Edge GX1 Gaming Chair review: "A perfectly fine chair for gaming - but not much more"

Brand new to the gaming chair market, the Edge GX1 intends to position itself as the one truly ergonomic gaming to chair (to rule them all) and the antidote to racing-style gaming chairs that dominate the market. The design of the chair does immediately identify it as a gaming chair and although its aesthetic is quite cool and not too garish, it would definitely be most at home in a designated gaming room or office. It’s worth noting that this chair comes built already leaving you ready to sit and play from the off, which is pretty convenient. It’s a big investment and will set you back many hundreds of dollars or pounds, settling around the four figures mark. This - the first hurdle - will be enough to put many home gamers off, particularly if the desire is to have something that will fit into the home decor, or seamlessly flit between being a gaming and everyday office chair. How does it stack up against our best gaming chairs? Here’s what we think.

Edge GX1 - Design

The chair feels both a little strange but comfy enough at the same time, especially when first getting used to it and sitting in it. The strangest immediate sensation is the lumbar support - it felt intrusive and uncomfortable to start with, putting unusual pressure on the lower back, however this did not persist and encouraged a better posture - the supports given to the back are helpful and well thought out. The back follows the shape of the spine and is actually at its most comfortable when reclining into the chair slightly; you feel comfy and well supported. The overall general dimensions of the chair do seem a little off here though; it’s just a bit too narrow and this takes an awfully long time to get used to. However, it clearly is designed for gamers, particularly for those who intend to do longer play sessions, and getting the right settings will see you play comfortably for hours at a time.

The chair’s height is adjustable as expected, as is the angle of the seat (a great feature not present in many other gaming chairs), as is the chair’s reclining aspect and so on - all standard stuff but made slightly problematic by the controls which are in the right place but are not intuitive or as quick to master as one would expect with modern chairs. Once (finally) mastered though, they are secure enough and won't slip out of position.

The armrests are, on the face of it, very cool. They move and can be adjusted on almost any axis, so there should definitely be a setting and setup here that’ll suit you, be it with controller in hand or mouse and keyboard on the desk. The fact that they slide forward and backward also means that they are conducive to adapting and accommodating one's height and sitting style - an adjustment that goes beyond gaming convenience. But the armrests rattle. Incessantly. And with every slightest move. Unfortunately, this is so distracting, annoying and even unsettling - it doesn't inspire confidence in the security of the chair’s elements.

The ‘extremities’ of the chair are also adjustable and encourage a flexible set up. The footrest can be moved to whatever position your feet find themselves and is a sturdy enough rest. The headrest is also pretty comfy once it's in the right position. However the headrest is not as sturdy as the footrest and does flop out of position really easily - even just from the act of sitting down in the chair. It’s worth noting that the headrest has been designed to move to some really weird positions; this is pretty low impact on the experience of the chair but is still quite baffling.

Edge GX1 - Comfort and adjustability

As I mentioned above the controls that are key to adjusting the chair for comfort are not as immediately intuitive as they should be. The controls are indeed in the right place (the recognised and traditional locations) but remain baffling at first to figure out what lever or knob does what. It was so bad at the beginning it was almost to the point of making me give up - its 2018 and no one should have to spend ages trying to figure a chair’s controls. I was left confused to why there was any need, in a world where the controls on any office chair are so ingrained and established, to make the controls unusual enough to the point of counter-intuitive and frustrating. It might sound like a whine in a review, but it really was that bad, and was that frustrating.

The footrest is a definite plus and makes the whole set up more comfortable. Though it’s a bit clanky and plasticky (and could do with a slow-shut mechanism rather than just a tilting axis that’s a bit too easy to flip over by accident) it is the feature I found myself using most.

The headrest is suitably adjustable - to the point of the peculiar - so along with the highly moveable arms, you have the basis for a very adjustable chair. The negatives of the chair are not tremendous in and of themselves and the comfort levels are generally good, but overall the parts certainly detract from the whole.

Overall - Should you buy it?

All in, the Edge GX1 is fine. Just fine. It’s neither so great that I’ve disposed of my previous chair or bad enough that I’ve returned to it. It’s marketed as being ‘truly ergonomic’ but that isn’t quite the reality. It’s just quite ergonomic. The fact that it comes pre-built - to supposedly remove any problems caused by rushed or incorrect home builds - is rather revealing too, as this should remove the rattling parts and more loose connections. Which it doesn’t.

The general comfort levels and that inflatable lumbar support are highlights for sure and the the footrest is definitely a plus - there is a good chair in here. Perhaps by committing yet more time to adjustments and getting used to it you could fine tune the chair to be a great gaming and office specimen, but with all the time I’ve spent with it, I haven't quite found that yet. I certainly can’t recommend it given the price of the chair I tested would go on the manufacturer’s website for about $1190 / £940 - a cost that the chair never really justifies.

If you’re looking for something more flashy and gadgety then this one is not for you. If you’re looking for something to slouch in and to be a seamless addition to your office or even lounge, then this isn’t for you. But, if money's no object, you can see past these irks, and you’re looking for an off-the-beaten-track chair with a decent design and one that’s generally comfy and can be manipulated a lot, then this might well be for you.