Best Wide 500-pound Ergonomic Chairs For The Severely Obese

Most big and tall ergonomic chairs support obese sizes up to 400 pounds with seats around 22″ wide. However, around 9% of Americans are severely obese. Those needing an even larger chair now have two great options to consider. The Flash Hercules office chair supports 500 pounds with a 23.5″ seat. The new E-Win Flash XL gaming chair supports 550 pounds with a 26″ wide seat! Here’s a comparison of the two best ergonomic desk chairs for morbidly obese sizes.

Last year, a few obese readers asked me to suggest extra-wide chairs that reliably support more than 400 pounds. At the time, I could only recommend the Flash Hercules office chair.

Recently, E-Win added a second option for Class III obese sizes. It goes beyond the Hercules chair with 550-pound support and a 26″ seat width. But do you need such a wide seat?

To check, use a measuring tape and a pair of your pants. Lay your pants down flat. Then, measure the width around 7″ below the waistband from end-to-end.

If your resulting number is larger than 22″, both the Flash Hercules and Flash XL have the extra space that you need.

Flash Hercules Vs E-Win Flash XL

With the release of the new Flash XL chair, there are now two ergonomic desk chair options for morbidly obese sizes.

According to the CDC, 9.2% (23 million) Americans are severely obese⁽¹⁾. A Class III obese person (also known as ‘morbidly obese’) has a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or greater. That’s roughly 100 or so pounds higher than their ideal weight.

Flash XL Gaming Chair Highlights

This is the world’s largest gaming chair for big guys! The E-Win Revolution Flash XL is a Secretlab Titan Evo clone. Like that chair, it has an integrated (height x depth) adjustable lumbar support and a strapless magnetic headrest.

Like the Titan, it also comes guaranteed for five years. The base warranty is two years; share a picture of your chair on social media for a free 5-year extension.

The Flash XL chair goes beyond the Titan XL chair in several ways. For instance, the Titan Evo XL only supports 395 pounds, with a 22.8″ seat width.

The Flash XL exceeds that with a 550-pound weight capacity and a 26″ seat. E-Win also throws in a free memory foam lumbar pillow, giving you two lumbar support options.

Flash XL Chair Specifications

Along with its extra-wide seat, the Flash XL has a substantial 22.8″ seat depth. Any person shorter than 5’10” will find this too deep for their legs.

Flash XL Features

• Support: height x depth-adjustable integrated lumbar; magnetic headrest pillow.
• Functionality: 4D adjustable armrests; recline from to 85°-155°; multifunction tilt-lock.
• Extra: free external memory foam lumbar pillow included
• Cover material: premium PU leather.
• Warranty: two years; extend to 5 years with a social media share

Dimensions

• Seat width x depth: 26″ (W) x 22.8″ (D)
• Backrest width x height: 22.8″ (W) x 37.8″ (H)
• Floor to seat range: 14-18″
• Size rating: 5’10” to 7’0″; max weight limit 550 pounds

Flash XL Verdict

The Flash XL gives Class III obese sizes the same cutting edge features as the popular Secretlab Titan Evo chair. Guaranteed for five years, it supports 550 pounds with a 26″ seat — the widest gaming chair seat on the market.

For severely obese sizes, this is easily the most luxurious ergonomic chair available on the market.

Flash XL FLH from E-Win $439 $549

Learn more: Flash XL vs The Best Gaming Chairs For Big Guys

Flash Hercules Office Chair Highlights

Flash Furniture makes Hercules ’24-hours’ chairs. These are multi-shift task chairs that provide 24-hour support for dispatch offices, medical stations, call centers, etc. The Hercules Mesh edition supports 500 pounds with a generous 23.5″ seat.

The Hercules chair has a lumbar support dial that lets you adjust the depth of support. It also has a height-adjustable backrest unit. Combined, this gives you good height x depth adjustability to customize your lumbar fit.

• Functionality: 1D armrests; tilt tension and rocking.
• Back support: depth-adjustable lumbar + height-adjustable backrest.
• Upholstery: padded fabric seat; mesh backrest.
• Warranty: 5-year limited warranty.

Functionally, it’s a lot more basic than the Flash XL gaming chair. For instance, you can rock and recline in a Hercules chair, but not lock the backrest at angles. As well, the armrests are only 1D height adjustable.

Another quibble is the so-called ‘5 year warranty’. That only covers non-moving metal parts (the chair’s frame). It does not cover the pressurized lumbar control knob, armrests, or rocking functions.

Flash Hercules mesh chair on Amazon $162.46

Learn more: Flash Hercules vs The Best Office Chairs For Big Guys

Gaming Vs Office Chairs For Obese Sizes

Studies found that people with a BMI over 35 had 63.1% weaker joint strength than lesser BMI groups. As a result, severely obese sizes also suffer from limited physical mobility and lower quality of life scores.

At first, an obese person with a weak spine may struggle to sit upright in any type of ergonomic chair. In a gaming chair, full-back support with a deep recline lets gravity do the work of keeping the spine in alignment.

For these reasons, ChairsFX finds gaming chairs better than office chairs for severely obese sizes. In the case of the Flash Hercules vs E-Win Flash XL, the latter is a lot more luxurious:

Even so, both chairs are equipped to support healthy neutral sitting postures. I advise obese sizes to choose whichever style makes them feel the most satisfied. Learn more:

Gaming Vs Office Chairs Compared For Beginners

Related: Physical Vs Psychological Seating Comfort Factors

Footnote