About A Chair AAC 53 office chair by Hee Welling

HAY writes that "the softness and warmth of the upholstered shell temper the executive weight of the AAC 53, and bring a welcoming expression to an otherwise functional and technical genre, that of the office chair." Same base and same gas lift as the AAC 52, shell covered, in standard or quilted upholstery.

The upholstered shell, and what the textiles are

The shell is the same as on the non-upholstered models, a molded recycled polypropylene, according to the HAY product sheet, but here it is covered over its entire surface. Foam is placed on the shell and then covered with the chosen upholstery: the touch is softer and noise is better dampened in high-traffic rooms. In return, upholstery must be cleaned by dabbing and not by spraying.

The covers offered here: Hallingdal 65, Kvadrat wool (70% new wool, 30% viscose), the company classic, very durable; Remix 3, heathered Kvadrat wool (92% new wool, 8% nylon); Sense, HAY aniline leather dyed through: it shows the grain and develops a patina with use. The so-called quilted variants: HAY uses the term quilted: feature stitching that compartmentalizes the padding: the stuffing does not shift over time, and the relief breaks up the uniform surface.

The base: five-star, casters and gas lift

The base is a five-star cast aluminum star base: HAY writes cast aluminium five-legged castor base: mounted on casters. Five legs instead of four: this is the stability standard for rolling chairs, as a four-legged chair tips too easily when leaning forward.

A gas lift adjusts the seat height. It is a pneumatic cylinder: a pressurized nitrogen cartridge, activated by the lever under the seat, which lifts the chair effortlessly and locks it at the desired height. It requires no maintenance and can be replaced as a spare part if it eventually loses pressure.

Note on the height dimension. HAY publishes a single overall height for these chairs. Since the seat is adjustable by gas lift, this value corresponds to a given position, not a fixed height.