I miss my old chair.

It was a old, cheap faux leather chair I had with me for almost 10 years, and it was fantastic. My family got them from some random neighbourhood shop, but it followed me across multiple moves and had fantastic back support. It was really comfortable too.

Then, I grew big (…or fat). And it broke.

I’ve been having back problems even since. Finding a good chair has been a constant battle. If you’re here, I guess you’re having the same issues too.

Old Secretlab Omega

After a couple of replacements from random stores and 1 from Ikea, my first ‘expensive’ chair was the Omega from Secretlab.

I figured, I wanted to save some cash, and based my short experience at exhibitions, the lower back cushion that came with Secretlab’s Omega’18 provided enough support.

Turns out, I was wrong, and I’ve been having annoying back issues for the last 3 years.

(Looking for an affordable laptop? Here’s my Review of Microsoft’s Surface Laptop Go.)

Razer Iskur X

I’ve actually been eyeing the Herman-Miller x Logitech Embody. But, Herman-Miller’s are bloody expensive. So, it’s a dream for now.

While helping my company setup a corner at the new Nojima Courts Heeren outlet, I saw that they had an entire E-Sports themed area, with all the gaming stations filled with Razer gaming chairs.

I’ve been out of the loop. Didn’t know Razer started making chairs. Naturally, I gave them a try.

And… oh. my. goodness… the relief!

So, that’s how it feels like to get proper back support!

I figured, screw it. My back hurts. Time to shop for a new chair. So I’ve been going back and forth, comparing the Razer Iskur X and the Secretlab Titan Evo 2022 when I have the time.

Secretlab Titan Evo 2022 vs Razer Iskur – Initial Impressions & Design

They both look like gaming chairs.

The latest Secretlab Titan looks more like a ‘traditional’ office chair, so if that’s important to you, then it’s a no-brainer.

However.

There’s something about the Razer Iskur that appeals to me.

Usually, I hate the ‘Gamer’ look. Even when I was younger, I hated the look of ‘gamer chairs’ and peripherals. I hate all the RGB BS. I use Fractal Design’s Define cases because they’re awesomely minimalistic, and all my purchased PC fans are the ugly, brown, but fantastic Noctua fans.

The all-black + green highlights. Those rounded curves. The snake scale-like design of the lumbar support.

Oh my. I’d gladly commit heresy for that chair. Design-wise at least. It also has an all-black faux leather and all-grey fabric option as well. I want the fabric option, but man, the Razer black/green colour scheme on this chair? So good.

But. If customisability and choice is important to you, you can’t beat Secretlab’s plethora of choices.

They have so many different colours. They have real Napa leather, faux leather, and a new softweave fabric for you textile snobs. They have many licensed designs from movie franchises, E-Sports teams and stuff. They have plushies, pillows and cooling armrest upgrades.

And. Secretlab doesn’t have the burden of Razer’s ‘ZOMGI’MAGAMER’ reputation/branding.

Not that Secretlab’s an underdog in the world of gaming accessories mind you, not anymore. They’ve been growing from strength to strength, and they now sponsor huge events and gamers on twitch. It’s a testament to their product quality and marketing prowess.

So, if expressing yourself, standing out, or not standing out in an office environment is what’s important to you, there’s no choice but to get Secretlab’s chairs really.

Or, if it doesn’t really matter, and you’ve begrudgingly gone weak for Razer’s design and curves (hnnnnngg…), well, maybe the Iskur’s for you.

Comfort

The Titan Evo 2022’s comfort stands out to me in 2 areas – shoulder space, and the softweave fabric option.

I prefer fabrics on my chairs, partly because it’s more breathable, and for my shoulder’s at least, it feels more spacious and comfortable. Against the skin, Razer’s fabric option feels uninspired and cheap, whereas Secretlab’s fabric feels a little more ‘premium’.

Take note that Secretlab’s Titan Evo comes in 3 sizes, and I found that the middle ‘regular’ fits me nicely.

The Razer Iskur only has 2 sizes, and I find that only the XL size fits me nicely on the shoulders and butt, even though I find the handles too wide for my liking. I can fit into the regular size as well, but I find that the shoulder area for me a just a teeny smidge too small for my preference. It’s as if it’s gently pushing my shoulders to make them feel a little hunched.

I also prefer the cushion comfort for the Iskur. It’s firm, yet soft enough to feel comfortable, whereas the Titan Evo’s feels firmer, but it also feels like it would last longer.

Back / Lumbar Support

The Razer Iskur’s back support is bloody fantastic.

It’s basically a hard piece of shaped wood with cushions on it. While you can’t adjust curves on the support piece, just by releasing the lever, the Razer Iskur’s entire lumbar support frame comes loose, letting you adjust it to your preference.

You might think that not being able to adjust the frame itself will be a problem, but, for me at least, when I tried playing around with different sitting positions and adjusting it accordingly, the lumbar support frame kinda just… falls nicely in place.

Whoever designed that piece is a back-saving genius.

The support on Secretlab’s Titan Evo 2022 is pretty good too.

It has a new patent-pending 4-way lumbar support adjustment system called ‘4-way L-ADAPT™’.

Basically, the older 2-way system was like most adjustable lumbar supports you’d find in other chairs. You could only adjust its horizontal protrusion. With the new 4-way L-ADAPT™ system, you can also adjust the height of the protrusion.

It’s really easy to dial it in too. There’s basically 1 knob on each side of the chair, with each adjusting 1 axis of the lumbar support.

However, for me at least, no matter how I adjust, the support is still not as good as the Razer Iskur’s.

Build Quality

The old Omega I got from Secretlab’s solid. Naturally, the new Titan Evo 2022’s pretty solid too.

There’s very little give once you’re done adjusting the chair. It feels super ‘planted’, almost like a rock on wheels. The armrests are steadfast, even reclining the seat down to its lowest position at 165° doesn’t rattle it.

The Razer Iskur however… feels more wobbly in comparison. There’s a lot of give everywhere, and you can tell they didn’t take the chair’s centre of gravity into account.

You can move the armrests around without too much pressure. The whole chair has a bit of that ‘light and cheap’ feel, even though it’s pretty heavy, chonky chair. You can push the seat cushions around easily.

Thankfully, the overall material quality seems good, and the reclining/lumbar adjustments are tight, but there are definitely areas on the chair where you know they should have supports that are thicker and better-strutted.

Price

Obviously, the Secretlab Titan Evo 2022 is cheaper.

At its price, it includes shipping and the really cool magnetic cool-gel memory foam head rest.

For the Razer Iskur, it’s an additional 10-25% premium, depending on the size, model, fabric and whether or not you decide to get the Razer Head Cushion.

So. If price is the primary concern. Obviously, go get the Secretlab Chair.

Conclusion

I have yet to to make a decision myself.

I really expected more from Razer. The overall build quality it not..bad.. but it could definitely be better. I also wished the regular size had a more comfortable shoulder position for me. However, I really, really like the Razer Iskur’s outstanding back support. It’s so good. And it looks great too, better than Secretlab chair (at the risk of sounding like a cringey Razer fanboy), even though I’d likely choose the grey fabric option in the end.

It’s too bad Secretlab’s Titan Evo 2022’s back support isn’t as good as the Iskur’s, but, taken as a whole package, the Titan is a much better chair overall. It has a excellent foundational and general build quality. It’s a little more comfortable, and it is much, much better value with its lower price, and the really cool and convenient magnetic head rest that comes with it.

Update, June’22:
I bit the bullet and got the Razer Iskur because of mein back, especially after trying it again. I even tried alternatives like the ErgoTune Supreme V3, but I really found the Iskur’s back support to be superior.

Do stay tuned as I will update this post while living with it. Also, apparently, it comes with a basic head cushion (Not the memory foam one). Wonder why there’s no mention of it on their site.

TL:DR? Trying is important, your fit and mine would be different, and I bought the Razer Iskur.

Update July’22

Wellp. Talking about build quality, it’s already starting to creak, though right now it happens mostly when you’re sitting into it.

Buy the Secretlab Titan Evo 2022:
From Secretlab

Buy the Razer Iskur:
From Razer
From Amazon
From Shopee

(This site is user-supported. Razer and Secretlab links are non-affiliate for now though; I’m applying for both. Amazon/Shopee/Lazada linkds are affiliated. Affiliated links means I take a small cut, with no increase of price to you.)