Gaming chairs have evolved a lot over the past 10 years. Where once we were satisfied with a milk crate or footstool, today’s standards are, thankfully, much higher. The Gladiator Gaming Chair from manufacturer KARNOX is designed from the ground up with gamers in mind. The Gladiator aims to offer a balanced mix of comfort and durability, featuring high-density mould-shaping foam, aluminum base framing, nano3 leatherette covering, and 3” casters. With multiple options for color and cover material, KARNOX aims to provide an aesthetic solution to fit any setup.
Built to offer a lightweight, gaming chair solution, the Gladiator aims to maximize comfort while providing a durable and sturdy solution for gamers. With so many gaming chairs on the market, The Gladiator Gaming Chair needs to push the standards of what is expected from a chair in its price class. Can KARNOX stand out in the crowd with the Gladiator Gaming Chair? Grab that coffee, kick back and find out with our review of the Gladiator Gaming Chair from KARNOX.
Specifications
- Current Price: $469.00 (Offical Site)
- Foam Type: High-Density Mold Shaping Foam
- Mechanism Type: Multi-Function Type
- Hydraulics Gas Piston: Class 4
- Chair Back Style: Full Length Backrest
- Base: Aluminum
- Caster: 3” PU Caster
- Max Weight: 400lbs
- Recline: 90-155 degree
- Armrests: 4 directional
- Tilt and Tilt Angle Lock: Yes
Designed with Intention
While the basic form factor of most gaming chairs has been standardized over the past few years, the Gladiator does stand out by refining the otherwise standard features and design elements associated with gaming chairs. With four different materials to choose from, Livorno fabric, ultra tera, micro napa leather and Nano3 leatherette, the Gladiator Gaming chair offers an array of material options to fit your preference.
Our review unit features the Nano3 Leatherette, a soft and durable material, that looks and feels like a plush leather found on many chairs. Its soft characteristic makes it quite nice to sit on, even over longer gaming sessions. Additionally, the Cybot Sci-Fi Blue option we received offers a vibrant and unique-looking design. The stitching as well adds a level of detail to the chair further adding to its distinct and sleek look. Additionally, patterned nano3 leatherette covers the lower edges of the chair adding contrast and texture to the overall look of the Gladiator.
The Gladiator comes with both a neck and lumbar pillow. Each is exceptionally soft and in the case of the lumbar pillow, is easy to adjust and is quite comfortable to use. As the lumbar pillow isn’t directly attached it's easy to adjust it to cater to your specific needs. Interestingly the backrest padding is angled in such a way that the lumbar pillow will stay in place even when you shift your back. It's a smart design that allows for full and easy customization.
While the neck pillow is quite soft and comfortable when used it is unfortunately hampered by the chair's headrest design. When looking at the side profile of the chair it's easy to note the slight inward angle of the headrest. At my height of 5’9” the headrest pushes my head away from the neck pillow making it essentially useless without tilting my head forward. I would assume that this becomes more pronounced for taller people as the headrest angle would push your head further from the support of the neck pillow.
Moving down the chair, a stitched pattern can be found on both the front and back of the chair. Each offers a unique and interesting design and plays into the Sci-fi theme present in the Cybot version of the Gladiator. As for the high-density foam padding, is quite comfortable and not nearly as stiff as many other gaming chairs I’ve tested and used over the past few years. How this will hold up over the long term is yet to be seen but in the couple weeks of testing, it has maintained its shape without any noticeable deformities.
The seat portion of the Gladiator, like the backrest, is quite soft while maintaining a firm moulded form. Even after long sessions of gaming and work the Gladiator was still quite comfortable to sit on. I did note that the sides of the seat are slightly raised and as such provide a slightly narrower seating area. This isn’t a critique but rather a note to mention that there are different sizes available and as such it's important to order the size that best suits your body type. On that note, I am impressed with how many options KARNOX has for this single-chair style. When checking out the official site, each chair style offers a variety of styles and sizes to cater to a wider range of users.
As for the armrests, they feature a four-direction lock system. This allows for easy positioning of each armrest. The pads are made of dense foam with a textured cover that looks sharp against the nano3 leatherette coverings. The four directional armrests are quite comfortable on the elbows and forearms and offer great flexibility in positioning. This is further bolstered by a vertical adjustment system making it easy to set them to exacting the right height and position.
As for the base of the Gladiator, it comes with full tilt and tilt lock support as well as vertical hydraulic adjustment support. Each works well and allows for additional adjustment options. Finally, the Gladiator also supports reclining up to 155 degrees. In testing the chair had no issues supporting my weight while set to the 155-degree position. It works well and offers good overall support for your back at its various angles of adjustment.
A unique design element of the Gladiator is the inclusion of the 3” PU Casters. This is a break from more traditional casters typically found on gaming chairs. In practice, it's a bit of a mixed bag. On the one hand, it does give the chair superior mobility on hard surfaces. Gliding around the room is smooth and responsive with little effort needed. In our unofficial office chair races around the office, the Gladiator would have a distinct advantage.
However, with the caster's narrower design, I did note that quick turns or sudden movements in a different direction did cause some issues for the Gladiator. This came in the form of the wheels getting caught up for a second or two before they could adjust to the position you wanted to move. This resulted in a bit of a jarring start on occasion when moving the chair while seated on it.
It became more pronounced when using the Gladiator on the carpet and would often get caught on the carpet for a second before righting itself and moving. While I appreciate the smoother overall movement provided by the 3” caster, this jarring start experience was a bit of a letdown and took away from the smooth movement that the Gladiator set out to achieve with the caster design.
However, despite this small issue, the overall movement on the Gladiator is smooth and nearly effortless. This is in part due to the aluminum frame which works to provide an exceptionally lightweight chair. In fact of the chairs I’ve reviewed over the past couple of years, the Gladiator is the lightest while still managing to feel durable while in use. The base is sturdy and provides a solid center of gravity for the chair and the user.
Final Thoughts
The Gladiator Gaming Chair from KARNOX is a solid chair that suffers from a few minor design issues. Thankfully these are minor with the headrest angle and wheel design being the biggest issues of note. Overall, the Gladiator Gaming Chair provides a solid sitting experience and offers a lighter-weight experience with many fun design options and custom elements to choose from. Priced at USD647.00 for the Cybot Sci-Fi edition, the Gladiator Gaming Chair provides a lot of customization, comfort and smart design.
