Are you looking to upgrade your living room? Cougar has you covered with the ranger gaming sofa. The ranger features premium PVC leather, a reclining system with a range of 95-160 degrees, a headrest & lumbar support with a full steel frame. With multiple color options will the Cougar Ranger Gaming Sofa replace your living room chair? Here is our review.
Specifications
- MSRP: $299
- Headrest & Lumbar Design
- Full Steel Frame
- Recliner system 95°~160°
- Breathable Premium PVC Leather
- Embroidered Logo
- Diamond Check Pattern Design
- Support for up to 160kg
- Dimensions: 74(W) x 98(D) x 102.5(H) cm
Gaming chairs have become so saturated in the gaming world that, let's face it, not much separates one from another. Cougar Gaming has decided to change the dynamic with its new Ranger Reclining Gaming Sofa. This sofa features everything that a gamer would normally expect from a piece of furniture but is upgraded with a full steel frame, breathable upholstery, and a gamer-friendly look to match your gaming den.
Normally replacing my furniture is not something I do unless I am hogtied and forced to by my significant other. I have a recliner that I enjoy, so my goal here was to see how Cougar’s “gaming sofa” compared to a “normal” recliner and what truly sets them apart.
Immediately, the difference was noticeable. The sofa was more firm, similar to a gaming chair, without the excessive padding you might find on a traditional recliner. This did not take away from its comfort, however: it was still cushy. Often living room recliners are bulky with extra layers that are simply not needed. This sofa opted for a minimalistic approach that gives it a more trim, sleek look, and lower overall footprint.
The smaller size allowed for easy placement in various positions and rooms. The main location was shared between my desk and my living room. The Ranger is heavy, but not so much as a normal recliner, which made it easy from place to place within the room. Re-positioning while seated is difficult, though, because it lacks wheels. It’s clearly not meant to be moved once you’re seated, and is, in truth, a much better fit for gaming in front of a TV than at a desk, but I found that it worked for both.
The Ranger provided an excellent experience while playing games with a controller and or watching movies. During use in the living room, it allowed many comfortable gaming sessions that reached extended into multiple hours and kept me cool due to the breathability of the upholstery.
During these long gaming sessions is where I found myself using the reclining feature the most. The motion of the recliner was smooth but felt well supported. The Ranger sits lower to the floor than my normal recliner, however, which leaves you closer to the floor. It’s a little unusual at first, but I got used to it quickly.
Materials
The Ranger is trimmed in a breathable premium PVC Leather. This type of material is a faux leather that provides longevity and is easily maintained. This chair exceeded my expectations by maintaining a cool temperature and performed exactly as described. The perforations really do allow better airflow and heat dissipation in long gaming sessions.
The padding is also very well done and I found it to be quite supportive. In most chairs, I have to make micro-adjustments to my body over time to stay in that “sweet spot” and avoid angering my nerve endings and winding up with a sore back. With the Ranger, this was not required due to the thick foam cushions and plush headrest.
Visually speaking, this chair isn’t going to be good for everyone. It’s definitely trimmed with a gaming flair, so if you’re considering putting this in your living room, you may find that it doesn’t match well with the rest of your decor. That said, if you don’t have a set decor or have a dedicated space for gaming, it will fit much better than a normal recliner. Cougar has several different colorways available, but the Ranger Royal was my choice of color as this allowed me to match it with both my living room and PC battle station.
Assembly and Impressions
To my surprise, the ranger was delivered in a much smaller box than I would have thought. Upon first inspection, I was almost sure this was the wrong size. After opening the box and reviewing the individual parts the real size was vastly larger than my initial thought. It’s smartly packed, which is good for shipping size but requires assembly before you can use it. Thankfully, with the provided instructions, putting it together was quick and easy with only an allen wrench and my arms (which should be classified as lethal weapons) required.
Once the assembly was completed, I was finally able to gain the full picture. Thanks to the steel frame the chassis of the chair felt very sturdy with little to no wobbling. There were really no issues with fit or finish, which speaks well to Cougar’s quality control.
The ranger takes on a push back style actuation to recline the chair and leg rest. The range is from 95 – 160 degrees of recline and was fairly easy to manipulate, without unnecessary resistance. Putting the recliner away is easy and seldom required adjustments unless I was trying to get in or out without dropping the leg rest.
Final Thoughts
I have to admit, I was skeptical of the Ranger at first. I have sat in my fair share of gaming chairs and, to be frank, they almost all feel the same and offer similar features. The Ranger won me over with its unique approach to this gaming seat, but I still feel there’s room for improvement. It’s missing practical features that gamers would appreciate: cup holders, pockets for holding a remote or controller, or even electrical features like USB charging for your phone or peripherals. Of course, since I think most things are improved with RGB, that could be another highlight. That said, the Ranger is a good chair with a unique look. If it matches your gaming space, it provides a comfortable place to plop down and pop out the controller.
This product was provided by the manufacturer for evaluation purposes.