Gaming/office chairs

[eny]

How are the SecretLab chairs performing? I need a decent supporting chair as I suffer badly sitting now and need something to accommodate me as best as possible. I have an Evo in basket with the reclining leg rest and wondered if they last as long as they cost. Paying for good once is indeed a consideration I would be happy with if they are aging well.

[Raid]

Mine's as solid as the day I bought it (I think it's 4 years old), but honestly I'm not sure going for this style of chair is the right choice. The back support and firmness of the seat are fine (I don't have any back issues), but for me it sometimes feels a bit uncomfortable around my neck and shoulders because the only thing I can adjust in that area is the placement of the neck cushion, and the arm rests can't go down far enough for me.

If I were in the market for one now, I'd be looking at actual ergonomics-focussed chairs rather than one of these racing-car-style gaming chairs.

[eny]

Ah, fair enough, I will look at more ergonomic chairs and see what they have to offer. With the recline, tilt, lumbar and leg extension it seems to fit just what I am looking for. The chair I have now isn't terrible, but it is old and I can't sit for extended periods in it, but the options the SL offers look to counter my issues well.

[Raid]

I think I'd get a second opinion, probably from someone who has more back issues than I do (I think we have at least one other forum regular who has one of these chairs and back issues, I forget who it is though). The features you mention all work extremely well, the tilt and recline mechanisms are absolutely solid as a rock - it's a well built chair, I'm just not convinced that it's the correct choice for someone with definite health issues that are going to rely on correct setup, but I'm speaking as someone that doesn't have any such issues. If I were choosing one now, I'd go for something with a properly adjustable headrest and without the wings on the sides where my shoulders are.

[Wrathbone]

I’ve had the SL Titan for nearly 5 years and generally it’s been great. If my various back problems are playing up, it’s often the only place I can get comfortable for an extended period outside of laying flat in bed. That said, I had a neck issue last year where it wasn’t supportive in the right ways and I ended up using a pillow for extra support, so I agree that there are better ergonomic chairs out there.

For everyday use, though, I have zero regrets. The build quality is superb - it may as well be fresh out of the box at this point.

[Snowy]

I think we have at least one other forum regular who has one of these chairs and back issues, I forget who it is though

Well I am one such.

I am on my second Secret Labs chair, the Batman themed Titan Evo. I have owned it now for a couple of years and it barely looks any different to the day I bought it. As mentioned earlier in the thread I bought it because I needed a properly supportive chair. Chris is right, the Secret Labs chairs are not medically designed and there are chairs you can buy that are, but equally I have found that they provide the right levels of support to make long sessions sat in one comfortable. I often work from home and will spend almost the entire day sat in mine, without any ill-effects.

I do still use the lumbar support cushion from my first SL chair. I know that the Titan has adjustable support inbuilt but I find the memory-foam cushion perfect for my needs so haven't changed. You can still buy the cushion from SL but it is quite expensive at almost seventy quid. Other options available at the likes of Amazon that are more cost-effective. I will DM you a picture of my setup on Discord Mark.

[Alan]

The tilt on mine no longer locks in which is incredibly annoying. I’ve also never found it that comfy and it did nothing for my dodgy back so I’ve stuck it in my mum’s garage as a “I’ll fix that one day (doubtful)”. I wouldn’t get another personally that’s just me.

[Snowy]

I’ve also never found it that comfy

Worth noting is that the cold-pressed foam that the seats are made from is not immediately comfortable, and when I say not immediately I do mean 'for about the first couple of years'. It takes them a LONG time to mould themselves to you which can lead to your feeling like your arse is sat on a hard bench. Not a reason not to buy I wouldn't say, but something to be aware of. Softer seats are available, but will be flat and dead from a cushioning POV in a lot less time.

[eny]

I did notice that they have changed the way they make the memory foam now, after responding to feedback about that issue.

[Alan]

I think I had it 3 years and it never felt good, seat or the back. It wasn’t awful but man I miss my old office chair I had before it.

[Snowy]

So did you go for one Mark?

[eny]

Yes, and it is excellent! The lumbar support cushion is a godsend. Nice height and head/neck support. I am not massively impressed by the Ergonomic Recliner Add-on, though. It reaches mid-calf, and I haven't messed much with it to see if I can adjust it longer, I think you need to fiddle with the tilt/recline settings to get the most out of it. It is 100% worth the outlay, though. It is more comfortable than I have been in years, to be honest. I need to bleed some savings, so I am looking at your G9 screen next...although I can't decide between the 49" or the 57" and whether I can even run 4k with this card (4060), so mulling it over...

[Snowy]

Glad you are happy with your purchase

If you look at the G9, I have to say that 49" is massive and absorbs most of your peripheral vision (to say nothing of needing a LOT of desk real-estate). Not seen the 57" but that's gonna be a whopper!

Also don't look to use a monitor arm with it - Chris did and unfortunately cracked the panel adjusting it, so just a word of warning.

[eny]

The 57" is basically two 4k monitors, but yes, I think they are going to be far too big for the space I have, going to look more at 37"+ standard format I think, more suited to my needs...am holding off until I find something that hits the spot.

[Raid]

Yeah, I can't say I'd recommend the G9 on that basis; the repair would have cost as much as what I replaced it with. It was barely a year old, just outside of warranty, but even if it weren't it would likely have been considered user-damage anyway.

Honestly I'm not sure I'd recommend one even without the durability issue. I needed to have it on an arm as the stand is bloody awkwardly shaped (I have a work laptop that sits on my desk when working from home, the stand's legs blocked me from putting it where I needed it), and you lose a lot of desk real estate just from the screen curving toward you, so the arm let me push it backward and pull it forward to maximise the effect. I don't have a small desk either, 800x1800mm.

I replaced it with a 50" LCD TV which was cheaper, almost as wide, twice as tall, has better looking colours and better HDR, and it's still a 120hz / 4k panel. About the only issue that the TV has that the monitor didn't is image ghosting, which isn't noticeable in games. I don't miss the curve, and don't have to put up with games that aren't properly designed for that aspect ratio - more often than not they just crop off the top and bottom of the 16:9 viewpoint, and then rearrange the interface. The only game I think I've seen with menus properly designed for that width of screen is Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 (I watched Ian stream it). 50" is probably too big for most desks, it is for mine really, but I have FancyZones set up to easily arrange my windows so that the top of the main row is correctly positioned for ergonomics, but still have some smaller sub-windows for stuff like downloads or explorer windows.