Secretlab Titan Review: Worth the Price? (2020 Series)

If you’re browsing this site, then you’re likely somebody who tends to spend several hours a day at a desk, either gaming or doing work such as myself. One thing we tend to neglect though is the type of chair that we sit on, often just getting any old random chair.

Of course, maybe you’re the type who’s already gone and bought themselves an excellent $100 gaming chair, and that’s fine, but if you want to really increase your gaming capabilities in the seating department (which you should), the Secretlab Titan is an excellent choice.

Not only is it pretty looking, but it’s jam-packed with features and adjustability, as well as a great ergonomic trick up its sleeve. Granted, it is a bit on the pricier side, but it’s well worth it for your health. Let’s dive into this Secretlab Titan review and find out more about this high-quality gaming chair.

Secretlab Titan Performance

Probably the first and foremost thing I’d want to cover in these types of chairs is their extreme level of adjustability. The Secretlab Titan is no slouch in this department and you get a ton of adjustability such as the 4D armrests which can be adjusted up/down, left/right and in/out, something which a lot of other chairs don’t have.

The back of this awesome gaming recliner can also rest all the way down to around 170 degrees, so if you feel like taking a nap, that’s certainly in the cards.

Aside from that, there’s the ergonomic adjustability and instead of just handing you a lumbar support pillow and calling it a day, Secretlab actually has an adjustable knob that allows you to change the ergonomics. As you manipulate the knob, the support itself either extends or goes back in from within the chair, so you don’t actually see any unsightly lines.

The integrated ergonomic support is actually a great feature and I’d love to see it in more gaming chairs.

Of course, what also helps with the ergonomics is the somewhat firmer seating that you find on the Titan as compared to other chairs. Due to it’s cured foam cushion, there’s much less ‘give’ or possible deformation to the cushion, meaning you don’t sink as much and get an overall harder seat.

This then tends to force you to sit in a more ergonomically correct position since your body will naturally want to adjust that way. Oh, and don’t let that firmer cushioning put you off, it’s actually not bad at all.

Covering all that loveliness is some really high-quality PU leather. Now, I know for a chair priced this high, you might expect real leather, but that usually runs several hundred (or thousand) dollars more, so you’re saving yourself some money by going with something that’s just as good.

Not only that, but PU leather is much easier to clean and maintain, and it’s much less prone to damage than real leather. Plus, there’s the ethical consideration if that plays into your calculations.

To support all that Secretlabs has given the Titan an aluminum frame that is both lightweight and very sturdy. It’s that sturdiness, in-fact, that allows the Titan to support up to 130Kgs of weight, which is quite a lot compared to some other chairs. Similarly, the back is really high and should easily handle people who are tall (6f or so).

Put those things together and you get a chair that can fit and feel comfortable for those who are larger and taller.

Secretlab Titan Design

While the Secretlab Titan doesn’t have the traditional racer design associated with gaming-type chairs, it’s still very pretty to look at. That being said, it does have the side winglets that help support your body so that’s pretty handy to have, although there are no vents for cooling, something which I don’t necessarily miss.

The long back especially is very comfortable and the material is breathable, so you don’t miss out on much by not having the vents.

Moving on to the seat itself, it’s somewhat bucket designed although the sides don’t flare up as much as you’d see on other bucket chairs. Nevertheless, it’s super comfy and with the large internal width, you have a lot of space to work with. I also really like that the accents and stitching go across the whole body from the backrest all the way down to the seat, which adds that extra little pizzazz while keeping it looking, minimalist.

Then we have the casters and hydraulic piston, which is class 4 and can easily handle quite a bit of weight, as previously mentioned. One especially nice thing about the caster is that they’re made of PU rubber, so they’re soft and aren’t prone to scratching surfaces. This is particularly handy if you have wooden floors or really any type of flooring that could be damaged easily.

One thing that is a little bit iffy though is the placement of some of the levers and knobs. While this varies from person to person, some of them can be a little hard to reach due to their angles. Similarly, the armrests are a bit finicky and not super smooth, although you’re likely to only adjust them once and then leave them as is, so it’s not a deal-breaker.

Finally, the overall construction of the chair is excellent, and there’s little to no creaking, rattling or other weird sounds when you use it. I don’t know about you, but I absolutely hate chairs that creak every time you use them.

Before moving on, I should mention that Secretlabs has a new fabric option for the chairs called ‘Softweave’, although that’s not necessarily available for the 2018 model. The Softweave is a great option for those who don’t want PU leather, for example, because they prefer fabric. So, just keep this little tidbit in mind when you’re buying.

Secretlab Titan Pricing & Alternatives

So, the Secretlab Titan is a little bit on the expensive side… Yeah… To be fair though, you are getting a world-class gaming chair for that price, and not only that but a 2-year warranty, something which isn’t offered by manufacturers often. I certainly think it’s worth the price.

Now, if you want something that’s more traditionally racer-looking and only want to spend about a third of the price, there’s the GTRACING Gaming Chair which costs less. Even though it’s much cheaper, it’s still a really great chair, and the manufacturer themselves is well known and liked, so you’re still getting a good quality product.

If the price is your main issue regarding Secretlab Titan, you’ll be happy with the GTRACING model as it is one of the best gaming chairs under $200 on the market.

One step down from the GTRACING chair is the BestOffice – Office Desk Gaming Chair. It’s not as fancy and it’s missing a lot of features (like 4D adjustable armrests), but if you’re looking for an outstanding budget gaming chair, this is probably one of the better ones out there.

Secretlab Titan FAQ

Where is Secretlab from?

Secretlabs was founded and has its HQ in Singapore, although it operates in half a dozen different countries from the UK to the US.

Are gaming chairs more comfortable?

That depends on what you’re looking for, but for the most part yes. The reason for that is that gaming chairs tend to have much longer backs as compared to office chairs (at least the cheaper kind). This longer back means you have much better support for your own back, as well as a way to rest your head for a few minutes if you need it.

Of course, there are other factors involved in the gaming chair vs. office chair debate, so it’s not all that simple.

Are gaming chairs good for studying?

Since gaming chairs are designed for long hours of sitting down and doing one thing, yes they are absolutely good for studying. That being said, don’t forget to get up and move every once in a while for blood flow and avoiding being too sedentary.

How long does a gaming chair last?

That varies massively by manufacturer, but I would say a minimum of 2 years and up to 3-5 before the wear and tear becomes quite evident. That being said, if you take good care of it, and don’t mind the material breaking up here and there, your chair could probably last even longer than 5 years.

My own chair lasted around 7 years before I finally decided to change it, and that was only because the leather in the seat had started breaking apart and the rollers were getting tougher.

Are expensive office chairs worth it?

Absolutely, in fact, I would argue that the Secretlab Titan leans more towards expensive office chair than an expensive gaming chair. The upshot is that the more money put into the chair, the more stuff you get out of it, mostly ergonomically. For example, you don’t find an internal ergonomic adjuster on cheaper chairs as you do on the Titan.

Final Verdict

It’s true, the Secretlab Titan is an expensive chair, but the fact is, it gives you a ton of value for your money. From the excellent PU leather to the aluminum frame and cured foam you’re getting an above-par seating experience. Add to that loads of adjustability and the ergonomic knob to get the perfect fit for your body and we’re looking at one of the most comfortable gaming chairs out there.

So, if you’re willing to spend the money, this an excellent purchase and easily a top-tier chair to upgrade your gear. Oh, and the two-year warranty certainly doesn’t hurt that value.