A few weeks back, Chris Coke reviewed the GT Omega chair here on this site. When AK Racing then asked us to take a look at their new Overture line, Chris was smart – he knew he’d get wife aggro if he gave a home to another large racing chair in his homestead. Ergo, Bill took on this assignment, lower back pain and all, and has come away pleased with the construction and comfort of the Overture. Read on, dear visitor.
As we’ve written before, gaming chairs that look like racing chairs are one of the newest trends in PC gaming. You see these things pop up in streams all over Twitch and YouTube. Everyone seems to want one, and they’re definitely not cheap. But the question is? Are they worth the money? Are they built well, and are they comfortable?
I can say, without a doubt, that the Overture from AK Racing is the most comfortable office chair I’ve had in over a decade. As some of you know, I moonlight here at MMORPG. During the day, I work in an office at my local VA Hospital maintaining servers and trying not to break stuff in the process. In short, I do a lot of sitting. I’m also 6’3” and 260 pounds of squishy geek. I’m a big guy, sitting on my big butt about 8-12 hours a day. I need a good chair.
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I’m pleased to report that the specifics of the Overture are ideal for big guys. Adjustable armrests, chair height, and a fully reclining back rest are welcome features. You can literally lay down in this thing and take a nap if need be. PU Leather (polyurethane coated leather) makes up the material, so it’s both soft and sturdy. Good for the fact that I’ve already spilled about 3 cups of coffee on this thing with nary a stain to be found. The frame is all metal, and the base is a black coated metal that works well for a foot-rest if you’re like me and find yourself tucking your feet up under you.
The Overture’s Class-4 gas lift is also rated for up to 330 lbs, which was a concern. I’m a big guy, and my last chair from good ol’ Office Max eventually had the gas lift break – constantly lowering itself throughout the day. Now, it’s only been a few weeks, but the fact that this one is rated for 330 pounds makes it likely that I’ll be able to plop down in it for a good while before anything wear and tear happens.
Each chair comes with a 5 year warranty on the chair itself, and a 10 year warranty on the frame. Construction was super simple, but a bit unwieldy for one person. My office-mate Al helped hold the back in place while I used the supplied wrenches to screw the bolts into its sides. It’s a heavy chair, it must be noted. But due to the steel construction and quality build, it also feels substantial – not cheap. It may be a $400 chair, but when you sit in it you’ll be glad it feels like one worth even more.
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But is it comfortable? Unequivocally, yes. It took a bit of getting use to, and also figuring out where to place the supplied lumbar and headrest pillows. The lumbar is key. You strap it onto the back, and adjust the height and placement as needed. If you sit for long stretches, you’re going to want to use this. It’s easy to snap it and remove it, when you just want to lay flat. And bonus? It comes in handy for sleeping under the desk on long overtime stretches. Not that I would know… ahem.
All in all, I can’t imagine going back to a regular cheap chair from Office Max or Staples. I’m lucky in that we have this venue (MMORPG.com) to write reviews on and be given samples free of charge. But let me say this – I have two offices. I work 12 hour days almost every day. I’m already plotting on a second Overture to buy for my home office now, as it’s made that much of a difference in my lower back pain. You can check out the Overture series of chairs HERE. AK Racing provided me with one in Blue for the purposes of this review.
