Simplicity doesn’t necessarily mean affordable or cheap. Many times products that look so simple come at a high price because of their quality or the brand name, or both. Coming across the Egoa Armchair, designed by Josep Mora for Stua, I sort of wondered at the $2,700+ price tag for something that looks so simple – not that revolutionary at all. Is the price tag justified?

The Spanish-manufactured Egoa Armchair first hit the scene in 1988, so it’s no spring chicken. There are several variations available: those with casters or slides (probably not suitable for use as bar chairs) and those without. It’s good to know, though, that the chair’s glides carpeting or wooden floors. The frame is made from chromed steel while the seat and back are of beech wood. The chair is upholstered in semi-aniline leather, which comes in stone, black, or brown. It measures 32.5 inches high, 20 inches wide, and 21 inches deep. The seat is 16 inches high while the armrest lies nine inches higher.

Its ergonomic features are probably the chair’s best-selling points. The hinged back and seat do not constrain body movement; whether the user sits straight up or leans back, it doesn’t matter. The chair’s flexibility ensures that the person sitting in it remains comfortable by not being stiff and unrelenting.

The Egoa Armchair combines home comfort with industrial quality, that’s why it’s held in high esteem in Europe as a contract-quality chair. Professional and critical acclaim has been awarded to it too, with its designation as a recipient of the Melbourne Award for Innovative Design.

Do the chair’s design, ergonomic features, user-friendliness, and reputation warrant the not inexpensive price tag? You be the judge.