Regarding Gas Cylinder Misconceptions:After reading the reviews regarding the pneumatic cylinder ("gas lift"), I was skeptical of purchasing this chair. However; I did anyway due to the facts that 1.) I knew I could replace the cylinder if it failed and 2.) Wal-Mart accepts returns on this chair with no receipt due to it being sold on their website (this costs Wal-Mart no money, as they are reimbursed by the manufacturer).After unpacking the chair, I noticed that the pneumatic cylinder was EXTREMELY well-constructed. Either they have gone with a new manufacturer for their cylinders, or the previous negative reviews were due to a faulty batch or customer abuse. I also read a review stating that once the cylinder is attached, it can not be replaced. This is absolutely incorrect. If the cylinder were to fail, you can purchase a generic replacement for $5-10 and have it changed out in mere minutes. Anyone is able to do this.THAT SAID, I absolutely love this chair. I suffer from 2 herniated desks, and being a self-employed Internet Marketer / Entrepreneur, I spend anywhere from 12-18, sometimes 20 hours per day in an office chair. This is the first chair that has not hurt my back... I suffer from almost constant pain, but when sitting in this chair, my pain completely disappears the majority of the time which is AMAZING considering that my pain is pretty much continuous. The lumbar support design is wonderful, contouring to my back perfectly, and even that of different height friends.PADDING / COMFORT:The padding is excellent; not too firm, not too soft... You can tell that a lot of attention and detail was put into the construction of this chair. It is VERY sturdy; no wobbles, no weak parts which I could foresee breaking, and completely different feeling than the in-store "Executive Chairs" which Wal-Mart, etc. stock for the same (or higher) price. Even as a large guy, when reclining completely in this chair, there is no strain on the support members of the chair back.LUMBAR SUPPORT / GENERAL FITMENT:I am 6'2" 250lbs (experience from shorter person below); not a small guy by any means. This chair fits me perfectly and the lumbar support rests directly against my lower back (and oh gosh is it comfortable), and gives me great posture. This is the most comfortable char I have ever sat in... and not just as far as office chairs.My girlfriend, who is 5'7" loves the chair also, finding it just as comfortable as I do. The lumbar support also hits her back in the proper spot... From this, I'm going to go ahead and assume that this is a perfect chair for any size.Chair back locked up, or reclined, both are extremely comfortable. The straight up lock is not "too straight" like some other chairs.Ergonomic chairs allow more adjustment, but this chair is built to not need it... Read online how an ergonomic chair should be configured to be optimal. I did all the "tests", and this chair is already configured perfectly for myself (and seems to be for people smaller and slightly bigger than myself also).MISCELLANEOUS OBSERVATIONS:The caster wheels are of sufficient quality, and seem to be very low-friction... They roll very easily on carpet, wood, or tile. My office is ceramic tile, and the wheels DO roll a slight bit too easily, but it is not difficult to adjust to.The arm and wheelbase supports are Nylon Plastic... NOT METAL. I bought the chair with the mindset that I ONLY wanted metal supports (both arm and wheelbase), due to the arm supports being the main failure point.HOWEVER; The arm / wheelbase supports are EXTREMELY THICK and high-quality... They have NO give whatsoever, and I can guarantee they will not fail. The arm supports are literally 3.5-4 inches thick, and are not the low-quality polymer of other chairs. These are high strength nylon.FINAL CONSENSUS:This chair is absolutely amazing. I was going to say "amazing for the price" but that would be far downplaying how great this chair is.I have sat in (and was looking to buy) chairs in the $400-600 range that were less comfortable and less durable than this chair.I have NEVER found a chair with this good of a contour or lumbar support.I have sat in this chair for a maximum of 10 hours straight so far with no agitation of my 2 herniated discs (1 Thoracic, 1 Lumbar). No chair (office chair or otherwise) has ever been that "kind" to my back.Bottom line; I would feel comfortable paying upwards of $500 for this chair and still be satisfied. For the professional who spends the majority of their day in their office chair, or for the casual user who may only spend 15 minutes at a time in it; this chair is too darn good to pass up.