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I was walking around the Computex show floor this morning when I suddenly came across a range of gaming chairs I hadn't seen before. That doesn't happen all that often with me, since reviewing them regularly means I tend to hear about any new names that enter the space. The folks manning the relatively small booth welcomed me in, and since I'd probably already passed my step count for the day, I happily accepted their invitation and sat down.
The brand is called MarsRhino, and you probably haven't heard of it either because it's a Taiwanese company that doesn't distribute to other regions yet. But having taken a lengthy look at its range of gaming furniture, I sincerely hope that's about to change, because there are innovations here that deserve recognition from the wider market.
First off, they have a solid selection of both ergonomic mesh chairs and cushioned gaming chairs with floating backrests. Here's the interesting part, though: unlike the million and one freely adjusting clicky annoyances currently occupying the shelves, these are all electric.
Yes, electric gaming chairs are becoming a bit of a repetitive theme at the moment, but there isn't anything gimmicky about the ones MarsRhino had to show off. Instead of fiddling around with umpteen different controls and never knowing which lever under your bum controls what adjustable aspect of the chair you're sitting on, MarsRhino has simplified things to an easy electric control panel.
In fact, the latest, flashiest chair in the booth even has a remote control, which might seem stupid at first, but honestly would simplify chair controls even further. The staff at the booth told me that their chair batteries typically last a month, unless you're adjusting constantly and, while I was sitting down, one staff member even switched on a lumbar stretching program - eat that LiberNovo Omni.
Beyond electric frills, I must say that I'm a massive fan of the comfort level each MarsRhino chair has. They reminded me of the late great Boulies Ninja Pro, as each one had a perforated leatherette upholstery that was breathable, but also felt nice and plush to sit down in. Meanwhile, the floating backrest did a great job of supporting my lumbar, in fact - a better job than the Razer Iskur V2 NewGen I've just been testing.
Some of them used magnetic headrests, but one chair I was shown used a clever locking mechanism that allowed the head cushion to "float" just like the lumbar support. In other words, it would extend out from the backrest while still being fixed to it and then pivot and tilt as I moved my head. There's some real mileage to that as a headrest design philosophy, and it might be a way for traditional gaming chairs to compete with fully dynamic options like the aforementioned LiberNovo Omni.
MarsRhino even makes a one-seater gaming couch, which is ideal for living room players looking for the best console gaming chair. This is a niche of the chair market that's been slowly disappearing in recent times, but MarsRhino has managed to make something that looks like a Lazyboy that'd blend right into any living room.
When I'd seen all the chairs MarsRhino had brought to Computex, I was asked if I also reviewed desks. I was then pointed over to what was perhaps the most ingenious product the brand had on the show floor, a height-adjusting desk that also tilted forward and back.
When you first think about this, you may think it's a disaster waiting to happen; I know I certainly did when I saw the desktop tilting towards me. Surely, all the hardware, displays, peripherals, and work you have on your desk will slide off and crash to the floor? Perhaps, but with a fully magnetic surface and a very easy-to-use control panel, you'll have more confidence. Clever magnetic panels can also sit atop desk accessories to ensure nothing light slides off. Obviously, a monitor arm mount is going to be pivotal here, but I just love the concept of it.
There are serious practical uses for this. One thing I hate about reclining in a gaming chair is that when you tilt yourself back, you ruin the viewing angle, eye-height, and armrest level for your desk and monitor. Your arms now have restricted circulation as your forearms press into the corner of a desktop; your focus on the game you're playing will be limited because you're not in the ideal visual spot for your monitor. But with a desk that can tilt toward you, reclining and having the optimal experience is still possible.
Ingenious design - when I saw it, I wondered how no one had thought of it before. I mean, maybe they have, but they don't want people to lose thousands of dollars' worth of gaming hardware from it falling off their desk.
The other use for this is that when you put a height-adjusting desk in standing mode, getting the angles right for your eyes and wrists again becomes a difficulty. I know for me, if I'm in standing mode with my Fezibo L-Shaped Desk, I'll start to experience discomfort with my wrists as I type because although it might be set to the right for my eyes, my arms have to overadjust to reach the keyboard in the same way. Again, the ability to tilt the worktop toward you fixes that completely, and actually might encourage you to use the standing mode on your desk every once in a while - we all know the novelty wears off quickly.
I'm totally won over by this brand's wares. There are some really simple innovations that even the most inventive names in the space, like Secretlab, don't have answers for. I'm told that MarsRhino is currently seeking distribution partners in the US and EU markets to expand its serviced regions, and so I sincerely hope its presence at Computex this week helps that. If not, hey, any readers interested in MarsRhino products, please follow them on socials to keep up to date, or hound your local retailer CEO to start stocking these innovative chairs and desks pronto.
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