About A Chair AAC 15 office chair by Hee Welling

HAY presents the AAC 15 in the same terms as the AAC 14, specifying that it is "the upholstered version." Same wheelbase with casters, same dimensions, shell fully upholstered over its entire surface.

The upholstered shell, and what the textiles are

The shell is the same as on the non-upholstered models, molded recycled polypropylene, as stated on the HAY product sheet, but here it is covered over its entire surface. Foam is applied to the shell and then covered with the chosen upholstery: the touch is softer and noise is better dampened in high-traffic rooms. Conversely, upholstery must be cleaned by dabbing rather than spraying.

The upholstery options offered here: Hallingdal 65, a Kvadrat wool blend (70% wool, 30% viscose), the company's classic, very durable; Remix 3, a heathered Kvadrat wool blend (92% wool, 8% nylon); Steelcut, a Kvadrat wool blend with a dense, slightly granular surface (90% wool, 10% nylon).

Casters, but no gas lift: the distinction to know

The base is a four-star aluminum base, mounted on casters, on which the shell swivels. This is what HAY calls a four-star castor base.

This model does not have an adjustable gas lift. The seat height is fixed. This is what separates it from the About A Chair 50, 52, and 252, whose five-star base features a pneumatic gas lift. We mention this because it is not visible in a photograph, and because it is the primary criterion for a workstation: to adjust height to a desk, you need a gas lift; to roll from one point to another around a table, casters are sufficient.

Three base finishes: polished aluminum, black powder-coated, or white powder-coated.