Very good review. I almost bought one of these exact chairs but they were backordered and I didn't want to wait. I ended up getting one of the Staples branded "gaming chairs" at my local store for $199 and am really impressed with it although it doesn't have the features of the Secret Labs.
Almost all the reviews mention the hard cushioning and almost all of them come to the same conclusion, that while it's not quite as plush as some other chairs, over long periods, the support it offers is really class leading.
I still may end up with one of these chairs eventually. My son's chair is getting pretty wore out so it might be time for a hand-me-down lol. And I have to admit, the Batman logo is half the reason I want one of these!
I didn't like them being backordered either, but as I said in the review I got mine much earlier than expected.
I just need them to make it in mesh... I bought some ergohuman Chinese knockoff off Amazon because I needed something.
I probably would have jumped on a mesh version. The mesh chairs are much cooler and on that front, nicer to sit in for long periods. Generally I don't have a problem with this one, but my seating position is literally under the air conditioning vent in my office. When I slide the chair over to the test bench, if I'm there too long it does get a little hot. That being said, I'm getting used to it and it is getting cooler out, so it's a little colder in my office.
Wife has back issues from an accident way back when, and were both getting to an age where ergonomics make all the difference in the world.
So Herman Miller is pretty much it for us.
I'll leave the side bolstered racing seats in the car. For short trips.
I would point out that the supportive nature of the chair and whatever the padding is made out of is world's ahead of mesh. Mesh chairs, for those who don't know wear out eventually. The mesh on my Raynor Ergo human looks fine. Other than the arm rests falling apart, the chair looks the way it did when I first assembled it. However, sitting in it for long periods of time now creates pressure points in the glutes which effects the lower back. It also hurts my legs around the hamstrings too. The mesh certainly deforms more than usual when I sit on it. It's a gradual process you don't really notice until you do.
That chair only became a problem in the last year. The previous 6-7 years I had it were all fine. It was one of the most comfortable chairs I had sat in until Kyle started reviewing chairs and I experienced the Noblechairs and some others. There are a couple real advantages to the Titan over the Raynor Ergohuman on the comfort front. The lumbar support system is far better on the Titan. They aren't even remotely close. It's leagues ahead. The head rest cushion, while less elegant than the adjustable headrest of the Raynor, is more comfortable as well.
Compared to the Herman Miller Aeron, it's largely the same thing. The arm rests on the Aeron aren't likely to ever wear out but the lumbar support system is primitive and frankly, at that price point it's a joke. It's just a big semi-padded bar you slide up and down. That's it. The Titan has a knob for adjustment that increases the stiffness of the lumber support the way a car seat would. The mesh of the Aeron is nicer than the Raynor in the sense that it seems to hold up much better. Even when it starts to give, I never felt the pressure points that I did on the Raynor. That being said, the Aeron also has what I consider stupid controls and it has no head rest.
It is also more than double the price of the Titan. If you are set on mesh, the two leaders as far as I am concerned are the Raynor Ergohuman and the Herman Miller Aeron. The latter has some real advantages over the Raynor. Primarily, it can be purchased at sizes where it has greater weight ratings. My Raynor may have lasted longer if my weight hadn't fluctuated over the weight rating to just below the max weight rating.
The base price is now $429.
Thats a pretty steep price, but I think it may be worth it. My only concern would be
holding up in the long run.
That's a fair assessment. So far, I think it was worth every penny of the $469.99 I paid for mine. (I believe that's the as configured price of mine.) As for holding up, so far I've had it for just over 60 days and it's just like it was one day one, albeit more comfortable due to the seat cushion breaking in a little. There is no visual evidence of this, but the padding has softened slightly.
The price is within the premium pricing range for a gaming chair but it appears to be worth the asking price.
A Logo-less variant would be nice or the ability to upload your own image/logo/etc would be equally nice.
I will have my eye on one of these post monitor upgrade/cpu upgrade.
So far I think it is worth the price. I plan on providing an update after a year of use to see where it's at and what you can expect. So far, Secret Lab has updated it's offerings on an annual basis. There is a 2019 model, a 2020 model etc. So there may be differences in the chairs come 2021. However, you'll get some idea of what to expect from longevity.
Keep in mind, I use a computer far more than most people. I work two computer related jobs and I'm an avid gamer. I leave my computer chair to use the bathroom, 3 hours in the gym each day, and to sleep. That I do only 5 to 6 hours a night. So that's an example of heavy use which is a good portion of the year. There are times where I indulge my other hobbies besides gaming, in which case I'm only at my computer for about 12 hours a day. So that's the minimum duty cycle per day.
In other words, my use case destroys chairs. Cheap Staples chairs that cost $130 barely make it a year with me. The nicer $170 Executive types are worn out in every way possible after 2 to 3 years. Flat padding, arm rests disintegrating, gas strut leaks, etc.
