Maximum comfort for long gaming sessions and more.
The controversy over the so-called gaming chairs is always quite alive, between those who argue that a normal office chair is able to provide the same comfort for a significantly lower amount and those who, on the other hand, think the exact opposite for a series of factors. Regardless of the purely personal opinions that everyone is free to have in this speech, one thing is certain: underestimating the workstation where you spend most of your time, to work, study and of course do some healthy gaming, is an unforgivable mistake. Posture errors, joint pains in the wrists, back and neck are just some of the problems you may face. We have talked in previous articles about the height of the worktop, the need to carefully adjust the height of the monitor and how an ergonomic keyboard or mouse can contribute in a very important way to the pleasure of a gaming session. However, it is in the chair that you should invest most of your budget, in order to create a truly ergonomic workstation and with this review we will provide you with details on two flagship products of the number one brand in the world of ergonomic gaming chairs: DXRACER.
The US company was founded in 2001 in the state of Michigan and, at the time, had the production of sports seats for luxury cars as its core business. Since 2006, the desire to experiment has led the company to use its know-how in a rapidly growing sector such as that of gaming products and, above all, of eSports, the latter practically in its infancy at the time. Over the years, what was born as a side project has instead transformed into the company's main activity and in 12 years of activity has led DXRacer to become the the world's leading gaming chair manufacturer, thanks to the prestige of the brand, the quality of the products and the vastness of the offer, with corporate branches in practically all continents.
The merit of this success can be found in three essential elements that have always distinguished the DXRacer brand: design, research and development and high quality of the materials used. Whether it is the entry level product or the most expensive of the wide DXRacer range, the level of quality is always very high.
In this review we will deal with two products that are part of the high-end of the company's offer and which, of course, we will also compare: the DXRacer WORK (model W0-NE, black / green color) and the DXRacer KING (model K06-NW, white / black color).
Before moving on to the discussion of the individual products, a small introduction. The choice of the right chair depends on several factors: in addition to the aesthetic one, in fact, the right gaming chair, due to its ergonomic features, should be chosen mainly based on the height of its user and weight. Below in our graph you can find the technical characteristics of the two chairs, which will allow you to orient yourself on the most suitable for you.
As you can see from our comparison chart, the main difference between the two chairs is the audience they are intended for. While the DXRacer WORK is aimed at people with minimum height of 175 cm e maximum weight of 130 kg, the KING is also suitable for those with a height between 160 cm and 195 cm and even considerably heavier weight, thus covering a greater range. The height is, as we said, one of the fundamental factors for the choice of the chair, as for the best possible ergonomics your leg should form a 90 ° angleThis is not the case when you choose a chair that, even at the lowest setting, is too high, thus preventing you from placing the sole of your foot completely on the floor. Another difference we noticed is that for the WORK, the "backward" reclining mechanism of the seat can be activated with little force, while for the KING, designed for people with a heavier weight, much more force is needed even by adjusting the mechanism under the seat.
Packaging and assembly
For both chairs, the package is sent by courier (usually DPD / Bartolini) directly from the company's European headquarters. The packaging is very generous and is unmistakably marked with the DXRacer logo on all sides. Inside are all the parts and accessories needed to assemble the chair, packed in plastic bags and housed in special slots cut out of the polystyrene. In addition, an Allen key is also included, useful for closing all the screws present and the leaflet with instructions.
Assembly is very simple even if it's your first time, but to speed things up a bit, the help of a friend could always be useful. As you can see from our video below, it took us about 25 minutes to assemble it ourselves.
Both chairs, as mentioned before, have a reclining adjustment mechanism, positioned under the seat, and two levers: on the right to adjust the height of the gas piston, on the left to lock the reclining mechanism. They also have the same type of 3-inch wheels suitable for different surfaces, hard or soft, which can also be replaced with other rollerblade type wheels that boast an even smoother and quieter bearing mechanism.
DXRacer WORK
As the name itself suggests, WORK is a series that while maintaining the typical stylistic features of DXRacer chairs is aimed at those looking for an armchair especially for working. The main element is the multifunctional unit installed under the seat, which allows you to adjust the force necessary to be able to recline the backrest. The materials used are the PU-type synthetic leather of very high quality for the entire chair and a rather rigid cold polyurethane foam and very little subject to deformation even after several years of use.
Design and construction
The color scheme of our DXRacer WORK is black / green. Taking up the look of a racing seat, it has large padding both in the upper part of the backrest at shoulder height and in the lower part, which help to wrap the back quite well. The seat, on the other hand, is less shaped and rather flat, with the two side bandages more open, making it suitable, therefore, even for those who have a lower back that is not really "mandolin". The padding of the seat is also rigid even compared to other chairs tested and in particular to the KING, which seemed much more comfortable in this respect.
From a design point of view, the WORK backrest consists of two parts. The actual structure, in fact, is covered by a second central cushion, not removable, which in addition to providing good padding also hides the lumbar cushion adjustment system included in the box. In this way, the latter appears almost integrated into the chair, thus abandoning the unsightly "ropes" present in almost all gaming chairs. As for the head pillow, however, this is also equipped with two offshoots that support the shoulders.
In general, therefore, even with a rather rigid seat, the comfort of the WORK chair is very high and from a design point of view it has very few rivals in circulation. Furthermore, as we said, the chair can be reclined up to 120 ° and, leaning against the backrest, the seat flexes slightly in order to assume a more relaxing position. The force required to recline the backrest can be adjusted by means of a "knob" positioned under the seat or even blocked by means of the appropriate lever on the left. From the point of view of the price, the chair has a very high cost, well 399 euro, however, paid off by a decidedly premium quality.
Update: after almost two months from this review, the gas piston began to give some problems, manifested by a noisy "clack" every time you move even slightly on the chair. The problem appears to be due to a match defect of some pistons used (a defective bearing) and therefore well known to the company. Reported the problem via email to DXRacer, in less than four days the piston had already been delivered free of charge by the assistance service. Another point in favor of DXRacer for the excellent after-sales assistance
DXRacer KING
This is the company's luxury series and offers the best in technology currently available. The chair is upholstered with two different types of synthetic leather: the main part is of the PU type while most of the inserts have an interesting carbon fiber-like texture in PVC-type synthetic leather. Again, the chair is padded with cold foam, but the texture is decidedly softer than the WORK version and this offers a much higher comfort. The chair also has all the reclining functions present on the WORK, but while in this one the armrests have three types of adjustment, in the KING version there are four adjustments available (4D): height, depth and horizontal orientation (inwards or outwards) to which is added the possibility of lowering the entire armrest forward.
Design and test
The color scheme of our DXRacer KING is black / white. The backrest is decidedly wider, also thanks to the smaller side bandage. The side padding of the backrest, as we said, is covered with PVC-type leather with a carbon fiber-like texture that gives the chair a truly exceptional look and a beautiful shine. The back of the KING has the two classic holes of most of the racing / gaming chairs in circulation useful for fixing the supplied cushion, a classic model without the offshoots for the back present on that of the WORK. The seat is very wide and has two more pronounced side paddings than the other model. The main difference, however, lies in the general padding, much softer and more comfortable and able to always be very pleasant even after several hours of use despite the guaranteed ample support. Another difference compared to the WORK is the lumbar cushion adjustment system: the KING has in fact the classic visible adjustment cords on which it is possible to slide the pillow. A definitely functional solution, but certainly not as elegant as that of WORK.
This chair, while overall much more comfortable than the WORK model, is however much more "resistant" as regards the reclining mechanism, requiring much more force to tilt the chair.
Furthermore, the armchair in question has a slightly higher cost than the WORK, going up to 419 €, with an even greater premium product feeling if possible compared to his sister.
Final comment
DXRacer chairs are the best available on the market today. Ergonomics and design go hand in hand and both products are made with the utmost attention to detail and quality. The two chairs, however, are addressed to two different types of users and this is also demonstrated by the specifications: the WORK for taller and lighter people, the KING for people of average height and heavier weight.
DXRacer WORK series
Thanks to some really well-chosen aesthetic solutions such as the absence of unsightly guides for the lumbar cushion, to a very high level padding for the backrest, the Work series is the recommended product for those looking for a chair that is not only comfortable and erogonomic, but also of design and able not to disfigure in the least in a mixed play / work station.
DXRacer KING series
If your physical characteristics allow you to choose one of the two indifferently, our advice is to launch on the KING, which in the opinion of the writer, despite some details a little below the WORK, is certainly the manufacturer's top. In any case, we are sure that even by choosing the WORK you will be perfectly satisfied.
