Singapore-based Secretlab has recently unveiled their latest upgrade to their flagship, best-selling chair, the Omega 2018 gaming chair. The chair features a number of Secretlab’s signature design elements to provide gamers with what they are looking for in a seat. This new edition of the Omega range is scheduled to ship early January. However, Just Push Start has been fortunate enough to get hands on beforehand. So, does this premium product live up to the billing? Let’s find out!
The Omega 2018 is very much a premium product, designed and built for gamers looking to spend a lot of time in front of a screen. The Omega range started with the 2016 model and the same sports car/racing seat styling is still very much at the core of the design, looking as visually stunning as ever. The Omega 2018 is available in 5 colours: Stealth, Classic, Royal, Ash and Amber (the design you can see throughout this review).
The chair comes unassembled with a step by step, Ikea assembly style, guide. The guide is simple to follow, with every small step detailed, and isn’t overly long. When putting the chair together having a second person around isn’t entirely necessary, however, it was extremely helpful when having to balance the backrest at the correct angle to screw it into the seat. There is a warning, that is heavily emphasised, not to touch the recline lever before the back element is connected. This is something to pay attention to but realistically you’d have to go out of your way to push the lever. I feel this has been included to cover Secretlab as the mechanism is pretty strong even with the backrest attached.
The combination of Prime PU leather material and cold-cured foam results in a firmness that for some many take a little time to get used to, but it is 100% worth it. This is very much like mattresses where some are firm while others allow for that bit of sinking into. This firmness is incredibly good for helping players keep their posture, whilst being relaxed and ready to play. This same combination also enables the chair not to become too hot to the touch, perfect for maintaining gaming comfort on hot days! No more of that sticky feeling from leather chairs.
The Secretlab Omega 2018 gaming chair isn’t just there to sit on and play, it is ergonomically designed to support your entire body. From the concave armrests to the tall backrest that reaches head height, the chair effectively wraps slightly around you. This with a firmness really helps to support key areas such as the lower back and neck when marathoning your favourite game.
To make the chair that bit more comfortable head and lumbar pillows have been included taking the Omega 2018 from extremely comfortable to dream inducing comfort levels. The head pillow has a band which hoops securely over the top of the chair keeping it at the perfect height to rest your head or cushioning the impact when you flail backwards, after being killed by that Dark Souls boss for the umpteenth time.
The lumbar pillow is again extremely comfortable, curved to perfectly support your lower back when in the seat for extended periods of time. My only grip with this extremely soft pillow is that unlike the head pillow it is not attachable. This often results in the pillow falling over whenever you stand up. It truly is such a minor issue and it is well worth it for the additional comfort the pillow provides it’s just somewhat of an annoyance.
The gaming chair has a full backrest recline feature, that when used in conjunction with the tilt mechanism, feels as if you are oddly floating. After the initial uncertainty of the angle you notice that the chair is comfortably holding you and this shows the robustness and solid design of the Omega 2018. If the backrest angle and chair tilt weren’t enough options, the armrests even have 3 snap points offering a sideways adjustment of 2cm, on top of the normal height adjustments.
Upon sitting gamers will instantly notice the feeling of size. The Omega 2018 gaming chair feels that bit wider and taller than most, to make a large comfortable gaming chair. Secretlab prides itself on its signature Prime PU leather claiming it to be “highly stain-resistant, durable and water-resistant” and this is all 100% believable. It offers the benefits of real leather without the heat-based downsides. The Omega 2018 is without doubt the most comfortable gaming chair I have had the privilege to use, among the countless ones used at home in front of a PC or at gaming events. Alas, the price will see some discount the chair. Nevertheless, for the amount of time many will spend in the chair the comfort and support will justify the price tag.
[Editor’s Note: The Omega 2018 Gaming Chair was provided to us by Secretlab for the review. The new Omega chair is currently available for a special launch price £279, with the price rising after the launch to £400.]