Mavix M7 review: "I'd struggle to go back to anything less accomplished than this in the future."

Thanks to the Mavix M7, I look forward to sitting down now. Granted, that might be because the hydraulics on my old chair had gone, leaving me sitting comically low at my desk, but I think it has a lot more to do with the fact that the M7 is supremely comfortable, and easily one of the best gaming chairs I've ever owned.

Back in 2022, we reviewed the more premium Mavix M9, but with the M7 already priced at $777, it's hard to justify more money for that flagship variant. Ultimately, while the M9 enjoyed a stint on our best gaming chair list, it gave way to cheaper alternatives that offered similar features for lower costs.

Of course, Mavix stands out from other brands because its chairs can come with Elemax heating and massage features, which we tested for this review. Admittedly, that does bump up the price of the M7 to $906, so it's really up to you and your coffers to decide if that's too much to pay.

Design and Features

I was impressed from almost the first moment I opened the Mavix M7's box. The wheels were out first, and even those are a substantial improvement over most chairs thanks to their design being a single, solid piece of rubber rather than the dual-track plastic designs I'm used to from other chairs. These result in smooth, deliberate movement that proves a strong foundation, both literally and figuratively, for the rest of the chair.

Like in our Mavix M9 review, the only snafu I had during assembly was the lack of a physical instruction booklet. Instead, I had to put the M7 together with the help of a YouTube video - clear and concise, but not particularly easy to refer to at a glance. Thankfully, the chair was very easy to build, the only potential hitch being the weight of the seat, which might be more difficult for some people to maneuver into place by themselves.

There's no denying that this is a very heavy chair - it could even give the Asus ROG Destrier Ergo chair a run for its money. If getting the seat in place was tricky, getting the entire chair up the stairs to my office was actively difficult, and now that it's in place I don't see myself being particularly keen to move it any time soon. Thankfully, I definitely don't have any plans to do that.

Almost everything on the Mavix M7 can be adjusted, and it was a little while before I'd worked out what every button and lever did, and how to get every feature to my liking. But almost as soon as I sat down upon my completed chair, I knew I'd got something good. The mesh fabric is pulled nice and tight, which means plenty of support across both the seat and the upper back without it feeling like it's clinging to you. Summer will be a bigger test, but right now it's keeping me feeling pleasantly cool.

The Mavix M7 is available in three colourways. I tested the all Black variant, but it also comes in Black and Red, or Black with White mesh. As an added bonus, the caster wheels can be customized with 10 different colors - which is a great way to add some personality to fairly minimalist color schemes. The Elemax backrests are available no matter what color you opt for, and the armrests can either be 4D or 360-degree rotational ones. 

The lumbar and head support automatically adjusts to you as you sit down, and there's enough room in the 21-inch seat to let you find your ideal position. At 6 feet tall and around 230 lbs, I don't exactly feel small within the seat's confines, but there's certainly plenty of space for me to get comfortable.

Performance

And boy, am I comfortable. There's a bounce to the seat that I enjoy every time I sit down. The lumbar support shifts so easily that I didn't even know it was there until I reexamined the specs to write up this review. There's a little more lean in the seat than I need personally, but a lot of that comes from the fact that I'm more likely to be playing with a mouse and keyboard while sitting at one of the best gaming desks. Arguably, the Mavix M7 could work brilliantly as one of the best console gaming chairs thanks to its tilt, and while I don't want to lean as far back as the M7 will let me, I do like how effectively it accommodates a more casual position while still offering posture support.

I've also opted for Mavix's Elemax cooling, heat, and massage pad as an optional extra. The cooling and heating are subtle, and will drain the battery pretty quickly (Elemax comes with a power cable, which seems odd for a chair, but connects directly via USB). The massage setting, however, is pretty good, and far less energy-intensive. At $129 on top of the base chair price, it's certainly not for everyone, but I've really enjoyed having the option of a little luxury.

If I'm going to really nitpick, then my one issue is with the armrests, which are perhaps a little too adjustable. Made of solid foam that's firm without being too rigid, I can adjust the height, depth, and horizontal angle of the arms - all of which is positive - but I find that they shift forward very easily when I push on them to get up. As a person who fidgets around quite a lot, that means that I'm pushing them out of position really easily. Nonetheless, this is far, far from being a deal-breaker.

Should you buy the Mavix M7?

The only thing that gives me pause about the Mavix M7 is its price. At $777, it's a lot more expensive than some of its famously pricey rivals like the Secretlab Titan Evo 2022 and the Razer Iskur X. While the cost of entry is high, its design places it far closer to a dainty Herman Miller model than those hefty, more traditional-looking gaming chairs. Add to that my own desire to invest in a higher-end chair, and I'm actually pretty pleased with the price of the M7 if you don't opt for Elemax. Usually, when you look for something this good, you can expect to pay closer to $1,000.

If you don't balk at the price, this is a very, very good chair. Comfortable, easy to adjust, and with features I didn't even know I wanted before I sat in it for the first time, the Mavix M7 puts you at the heart of every adjustment it lets you make (or even makes for you). I'd struggle to go back to anything less accomplished than this in the future.

How we tested the Mavix M7

The Mavix M7 was assembled in a home environment and used as a replacement for a previous gaming chair for two weeks before writing this review. During that time, the chair was used every day for meetings, remote work, and lengthy gaming sessions. I assembled the M7 solo and predominantly used it while sitting at a desk.

For more on how we test the latest gaming accessories, furniture, and more, have a gander at our hardware policy.

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