VERTAGEARRacing Series S-Line SL5000 Gaming Chair HygennX Midnight Blue Special Edition

I've had the S-Line 5000 chair for about 6 months now. I WFH as well do a fair amount of gaming and I can say for the most part, I love it. I have poor posture and as a result suffer from lower back pain, it's done a fairly good job helping correct that. It's pretty versatile and checks off almost all the necessities for a WFH and Gaming environment.PROS: - DesignIt's lumbar support support and design feature is what makes Vertagear different VS. the rest and it's what allows to capture a wide audience. I see a lot of people saying they either love it or they hate it, however what I think people forget/don't understand is that while it is aggressive, it is designed that way for a reason. It's done so purposely so it keep it's shape while still maintaining adjustability, however it NEEDS to be adjusted the correct way to give it the most utility. - VersatilityFor those who need an ergonomic work space that compliments focus it can be locked upright and the thick cushion used as a trainer to support correct posture. Most gaming chairs have too far of a lean as their natural seating position and this feature eliminates constantly adjusting to sit closer to the desk. For those who want a more superior and immersive gaming experience, it can be unlocked to lean back and the lumbar support pushed can be pushed in the space between where the back rest meets the seat. For neck support, in the leaned back position, it has an almost memory foam like neck pillow. - Material QualityThe material of the upholstery is super durable, while I've owned it neither the seat nor the backrest has creased or sunken in at all. It's not like the normal faux-leather of most chairs, this one has a plush-rubbery like feel to it and personally I like it better than real leather. The armrests are fully adjustable and made of a thick plastic with rubber on the tops, so they don't hurt the elbows. The base doesn't have an inch of plastic on it, all of it is made of brushed metal with a matte finish and the wheels are made of a thick rubber material *(I would compare it to the same material inline roller-skate wheels are made of)*CONS: - Build QualityI would say that within the first I owned, the armrest became loose and is now to the point where I can no longer put any force on it when it's adjusted towards the body or it immediately goes the opposite way. The foam inside the seat bolstering somehow ripped and my leg sits right on top of the metal. So I've had to put a few pillow cases there to support my leg. They put a very conservative amount of grease on the pneumatic lifter and every time I lean back it makes an awful and loud creaking noise. - PriceThe price is closely related to the build quality. The price wouldn't be so much of an issue if the chair performed the way it was meant too. But with those issues, they in no certain terms justify one of the priciest gaming chairs on the market. ^These issues give me a lot of buyers remorse the pro's just barely outweigh the con's. What I am afraid of is how my experience with customer service will go. I've read nothing but bad reviews concerning their warranty...............I will give an update as soon as I submit my ticket.

I've been through two of these chairs in less than 4 years now, and I've decided to stop wasting my money.The first one failed after less than two and a half years of being used 2-3 hours a day, with the tilt mechanism broken such that the chair won't stay upright -- totally unusable just after the warranty expired.The second one lasted a year and then the gas cylinder failed. Having seen other comments on how useless vertagear customer support is and while still self-isolating during the pandemic, I didn't see much point trying to call on the warranty to replace the cylinder, so I just got an upgrade.I've invested in a proper office chair with a 12-year warranty now, and I won't be trusting these shoddy gaming chairs anymore; it's clear that you're paying extra for it to "look cool" and then fall apart.

Chair is comfortable, made of high quality material, had to contact support over a faulty gas lift and they sent me a new gas lift to replace the defective one with. The sides of the seat have had either the foam not installed during manufacturing or have become dislodged as the seat side metal bar have no padding on them and causing the metal bars to push into the side of my legs. Contacted support, hopefully they warranty this defect.

Before anything else, if you get this chair (or any other one), give it a little bit before making a final decision on it. I hated this chair when I first got it and if I could have easily returned it I probably would have. Now, a few weeks later, I find it more enjoyable but still not without its faults. And I still have a thought from time to time of wanting to return it.The pros & cons of this chair:PRO - The seat is well cushioned. I have had many chairs of various varieties that felt like I was sitting on concrete. This is not the case. It is a firmer seat but still soft enough that I do not mind sitting for longer periods of time.PRO - The lumbar cushion and support is very comfortable. The back piece is once again smaller for being advertised to support someone up to 6'4" and 260lbs. My back has zero chance of resting against the back of the chair without at least some of it hitting the curved part. This is a racing chair so some of the contours make sense but the common theme is the chair being smaller than what can comfortably fit the advertised occupant sizes.PRO - The wheels/casters are very nice, they slide along hard and carpeted surfaces with ease. You can replace them if you wish but there is no need to do so in my opinion.PRO - The chair controls are well made and function really well. The recline is quite good and meets the advertised amount.CON - The chair is not too comfortable when operated at a work/upright position. It feels average at best and uncomfortable at worst. It gets much better when operated at a slight recline, but that might be impossible for some users depending on activity demands/type.CON - The seat has raised wings on the sides. I am 6'1" and 200lbs, which are both well inside the chairs accepted ranges yet I feel like this chair barely fits me. The main reason I say this is due to the raised sides of the seat. They force my legs to be close together versus being able to spread out. I am an athletic guy and my hips/thighs generally rest upon the sides of the seat. I highly recommend anyone halfway bigger explore the larger PL6000 or another chair with a flatter seat.TLDR - This chair is probably super comfy for people that are on the smaller side but it's advertised/recommended size limits are misguided and disappointing. With that in mind, for people 5'11" or below, go for it. For the bigger or taller people, I would look elsewhere as there is no way that someone 6'4" and 260 lbs would be remotely comfortable in this chair.I personally don't recommend this chair due to my personal experience but if it's on sale and you're a smaller framed person, this chair could be amazing for you and it has to be a lot better than the trash chairs that sell for about $100-200.----------------------------------------EDIT: After some more time of "using" this chair. I take back almost anything I said positive about it. I previously said it was for some people and gave it 3 stars but I regret if I influenced anyone to actually spend money on this. It is quite uncomfortable for moderate to long periods of use - the seat is not comfortable at all anymore and I have awful backpain from this chair. I instead use a much cheaper chair from Staples and it's night and day. I am deeply regretful for wasting my money on a chair that makes me feel uncomfortable and causes me backpain. Do yourself a favor and do not get this chair as the odds are that you will either be returning it or having to purchase something else if the return period has already passed.

I originally gave this chair a 5 star review, when I first bought it in 2020. I am giving a more accurate review of what to expect after 3 years.Overall the chair is great, especially if you have a bad back. It helps. But when you are paying $400-$500 on a chair like this, you expect things to last. So this review will also get into the Warranty. As the Warranty runs out, things start breaking. The Limited Warranty, only the Frame is covered for 10 years, otherwise the different parts are covered for 2 years or not at all.The Faux Leather - started cracking after 1 years. See Pic, this shows you about 1/3-1/2 of the seat. The whole seat looks like this. Cracked and falling apart after a year. The foam is still intact, still works great, still gives support. The Faux Leather cracks and falls off with minimal to average usage - Warranty - Not coveredMechanism - What I am trying to show in this pic is a weld failed after 3 years. Even thought this is not the working mechanism, it is part of the mechanism and is not covered after 2 years. This weld failed, broke and now the chair does not sit right.Note: I am not near the max weight limit on this chair and have not abused or over used the chair.So now I have to replace the chair and/or get a new mechanism. I did purchase a new chair. This series was currently unavailable, but still made and sold. I needed something now so I went with the next step up, PL 6000. Main difference is the frame and cushion design. The Mechanism is also different, no welds, 1 solid piece, so should last but makes the chair sit higher. But I will review that under that chair.I did call customer support about the warranty, they said not covered. They said I could purchase a new mechanism by itself, maybe as low as $20 plus shipping. But I have to place an order inquiry on their website to do that and have pictures. So will wait and see what happens there.I gave 3 stars as it did what I needed and helped my back. I took away a star for the seat cracking after 1 year and getting worse. Took another star away for the mechanism, a weld failing like that after a year should not happen unless it is designed that way