AndaSeat Fnatic Edition gaming chair review: "A gaming chair you won't want to get out of"

The gaming chair space is a crowded one, but AndaSeat is coming in with a gaming chair partnership with esports team Fnatic, allowing you to play - and work - in comfort, while also pledging your allegiance to the team. However, what you'll really love about this seat won't be its associations but for its comfort and ergonomics. This is very much a gaming chair in terms of design, but Andaseat has done a great job at making sure the build quality, comfort, and back support is there for the amount of time you'll no doubt spend sitting in it. Thus, we're looking at a chair to rival those already featured in our best gaming chairs round-up.  

Build

Before we can get seated though, there's the small task of building the thing. The AndaSeat Fnatic comes in a surprisingly compact box, despite the fact that it comes with a large amount of the seat pre-assembled. The instructions clearly walk you through the process of attaching the back part of the chair to the seat part - to which the armrests and various under-seat adjustment mechanisms are already attached - which is fairly straightforward but just a little too fiddly to be truly easy. For example, inserting the screws into the chair while aligning them with the attachment arm is a little tricky. Although, it's worth saying that I have yet to find a gaming chair that's a complete breeze to build, just because they're big, heavy things to maneuver around by their very nature.

However, the back is the only part that caused me any problems; AndaSeat's instructions were really easy to follow. There are also nice plastic fittings that hide the mechanisms for adjusting the back, meaning the overall look of the chair is fairly sleek. I particularly love the bright orange detailing on the steel levers underneath the seat for adjusting the height, and activating what AndaSeat calls the 'Leisure Mode'. This is basically the option to lock or unlock the recline of the seat, letting you lean right back if you turn Leisure Mode on. I've never liked having an unlocked recline, but the torque on this chair means it's almost impossible to completely recline in it as it fairly insistently realigns you to a more vertical position - even after adjusting the compactness of the mode.

Design & features

However, this is an incredibly comfortable and supportive gaming chair. It comes with a duo of memory foam pillows to attach to the chair with elastic straps. A larger one is for lumbar support that has been designed to fit with the natural curve of your back. As someone who's been struggling with some back pain working from home, upgrading to the AndaSeat has instantly fixed the lower back problems I've been having. It helps that it's height-adjustable too, so you can ensure the right positioning for your body. The smaller memory foam pillow is intended to cradle your head and neck, but I've never managed to find a position where it doesn't feel awkward. It's incredibly hard, and feels too plump for a natural headrest position: it always feels like my head is being pushed forward. Thankfully, it's optional, so I've found the AndaSeat Fnatic much better without it.

What I do appreciate is the level of customisation on offer with the armrests. Touted as 4D adjustable armrests, there are options for moving the armrests up, down, in, out, forward, and backwards, which means you can ensure they're in the right place for your forearms and elbows to rest on easily, and comfortably. It also means you can guarantee they're going to work with whatever desk setup you're using, which is handy.

In terms of the branding, obviously, this is a Fnatic chair. It comes in the trademark orange and black colour scheme, with Fnatic written along the top edge of the chair, and the Fnatic logo subtly embossed below the headrest and on the rear of the backrest. However, it's all done rather tastefully, and I love the fact that the Fnatic branding isn't visible face on. If you want to use the chair for work video calls or for streaming, you're safe in the knowledge that you're not constantly advertising your support for Fnatic. Unless you want to, of course, and that's just a pivot away.

Comfort & adjustability

What's fantastic about the AndaSeat Fnatic is its overall comfort though. It's on par with a gaming chair like the SecretLab Omega because it's built with bigger frames in mind. The seat is wide enough that even my larger thighs don't feel like they're being crammed in, and the backrest is incredibly supportive. It's PVC leather gives it a premium feel too and is just breathable enough that even with a few hot days of gaming still left, you won't end up feeling sweaty. 

The fact that there are just so many adjustability options, from the backrest incline to the armrests, it means you can spend a little time tweaking the AndaSeat Fnatic to your exact requirements. It took me no longer than five minutes or so to get the right position for me, and since then I've spent a couple of weeks with the chair both playing games and working, and not had to make a single adjustment. 

Overall - should you buy it?

This really is a premium gaming seat experience and one that's more than capable of doubling up as an office chair when working from home. At $450 / £399.99, this is at the pricier end of the gaming chair market, but it justifies the investment. Comfort, ergonomics, style, and design all come together for a gaming chair that you won't want to get out of.