Support asked if I had the QR code off the original cushion. I didn't know where to find one, and they said it wasn't a problem. They'd send a new one regardless. When the replacement arrived, I understood why. It had a QR code and the old one didn't, so there was never anything for me to look up in the first place. The swap itself was easy, maybe five minutes with the instructional video. My wife and I both noticed a clear difference. The new cushion is noticeably firmer. Before, I could feel the plastic underneath after a couple of hours, enough that I'd have to get up, walk around, and come back. With the new one, that just doesn't happen anymore. It's soft but firm enough that it's not bottoming out.

Their Words

How would you sum up the experience?

This was the first company I've dealt with that actually listened to user feedback and changed fast, that fixed things, not just said they would. I'd had other options before I chose this one, and that's really what made the difference.

"I cannot count how many times during a webinar or meeting I fell asleep in this chair. I'm not kidding."

Pawel Iwanowicz