If you ever were to take a peek into my home on any given weekend throughout the year, there's a good chance that I'm going to be sitting around watching professional League of Legends being played. From Friday to Sunday nearly every week, I'll rotate between watching the LEC and LCS, partially because it's something that I genuinely love to do, and partially because I have nothing else better going on.
As long as I have watched professional LoL being played, though, I've always found myself curious about the gaming chairs that these players sit in. Compared to my own office or gaming chairs that I've used over the years, the chairs that these pros keep their butts in look like indestructible tanks. They're way thicker, feature far more cushioning, and contain many aspects that typical chairs that I have utilized do not.
Luckily, over the past few weeks, my curiosity about what these behemoth-sized gaming chairs feel like to sit in has finally been put to rest. AndaSeat was kind enough to hook us up with their new Fnatic Edition of its Premium Gaming Chair, which is the official one used by players within the European esports organization, and I have now seen the light. AndaSeat's latest iteration hasn't just improved my posture and made for an overall more comfortable sitting experience, but it also doesn't show signs of wearing down any time soon.
Before you ever actually sit down in AndaSeat's latest chair, you'll have to put the whole thing together. Fortunately, the process of doing so is likely easier than most others I've ever assembled. While each piece of the AndaSeat Premium Gaming Chair is pretty hefty, the ordeal of snapping it all together is relatively simple. All of the tools you'll need to get things set up come included in the box, as does a step-by-step manual walking you through the process. It took me roughly thirty minutes to get it put together, which isn't too bad whatsoever.
[pullquote]"While each piece of the AndaSeat Premium Gaming Chair is pretty hefty, the ordeal of snapping it all together is relatively simple."[/pullquote]
Once I then hauled it upstairs to my office (which was no small feat given how heavy it is), I finally got to sit down and see what makes this thing so special. Honestly, though, first sitting in it isn't going to make you magically realize why this chair is impressive. Sure, it'll feel nice to plop down in, but a purely "comfy" chair this is not. You're not going to sink into it like the sofa at your grandma's house and immediately want to take a nap.
No, the real benefit of what AndaSeat has here comes with how it's going to make you sit properly. It might sound bizarre, but when set to its standard position, this chair ensures that your back will be aligned in a manner that is good for your spine. This, in tandem with the 4-D armrests, which can be moved around in a variety of different locations, will make sure that you can sit for longer periods of time without your back feeling like it's giving out. Whether you're playing games or writing a novel, prolonged sitting sessions don't leave me with lingering pain like I once used to feel with other chairs.
However, when it comes to aspects of the chair that could be designated as comfy, they are still included. Two memory foam pillows, one for the back of your head and another for your back, come included with the Fnatic Edition chair. Despite being comprised of memory foam, the back pillow itself feels like it has already flattened a bit, but this is somewhat to be expected. That said, it does provide great comfort to my lower back in particular.
The other thing that I think is worth noting is that AndaSeat's Premium Gaming Chair seems like it's built to last for years. To really test it out thoroughly, I wanted to use this setup for multiple weeks before writing up my thoughts on it. In the past, I've reviewed chairs like this that seem sturdy initially only for them to quickly deteriorate in quality in a short period of time.
Despite the back pillow being a bit deflated, every other aspect, even after weeks of use, still feels brand new. The PVC leather is still retaining its shape quite well, and the foam that makes up the entirety of the chair hasn't started to feel decompressed whatsoever. Heck, even the wheels on the bottom of the chair are still gliding quite well. I'm sure that over the years, AndaSeat's Premium chair will begin to decline in quality, but it sure seems like it's going to take a very long time to get to that point.
[pullquote]"I'm someone who really struggles with frequent lower back pain, and ever since I made the switch to this Fnatic Edition gaming chair, my back has felt so much better."[/pullquote]
The biggest thing with the AndaSeat Premium chair that I haven't touched on likely involves its price. Coming in at a steep $449, you won't be able to snag one of these for yourself unless you're definitely willing to shell out. For many, I imagine this will be the main sticking point as the thought of spending well over $400 for a chair sound preposterous to some degree. That said, after my multiple weeks of use with it, I have to say that the price is pretty justifiable.
I'm someone who really struggles with frequent lower back pain, and ever since I made the switch to this Fnatic Edition gaming chair, my back has felt so much better. I'm able to sit from nine-to-five for work and then proceed to linger in it even longer to play video games on my PC. Despite all of this, I still don't have back pain once I go to bed. That basically used to never, ever happen with previous chairs I've utilized.
With that in mind, I'm hard-pressed to say that it's not worth the costly entrance fee. Perhaps if you don't sit as often as I do, then I'd tell you to give this product a second thought, but based on how often I'm cooped up in my home office, this chair has been a godsend. I imagine for others, it could prove to be the same.
[pullquote]"...at this point, I have no desire to go back to sitting as an amateur would."[/pullquote]
Even though the AndaSeat Fnatic Edition Premium Gaming Chair might not be a "must-have" product for everyone, those in the market are prepared to spend a lot of money on a chair that can't do much better. Despite not improving my gaming skills in tandem, I now know what it's like to sit down just like those professional League of Legends players over at Fnatic. And at this point, I have no desire to go back to sitting as an amateur would.
As an aside, the AndaSeat Fnatic Edition Premium Gaming Chair can be purchased from now through November 30 at 10% off of its retail value. If you use the discount code 'THANKANDA" at checkout, you'll receive this percentage off of your entire order.
Editor's Note: DualShockers receives no kickback from any potential sales with this offer. We're quite literally just trying to inform you of a good deal you can take advantage of.