One thing about me? I'm not tryna look cute while I'm working. As a writer/editor, I have to turn my focus mode on for long periods of time on the daily, and I simply can't care about how I appear to an outside observer. As a result, my fiancé has to see me with my mouth wide open, eyes all squinty, and legs twisted up like a contortionist whenever I work from home. It's not my best look, but I gotta be comfy. I gotta be me. And that's what drove me to cop the Pukami Classic Criss-Cross Chair a few weeks ago.
You've definitely heard of this chair before—and if you haven't heard about it, you've definitely seen it on your FYP. The astonishingly affordable Amazon find first went viral in 2023, beloved by wiggly workers who prefer to sit criss-cross applesauce than be forced to sit with their feet on the ground (🙋). As you can see in the pics, the armless design and wide seat make the perfect place to plop down your booty plus a tangle of legs and feet...and to say people are excited about it would be an understatement.
I've been testing this bad boy out for nearly a month now to see what all the hype is about, and I've got a full review coming for you below (ahem, I may or may not be sitting in the chair while writing these words). Read on for the pros and cons, plus my final verdict on whether it's worth it.
Pros
That! Price!
I can barely buy a Friday night dinner on Seamless for under $55, never mind a piece of furniture. So to say that the Pukami chair is a steal would be the understatement of the century. The list price is $94.99, and the beige (which I have) is currently 41% off, making it $55.99. That said, the price fluctuates frequently—over the past few months, it's been somewhere between $47 and $60. I don't need to tell you this, but that's cheap as hell. Especially compared to other office chairs on the market rn.
It's easy to put together
I'm not gonna lie—I made my fiancé build this chair for me. I mean, if I secure the chair, he has to put it together, them's the rules. Regardless, I watched (for research), and based on what I saw, it was not hard at all. All the tools were included, and altogether it only took about half an hour to build from start to finish, with pleeeenty of phone breaks in between. The only thing I will say is that the instructions recommend having an extra person on hand to help hold together the seat back and cushion while you screw them together. My fiancé managed to do it by himself (okay, handyman), but just so y'all know it can be tricky solo!!
It's perfect for the wigglers of the world
As I mentioned, the seat on this bad boy is wide—25.5 inches wide, to be exact. It's also padded with high-resilience foam and wrapped in a skin-friendly twill fabric, all of which make sitting—and then standing, and then twisting, and then cosplaying as a pretzel—an extremely comfortable experience. The armless design also means you have unrestricted movement (good news for your knees), and the 360-degree swivel, 130-degree tilt, and five-inch adjustable height allow you to get into the perfect position for you, every time.
It's very aesthetically pleasing, obv
Personally, I love the minimalistic vibes going on with my "Classic" seat in the color beige, which has chic and simple tufting along the base and back. I have the chair pulled up at the head of my long black dining table (I live in the city, so "desk" is a loose term), and it blends in perfectly with my aesthetic, especially since the black base matches the table.
Honestly, I think the beige would look good in pretty much any room you put it in, but it's also available in nine other colors for your matching pleasure, as well as a few other styles—the "Contemporary" has a taller back and horizontal tufting, for example, while the "Modern" only has tufting on the backrest. I popped a few other designs I love below, but take a peek at the listing and you'll see everything you can choose from.
Cons
It's not the most ergonomic
Let's be so for real: it's not, like, great for your body to sit criss-cross applesauce for eight-plus hours a day, especially in a chair with no arms. You might (a) start losing circulation in your legs, and/or (b) end up with an achey-breaky back thanks to leaning forward. But it's not great sitting in any position for a long period of time without moving, so just make sure you're watching your posture and getting up to stretch on the reg.
Wheels cost extra
If rolling around is just as important to you as fidgeting, then this might not be the chair for you. This baby is stationary, with four heavy legs that stay put wherever you plop 'em down. So, not entirely ideal if you like to boop around your workspace throughout the day.
That said, you can snag a wheeled version of the Pukami criss-cross chair—it'll just cost you a little extra. You can get the "Traditional" style seat for around $95, depending on the colorway, and the "Casual" for about $80—both of which feature five wheels along the base.
The bottom line
It's rare to find a desk chair that's cute, comfy, and cheap all at the same time. Downright impossible, really. But the Pukami Classic Criss-Cross chair manages to achieve just that. If I were you, I'd snag this diamond in the rough while you still can (or before they raise the price...).
I'm actually considering buying another one to put in front of my vanity, so I can swivel 'n' wiggle while I do my hair and makeup every morning before work. I considered just moving the one from the dining room table into our bedroom, but...it's kind of my fiancé's favorite spot now. In Pukami we trust!
