Office chairs are a whole world of their own. On one hand, there are chairs that cost only a few hundred shekels and provide an inexpensive solution, but it’s hard to say they’re comfortable enough for long hours in front of the computer. On the other hand, there are expensive chairs where it’s not always easy to find reliable reviews. I’ve been using a chair for several years that costs around NIS 2,000 from a very well-known national retail chain, and it’s hard to say the price justified the product.
I carried this chair with me for years, even though the company’s service wasn’t great and the product constantly made me look at other chairs, hoping that someday I’d upgrade my experience. Recently I came across the LiberNovo Omni chair from LiberNovo, exclusively imported by Newton.
LiberNovo is a very young Chinese company founded in 2023 by Alex Yan, a former senior executive at major Chinese companies: DJI – the well-known drone company, and Narwal – a robotic vacuum company. Alex suffered from severe lower back pain due to long hours of work, which led him to develop what the company describes as the world’s first dynamic ergonomic chair for creators, gamers, and professionals.
Like many young companies, LiberNovo launched the Omni through crowdfunding on Kickstarter, where it raised $7.7 million within two months. In recent months, the chair began being sold in Israel through its official importer, Newton. This is not a cheap chair, starting at NIS 4,690 before add-ons, but it is compared to companies like Herman Miller, whose Aeron model costs over NIS 8,000 and the Embody over NIS 10,000. So when looking at the Omni, it’s important to understand that it plays in the premium category, but with a significantly more accessible price tag.
LiberNovo Omni – white gloves and a charger
The Omni arrived at my home in two boxes: The first was very large and contained the entire chair. The second, much smaller box contained the footrest.
The chair is self-assembled, and even someone who struggles with assembling IKEA furniture (like me) can complete the task in about 15 minutes. To make the assembly experience enjoyable, the kit includes white gloves that give a special feel, along with instruction manuals. I chose to assemble the chair using the company’s YouTube videos, which did an excellent job explaining everything. The kit includes a screwdriver and everything you need, so there’s no need to prepare anything in advance.
The chair I reviewed came in gray, though there are also black and green versions. The light gray color looks great, but it also made me constantly worry about dirt and stains. So if you have children at home who might sit on it, keep that in mind. It has a relatively tall design with a headrest and a skeletal-style backrest, which in my opinion gives it a slightly futuristic look that I really liked.
Although this is an analog product, LiberNovo also integrated several smart features into the chair. The kit includes a removable battery, charged via USB-C, which powers the control buttons at certain angles of the chair as well as the massage function, which I’ll expand on later.
The Omni is based on a backrest made of 8 flexible panels connected at 14 dual connection points, creating a dynamic support surface for the back. In addition, there are dual-layer ball joints and 16 pivot points that provide flexibility and stability. There is also a motor system that moves the backrest, creating an S-shaped curve for support.
Sitting in the chair feels supportive and comfortable: The back is well supported, the cushioning is pleasant, and the headrest allows you to lean back slightly while working. You can also adjust the headrest angle for a personalized fit.
The armrests offer a wide range of adjustment: They can be raised and lowered, tilted diagonally inward, and they also move backward when you lean back, maintaining continuous support.
Most of the chair’s operation is analog, except for the lower back support, which requires using battery-powered buttons. This allows precise adjustment of lower back support intensity. The armrest height is manually adjustable, and you can also move the armrests inward or outward to match shoulder width.
The seat height can be adjusted using a dedicated lever, and next to it is another lever offering four backrest angle positions (including full recline). There is also a dial that allows adjustment of backrest resistance.
Want to sleep in the middle of the day? You won’t need to get up from the chair
For someone who enjoys daytime naps while working from home, the Omni provides an effective solution, since there’s no need to get up and move to a bed or sofa. The chair can shift into a full recline position, so together with the footrest you can simply sleep and even activate the massage mode, which works well while lying back. It’s a gentle spine massage that runs for 5 continuous minutes and offers a bit of relief, but don’t expect anything more than that. Still, it’s a nice addition. To activate it, you’ll need to remember to charge the removable battery. It can be taken out very easily from the left side of the chair without even needing to bend down.
By the way, the footrest significantly improves the experience, both as a fixed place to rest your feet and when reclining and wanting to elevate your legs. The footrest includes two foot positions at different heights. I’ve really gotten used to using it, and it’s hard to imagine going back.
Price: NIS 4,690 or NIS 5,130 with the footrest (exclusive importer Newton, with a permanent 10% discount on the website for first-time purchases)
Bottom line, the LiberNovo Omni is a significant upgrade to the experience of working or gaming at a desk. It’s certainly not a cheap indulgence, but for those willing to invest in a high-quality chair for their workspace, this product offers excellent back support, extensive seating adjustments, a massage feature, and a full recline option.