The first thing you notice when you unbox a Knoll Generation chair is the smell. It's not a bad smell — just a strong, chemical-new-foam smell that takes a good week to fade. The box is huge. Like, refrigerator-huge. I had to take it out in the hallway because it wouldn't fit through the door. Getting it out of the box is a two-person job if you don't want to scrape the armrests on the cardboard. I scraped them. They're still fine, so no big deal.
Now, um, this chair isn't cheap. I paid about $1,200 with a Black Friday discount. The retail on the Knoll website is around $1,500. That's a lot for a chair, and I'll be honest — I had doubts. I've owned $200 task chairs that did the job for a while, then started creaking or the gas cylinder gave out after two years. The Generation is in a different category, but is it worth 5x the price? After 9 months of sitting in it for 7–10 hours a day, I have some thoughts.
The Flex Back: It's Weird Until It's Not
The backrest is the main thing. It's this arched plastic/fabric thing that moves with you. At first, it feels like it's going to break. You lean back and it moves in a way you're not used to. I've had Herman Miller Aerons and Steelcase Leaps; they have more obvious lumbar support. The Generation doesn't push into your back. Instead, it follows your spine. For the first two weeks, I kept trying to find the lumbar adjustment. There isn't one. You just sit and eventually your back realizes that maybe it doesn't need that constant pressure.
I'm 5'10", about 175 lbs. My husband is 6'2" and 220 lbs. He sat in it once and said it felt too small — the back was designed for someone my height. He's right. This is not a chair for tall, broad-shouldered people. The backrest top lands around my mid-shoulder blade. For him, it hits mid-back and feels restrictive. So, height matters.
Seat Depth and the Tilt: One Number to Know
The seat depth is about 18.5 inches. I have long legs for my height — inseam 32 inches. With the seat fully extended, my knees are exactly at the edge. If you're over 6 feet or have longer thighs than me, you might want to check the measurement chart pretty carefully. There's also a tilt lock. The chair has this "walking mechanism" that lets the seat and back move together. When you lean forward, the whole seat moves forward a bit. It's subtle. Some people love it; others find it weird. My husband hates it — he wants to sit still in his chair. I actually like it when I'm typing, but it takes getting used to.
Armrests and Bolts
The armrests are adjustable, but not all of them come that way. I got the fully adjustable ones — you can pivot them in and out, raise and lower. They're made of this kind of soft plastic that feels nice but I'm already seeing some wear on the corners where I rest my elbows and where the cat climbs. The arms also feel a little wobbly if you lean on them hard. Not broken, but you notice it.
One thing I didn't expect: the chair has Torx bolts that can loosen over time. I had to tighten the seat pan bolts after about 4 months — they'd rattled loose. Not a big deal, but something you wouldn't deal with on a more basic chair. It's also heavy, about 60 lbs. Moving it just a few feet to vacuum is a workout.
The fabric — I got the standard knit mesh. It's breathable, which is great in summer. But I'll say this: dust and crumbs collect in the holes, and it's a pain to clean. You can use a vacuum, but it's not as simple as wiping a leather chair.
What You Gain, What You Give Up
For the money, you get a chair that's genuinely comfortable for 10-hour days. My back pain, which I used to get with cheaper chairs, hasn't come back. The build quality feels solid — the frame is aluminum, wheels are smooth, and the mechanism is silent. No creaking, no gas cylinder hiss.
But you give up things too. The headrest is optional, and if you want one, it's an extra $300. I didn't get it; I wish I had, because I like to recline and watch YouTube on breaks. Also, the lumbar support is passive — a lot of people need a more aggressive curve. And the chair doesn't look as nice as I'd hoped. It's fine, but for $1,200 I wanted it to be a showpiece. It's not ugly, but it's also not pretty. It's kind of utilitarian.
Before You Buy: Try the Height, Test the Back
If you can, find a dealer showroom and sit in it first. The flex back is genuinely unique; you can't know from a website. If you're over 6 feet or have a bad back that needs firm lumbar support, this might not be it. But if you're my height and do long desk days, it's one of the few chairs I've used that actually disappears under you — that's the highest praise I can give.
I'm keeping mine. The money hurt, but the pain in my hips from the cheaper chair is gone. That said, I'm not sure I'd pay full retail. Wait for a sale. I got mine for 25% off, and that felt more reasonable.
One more thing — and this is the incomplete thought: I still wonder if the Aeron would've been the safer choice. But the flex back does something I didn't know I needed. So there's that.