Last updated: 16th Oct 2026
Is your office chair sinking? I have some good news and some bad news for you. The good news is that the fix is relatively easy – you simply have to replace the gas cylinder.
You can get one on Amazon for $40-60. It will give your chair another 2-5 years of life, depending on its quality.
Expert Tip.
Are you taller than 180cm? An extra-long cylinder is the better option for you – because it will give you about 3-4cm extra seat height. Simply search for “XL chair gas cylinder”.
The bad news? Getting the old cylinder out is a royal PITA. There’s a small chance you won’t be able to get it out – and will have to buy a new ergonomic chair instead.
But I’ll do my best to help you fix your sinking chair. Here is the best way to get the cylinder out.
Step 1: Disconnect The Seat.
Above: Lean the chair on its side – and you’ll see the top part of the piston disappearing into your seat.
The gas cylinder connects to your office chair via two points. The top, thinner one goes into your seat. The bottom, wider one goes into the 5-pointed base.
If you’re lucky, the cylinder will not be perfectly round. It will have a “squished” section that you can latch on to using a pipe wrench.
Grab it using the pipe wrench and rotate it (the direction doesn’t matter). That should make it come out.
If you’re not so lucky, you can still use the pipe wrench – just be more careful when applying pressure, so you don’t destroy the cylinder.
Don’t Have A pipe Wrench?
Don’t worry – you can still get the cylinder out. All you need is a metal hammer. Use it to hit the chair right next to the spot where the cylinder enters the seat (indicated by the red arrow in the image above).
Expert Tip.
Piston not coming out? Spray some WD-40 into the crevices around the piston. Hit the seat base with a rubber mallet a few times to loosen things up. Wait for 10-15 minutes, so WD-40 penetrates deep into the joint.
Step 2: Disconnect The Base.
Above: Strike the mallet or hammer against the outer rim of the cylinder.
You’re almost done!
Grab the star-shaped seat base and apply a couple of decent blows to the bottom of the cylinder. Ideally, use a rubber mallet – not a metal hammer.
Expert Tip.
Hit the outer rim of the cylinder – not the inner centre of it that contains the clip.
The base will let go quite easily if you haven’t been sitting on it for very long, if you’re not heavy, or if it’s made from metal.
Cheaper chair bases are made from hard thermoplastic, which is notoriously hard to remove – because it stretches slightly, thus gripping the cylinder harder.
Steven
