Desky Swivel 3D Tilt office chair review: an entry-level chair that encourages micro movements

When sitting at a desk, most of us typically think about making sure we have good posture, but sitting still for too long also isn’t ideal for your health. Even the littlest of movements (aka micro movements) – like fidgeting, raising your hips, even reaching for an item on your desk – can be good for you. Most office chairs – even some of the best office chairs – don’t necessarily encourage this type of movement, as the seat bases are fairly flat and rigid. And, if a chair offers this kind of movement, it’s typically an expensive option, like the Steelcase Karman.

There is, however, a cheaper alternative from Australian company Desky – called the Desky Swivel 3D Tilt – and I tested it over a number of weeks in TechRadar’s Sydney office. It will set you back AU$349 purchased directly from Desky, and you can also opt for a drafting version of the same chair – featuring more height and a circular metal footrest – for AU$399. Note that Desky charges a flat shipping rate for its products, so you will need to factor in the additional cost when making a purchase decision.

Desky Swivel 3D Tilt review: Unboxing and first impressions

As the name suggests, the Desky Swivel 3D Tilt office chair claims to move with your body – meaning it will tilt in any angle within the full 360º circle, from forwards and backwards, sideways and all angles in between  – so I’d expected a specific component that allowed this to be in the box and which would need to be added into the chair while I assembled it.

Now, I’ve put together a few office chairs in my time, and I usually find it a daunting task, but when I laid out all the parts of the Swivel 3D Tilt, I was relieved to find only a handful of items that needed to be put together, the heaviest being the gas-lift mechanism.

The actual assembly process, however, didn’t go as smoothly as I expected. Firstly, there’s the expected bunch of screws and washers of different sizes and finishes, and it isn’t obvious where each one goes. While it’s easy enough to sort out the screws, the washers get very confusing as they’re not mentioned in the assembly instructions.

You need to study the images on the (very basic) instruction sheet closely to spot the washers and, with a few different sets included, there’s no real way to tell which one goes with which set of screws. It took me and a colleague quite a while to realise their placements don’t matter – they just need to be paired with a screw, any screw. 

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It would have likely taken less than 10 minutes to put the Desky Swivel 3D Tilt together if the assembly instructions were a little clearer, as opposed to the 30-minute process that included us unscrewing the frame and seat twice because we were unsure about the washers.

My first impression of some of the white parts – the metal base, the plastic frame and the underside of the seat – was that they looked a little cheap. The white wasn’t uniform across the board – some areas looked like they were already yellowing – and the plastic frame attracted dusty fingerprints remarkably quickly. The only bit that looked good was the grey plastic backrest and the cushion on the seat.

Another little issue that I couldn’t shake off was the ragged edges around four of the screw holes on the underside of the chair’s frame. While these get hidden away under the fully-assembled chair when it’s upright, a cleaner finish would have been nice.

Desky Swivel 3D Tilt review: Design and build quality

While the individual white plastic parts might not look their best, the overall quality appears to be quite solid and the chair should last a few years. There’s a 5-year warranty, which is less than what we’ve seen offered by some other manufacturers like ErgoTune and Steelcase (both offering 12-year warranties on the materials and mechanisms used), but at least you have peace of mind that if anything goes wrong in the near future, you could be sent a replacement.

Once assembled, the Desky Swivel 3D Tilt office chair looks good, with a clean and modern design thanks to its grey and white colour scheme. It’s such a neutral colour that the chair could easily become part of any office décor. In fact, I think it goes quite well with my white desk in TechRadar’s Sydney office.

There are no arm rests here, which is probably for the best. The cushioned seat has a width of 45mm and I’ve got some bulk to my frame that just fits. With armrests, I would likely have felt constrained. Colleagues slimmer than me tried the chair and they too said that it felt like it was built for smaller individuals or even a child. This chair is definitely not for larger people.

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While it may not have armrests, it does have a handy coat hanger – the top of the white frame ends in a bar that you can use to hang a coat or jumper from.

The only adjustment the Swivel 3D Tilt chair’s core mechanism offers is height, via a lever under the seat. This works well, going from a low of 44cm to a full height of 52cm. 

The chair comes with black plastic caster wheels that also seem to be quite well made. It takes a little elbow grease to get them fitted in the white metal base – which is really quite solid – but they move smoothly, even on a carpeted floor. On its own axis the chair swivels a full 360º just as smoothly and, if you don’t force a tilt, will be stable to keep you upright. Desky promises that the chair can handle a maximum load of 150kg.

Desky Swivel 3D Tilt review: In use

The seat of the Desky Swivel 3D Tilt tilting marginally in every direction is this chair’s headline act. This movement, the company claims, “feels like you’re balancing on a ball”, and sitting on an exercise ball is considered good for you – the instability that the ball creates makes the user activate torso muscles that can help increase core strength and improve posture. But where a ball is easy to roll off if you move around too much, the Swivel 3D Tilt keeps you on the seat thanks to a decent amount of resistance built in, which prevents you from sliding off. 

That resistance also means the seat isn’t moving as much as a ball would and thus not fully offering the benefits of micro movements. It tilts forwards and backwards easily enough, requiring only the slightest movements to trigger, but the sideways motions and tilting in other angles requires some amount of force. Keep swinging back and forth and it almost feels like you’re sitting on a rocking chair and, if you’re willing to put in the work to make the seat tilt in other directions, then it will feel a little like sitting on an exercise ball.

The seat pan itself, however, is quite narrow, even for a person with average build. We had four people try the chair and it was unanimous that the seat felt like it was made for small individuals. The cushion is thankfully quite comfortable – it’s not overly thick but it’s firm and seems like it will resist sagging for quite a while, even when considering the extra wear and tear caused by using forceful hip movements to make the seat tilt on its axis.

While there’s no lumbar support here, the backrest is fine if you don’t have any pre-existing back issues. That said, the bare hard plastic may not be comfortable if you’re using it on a hot, muggy Australian summer day without any air conditioning. The flip side to the plastic, however, is that it’s easy to clean – a quick wipedown with a damp cloth or paper towel is all you need to get grubby fingerprints, dust or sweat off the backrest and frame.

Final verdict

The Desky Swivel 3D Tilt is a decent chair that does what it says on the tin – it encourages you to move while you’re sitting and those micro movements can help you burn calories. While it might take some effort to make the seat tilt on its axis, that might just be the incentive you need to make sure you get some movement into your sedentary day. 

The narrow seat, though, isn’t for everyone and the uncushioned plastic back could be uncomfortable for all-day use if it’s hot and humid. If those aren’t deal breakers for you, and you take the assembly instructions with a pinch of salt, then this entry-level office chair will look good in most modern office setups.

Also consider

If you're looking for more options for an entry-level office chair, then take a look at our Steelcase Personality Plus review. It's a little more expensive than the Desky Swivel 3D Tilt, and it doesn't tilt to encourage micro movements, but it's very comfortable and long-lasting. Steelcase typically delivers its chairs fully assembled, which is nice, plus the mesh back of the Personality Plus is not just excellent quality but also very breathable. Moreover, it comes in different colours, so there'll be something for everyone.

If your budget doesn't extend too far, consider the Koala Upright office chair. It's fully cushioned, so while it won't be breathable, it's comfortable for people who don't get stuck behind a desk all day. It also comes in at about the same price as the Desky Swivel 3D Tilt. It's not the most ergonomic however, but is a decent choice if aesthetics matter to you.