One chair for working, gaming and lounging – and getting a massage
14/4/2026
Translation: Veronica Bielawski
Camera: Davide Arizzoli, Nico Bernasconi
Direction: Davide Arizzoli
Pictures: Davide Arizzoli
My wife has vetoed the idea: this «ugly hunk of a chair» isn’t allowed in our shared home office. But I was still able to test the Omni office and gaming chair. And its massage feature.
Note on current availability (16 April): most of the chairs we had in stock have sold out. More are already on the way. If you’re looking to order the Omni, availability should be better from 21 or 22 April.
For English subtitles, click the gear icon, «Subtitles/CC» and «Auto-translate».
In matters of taste, there can be no disputes – well, except with your wife. So I’m testing the Libernovo Omni at the office. The upside? I get my colleague Christoph on board as co-reviewer.
We build the chair together. The Omni is supposed to replace Christoph’s gaming chair. Over the next few weeks, he’ll also be doing the odd bit of office work on this new throne.
Putting the chair together is a very satisfying experience. Right at the top, there’s a kind of cardboard panel that shows the seven assembly steps with pictures and short bits of text. There’s also a video you can open via QR code, but we’re happy to stick to the pictures; the instructions are crystal clear.
Slot it in, screw it tight, done!
We slot the five castors into the base, then insert the gas spring and place the seat on top. The latter is held in place by two screws, for which a Torx screwdriver is included. A third small screw connects the seat to the chair’s spine and motor unit.
There’s a recess at the bottom of the seat for the backrest adjusting unit with levers and buttons. It’s based on a cable system.
The backrest clicks into two metal rods at the top and bottom, while the battery pack slots into another recess underneath the seat. Finally, it’s time to insert the headrest.
Four screws, one cable connection and three snap-on parts later, the chair is ready. Building the Omni took less than 15 minutes.
The design takes some getting used to
Now, is this «ugly hunk of a chair», to quote my wife, really that ugly? Let’s put it this way: it’s an acquired taste. The Bionic Flex Fit backrest and exposed motor with its small gas spring have an H.R. Giger-esque quality to them. (The Swiss artist was behind the Alien’s distinctive look from the eponymous film.) Our test model is in Moss Green, which somewhat counteracts its Alien-y appearance.
Plastic dominates
One thing becomes abundantly clear during assembly: there’s no lack of plastic on the Omni. Mind you, it’s not cheap plastic. It’s solid, sturdy stuff with a quality finish and no protruding edges or sharp marks from the mould. Libernovo rates it for up to 136 kilogrammes, which is a little more than the 120 kilogrammes typical for office chairs.
The seat and backrest’s layer of foam is covered in a microfibre fabric that feels very soft and almost silky. The seat has three degrees of hardness that we can indeed feel. It’s softer towards the front and harder towards the back.
We do have some concerns about how durable the fabric and foam padding will prove. Time will tell how many hours of sitting it can handle. According to Libernovo, the fabric has a pilling resistance of 4 out of 5. The abrasion resistance rating is 50,000 wear cycles – high enough for use in public spaces.
Countless sitting options
When I sink into the chair, it almost feels like a hug. It’s like sitting in a Porsche bucket seat, only much softer. The eight flexible panels in the backrest work a bit like a good slatted bed base. They give way by different amounts depending on your weight distribution. The backrest can be adjusted to four different angles:
- 105 degrees for focused work
- 120 degrees for comfortable working, such as typing
- 135 degrees for streaming or gaming
- 160 degrees for a massage and napping
Back massage
The Omni practically begs you to never get up again, not just because of the many adjustment options, but above all because of the OmniStretch back massage. Here, the 5-volt motor pulses gently against your lower back, stretching the spine. It’s not really a massage in the classic sense – more of a wellness snack.
The buttons to switch the massage on and off are located in the armrest. A very nice touch is that the armrests move with you when you lean far back. Your forearms and hands always have comfy support.
The battery is a real endurance champion. With around ten minutes of massage per day, the 2,200 mAh battery lasted several weeks.
Not much room for long thighs
The seat is 45 centimetres wide, though what’s arguably more important on the Omni is seat depth. There are two options: 45 and 48 centimetres. As a 1.91-metre man, I opted for the 48-centimetre version. It’s still not quite deep enough for me; I’d like more support for my thighs. The seat depth on the Omni can’t be used to its full extent, as the backrest sticks out a lot. On the Ofinto Active (read my review here), I have 51 centimetres of depth. There, the backrest comes out from behind the seat.
As you can see the video, the chair isn’t ideal for people over 1.85 metres tall. The backrest can’t be adjusted, and it only reaches just below my shoulder blades. For my co-tester Christoph, who’s 1.83 metres tall, the chair’s dimensions are spot on.
A headrest made for laid-back reclining
One of the Omni’s biggest advantages is its headrest. It’s 34 centimetres wide and 19 centimetres tall. You can adjust both the angle and depth, and it’s easy to find a relaxing position – especially in the two more heavily reclined positions. Above all, the headrest is outrageously soft. For my fellow tester Christoph, it’s the chair’s biggest selling point.
At least until he also got the footrest. In the video above, you can see it’s a really useful extra. Without it, you’d have to prop your legs up on your desk, for example. Of course, that would be a tad too cheeky and uncivilised in an office setting.
In a nutshell
A chair for many use cases
With the Omni, the manufacturer is targeting people who might have been eyeing premium office chairs like the Aeron from Herman Miller or the Leap from Steelcase. At around 1,000 francs, the Omni is cheaper and scores points with its massage motor. Its unique backrest featuring individual components that move with you make it a very comfortable office chair. The fact that it reclines to 135 or even 160 degrees also makes it interesting for gamers.
All in all, it’s a really good chair. But I do have two small issues with it. First off, the backrest feels a bit too wobbly to me; the mounting points are flexible, but I’d have preferred them to be a bit sturdier. Second, I’d have liked the manufacturer to show a bit more confidence with the massage motor. It comes with only a two-year warranty. For the rest of the chair, it’s five years. While that’s decent, some competitors offer up to ten years.
Pro
- Quality castors, especially for hard floors
- Easy assembly
- Four recline settings, especially interesting for gaming
- Comfortable headrest
- Massage function helps counter hunched sitting
- Electrically adjustable lumbar support
- Good back support and relief
- Very comfortable sitting
Contra
- Short warranty period for the motor
- Footrest has to be bought separately
- Foam backrest can get warm after long periods of sitting
- Backrest height isn’t adjustable
Martin Jungfer
Head of Content
Martin.Jungfer@digitecgalaxus.chJournalist since 1997. Stopovers in Franconia (or the Franken region), Lake Constance, Obwalden, Nidwalden and Zurich. Father since 2014. Expert in editorial organisation and motivation. Focus on sustainability, home office tools, beautiful things for the home, creative toys and sports equipment.
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