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Gaming chairs have a bad reputation – and that's just me. There are too many goddamn $50 models that literally sink over time and have horrible, bright colors. And that’s before you get to the optional LED light show.
OK, most gaming chairs aren't aimed at me, and if you like them, that's your business. But I definitely take note when I see a gaming chair that looks like it could fit in an adult's home office while still maintaining the aesthetic flourishes that make it a gaming chair. The DXRacer Master chair is one such example, and after using it for several weeks, I would definitely recommend it.
Design and comfort
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The design of the master chair could no longer exude the atmosphere of a “gaming chair”. And for good reason. DXRacer are the ones who brought us the original gaming chair – they originally made seats for racing cars and then entered the gaming chair market, flared seat sides and all.
I tested the entry-level DXRacer Drifting chair and wasn't particularly impressed with it. Warm seating, movable pillow… I just wasn't feeling it. But the Master Series is a different animal. It's clearly better designed, with an integrated headrest, perforated faux leather to keep things cooler, and an overall more considered aesthetic.
And even though aesthetics aren't for me, I still recognize good design when I see it. The white stitching on black faux leather; the paneling with chevron pattern on the front and back of the body and on the seat. Even the integrated head cushion, which I have some issues with (more below), looks great. The two white stripes of faux leather on the side of the body are the finishing touch… my god, am I starting to like gaming chairs?!
The seat cushion is quite firm and absolutely comfortable – that's exactly how I like my office chair. Too padded and spongy and I overheat, and too hard and it's not comfortable. I think this chair does that perfectly.
The head cushion is mixed. It's comfortable, but you can't really move it up and down very well – it's a little stiff and I felt like I was going to rip it off the chair every time I used it. There are five notches to move it up and down so it is adjustable to get it in the right place for you, but once I had it adjusted I basically didn't adjust it again as I didn't want to break it.
Assembly
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This one was refreshingly simple. There weren't many pieces to put together and all the tools needed were provided. As always, I assembled it myself – just to make sure that if you don't happen to be able to get a friend/partner/buddy to build this chair as recommended by the brand, you'll still be fine.
It is heavy, so be careful where you set it up and where it is placed in your home/office. It still doesn't reach the highest level of assembly perfection of the Secretlabs Titan Evo, but when it comes to hassle-free simplicity, the DXRacer Master scores.
Functions and ergonomics
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Let’s first come to the highlight of the Master – the tilt function. It's superbly balanced so that when I want to use the lever to recline slightly, I can push myself further and tilt further back. More importantly, when I do this, I don't feel like I'm being pushed forward by the chair, nor do I feel like I'm just going to fall all the way back if I recline fully. The recline feature is a balancing act (!) and DXRacer nailed it: you feel like you're in control and not going against your chair's wishes, which happens more often than you think!
The armrests are fine. They're easy to adjust and you can angle them at either the top or bottom of the supports – something I did all the time depending on when I was typing or playing with the console in hand. I extended my elbows more when typing, tucking them in when gaming, and I've found that I can do both quite easily with the DX Racer. The material is pretty strong, but I don't have any pain in my elbows – which I've felt with many good chairs
Price
At $550, this is one of the higher-priced mid-range chairs (the best budget chair I've tested was $170 at the time of writing, and the most expensive chair I've ever had was a cool $2,000 (Humanscale's Freedom chair is still under review).
To be honest, I think the prices for chairs are sometimes crazy. And the quality of the chairs does not always match this price. I think the Master offers a lot of comfort, style and durability that justifies a whole lot of money. The fact that you'll almost certainly find this on discount compared to Black Friday makes it a worthwhile contender.
Should you buy?
If you like the look of the chair (see more photos of it here) and want all the comfort and style that a top gaming chair has to offer, then I'd say yes – as long as you have a reason not to buy the Secretlab Titan Evo first. I still think this is the best gaming chair on the market right now. But honestly, the master is close.