Review Of The Via Riva Office Chair
Via Riva Office Chair
Via’s Riva chair is a high performance ergonomic office chair comfortably below the $500 plus entry level point normally associated with chairs with similar features. Whilst its main appeal will be for people who like a conventional foam seat and back, it also offers an optional mesh back for those who may prefer it.
At the heart of any task chair is the mechanism and the Riva offers a number of options, although the entry level mechanism is reasonably well featured, it’s well worth going for the full function synchro version as it offers important additional benefits.
With the full function mechanism you get two extra key benefits. First there is a seat slider allowing users to adjust the seat’s depth to fit their leg length and so ensuring maximum leg comfort in use. Second its synchronized action moves the seat and back in a more natural way providing better body support when reclining.
It is available in 3 seat sizes and 2 back options which makes it suitable for a very wide range of different users ranging from a 5’ 0" petite built woman to a 6’ 0" plus male, weighing between 100 and 275 lbs.
By offering these size options combined with its wide range of optional extras you can specify a chair designed to fit you correctly and at the same time only including those features which are important to you. This online specialist has great pricing on the Riva options.
So let’s take a look at the Via Riva in greater detail.
Specification, Adjustments and Dimensions
The seat pad comes in 3 different sizes:- Standard 19" wide by 17.5" deep
- Medium 20" wide by 19" deep
- Large 21.5" by 19.5" deep
These are generously proportioned sizes and the standard seat will fit a surprisingly wide range of users. To work out which is best, measure the overall width across the top of your legs when seated and add on 2" for clearance.
Seat height is adjustable between 16.25" and 21.50" which will take care of the vast majority of people, there are also optional gas lifts for specialist use.
Chair backs come in 2 sizes, medium giving an overall height range of 38" to 43" and full back giving 40" to 46". The medium back is as big as many competitors’ high backs and should be plenty big enough for most users.
The standard finish is an upholstered front with a black plastic outer back shell. There are further options to fully upholster the back as well as the alternative mesh finish.
Mesh Back & Swing Back Arm
All backs are height adjustable by means of a concealed ratchet mechanism, just grip the back while seated and gently lift it up and it raises in preset increments. If you lift it beyond the maximum it then returns to the low position again from where you can re-adjust it as necessary.
Backs are shaped to give good lower back support and there are options to add either a sliding mechanical lumbar support or an inflatable air lumbar support. These aren't really necessary as it should be possible to adjust the back position to give good support.
Although there are at least 6 chair mechanism options, only 3 are commonly specified.
The best of these is the full function synchro control as this includes the all important user weight tension adjustment and a seat depth adjuster for maximum leg comfort, especially useful for taller or shorter users. The other benefit of this mechanism is it moves the seat and back in a 2:1 ratio which feels more comfortable when reclining, it also has 5 separate fixed recline positions.
These important features make the full function the best choice of mechanism.
Down from this is the knee tilt controller with slider which is still a good mechanism the main difference is the seat and back move as one when reclining which doesn't feel so natural. Also it only has 3 lockable back positions however this isn't very significant.
Riva Swing Back Arm Detail
Finally there is the knee tilt control which has a fixed seat position, individual user weight tension control when reclining as well as being able to lock the back in a fixed upright position.
The chair comes armless as standard. Adjustable height arms can be specified giving users 2.5" of height variation. There is also a full function arm which allows arm pad rotation in and out by 180º overall.
Finally there is a swing back arm, this is height adjustable and has the additional benefit of being able to swing down making the chair temporarily armless. This can be useful if you like to work up close to your workstation and find the arms get in the way.
The standard chair base is a durable black nylon with an optional polished aluminum version. Both come with carpet casters, with a choice of hard surface casters or non-rolling glides if required.
There is a choice of 115 fabric and 15 leather options for quick ship availability. The most popular 4 ranges can be seen here.
Warranty
Foam cushions, structural components and non-moving parts carry a lifetime warranty. Pneumatic cylinders, casters and adjustable arms have a 10 year warranty, with chair mechanisms covered by a 6 year warranty.
Via upholstery has a 2 year warranty whether fabric, mesh or leather.
These chairs are solidly built and will give many years good service, manufacturers often limit the warranty on upholstery as they don't manufacture it. In reality it shouldn't be a problem.
Overall Assessment
Via’s Riva ergonomic chair provides great value for money and includes options for all the essential features needed for a comfortable well engineered office seat.
It is extremely easy to assemble and feels solid and supportive in use, with all the components being high quality including the parts you don't see. Things like the chair foams made from top quality high resilience material which won't flatten no matter how long you use it.
It should be pointed out under the terms of the warranty this covers the original purchaser and is intended for single shift use, so doesn't extend to multi user 24/7 use.
Where To Buy Online
For a great deal on the Riva Chair, try this online specialist seating store which offers all the options at highly competitive prices including free shipping and 30 day return policy.