At A Glance:
The Knoll Generation Chair is a truly one of a kind office chair. Knoll is a one of a kind furniture giant, so that makes plenty of sense. Generation is a completely modern chair, outfitted with advanced ergonomics, a sleek, unique design, and a novel concept; build a chair where the user dictates the sitting position, and not the other way around. Such an idea might come around only once in a...wait for it...generation.
What's To Like:
The design, first and foremost. Generation has a zig zag right in the middle of the back of the chair, a kind of accordion angle, and that's where the secret to its success lies. That strange angle is actually a hinge, and it allows the person who sits in the chair to sit one of three ways - facing front, facing back, or side saddle. Either way, that unique back support their wait and keeps them comfortable. And aside from being innovative and helpful, it's also very cool.
What's Not to Like:
If you're not into a chair that's loud or makes a statement, this chair isn't for you. Buying it means you'll definitely get some attention around the office, especially when you ride it side saddle (ladylike).
The Bottom Line:
On their latest trip into the sphere of modern office chairs, Knoll hit a home run with the flexible, comfortable, creative and beautiful Generation Chair.
Adjustable Tilt Limiter Adjust the amount of recline your chair delivers when you lean back. You can work in the Generation Chair in a reclined or an upright posture
Flex Back Net
Moves in unison with the user. The Flex Back is made of a high performance elastomer material that is lightweight and soft to the touch, yet extremely durable and won't sag over time. The frameless structure doesn't restrict lateral movement while sitting.
Figure 8 Back
Unique design enables side-to-side flexing and provides optimal support for the lumbar and shoulder areas.
Flex Top
Enhances your ranges of movement perhaps more than any other feature- the flex top folds over the top edge of the back, providing a comfortable armrest for sitting sideways or backwards.
Flex Seat
Malleable front seat edge flexes 270 degrees to support user's legs without restricting circulation. Seat perimeter is void of imposing levers or rigid frames- enabling the user to utilize the whole seat. Also includes 3" seat depth adjustment.
Continuous Lumbar
Back support supplied by the Flex Back extends through Generation's arms. The shape and alignment of the cantilever arms provide lumbar support if you're sitting frontwards, sideways or backwards, or any point in-between.
The Generation Chair is also known by the following manufacturer Item Numbers: 11-1-NA-2-S-X-HC, 11-1-FA-2-S-X-HC, 11-1-HA-2-S-X-HC, 11-1-HP-2-S-X-HC.
With the Generation Chair, Knoll didn't confine themselves to making a comfortable, adaptable, premium office chair. They also wanted to contribute to the big picture. To further this end, they made the Generation Chair one of the greenest, most sustainable and environmentally conscious chairs on the market.
Knoll made sure the Generation Chair adhered to their rigorous and industry-leading Design for the Environment Guidelines, which meant designing for durability, recycling, renewable materials, clean manufacturing, and low impact, low emissions facilities. The Knoll manufacturing plant run in Greenville Pennsylvania has been thoroughly tested and re-tested for air quality, low-emissions standards, and clean technology, and is an OSHA VPP site.
The Generation Chair by Knoll holds a Sustainable Platinum rating from SMART Consensus Sustainable Product Standards, has been LCA tested, and is GREENGUARD indoor air quality certified.
Knoll is confident that the Generation Chair is top notch in terms of ergonomics, comfort and workplace adaptability. But they don't expect you to take their word for it. When they built the Generation Chair, Knoll sought the services of Dr. Tim Springer, one of the most notable and respected ergonomics specialists in the country. Dr. Springer has worked with hundreds of companies over a 30 year career, seeking always to improve their environments, and therefore improve the mood, productivity and efficiency of their workers. Dr. Springer's unbiased opinion on the ergonomic value of the Knoll Generation Chair was extremely important to Knoll in terms of judging the success of their product. So what did he find?
Dr. Springer believes that a chair should fulfill (and be rated on) seven specific criteria, and it was these criteria on which he judged the Knoll Generation Chair. Here are his questions, and findings:
1. Does the Generation Chair support the user's body? Yes. Dr. Springer took special note of the high range and quality of adjustments available to each user, including seat height, tilt, and arm rest adjustability. Furthermore, the Generation Chair features superior lumbar support, easing stress and pressure on the back. He also praised the Generation Chair's "dynamic response," or it's ability to flex and contour to specific users on contact.
2. Does the Generation Chair support the full range of activity the user performs on a daily basis? Yes, and more. The Generation Chair is designed to incorporate a huge range of activities and seating styles suited to getting them done. In this, it goes far beyond the efforts of most office chairs, and measurable improves productivity and the quality of a working day. Dr. Springer was impressed by the adaptability and high functionality of the chair, and without daring design, it wouldn't have rated so highly.
3. Does the Generation Chair promote movement? Yes, for many of the same reasons described above. The Generation Chair promotes movement by promoting a range of seating options, postures, and positions. The Generation Chair is the standard-bearer for a highly flexible and functional office chair. It can go anywhere, and help you do anything, in any position you like.
4. Does the Generation Chair incorporate cognitive ergonomics? The ergonomics movement describes the phenomenon of peri-personal space, or the sphere of space within the sight and proximity of the average worker. Good chairs, ergonomists say, make it easy for a person to relater their brain activity (what they can see and react to) with their physical activity and work. The Generation Chair, according to Dr. Springer, does just his, and at a very high level. The Generation Chair makes it easy to be the master of your particular domain.
5. Does the Generation Chair support performance? Yes, by increasing movement and improving cognitive ergonomic function. The Generation Chair is committed to the success of the office worker, and it does this by providing support physically and mentally. You'll work better sitting in a Knoll Generation Chair.
6. Is the Generation Chair easy to use? Incredibly. The only possible mental hassles are the adjustments you can choose to make, but all of those are simple and clearly marked and delineated. With the Generation Chair, you simply sit down and get to work.
7. Does the Generation Chair do no harm? Quite the opposite, in fact. Not only does the Generation Chair outperform every other office chair in terms of productivity, comfort, and movement, it is also a very sustainable and responsible chair. Hailed by many environmental organizations, and held to a very high standard by Knoll, a deeply conscientious company, the Generation Chair is a product you can feel good about buying, good about using, and good about passing on.
The Knoll Generation Chair was the product of many minds, the work of many hands, but the chief designers and engineers were the members of Formway Design, a furniture building company based in New Zealand. The Generation Chair was subject to rigorous testing, re-testing, refinement, and a multitude of innovations and outside-the-box thinking. The result has been something everyone involved in its creation can be very proud of; the Generation Chair is at the top of the class in terms of design, mission, and functionality.
Formway Design has been plying their trade for more than half a century, since 1956, and there are few design firms around the world who have accrued the respect and admiration of this pioneering company. The Knoll Generation Chair is only the latest in a long line of accomplishments, all brought about through non-traditional work strategies and brilliant design.
Formway Design broke the mold in a big way in 1979, when they radically, and systematically, changed the company's way of doing things. They began to insist on group participation, group work, and group responsibility for all of their projects and output. The Knoll Generation Chair is one of the latest creations to come out of the Formway process, and the strength of the chair is proof positive that the system works. Formway is committed to the kind of group thinking, particapatory thinking, that results in the most flexible, multi-faceted, useful and well-planned furniture possible. The Knoll Generation Chair certainly fits that bill; it is a collection of ideas seamlessly integrated into a cohesive and lovely whole.
It was the paradox of Formway design--group thinking that isn't groupthink--that brought to fruition the exciting and groundbreaking design (and, even, fun) of the Generation Chair. The user of the Generation Chair is not limited to the forward-facing, vertical posture that is expected in office chairs. The Generation Chair was designed to be sat in in nearly every possible variation. You want to sit in the Generation Chair backwards? Go ahead, Formway Design made sure the armrests were positioned not to be in your way, and the middle of the back of the chair was angled to make that position comfortable and sustainable. You want to sit side sadle? Formway Design made the Generation Chair to fit this unique sitting style as well. And, of course, if you want to sit in a traditional posture, the Generation Chair is there to satisfy that need as well. There isn't any way to improperly use the Generation Chair, because it was designed for deployment in any number of non-traditional ways; in a way, it was designed so that one more designer could apply the finishing touch, and that designer is the user. Owning the Generation Chair is owning part of the patent, as Formway Design has allowed you to be one of the designers and engineers.
Knoll has worked with Formway Design in the past, for the excellent Life Chair. It's a partnership founded on excellence, innovation, and style. The Knoll Generation Chair, by Forway Design. Get one today.
Founded in 1938, Knoll has nurtured many of the most inspiring and iconic furniture designs of the last century. With an extensive collection of modern classic furniture for the home as well as cutting-edge office furniture with a focus on functionality as well as aesthetics, Knoll is at the forefront of how furniture interacts with us and affects us in our daily lives.
Smart Furniture Employee Review! In the realm of ergonomic task seating, the Aeron was first, a groundbreaking chair in both design and comfort. Following on its heels was a host of chairs that mimicked the design and couldn't touch the comfort. But recently, with the Embody?s advent and the quality chairs produced by Steelcase and Humanscale, the discomfort of the consumer can be alleviated in any number of ways by any number of contenders. If you're a fan of being able to sit in the best position possible for your body and for comfort, you have choices.
But what if you don't want to sit still, with your feet flat on the ground and your arms at a 90 degree angle, and your back straight? What if you move a lot, or need to use the same chair to task and to collaborate? What if you (gasp) like to sit crooked? Read more...
Great chair, I think it may be the most comfortable and supportive office chair on the market today. I shopped around and visited some display rooms and sat in many many office chairs and found this chair was the most comfortable of all.
5/1/2012
(0 of 1 customers found this review helpful)
3.0
Not expected!
By Aileen Lau
from Hong Kong
About Me Midrange Shopper
Pros
Comfortable
Easy To Assemble
Ergonomic
Sturdy
Cons
Color
Difficult To Clean
Best Uses
Office
Comments about Knoll Generation Chair:
I don't like the color, both the frame and the seat pad. The color shows on the screen is quite different from the real product.
5/17/2011
5.0
decent chair
By RB the boss
from Denver, CO
About Me High-end Shopper
Pros
Attractive Design
Comfortable
Easy To Assemble
Ergonomic
Sturdy
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Knoll Generation Chair:
I got the one that has extra seat height, not the standard. Lets me stretch my legs. So far, I am pretty positive, I like a firm and large cushion and I move around all the time. It ain't cheap, but, I am on my rear 10 hours a day working.
1/14/2011
5.0
An Independently Commissioned Review
By Wes at Delegator
from Chattanooga, TN
Pros
Attractive Design
Comfortable
Sustainable
Cons
Cost
Best Uses
Home office
Office
Comments about Knoll Generation Chair:
First Impressions The Knoll Generation Chair looks a little funny, with a crooked back and a decidedly funky style. But sitting in it erased any doubts I had about it's ergonomic capabilities. The Generation Chair is very comfortable. The seat and arms are wide, but the arms can be adjusted. I liked the wider chair -- more expansive, and freeing. You never feel hemmed in in a Generation Chair. Another exciting feature is the back of the chair, which is incredibly flexible. The top of the back, which supports your neck and shoulders, bends all the way back. This enables a variety of sitting positions. The Generation Chair was designed to be sat in facing forward, backward, and sideways. Personally, I found sitting backward uncomfortable, but the side saddle and front facing positions were very comfortable. I like the look of the chair quite a bit, it definitely stands out in a crowd.
The X Factor It's made by Knoll. Knoll has been to the mountain top when it comes to furniture, and they've been kind enough to give us some of it. They've worked with the giants of the field, and this chair is just an extension of an impressively fine line of work.
The Bottom Line The Knoll Generation Chair is in the 90th percentile of office chairs. It's very comfortable, very flexible (literally and figuratively) and it's right for any number of offices and personalities. It's a personal chair, a partner at work, and made by the finest furniture house in the world.
8/11/2010
(1 of 1 customers found this review helpful)
4.0
Knoll Hits a Home Run with This Chair
By Wes G from Delegator
from Delegator
About Me Midrange Shopper
Pros
Attractive Design
Comfortable
Ergonomic
Cons
Pricey
Best Uses
Office
Comments about Knoll Generation Chair:
I am writing this review as professional product reviewer for [@], who was commissioned to provide independent product reviews.FIRST IMPRESSIONSThe Knoll Generation Chair looks a little funny, with a crooked back and a decidedly funky style. But sitting in it erased any doubts I had about it's ergonomic capabilities. The Generation Chair is very comfortable. The seat and arms are wide, but the arms can be adjusted. I liked the wider chair -- more expansive, and freeing. You never feel hemmed in in a Generation Chair. Another exciting feature is the back of the chair, which is incredibly flexible. The top of the back, which supports your neck and shoulders, bends all the way back. This enables a variety of sitting positions. The Generation Chair was designed to be sat in facing forward, backward, and sideways. Personally, I found sitting backward uncomfortable, but the side saddle and front facing positions were very comfortable. I like the look of the chair quite a bit, it definitely stands out in a crowd.THE 'X' FACTORIt's made by Knoll. Knoll has been to the mountain top when it comes to furniture, and they've been kind enough to give us some of it. They've worked with the giants of the field, and this chair is just an extension of an impressively fine line of work.THE BOTTOM LINEThe Knoll Generation Chair is in the 90th percentile of office chairs. It's very comfortable, very flexible (literally and figuratively) and it's right for any number of offices and personalities. It's a personal chair, a partner at work, and made by the finest furniture house in the world.PROS:Very comfortable, cool-looking, environmentally sustainable. All in all, no true weak spots.CONS:You may not like the style of the chair, and there is a somewhat hefty price tag on it.OVERALL RATING:The Generation Chair is a very successful office chair, a home run on Knoll's first at-bat when it comes to this kind of furniture. It looks cool, it feels good, and it makes work just a little bit easier.COMFORT / ERGONOMICS: 8 of 10I don't give it full marks only because there isn't as much neck support as I would like. If you want to lean back in the chair all the way, you have to slouch a little bit if you want your head and neck supported. Otherwise, the Generation Chair was everything it needed to be. It's light, soft, firm in the right places, and I never felt the need to get up and stretch or get the circulation back in my legs or arms.DESIGN: 9 of 10I'm really intrigued by the multiple sitting positions this chair allows. It shows that the designers at Knoll were really thinking about the best way to make their chair right for everyone. As I said before, sitting backward didn't really work for me, but in a way that's the point; for those whom it does work for, the Generation Chair can accommodate. Aside from the innovations in positional sitting, the backing of the Generation Chair was very successful in relieving pressure on my back. The crooked design of the chair supports the lower and upper back, and gives the user several options as far as posture goes. Sitting up or slouching, the Generation Chair is supportive of both positions.STYLE: 8 of 10I really like the crooked back and the wide-set look of the Knoll Generation Chair. I also enjoyed the dozens of cut-outs that dot the backing of the chair. The Generation Chair was designed with style in mind, as Knoll is justly famous for their museum-quality furniture. In my opinion, they've been quite successful in creating a hip, quirky chair that satisfies the visual and aesthetic needs of the user as well as the physical needs. The colors available are often as out-going and fun as the chair itself (the one I used was lime green).QUALITY / CRAFTSMANSHIP / PEDIGREE: 10 of 10Knoll is the absolute top of the line when it comes to furniture, no exceptions. They've partnered with the Office of Ray and Charles Eames, Florence Knoll (wife of the founder), Platner, Gehry, Mies van der Rohe, and a host of other furniture luminaries, most of whom have had work displayed in museums. This is the first foray into desk furniture of this kind for Knoll, and they've been very successful in marrying their signature focus on aesthetic with the needs of the modern office worker.ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY: 9 of 10The Generation Chair has an excellent record on the environment. Knoll made sure the Generation Chair adhered to their rigorous and industry-leading Design for the Environment Guidelines, which meant designing for durability, recycling, and positive environmental impact. The Knoll manufacturing plant run in Greenville Pennsylvania has been thoroughly tested and re-tested for air quality, low-emissions standards, and clean technology, and is an OSHA VPP site. The Generation Chair by Knoll holds a Sustainable Platinum rating from SMaRT Consensus Sustainable Product Standards. The chair can also contribute to LEED certification.PERFORMANCE: 8 of 10In any environment, the Generation Chair is a high performing desk chair. However, one of the strengths of the chair is that it's effectiveness varies by workplace. For instance, a free-form workplace can really take advantage of the look of the chair, and the myriad sitting styles it makes possible. The Generation Chair is an excellent partner at your desk, keeping you comfortable and productive.
4/9/2010
(1 of 2 customers found this review helpful)
1.0
Great design, bad choices
By judowalker
from San Diego, CA
About Me Midrange Shopper
Pros
Attractive Design
Ergonomic
Lightweight
Cons
Poor Construction
Too Hard
Uncomfortable
Best Uses
Office
Comments about Knoll Generation Chair:
Pros: 1. Great design.2. Great built-it ergonomic support.3. Smart-Furniture provides a full refund.[...]Cons: 1. Seat back is not comfortable at all.2. The flex top is too rigid for arm placement. You have to apply too much force to rest your arm over the flex top which makes it uncomfortable.3. The lever that controls the seat depth has bad placement. When I sit with my legs to the sides of the seat, my left leg will unintentionally trigger the lever and the seat will move.4. There is very little padding on the seat. I would suggest the designers to use a mesh seat that contours the butt and legs and allows for breathability.5. I ordered the extra lumbar support which is a cheap piece of plastic hooked on to the back of the seat. It does absolutely nothing because there's too much distance between it and the seat back, even when leaning back.
Service and delivery comments:
The delivery was horrible. It took almost 6 weeks for my chair to arrive. The scheduled time was 4 weeks and even that is very long.
I received a call confirming that the delivery was made but I did not in fact receive the chair. They eventually found out that the chair was delivered yet to another delivery company. It took this company almost two weeks to deliver the chair to me until I talked them into 1 1/2 weeks which I was still not satisfied with.
When the delivery truck arrived with the assembled chair, they rolled the chair across the asphalt which scratched up the casters because of the gravel.
Materials: Flex Back is made of high performance elastomer; plastic base version is made of 39 percent recyclable content; aluminum base version is made of 54 percent recyclable content
Dimensions: Overall Height: 39.25" to 44.5" Overall Width: 21" (armless) or 28.5" (with arms) Overall Depth: 26.75" Seat Height: 17.25" to 22.5" Seat Depth: 15.75" to 18.75" (armless) or 15.74" to 18.25" (with arms) Seat Width: 21"
When Knoll set out to create the Generation Chair, they started by asking critical, Socratic questions. Does the world really need another chair? What should a chair offer to its users? What type of chair is most important for the modern world? What type of chair can we make that would do the most good? The answers to these questions were answered in the Knoll Generation Chair.
Does the world need another chair? While it's true that there thousands of office chairs out there, the Knoll Generation Chair stands head and shoulders above the rest. It is more comfortable with less material, more advanced with less waste and increased sustainability. The Generation Chair is advanced engineering and advanced design wrapped in a singular, unique, and winning package. Moreover, the Generation Chair, unlike nearly every other office chair, does not adversely affect the environment. The materials in the Generation Chair are mostly post-consumer recycled content. Almost every part of the Generation Chair is recyclable itself, and the chair is easy to disassemble and dispose of in proper and environmentally safe ways. The packaging the Knoll Generation Chair comes in is recyclable and reusable. Several environmental organizations have lauded the sustainability of the chair, and it can even help qualify business for LEED certification. All in all, the Generation Chair offers unsurpassed comfort, adaptability, style, pedigree, and responsibility. It is one of the premiere office chairs in the world, and has set a very high bar for the next decade. No, the world did not need just another office chair. The world needed the Knoll Generation Chair.
What should a chair offer its users? Comfort. Sustainability. Durability. Functionality. These are the hallmarks of a quality office chair, and they are the four greatest strengths possessed by the Knoll Generation Chair. The designers at Formway Design set out to construct the greatest office chair around; something that would answer every stated need, as a well as a few no one had thought of before. To accomplish this goal they had to start with the basics of comfort and function. The Knoll Generation Chair makes use of the latest finding in ergonomic research and material manipulation to produce a seat and seat back that provide sumptuous comfort and plenty of back and lumbar support. Moreover, the designers at Formway pioneered the concept of elastic design, which turned the Generation Chair into a kind of Swiss Army Knife of office furniture. More on that later.
The Generation Chair is, as discussed above, one of the most responsible and sustainable chairs on the market. The user who takes home a Generation Chair can feel secure in the knowledge that they're contributing to the continued health of the planet, and contributing to a more responsible and sustainable corporation, Knoll furniture. Knoll is the maker and dealer of some of the most highly respected furniture in world history. They only work with the best, and they only produce and sell the best. That means, among other things, durability. Knoll insists on top-flight materials in their furniture, as well as air-tight master craftsmanship in putting it together. You can rest assured that a piece of furniture from Knoll was built to last, and that if you so choose, you'll be passing it down to future generations. That's what Knoll furniture is all about.
Functionality is another important basic aspect of office chair design. Your chair must perform; it must help you do your job. The Knoll Generation Chair succeeds here with flying colors, offering a host of ergonomic improvements that cut down on discomfort and time away from the desk, as well as design solutions that keep you better focused. The lumbar support and comfort of the chair have even been shown to actually be health positive! Buying a Knoll Generation Chair is buying productivity as well as fine craftsmanship and sustainability.
What type of chair is most important for the modern world? The primary function of an office chair is to keep the user comfortable for long periods of sitting and working. The Knoll Generation Chair tackled this goal in several ways. To begin with, the materials of the chair and the ergonomic, highly researched contours make it comfortable. The materials are elastic, like the design, and they flex and shape to support and cradle the body. But those are functions that many modern, advanced office chairs already have. What makes the Knoll Generation Chair different is its unique seating goals. The Generation Chair was designed to be sat in in more than one way. Traditionally, chair users sit looking forward, their backs against the backrest of the chair, their posture erect. In the Generation Chair, that's only the first option. Users can sit comfortable side saddle, facing backwards, leaning every which way, slouching, and in practically any posture. The Knoll Generation Chair was designed that way, to be as flexible and adaptable as the modern worker, and to allow the user a mode of control and a hand in the final design and engineering of the their chair. The Generation Chair is cooperative and flexible, comfortable and extremely durable. Those just happen to be the very things most important in a modern office chair. The Knoll Generation Chair is the office chair for this time and place.
What type of chair can we make to do the most good? The Knoll Generation Chair is, finally, the answer to this question. A chair that would do the most good is a chair that comforts and supports, increases health and productivity, is healthy and sustainable for the environment, blazes new ground in the furniture design and engineering world, is ergonomically sound, and would fit with incredible specificity every individual owner. The Generation Chair is this chair. Comfortable, supportive of your back and lumbar regions, and designed to be customized and finished by you, the user. Knoll set some lofty goals in creating the Generation Chair, and they have met and exceeded every one. Don't miss out on the chair of the decade. Get the Generation Chair today.
Items under $1,200.00
This item comes with a $75 shipping fee for residential destinations within the contiguous United States. If you are shipping to a business with a delivery dock, please contact us at 888-467-6278 and we will happily remove your shipping fee.
Items $1,201.00-$9,200.00
This item comes with a shipping charge of 6.5 percent of the merchandise value for residential destinations within the contiguous United States. If you are shipping to a business with a delivery dock, please contact us at 888-467-6278 and we will happily remove your shipping charges.
Items over $9,200.00
This item comes with a $600 shipping fee for residential destinations within the contiguous United States. If you are shipping to a business with a delivery dock, please contact us at 888-467-6278 and we will happily remove these shipping charges.
Made-to-Order Products:
arrive within 6-8 weeks from date of order.
Moves in unison with the user. The Flex Back is made of a high performance elastomer material that is lightweight and soft to the touch, yet extremely durable and won't sag over time. The frameless structure doesn't restrict lateral movement while sitting.
With the Generation Chair, Knoll didn't confine themselves to making a comfortable, adaptable, premium office chair. They also wanted to contribute to the big picture. To further this end, they made the Generation Chair one of the greenest, most sustainable and environmentally conscious chairs on the market. 
The Knoll Generation Chair was the product of many minds, the work of many hands, but the chief designers and engineers were the members of Formway Design, a furniture building company based in New Zealand. The Generation Chair was subject to rigorous testing, re-testing, refinement, and a multitude of innovations and outside-the-box thinking. The result has been something everyone involved in its creation can be very proud of; the Generation Chair is at the top of the class in terms of design, mission, and functionality.
Founded in 1938, Knoll has nurtured many of the most inspiring and iconic furniture designs of the last century. With an extensive collection of modern classic furniture for the home as well as cutting-edge office furniture with a focus on functionality as well as aesthetics, Knoll is at the forefront of how furniture interacts with us and affects us in our daily lives.
Materials:
