Ikea Markus Chair Review

At the first look, this chair won’t seem the most comfortable. The sparse design and high back don’t make it the most appealing to sit on. Yet, IKEA outdid themselves in this chair in terms of sturdiness.

Regarding the sparse design, it shouldn’t be a problem. The mix between leather and air mesh in the seat and back does help in making it comfortable. However, the high back is annoying and the chair height itself won’t suit all people. Overall, I’d say that this chair is not for every body type.

It comes in four colors but they’re all basic and neutral to suit the formal office appeal.

Afterward, you can lock the tilt in place after adjusting it. It has 3 locking positions and the lock is not easy to move, so it’s pretty stable. This is a chair that cares about your posture.

Here’s the weak spot of this chair. It’s not flexible enough. The only adjustable attribute of it is its height and even that doesn’t suit some people as they’re annoyed by the high-back. Lumbar support and neck set are not adjustable. Neither are the arm sets, but they can be removed though.

Worth mentioning is that the arm sets are a bit too high for a regular desk. So you will have to be at a distance from the desk or take them off.

The casters are made of rubber and sensitive to pressure. Their brakes release as you sit and grip when you stand to ensure stability in both cases. However, some reviewers complained about the wheels, saying that they’re heavy and not easy to move.

Like any IKEA product, you will have to assemble the chair yourself. The good news is that it’s a pretty straightforward task with this chair with only 11 screws, 4 of them are for the arm sets. It takes about 15 minutes to set up.

Built to last, IKEA provides you with a 10-year limited guarantee when you purchase this chair.

This chair’s seat is made of genuine leather, just like its head cushion. If you’re waiting for the seat to get softer by time due to usage like most chairs, you’re wrong. The seat is firm and doesn’t get softer by time, it won’t allow you to slouch or curl into the chair.

While claimed to be imposing good posture by IKEA, this feature is frowned upon by many reviewers as it makes them uncomfortable. I can’t help you with this one, as it’s all personal preferences. Again, I advise you to go to the store and try it out yourself.

This chair costs about 200$ give or take, depending on the color. If you tried shopping for office chairs before, you’d know that this price is ridiculous compared to its high-end rivals.

Being affordable is not enough reason to buy a chair, but providing good functionality and versatility for the price is. And this is the strong point of IKEA’s Markus chair.

Another interesting feature is the lumbar support it offers through a padded built-in piece, which helps alleviate back pain and relieve stress. It has a weak spot though; it’s not adjustable. I advise you to try it yourself before purchase because if it doesn’t suit your body size it might do more harm than good.

The minimal design makes it easy to clean. Genuine leather won’t wear out easily as most chairs do, and the air mesh can be easily cleaned using a vacuum cleaner. Making this chair one of the easiest to clean on the market.

On their official website, IKEA advises you to wipe the chair with a mild soapy solution then wipe it dry. This can be another way to clean it instead of the vacuum cleaner.