So…..what’s brown, comes in a big box (about 46 pounds big), and is a must have for any Jeeper that sits at a desk? You guessed it! The original Jeep Seat office chair. This is a product review of the Jeep Seat office chair which is available in several different Jeep designs (more on that later). You can find them at www.jeep-seat.com. Let’s take a look.
After the Fed-Ex man left the box at my door, I brought the box inside for a quick checkout. The shipping box did a good job of protecting the contents. The various parts were well padded and covered to prevent any scuffs or scrapes. The chair does require minor assembly but it isn’t anything like wrenching on the TJ. If you can change a pair of wiper blades, you should be able to put the chair together.
With everything unwrapped, I checked the pieces against the parts list in the manual. All present and accounted for. There are a dozen hex head screws used to secure the base plate and arms to the bottom cushion. It was nice to use the supplied wrench rather than digging one out of the tool box out in the garage. I realize an allen wrench don’t cost much and I’ve got more sets than I can count. However, some folks don’t….and this means they have what they need without going to the hardware store.
With all the components laying on the floor, I took the opportunity to examine the parts for quality and finish. I was glad to see evidence of good attention to detail in the construction of the back and seat cushions. The seams were straight and even. Likewise, the bracket that attaches to the bottom of the cushion fit well. There are twelve bolts provided with the chair and the four short ones attach the bracket to the bottom cushion. Just follow the directions and you’ll be good to go.
If I was comparing this to what is on my Jeep, you’ll see that I am attaching the side sliders to the chair. <grin> Actually, I’m tightening one of four bolts that attach the back cushion to the bottom cushion. This piece also serves as an arm rest and is padded (nice touch). Supplied in the “pieces and parts” kit are snap in plugs for the bolt holes. Once installed, you don’t see the bolt heads anymore.
In the bracket that is bolted to the bottom cushion, there are two controls that manage three functions; tilt (lock in or lock out), tilt tension, and chair height. As I write this, I’ve had the opportunity to use the chair for a couple of days in my home office. Seat height is neither at is max nor min setting (that’s a good thing) and I’ve decided I like the tilt feature. I loosened the tension control a couple of turns to allow me to more easily tilt the chair. I like it! My previous chair didn’t offer any of those features. OK, so I admit I was missing out on a bit of “office comfort” for a number of years. <sigh>
With upper portion of the chair all bolted together, the 5 rollers were inserted into the base. I had to smile when I saw the rollers….they are patterned after the regular Jeep sport wheels. I wonder if I can get bead locks for them? <grin x 2> The gas lift cylinder that provides the height adjustment essentially connects the seat bracket to the base. Those pieces also fit very well together….no wobble, no clunks. I’m sure some of you have sat in an office chair that has had a poor fit which allows the seat to teeter totter on the base.
Licensed by Jeep, you are getting the real thing here….not an illegal knock off. A half dozen different models are available. This one is the Grand Cherokee. Also in the lineup are the Commander, Overland, Laredo, Sahara, and SRT8 models. Pricing varies as do the color options. You can find both at www.jeep-seat.com.
As I write this, I’ve used the Jeep Seat now for 3 days. It is comfortable and is everything I was hoping it would be. My wife took another “test drive” in it. She has some lower back issues and stated that the lumbar support felt very good to her….enough that she indicated I had better keep an eye on my new chair. <grin x 3>
So, if you are looking for that perfect Jeep accessory to accent your office, look no further. Park your backside in a Grand Cherokee or perhaps a Sahara. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed one bit.
