Amseatec’s Criss Cross office chair earned an 8/10 rating from WIRED contributor Nicole Kinning, who tested it for more than a month as a desk chair for people who do not sit like the diagram in an ergonomics pamphlet.
The point of the chair is straightforward: a wider seat, movable armrests, and wheels for users who shift between standard posture, cross-legged sitting, and other contortions during long work sessions. Kinning wrote that traditional office chairs had not worked well for her because she often tucks a leg under herself or sits cross-legged to avoid aggravating an old hamstring injury and sciatica.
WIRED listed the chair at $95 on Amazon, marked down from $150, and said its editors select reviewed products independently, though the publication may earn affiliate commissions through retail links.
Wide seat, real wheels
The chair’s main hardware difference is its 25-inch-wide seat. Kinning compared that with the 18-to-20-inch width she described as typical for a standard office chair. That extra width let her sit cross-legged, sideways, with one leg tucked under, or curled with both knees bent, according to the review.
Kinning said the design felt less narrowly tuned than other cross-legged or meditation-style chairs she had tried. A previous viral cross-legged chair had a seat she found too firm and lacked wheels, while WIRED’s earlier experience with the Pipersong Meditation Chair found its stool and back too small for comfort.
The Amseatec chair rolls, which sounds basic until a desk chair does not. Kinning reported that its casters moved smoothly on hardwood without feeling overly slippery and were large enough to work on carpet.
Armrests are the trick, and also the catch
The chair’s armrests lock through five positions and can fold flat. Kinning said that let her change positions during the day, including sitting upright to type, crossing her legs during meetings, and lowering the arms to lean sideways while reading or doing puzzles.
She found the armrests solid in use and said they did not slip during testing. She was more skeptical of Amseatec’s product imagery, which shows the flattened arms being used like side tables for magazines and a mug. Because the chair swivels and rolls, Kinning said she would not trust it as a safe drink platform.
The armrests also make noise. Kinning said adjustments produce loud clicks, enough that she would avoid moving them during an important call. She also found the armrests wide apart even in their most upright position, with no height adjustment, which may make them a poor ergonomic fit for shorter users.
Cushioning holds up, upholstery runs warm
Kinning described the seat as memory foam over a firmer base. After more than a month of three-to-five-hour workdays, she said the cushion had not sagged and still felt supportive.
The backrest also got a positive mark. Kinning said it was tall enough to lean against while still letting her sit deep in the chair and reach her keyboard.
The faux leather was easier to clean than it was to love. Kinning said the upholstery survived several days around her toddler and corgi without visible scratches, and smudges wiped away with a damp cloth. She also said the material became warm, especially while wearing shorts in an upstairs area with weak air conditioning.
Assembly took about 20 minutes, and Kinning said the parts lined up with the instructions. After more than a month, she reported no frame wobble or creaking.
The bulk is the tradeoff. Kinning said the chair may not slide under every desk even with the seat lowered, because the armrests can sit too high. Lowering the arms helped it fit, but then they became too low to function comfortably as armrests. For users with fixed-height desks, the clearance issue is the measurement that decides whether this roomy chair is useful or just another oversized object under the keyboard tray.
This story draws on original reporting from WIRED.
