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Beyond working and gaming, I like being at my desk to draw in an organised, structured environment. For the longest time, having a chair that was too low down for my desk, without lumbar support, and without a proper backrest meant that trying to be creative was near impossible. When the Secretlab Titan Evo 2022 finally arrived and I sat on it for the first time – everything was different.
If you’re reading this review, you’ve probably got a stiff back. As gamers, hardware enthusiasts, and entertainment devourers, we spend a lot of time sitting at a desk. It’s hardly natural to sit hunched over a keyboard, and the longer that you do it, the more you realise how deeply it’s impacting your posture and physical health. Secretlab, a brand synonymous with gaming chairs as much as Herman Miller are to office furniture, have made the Titan Evo 2022 Dark Knight variant, which I’ve been using for the past two months.
Before I began using the Titan Evo, I was using an Omega in the office, and at home I’d been using an old rickety chair I’d picked up for under £100. Even then, the comfort difference between working from home and in-office was drastic, and the thought of having to sit at it for hours at a time always irked me.
Price and availability
The Secretlab Titan Evo Dark Knight has an MSRP of £519 / $624 directly from the Secretlab website, though you can often find it discounted there. I’m not going to sugarcoat it, Secretlab chairs are expensive. Whether you want to pay this much for office equipment depends entirely on your lifestyle, but for someone who spends as much time as I do in front of my computer, it’s an absolute must-have.
Secretlab Titan Evo Dark Knight Variant
Sizes
Small, Regular, XL
Comfort Features
Lumbar support, reclining backrest, 4D armrest
Feel
Neo Hybrid Leatherette, SoftWeave Plus Fabric, NAPA Leather, Exotic
Design
I chose the Dark Knight variant of the Secretlab Titan Evo, a slick, dark chair with rose gold threading. It’s definitely a subtle design and is quite in-different from the standard design variant. I suppose though, that’s entirely in-line with Batman’s ethos and design. The backpiece dons the Bat Symbol on its chest, and just below that is some ribbed musculature. If you ever wanted to sit on Batman’s lap – this is your chance.
Coincidentally, it’s the same chair that Hans Zimmer uses. He’s said it “makes me want to go and create,” and I can’t help but agree with him on this. The Titan Evo is capable of changing your lifestyle entirely.
Assembly
Assembling the Secretlab Titan Evo is quite straightforward. It comes in premium packaging that reminds you this is a premium product, and most of the construction is done for you. The Secretlab design team have clearly taken a page out of the Ikea handbook, and this is definitely the most “flat-pack” chair I’ve ever built. At least, on paper.
There are four main components: The backrest, seat, wheels, and the tilt mechanism. Wrestle with the packaging a little bit and you’ll be able to get each piece out properly. Then, you’re going to need to start piecing together each and every component. With so few pieces, this should be fairly straightforward, right?
Inserting the back-piece to the seat felt wrong. You have to line up a pretty solid metal brace into a bracket, getting the screw holes perfect, too. Trying to manoeuvre the (very heavy) backpiece into place is not fun, and it’s definitely something to be aware of before you consider the Secretlab Titan Evo 2022 in all its variations.
After that, hooking up the tilt mechanism to the wheelbase and casters is much easier. You’ll need an allen key to secure the wheelbase to the seat, though the rest of the assembly is just pushing and popping into place. The catch is that once it’s all put together, there’s no undoing it.
Much of the assembly is straightforward, enough so that the instructions to build the chair were printed out on a single plastic sheet, rather than a flimsy leaflet. While the actual process is not complex in any way, there’s a few kinks here and there that make building it more difficult than need be.
It took me about 45 minutes to build, which is more likely 30-35 minutes as I was taking photos while doing so.
Comfort and Ergonomics
Once assembly is out of the way, the Secretlab Titan Evo finally begins to sing for itself. While some of the best gaming chairs come stocked with innovative features and all the bells and whistles that gaming hardware tends to, Secretlab have opted to keep their flagship chair accessible to all audiences. This is a more traditional ergonomic office-style gaming chair, and less futuristic than the likes of the Cooler Master Orb X.
Its features are purely functional – ergonomics clearly the focus here. I find it far too easy to slouch into some chairs and let my limbs go a bit loose. It’s a little harder to do that in the Titan Evo. I think this comes from the fact I know I’m sitting in a chair that costs a month’s worth of rent, and that sitting ‘lazily’ would symbolise defeat. I’m not sure if that’s something the design team factored in, but it’s definitely working.
The 4D armrests can be moved both vertically and horizontally, while also rotating slightly. The switch from typing on a keyboard, playing games with a controller, or drawing at my desk is pretty seamless, and there’s a configuration that supports my arms in each of these situations. Unlike the Secretlab Omega, which I’ve been using in the office for the past year, they don’t feel as tight and secure. Whether or not this is the case with all Titan Evos, or if I’ve received a slightly faulty model, it does feel too easy to wibble-wobble.
Secretlab kindly sent out its Secretlab Technogel Premium Armrest Tops, too, of which the next pre-order will release on January 22. They clip on extremely easily with magnetic locks, and have an expected premium feel. Even more-so than the stock armrests that ship with the Titan Evo.
What fascinates me with gaming chairs is how the layering of quality of life features add up. With armrests that actually support you while you’re typing on a keyboard, the Technogel design is also going to simultaneously cool down your elbows. When I first read about this – I was sceptical. I’d never really considered hot elbows an issue when gaming and working, but now that they’re being actively cooled down it’s uncomfortable to rest on anything else. Maybe it’s the marketing as premium, partnered with a premium price of $89 / £75, that makes you feel like you have to appreciate each and every facet. Either way, Secretlab has spoiled me with the Titan Evo and all its accoutrements.
Comfort is key with gaming chairs. You’re going to be locked into it for hours on end during long sessions in front of your keyboard, controller, and monitor. For me, whatever I’m sitting on, I’m going to fidget. Having something that lets me contort into comfortable positions for a handful of minutes at a time, before unfurling into another crooked arrangement, is a major point when it comes to finding a chair. While it’s not going to do any favours for that chronic back pain you’ve been nursing for years, Secretlab’s chairs are all sturdy enough that you can sit on them cross legged, recline fully, or even sit on them like L from Death Note. Perhaps this is also a symptom of the fact that I might have picked a chair size too large for me – though no fault of Secretlab – it’s not something I’m actually complaining about. The chair feels big, and that’s a good thing.
In terms of the seat itself, a combination of sturdy construction and comfortable materials means that it’s not irritating to sit on. At least, after breaking it in that is. The first couple of days, if not weeks, felt like I was sitting on a new chair where it certainly wasn’t as comfortable as it is now.
The lumbar support mechanism, a quality that the Omega isn’t privy to, has definitely encouraged a more confident and upright posture in me, and I actually recommend using it over the included cushioned headrests. While the cushion is as comfortable as you would expect, I find that it lets me sink into a slightly loose and flaccid posture, whereas without it I am a little more awake and structured.
I’ve been trying out the chair in a variety of positions, and the best one for me has to be completely upright – no pillow. That said, our office is filled with Secretlab chairs and from what I’ve seen – you can sit on them however you want, as long as you’re comfy. I’ve had a movie night sitting entirely on the chair too: fully reclined, cup of tea, basically dozing off at my desk. The first couple of times that you crank that lever back, you’re going to think the chair’s about to topple. Surprisingly, it never does. It’s a testament to the engineering behind the chair, and offers up a cosy alternative to getting into bed too early.
The Titan Evo takes the mantle as the best gaming chair on the market. While it’s certainly not the cheapest option out there, nothing is going to come close in the adjustability and comfort it offers.
