Razer has entered the gaming chair scene with two attractive options. The Iskur model is designed to improve and maintain posture while at a PC desk, while the Enki gaming chair is built to provide comfort and ergonomic support over hours-long gaming sessions. Both have undergone extensive R&D and have a lot to offer.
Ultimately, when choosing a new PC chair, players have a ton of options between office chairs and gaming chairs. Has Razer created gaming chair options good enough to win out over everyone else? With designs that focus on ergonomics and utilize high-quality, durable materials, Razer is ready to compete as a favorite among PC users.
Ergonomics
Although Secretlab tends to be the leader in gaming chair science, that doesn’t mean Razer isn’t up for a little experimentation too. Every part of their chairs have been tested, from the brackets that allow for reclining, to the uniquely adjustable lumbar support system.
Both of the Razer gaming chairs available use high-density foam as cushioning, resulting in a seat that conforms to a user's individual pressure points. This means that the first few hours in the chair can be a little uncomfortable as the foam shifts, but long-term use will provide more tailored ergonomic support. Furthermore, the foam padding on the Enki chair is optimized to more evenly distribute weight and is featured more thickly and in more places than the Iskur in order to deliver an ergonomic seat to those who plan on spending most of the day in their chair between work and gaming.
However, the rest of the design for both chairs aims to support near-perfect posture. This is actually a good thing, as it’s truly terrible on our backs to sit with poor posture, but the reality is that most people feel more comfortable with their bad posture. Where this plays into the Razer gaming chairs is, well, everywhere.
Their ergonomic support is essentially built around having good posture. They offer a memory foam pillow with the Iskur chair, but it’s meant to keep your head aligned with your shoulders. Again, this is actually a good thing in the long run, but anyone who doesn’t currently sit like that isn’t going to be comfortable; at least, not at first. The side wings help keep your shoulders aligned, whoch again, can be kind of annoying for users who don’t sit the way Razer expects them to.
But for people who need to get serious about their posture, or for those who have the discipline to already have good posture, Razer’s ergonomics are top-tier, even if it isn’t very versatile.
One outlier to this lack of customizability is the lumbar support system on the Iskur chair. This padded cushion is attached to a sturdy, solid wood board (for lack of a better word) and a strong hinge at the base of the chair back. This innovative cushion easily moves up and down as players move around, automatically adjusting to their position. It’s seriously comfortable, yet rigid enough to make a difference.
Durability & Weight Limits
Unlike most chair companies, Razer doesn’t play around with their stated limitations. They’ve chosen high-quality materials for all of their chairs and this gives them the confidence to tell potential customers the facts.
For instance, the weight limit for leaning back on a standard size Iskur chair is 225lbs, yet there are quite a few angry customer reviews who state they weigh slightly more than this and the chair broke.
That said, the chairs are incredibly durable and can handle up to the stated limitations for hours at a time. Most of the chair frame is made of steel, with only some moving parts being made with strong wood and plastic, like the adjustable lumbar support on the Iskur or the polyurethane casters on both the Iskur and the Enki gaming chair.
The upholstery used on both chairs is just as durable. The multi-layered synthetic leather material was stress tested to the max to ensure it won’t easily tear or start peeling, and customer reviews seem to back this up. It’s difficult to find reviews that have anything negative to say about the durability or the common issue of the leather peeling off. In fact, as far as durability goes the only complaint was that the steel frame made the chairs very heavy and a little challenging to put together alone.
There is one caveat to Razer’s durability: Third-party seller don't always take care of their Enki gaming chair stock. It’s common for brands like Razer to send sellers plenty of product stock so that the items can ship faster as they’re ordered. However, there are a significant number of reviews on the Enki chair that mention receiving returned product, damaged product, and chairs with missing pieces. While these sellers and Razer make it right every time, it might be faster and easier to order the Enki gaming chair directly from Razer despite the slightly longer ship time.
Style
The main chair shapes for Razer’s Enki and Iskur are essentially the same, with just a few differences to be found, like the cutout at the top of the Enki and the more prominent reclining mechanics.
While there are some partnerships with streamers and games that allow Razer to have a few colorful options, overall their designs are fairly bland. The standard, sleek black color is also available with a bit of green along the sides, but mostly looks good without any extra colors.
This gaming chair also has a problem that most others do: it looks too much like a gaming chair! Those distinctive wings may help ergonomics, but they’re completely out of place in an office setting. While the neutral color and latticed cushions make the chairs look more mature, they can’t cover up the overall shape. While the look isn’t a make-or-break point for most people, it’s still worth considering, especially if the chair would be in a formal office setting.
Comfort
As mentioned earlier, Razer’s specs are pretty accurate and as such, their chairs are made for the body type they say it’s for.
- The standard size Enki chair is designed for people who are 5'5" - 6'8 in height and weigh under 299lbs.
- The standard size Iskur chair is designed for people who are 5’6” - 6' in height and weigh under 299lbs.
- The XL size Iskur chair is designed for people who are 6’ - 6’10 in height and weigh under 399lbs.
Even though the Iskur XL is more expensive than the standard Iskur, it’s imperative that users buy the correct one for their height. Otherwise, it’s going to be uncomfortable thanks to the side wings, which are designed to support someone with the specified dimensions.
Anyone who fits in the chair they’ve chosen will definitely be comfortable. The height adjustment is fluid, and the armrests can be moved in 4D (up and down, forwards and backwards, left and right, and rotated inwards or outwards). There are two fabric choices, synthetic leather and fabric. Both are very soft and made from durable materials that resist damage.
The upholstery is fairly standard as far as looks and feel go, using a three-layer system of resin, synthetic leather, and fabric that many people are familiar with. The resin layer cover adds important protection against scratches and stains, but it also means that breathability is out. Moreover, players who tend to run hot will start to sweat without a layer of fabric between them and the chair, especially during summer.
Despite those minor complaints, the fabric upholstery is a pretty impressive, suede-like material called Alcantara. This super soft fabric feels great and works really well with the plush cushions. On the Iskur, the fabric is only available in gray, so there isn’t much choice involved. For the Enki, the fabric is the main part of the seat and back, so users will get plenty of it. There are still two downsides for this option: it isn’t as stain-resistant as the faux-leather and the suede can cause some static buildup during dry seasons.
Overall Verdict
Razer has two amazing gaming chair options for players to choose from. While there aren’t too many styles to choose from, the premium selection of materials, from the faux leather and suede upholstery to the steel frame, should satisfy most players without breaking the bank compared to other gaming chair brands.
Razer Gaming Chairs
Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
4D Adjustable armrests | Limited chair shape options |
Automatically-adjusting lumbar support | Amazon is inconsistent on quality |
Durable construction | |
Accurately sized chairs | |
Comfortable upholstery options |
With their perfectionist ergonomic design, Razer’s chairs certainly aren’t for everyone, but users with a certain body type might find that their durability and overall confort can be a real game changer. As proof, Razer is quickly gaining rank against other brands on the market with gaming chairs that are more than worthwhile and may even become some players’ personal favorite over their preferred brands.