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The Humanscale Diffrient Smart Office Chair is designed to be easy to adjust, but adjustable features are limited, and it lacks adjustable back support and may not fit those who prefer making specific adjustments.
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Table of Contents
Product Snapshot
Overview
Announced in 2020, the Humanscale Diffrient Smart Office Chair is a high-end mesh back office chair with a tri-panel mesh backrest. While its built-in curve doesn’t quite match up to what the best office chairs offer for lumbar support, the chair still stands out with features such as a self-adjusting counter-balance recline mechanism and shaped seat cushions designed according to the body’s contours.
The chair also has a maximum weight capacity of 300 lbs, and owners can choose between including armrests or not. This gives them quite the advantage compared to folding chairs, which we’ve explored in our folding chair vs office chair roundup. Weighing only 34 lbs, the chair is also pretty easy to move around.
Consensus
our Verdict
The Humanscale Diffrient Smart Office Chair has a simple yet functional design that limits manual adjustability as much as possible. A case in point would be its weight-sensitive reclining mechanism, which has the chair automatically tension when reclining back. With its armrests being attached to the backrest, it is easy to maintain the same armrest position when leaning back, and this clever design hack is not as common as most would think.
The U-shaped seat cushions feel good to sit on, and their form-sensing mesh back is breathable and adaptable to the contours when seated or reclined for maximum comfort. Unfortunately, the Smart Office Chair doesn’t have a headrest or adjustable lumbar support.
ReasonS to Buy
Ergonomics and adjustability
The Humanscale Diffrient Smart Office Chair has a weight-sensitive reclining mechanism and height-adjustable armrests. The seats are adjustable from 16 to 20.5”, and the armrests from 2.75-7.25”.
Good comfort
An astounding chair for breathability courtesy of the non-stretch mesh on the seat and backrest. The built-in curve on the backrest also helps maintain good comfort.
Sturdy build quality
The Humanscale Diffrient Smart Office Chair is sturdy, as it can support up to 300 lbs
Reason to Avoid
No adjustable lumbar support
The flexibility of the mesh backrest on this chair may not offer enough back support to people who require specialized back support.
Limited adjustability
Owners will only be able to adjust the seat height and armrests. The chair doesn’t have back height, tilt lock, or tension adjustments.
Humanscale Diffrient Smart Office Chair Specs
Adjustable Armrests
Fixed
Armrest Height Max
n/a
Armrest Height Min
n/a
Backrest Height
n/a
Backrest Width
19"
Frame Construction
Steel
Has Footrest
No
Head Pillow
No
Head Rest
–
Lumbar Support
Yes
Piston Type
Pneumatic Cylinder
Recline
20°
Seat Depth
15 – 18"
Seat Height Adjustment
5-6.4"
Seat Padding Material
Foam
Seat Width
19.5"
Upholstery
Mesh
Weight Limit
300 lbs
Wheel Type
Casters
All Specs
Test Results
These are the most important criteria to test for Office Chairs based on our comprehensive Testing Methodology.
Max Recline (Degrees)
0
Min Seat Height (Inches)
0
Max Seat Height (Inches)
0
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Announced in 2020, the Humanscale Diffrient Smart Office Chair is a high-end mesh back office chair with a tri-panel mesh backrest. While its built-in curve…
Announced in 2020, the Humanscale Diffrient Smart Office Chair is a high-end mesh back office chair with a tri-panel mesh backrest. While its built-in curve doesn’t quite match up to what the best office chairs offer for lumbar support, the chair still stands out with features such as a self-adjusting counter-balance recline mechanism and shaped seat cushions designed according to the body’s contours.
The chair also has a maximum weight capacity of 300 lbs, and owners can choose between including armrests or not. This gives them quite the advantage compared to folding chairs, which we’ve explored in our folding chair vs office chair roundup. Weighing only 34 lbs, the chair is also pretty easy to move around.
The Humanscale Diffrient Smart Office Chair misses out on a headrest, which the X-Chair X2 K-Sport Mgmt Chair includes. Their lumbar support systems are also…
The Humanscale Diffrient Smart Office Chair misses out on a headrest, which the X-Chair X2 K-Sport Mgmt Chair includes. Their lumbar support systems are also different, as the X-Chair X2 has a segmented lumbar support section on its backrest that dynamically adjusts according to the sitting posture, while the Diffrient Smart only offers a curve for the lower back. If the dynamic lumbar support sounds interesting, here’s our X-Chair X2 K-Sport Mgmt review to learn more.
There’s no adjustability on the Humanscale Diffrent Smart Office Chair’s built-in curve for more adequate lumbar support. This makes it different from the Steelcase Think,…
There’s no adjustability on the Humanscale Diffrent Smart Office Chair’s built-in curve for more adequate lumbar support. This makes it different from the Steelcase Think, which has height-adjustable lumbar support. Have a look at our Steelcase Think review to see what else it has in store.
The Humanscale Diffrient Smart Office Chair is available in black, gray, or white, while the Humanscale World One Chair is only sold in a black…
The Humanscale Diffrient Smart Office Chair is available in black, gray, or white, while the Humanscale World One Chair is only sold in a black variant. Buyers can also choose a variant of the Diffrent Smart Chair with or without armrests – options that aren’t available for the Humanscale World One Chair. Also, the Diffrient Smart Office Chair has a fabric covering, while the World One Chair has a mesh seat and backrest. To learn about chair fabric, read our leather vs mesh chair resource.
