The All33 Backstrong (now renamed Axion) is a chair endorsed by big names like Elon Musk, Chuck Liddell, and Shaquille O’Neal. The builders claim to have solved the seating problem by installing a rocking chair that mimics the movement of walking.
With so much popularity in the chair, we had to try one in the office. Read on to learn what happened when I committed to living in it full time.
*Please note: We believe that All33 Backstrong has sold its assets at auction and is no longer in business.
Full Disclaimer: We are an office furniture retailer and we sell other ergonomic mesh office chairs that we review. To learn more about the products we sell, our review process and why you can trust us, please visit: Why we’re different. Who is BTOD.com and Learning Center?
First impression on All33
When we first got this chair, I took it to the sales team to get their first impressions. Everyone got a chance to live in it – and no one really liked it. We couldn’t find anyone who would volunteer to use it long enough to see if it would work for them. That meant I had to stand up and commit to staying on it for two weeks, according to the manufacturer’s recommendations. I made it through only five days.
The main reason I can’t sit in a chair is the lumbar support. It sits in the wrong place on my body and causes a lot of stress. I always found myself sliding forward in the seat to escape – which defeats the purpose of having a backrest at all. My other biggest complaint is the armrests: they are too far apart to type comfortably and I started having neck pain as a result. Those two problems made it impossible to stay for 14 days. If you’re someone who suffers from neck pain from using a computer, the width of the fixed arm of this chair is a bad red flag.
2026 Values
The All33 Backstrong is priced at $999, with fabric upholstery or vegan leather as the only configuration options. The seat offered much less customization than that. As noted above, All33 appears to have auctioned off its inventory and is no longer in business – so new inventory and warranty support are not available.
All33 Build Quality
Build quality is something we focus closely on every review. When you invest $1,000 in a chair, you expect some quality. From bottom to top: average casters – nothing special, but functional. My main concern is the machine. We compared the All33 to the $89 Target Essentials chair, which comes with a basic recline. All33’s approach is almost identical – you’re basically getting the same hardware for ten times the price.
The same problem applies to the cylinder: the All33 uses a Class 3 cylinder — mid-range quality. For $1,000, you can expect at least a Class 4. The frame is assembled from plastic molded parts, which is unusual, but the quality of the molding is significantly lower than leading brands such as Steelcase, Herman Miller, and Haworth – you can see imperfections and bad transitions between the plastic pieces. The stitching and seat pad are just above average. All things considered, I’d put the All33’s build quality squarely in the $300–$400 price range — not $1,000. Compare that against what you get in a high-end ergonomic chair for the same price and the gap is significant.
All33 Adjustment
Adjustments to All33 are minimal. Seat height ranges from 18.75″ to 21″ — meaning the chair won’t provide an ergonomic fit for anyone under 5’8″ tall, and tops out at 6’8″. Another adjustment is the only lever that lets you recline using a basic swivel tilt mechanism, which causes your knees to rise as you lean back – a less comfortable experience than the synchro tilt you can usually find at this price point. The armrests swivel out of the way, designed to allow you to sit closer to your desk and reduce eye strain – but I’d much prefer a 4-way adjustable armrest that can be perfectly positioned to fit the user’s body rather than one that’s just out of the way. For an overview of what a good armrest adjustment looks like, see our Steelcase Leap V2 review – 4-way armrests that set the standard.
The rocking chair is a signature feature of the All33 – the manufacturers say it simulates the movement of walking to improve posture. Honestly, I don’t see any noticeable difference in the fit or comfort of the rocker. It feels gimmicky instead of functional.
Weight Strength
The All33 weighs 275 lbs. This is important to note since the chair is endorsed by Shaquille O’Neal, who has publicly placed his weight at 375 lbs and a height of 7’1″. From a height and weight standpoint, it’s not clear how the seat will work for him. The 275 lb limit also falls short of what you’d expect from a high chair at this price – most competitors offer 300–400 lb capacity as standard.
Everything33 Comfort
At $999, luxury expectations are high. Starting with the seat: it leans towards the firmer end of the spectrum, and the pad isn’t too heavy in appearance. Personally, I tend to prefer a slimmer seat, so the seat itself is acceptable – not a dealbreaker. The backrest is soft and comfortable if you can really reach it, but the rocking seat forces you to sit upright, making it difficult to constantly contact the back support. It’s not a chair for anyone who relies on touch backs all day.
Lumbar support is where the chair fails the most. All33 recommends a 10-14 day adjustment period because the lumbar placement is very specific and pushes firmly into the middle of the back. The pressure is pronounced enough that you continue to feel it after getting up from the chair. Although this is marketed as a feature, the people in our office were not fans – and I couldn’t get over it after five days.
The arm pads also fail the comfort test. There’s literally nothing attached – they feel as solid as the plastic they’re made of. Combined with the 21″ fixed width, your arms can’t fall naturally to your sides, forcing an unnatural shoulder position while typing. When looking at chairs for ergonomic back support, stiff arm pads with a fixed width are the type of problem that lead to shoulder and neck strain over time.
Final thoughts
The All33 Backstrong is a chair built around one idea – a rocking chair – but that idea doesn’t translate into a great sitting experience for most people. The lumbar placement is too aggressive, the arm pads are unusably stiff, the adjustment is very limited for a $999 chair, and the internals are far below what you’d expect at this price. I stayed only five days. That said, All33 may work for a certain body type that is willing to go beyond the recommended rest period. But since the company is no longer in business, there is no safety net – no warranty, no support, no replacement parts. At $999 there are better options available from companies that still stand behind their products.