ByteDance's Office Chair Replacement Plan

ByteDance launched an office chair replacement plan in August 2026, replacing the American brand Humanscale's 'world' model with the domestic brand Qingxian S1, primarily due to employee feedback about insufficient support from the original chairs. The new chairs offer advantages in functionality and cost-effectiveness.

Replacement Background and Reasons

The original Humanscale 'world' model office chairs, retailing at 8,200 yuan, had a design flaw where the backrest 'could not be locked,' leading to a lack of support for employees' waists and heads during prolonged sitting, resulting in poor comfort and widespread feedback. This design defect became the core reason for ByteDance to initiate the replacement plan.

Key Features of the New Office Chair, Qingxian S1

Qingxian S1 is the first product launched by the Qingxian brand in 2025. The version procured by ByteDance is priced at 2,500 yuan, only one-third of the original chair's price. Its design focuses on prolonged sitting scenarios, emphasizing the 'following sensation' of lumbar support:

• Basic Functions: It retains the recline-following function, fitting the natural curve of the spine through ergonomic design to alleviate prolonged sitting pressure.
• Pro Model Upgrades: It is equipped with a motor-driven lumbar support system that allows adjustment of support intensity via buttons; a new ventilation mode enhances comfort during summer use; and a 'spinal stretch mode' during recline, which uses motor propulsion to enhance back stretching effects.
• Cost-Effectiveness Optimization: The standard S1 model removes the motor and ventilation functions, retaining only the core recline-following feature to further reduce costs and meet basic needs.

Expansion of Other Product Lines by the Qingxian Brand

In addition to the S1 series, Qingxian launched the Maxis series in 2026, designed specifically for larger users. The flagship product, Maxis Pro, offers even higher configurations:

• Structural Innovation: It adopts an exoskeleton-style flexible backrest to adapt to the back curves of users with different body types; a segmented recline system enables more precise support adjustments.
• Function Enhancement: The electric lumbar support allows multi-level intensity adjustments; the seat ventilation is upgraded to a two-level mode; and the maximum weight capacity reaches 181 kg, covering a broader user base.

This replacement plan not only addresses employee dissatisfaction with the original chairs' support but also reduces corporate procurement costs by introducing cost-effective domestic products, while showcasing the progress of domestic office furniture in functional design and user experience.