Gadget Review: Lotus XR6 Recliner Chair

People like to send me gadgets to review. My motto is "if it has a USB-C port, I'll review it!"

So the good people at Flexispot have sent me a chair with a USB-C port. Fair play!

This is the Lotus XR6 Recliner Chair - the electric variant of the XC6.

Here's what it looks like when assembled:

And once fully reclined:

Not completely flat, but good enough for a quick snooze!

Tech Specs

There's both a USB-C and a USB-A port.

I measured the power output using an in-line meter. I wasn't expecting Power Delivery - but both gave out a respectable 7.11W (4.87V 1.46A). You're probably not quickly recharging your laptop from that - but it is more than adequate for a phone or eReader.

The transformer is a little weird. It is a fairly chunky 29V 2A unit to handle the recliner motor. It has a standard figure of eight connector for power-in, but this odd connector to connect to the chair:

This seems to be the standard for reclining sofas - replacement transformers and extensions are easily available from 3rd parties.

User Interface

OK, a bit weird to talk about a UI on a chair! There are two rocker buttons.

Except… the rocking function is irrelevant! Push either side of the back button and the chair reclines - first the foot rest, then the back rest. Push either side of the front button and it reverts to the upright position.

There's no way to recline the back but keep the footrest down.

The chair can't be connected to Wi-Fi, there's no BlueTooth, and the USB port doesn't allow control. So you can't bark "ALEXA! RECLINE CHAIR FIVE DEGREES!"

Pity!

Comfort

Yeah! Pretty good. The cushions come vacuum-packed, so you'll need to wait a little while for them to fully puff out. All the pillows are removable, so you can supplement them with anything you like.

The chair rocks back and forth by a short amount - which is very relaxing. The rocker is manual - not electric.

There's 270° of rotation. Because of the power cable you can't loop all the way around. But that's plenty for a corner chair.

Oh, and there's what they call a "hidden" pocket on the left side. Big enough for some magazines and books.

Assembling and cleaning

As with any chair, it'll eventually hold enough sandwich crumbs to make it worth hoovering. All the cushions come off. Some have zips. They're all tacked on with Velcro, so pretty easy to keep clean.

Verdict

It might have been nice to have higher-power USB, or ZigBee control, or a heated massage pad, or any of a hundred other features - but this is practically perfect as a chair. The recline speed is decent, the USB sockets are useful, and the rocking is delightful.

The chair is currently on sale for £450 - with various discounts on the site. That's fairly reasonable for a chair of this size and sturdiness.

Flexispot have told me there will be substantial discounts on their site throughout November.

Many thanks to Flexispot for the review unit. I'm off to sit in it while reading a good book.