Secretlab vs. RESPAWN: Which Has Better Gaming Chairs?

Jun 05, 2023

Secretlab and RESPAWN are two of the best gaming chair companies out there. Let us see who makes the best gaming chair between these two.

Secretlab and RESPAWN are two recognizable and respectable gaming chair brands that gamers depend on for a comfortable seat. Secretlab has an award-winning R&D team that many companies strive for while RESPAWN offers a wide variety of affordable options to choose from. There's no clear winner when it comes to who makes the better products, and this decision will likely come down to personal preferences on factors such as climate, budget, and even body dimensions. However, choosing a chair that fits individual needs can be easy when breaking down what each company has to offer and weighing out the pros and cons of each company before pushing that purchase button.

Related: Best Luxury Gaming Chairs

Secretlab, which was founded in late 2014 and launched its first THRONE series of gaming chairs in 2015, set out to design the best gaming chair possible for everyone. Rather than putting out tons of different models to fit other niche markets, they instead spend their research and development time focusing on creating durable materials and ergonomic designs.

Whether it's their own unique color patterns or pairing up with your favorite franchise, it's hard to imagine a competitor to the chokehold Secretlab has over gaming chair collaborations and color variations. Secretlab has had collabs with a multitude of different media outlets, ranging from Riot Games' Valorant and League of Legends to even pairing up with The Batman (2022) film for a collaboration. There are seven signature SoftWeave™ Plus Fabric colors, five signature NEO™ Hybrid Leatherette colors, and dozens of collaboration chairs available in all of Secretlab's materials.

This does bring up the biggest negative that Secretlab deals with: the lack of diversity in styles available. There are currently only a few chairs in circulation at the moment, those being the mainline TITAN Evo 2022 series, the TITAN 2020, OMEGA 2020, and an odd office chair NeueChair™ designed by a third party. Players who don't enjoy the design of these chairs aren't given many alternatives, although those who do like the available styles will have dozens of colors, patterns, and logos to choose from.

The Secretlab Titan Evo 2022 offers an entirely new level of individualized support and unsurpassed performance. Applying cutting-edge engineering methods for complex designs. Better-than-ever materials that are handcrafted and superior in quality. For serious performance, professional-level ergonomics were incorporated into the design. This is the gaming chair with all the functionality most gamers need.The Titan Evo 2022 Series features full-metal armrests with CloudSwap technology, a 4-way lumbar support system, a magnetic memory foam head pillow, and a proprietary sculpted pebble seat base. With the launch of SKINS, you can now add a fabric layer over your TITAN Evo 2022 to not only change the color and material but also increase the durability of the chair.

The TITAN Evo 2022 series prioritizes inclusivity by covering a wide range of comfort zones, allowing anyone from under 5'6" and under 200 lbs to as tall as 6'9" and upwards of 395 lbs to be able to enjoy their lineup. Rather than needing to pick a different option based on body dimensions, you can rest assured that the latest and greatest is available to you, just with small changes in cost.

There's even the launch of the TITAN XXS, which was designed as a joke of sorts at first but ended up being a great option for little gamers who still wanted comfort. This chair mixes the styling of the TITAN 2020 series with material options available for the TITAN Evo 2022 series, giving it a cozy vibe while still maintaining maximum durability.

While there is plenty to love about Secretlab chairs, the fixed armrests are not one of them. Overall, the chairs are not overly adjustable. The armrests can't be moved horizontally, and the seat itself can only recline up to 165°. This is a highly subjective criticism though, and many gamers won't care that the armrests can't move. With the super plush padding and soft upholstery, there's still a lot to love about the comfort of a Secretlab chair.

The TITAN Evo 2022 series makes great use of Secretlab's 25,000+ hours of research. Sure, there are features that everyone expects to see on a gaming chair, such as a waterfall edge that protect the back of legs, and side wings that help keep shoulders aligned. Alongside these are the more advanced designs that Secretlab constantly promises.

Their two patent-pending materials are some of the most important elements of their newest chairs: a new type of foam and a new type of lumbar support. Secretlab's medium-firm, cold-cured foam is built not only for extra comfort, but to specifically address key pressure points in the legs and thus provide additional spinal support. Meanwhile, their special lumbar system is made with a proprietary lattice that flexes to the spine, almost perfectly fitting the natural curvature of any person’s back. Their foam seats have likewise been tested to provide extra support for the spine by reducing pressure on key points in the legs.

Beyond the chair itself, Secretlab also takes the top spot for its accessories on the chair. They allow users to swap out the armrests with their own Secretlab PlushCell™ Memory Foam Armrest Top, meaning players don't need to buy some janky option that falls off the chair every five seconds. The memory foam head pillow that it comes with is magnetic, so no annoying straps or adjustments to make; it can simply slide on.

The latest accessory to hit the market from Secretlab is SKINS, which is a quick and convenient way to refresh the look and feel of your TITAN Evo 2022 series gaming chair. This cost-effective measure to extend the life of your chair includes both the Secretlab Signature lineup of colors and a handful of different collaborations such as Games of Thrones and League of Legends.

RELATED: The Best Secretlab Gaming Chairs in 2023

Pros

Cons

Superior ergonomics

Armrests are not movable

Dozens of upholstery design options

Limited chair shape options

Extra plush padding on seats

Only mesh chair option is not designed by Secretlab

High-quality, durable upholstery

Can be expensive compared to other gaming chairs

Compatible with a wide range of body types

RESPAWN was founded in 2017 with the thought process that those who make games know the best about sitting, so why not employ those same people to design the best gaming chair possible? Yes, RESPAWN the gaming chair company is the same as RESPAWN the game company. And with that kind of expertise backing their design process, RESPAWN has set out to make the best gaming chair for every niche.

RESPAWN has designed a wide variety of different styles to choose from, ranging from your typical gaming chair to ones specifically formulated to cool you down in hot weather. You'll find racing chairs, rocking chairs, gaming chairs with leg rests, and everything in between. This variety does change from year to year, but typically there are gaming chair models for every preference.

The variety can help narrow down exactly what gaming chair to buy. If you're a gamer who primarily plays racing games or likes to recline, then you might want to opt for the RSP-800 Racing Style Rocker or the RSP-900 Racing Style. Those looking for a mixture of office work and gaming might want to favor the FLEXX Mesh Gaming Chair or Specter Ergonomic Chair.

Unfortunately, there's quite a limited number of colors available for any chair that RESPAWN offers. Matching the color of your gaming chair to your setup can be pretty important to some gamers, meaning this is a major negative. RESPAWN does seem to be expanding on this with their latest FLEXX series options. On the plus side, their different styles include both chairs that look like gaming chairs and chairs that look more like office chairs. Their office chairs aren't totally "normal", as they have the signature tall backs and some logos on them, but in general the mesh-back gaming chairs from RESPAWN will be totally camouflaged in a professional setting without players having to compromise what they love about gaming chairs.

The Respawn 110 is a solidly built, no-frills gaming chair that will last the average user years. With an impressive weight capacity alongside features like ergonomic contouring and a handful of stylish upholstery options to choose from, the Respawn 110 offers a low-cost entry into the world of comfortable PC seating.

Related: Office Chairs vs. Gaming Chairs – The Verdict on Which is Better for Gamers

Beyond the style of chair, you'll also find quite a bit of different materials available for RESPAWN gaming chairs. These materials include:

Each material is made to be durable and resistant to stains, however some of the options are better than others. For instance, there are many reviews that mention the faux leather peeling after a year or so; meanwhile, the fabric upholstery is very breathable, but not as stain resistant as the leather options.

Choosing a fabric style is a matter of personal choice, but RESPAWN also uses other features to add comfort. Most of their chairs come with very stiff foam that may not be for everyone, but certainly helps extend the life of the chair padding. Their new Spire gaming chair comes with a cooling gel seat that helps keep gamers comfortable during summer play, while their mesh seats utilize extra lumbar supports.

The majority of the gaming chairs RESPAWN offers in their leather and fabric options have limited ergonomic support. It makes it hard to stand out above other random brands of gaming chairs. While some of their options such as the FLEXX or SPECTER have decent lumbar support and adjustability, it's limited to their mesh-only options. Unlike Secretlab, which offers adjustable lumbar support regardless of the material.

In general, RESPAWN isn't great with ergonomics outside of their mesh chairs. Their mesh chairs are very good, and can compete with much higher-end office chair models, especially their Specter mesh chair. On top of their overall poor ergonomics, their chairs are also incapable of handling heavier people. Capping out at 275 (with the Flexx chair being the only option to support up to 300lbs), RESPAWN chairs just aren't for big and tall gamers. There's also no option for smaller gamers either, meaning that even though they have all this variety in style, there's going to be a good chunk of people who don't find these chairs to be a comfortable experience.

This wide variety in both materials and styles allows for a good entry point into the ergonomic and stylish gaming chairs available. It's likely you find a RESPAWN chair that fits into your budget that still has high-quality materials built into it. That's not to say RESPAWN doesn't have its own premium options, similar to Secretlab.

However, players can spend as little as $249 on a RESPAWN chair, or as much as $599. That's a fairly wide range that doesn't really get too close to most of Secretlab's new chairs. There are trade-offs for this, including the limitation on body weight and the lack of effective ergonomic options, but gamers on a budget can do well with a RESPAWN chair.

Pros

Cons

Affordable

Not ideal for all body types

Wide variety of chair shapes available

Not many colors to choose from

Lots of upholstery options

Limited ergonomic support

Cooling gel-filled seat available

Professional-looking options available

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Ideally, if you're looking for a gaming chair that accommodates a wide variety of gamers, then picking up a TITAN Evo 2022 series from Secretlab is going to be your best option. For those looking for specific styles of gaming chairs, you're likely better off picking up one from RESPAWN instead. Both are great gaming chair companies, and you're going to likely be happy regardless of which gaming chair you go with.

MORE: Who Makes The Best Gaming Chairs?

Yes, RESPAWN gaming chairs are actually a good chair brand, as they are backed by a company and their engineers who have been designing and creating chairs for decades. Rather than some of these gaming chair companies that prioritize profits over comfort.

Secretlab may very well be the best gaming chair as a "one-size-fits-all" option. The company tends to take a lot of the stress of trying to decide what chair works best for you by simply creating the best chair for a wide variety of people. But there are going to be companies out there who create specific products for specific niches where their product will be superior to Secretlab.

Miri is a creative writer with a passion for gaming and animation. Starting with the Super Nintendo and Sega Genesis, she is a lifelong console gamer and overall Xbox fangirl (especially with Game Pass existing!).She still loves Nintendo too though, and will sometimes throw a bone to PC games (if they have cute cats and/or apocalyptic societies). When she isn't writing or gaming, Megan loves to see art through webtoons, comics, anime, and other animated projects!

A lover of all things PC related, Matt has been building and testing computer parts since he could afford them. He also spends his free time building and collecting keyboards.