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LFGaming Stealth Gaming Chair: The $1400 Gaming Chair

Christopher Coke Posted:
Category:
Hardware Reviews 0

In the world of gaming chairs, things can start to feel a little… similar. Between different companies, the designs are so close, you’re left wondering whether many are made in the same factory and stamped with a different brand name. And that’s because they are. Today, we’re looking at an ultra-premium gaming chair with the LFGaming Stealth. What do you get with a $1395 gaming chair? Let’s find out.

Specifications

  • MSRP: $1299
  • Key Features
    • Built in Headrest
    • ThermaGuard Temperature Regulating Technology
    • Brisa Ultrafabrics
    • Nylon Resin Back Frame
    • Lateral Shaped Back with Ratchet Back Height Adjustment and Schukra Lumbar Support
    • Height, Width, and Swivel Adjustable Arms
    • Contoured Seat
    • High Density Foam Core
    • Temperature and Pressure Sensitive LIFE-Foam Memory Foam
    • Front Waterfall Edge
    • Dual Wheel Casters with Soft Polyurethane Tread
  • Ergonomic Adjustments:
    • 5 Position Tilt Lock Out with Anti-Kick Feature
    • Seat Height Adjustment
    • Infinite Back Angle Adjustment
    • Ratchet Back Height Adjustment
    • Tilt Tension Adjustment
    • Seat Slider Function
    • Lumbar Support Adjustment
    • 360 Degree Swivel
    • Height & Width Adjustable Arms
    • Arm Pad Swivel
  • Dimensions
    • Total Height: 47.5 – 52.5       
    • Total Height: 27.5 – 30.5
    • Seat Height: 19 – 22
    • Width between Arm Pads: 17.25 – 21.75
    • Seat Width: 19.5
    • Total Depth: 22 – 24.5
    • Seat Depth: 16.5 – 19
    • Arm Pad Height: 5.5 – 9.5
    • Total Width: 26 – 30.5
    • Arm Pad Length & Width: (L) 10.5 x (W) 4.25
    • Back Width: 20.5
    • Total Base Diameter: 27

Let’s get this out of the way first: at almost $1400, this isn’t a chair for everybody. It’s not even a chair for most gamers. This review today is far outside of my own price range, but I’m privileged enough to be able to explore my own curiosity and share what it is that a chair like this has to offer, what sets it apart, and why those of you who might be in the that target demographic may want to give it a look or pass it by. That price point isn’t lost on me.

But then again, making very specific products for very specific audiences is exactly what this company does. LFGaming is a sub-brand of LIFEFORM Furniture, a handcrafted premium furniture company specializing in office chairs. Every chair they make goes through their own shop in Calgary, Canda, not a mass production line on the other side of the world. The exact same is true of their professional office chairs, which can cost upward of $3400. These chairs aren’t for everyone; they’re luxury, premium pieces of furniture that are as much of an investment as your PC itself.  For that investment, you’ll get the best, most comfortable chair you’ve probably ever sat in and can count on it last years and years if treated well.

With that taken care of, what do you get with such a luxury piece of office furniture? It turns out, quite a bit. You’ve probably already picked up on the fact that the design is quite different from your average gaming chair. This isn’t a carbon copy of a racing bucket seat with bolsters to hug your sides. Instead, it’s designed with a huge attention to ergonomics and exceptional comfort. The two go hand in hand. When you’re able to tailor your chair for your body specifically, of course it’s going to be more comfortable. Let’s start with the latter, though, because it’s the first thing you’re going to notice.

First off, the entire chair is made of memory foam. Every. Square. Bit of it. It’s hard to describe just how much better this is. Not only is the chair not hard like most gaming chairs are out of the box, it seamlessly fills in behind the contours of your body. The backrest, when properly positioned offers more support than any chair I’ve ever used. The headrest is also gloriously comfy. Unlike most gaming chairs, it doesn’t get in the way and push your head forward at an uncomfortable angle. There are times I sit down in the chair and genuinely feel like I could fall asleep.

The memory foam is also made with ThermaGuard Technology. Each piece of memory foam is coated with a ThermaGuard layer to prevent it from getting warm and uncomfortable like other memory. It uses a number of phase changing materials that change state at after absorbing different amounts of heat energy. Every time you move, these cells begin to regenerate their cooling capacity. The end result is a chair that feels cool to the touch and will eventually become warm as you sit in it but never hot.

The entire chair is also upholstered in name brand Brisa Ultrafabric. Not only does it also have temperature regulating properties due to its breathability, but it’s also exceptionally soft. It’s made of a polyurethane materials, so is easy to clean and durable, but honestly feels so nice. I’ll be the first to admit that I probably care about this more than most having reviewed so many PU leather chairs and using a genuine leather chair at home, but what that experience tells me is that Brisa is better than genuine leather in feel and comfort. It’s just soft and supple in a way no other chair I’ve used has been.

When it comes to ergonomics, there are three core adjustments which really set it above any gaming chair I’ve ever used. The first is the ratcheting backrest. Rather than being locked to a single position, you can raise or lower it to fit your back just by lifting it up along a clicking track that locks it into place. Lift it all the way and it unlocks and slides back down.

This partners with the other two features: the sliding seat and the lumbar support. Use a level built into the base, you can also adjust the depth of the seat to tailor the angle of your sit and how much support your legs receive. The lumbar support also works with a lever built into the backrest itself. Turning it clockwise extends a thick section of lower back memory foam out to exactly where you need it (though I really feel like the handle should feel more substantial at this price point, replaceable or not). Together these three features combine to allow you to tailor a sitting experience to exactly your body and sitting style and really do make the chair feel immensely more comfortable.

Another unique feature of the chair is the design of its seat. Number one, that memory foam padding is thick. They’ve spared no expense there. But the contours are designed to cradle you into the seat while also offering a waterfall edge for blood flow behind your knees. Many (most?) gaming chairs don’t address this at all, but over the long term, it’s flat out unhealthy to sit for long periods of time in a seat that’s tight behind your knees. That’s the stuff blood clots are made of. Here, the seat fades away to preserve your long-term health.

Now, the side effect is that you’ll wind up feeling like you’re sliding out of the chair until you’ve adjusted it properly. To be completely open, before I’d completely adjusted it, I hated the seat. I felt insecure, which is a weird thing to feel in a desk chair. Once I locked the angle of the base farther back and slid the seat out a tad, the problem completely vanished. I’ve had no problems since.

Moving onto the rest of the chair, we have memory foam arm rests that adjust for height, width and tilt. The foam is fantastic for elbow resters like myself. My only qualm here is the mechanism they use for height adjustment leaves them feeling a little wobbly. Not insecure or likely to break, but still a little wiggly.

You also have your other host of features you would expect from a nice chair. You can adjust the height of the chair, lock or unlock tilt, adjust the tension of your rock. You can also recline, but it doesn’t go full-lay like the other chairs we’ve looked at. Frankly, I think that feature is a gimmick anyway - do you nap in an office chair when you have a couch or bed nearby? I didn’t think so. The recline and tilt available are enough to put your feet up and relax with a controller, which is really what they need to be. Looking toward the bottom, we also have a large metal five-star base to keep you solid on the ground.

Also worth noting is that the chair comes almost completely assembled. The back arrives in a separate box from the seat. The arms have to be flipped (they’re upside down to fit in the box) and the back needs to be bolted on. LFGaming provides all of the tools but it’s an easy one-person assembly process that may take 15 minutes for a complete chair newcomer.

All-in-all, LFGaming has delivered a super solid package.

Final Thoughts

I have to admit, my first impressions of the chair were mixed. Certain things stood out to me more than others, like the plastic lumbar handle. But, after only a day of regular use, I was completely sold. Having a complete memory foam chair, and one that solves the heat issue, is outstanding. It really is the most comfortable chair I’ve ever sat in.

A chair like this is an investment, no doubt about it. And, broken over 5-10 years, even $1395 isn’t a whole lot for something that’s going to make a massive difference in your quality of life every day. I’ve moved the chair into my classroom (I teach) and it has without question improved the quality of my work day. But with that kind of upfront cost, it’s clearly not aimed at someone like me.

Maybe more than any item we’ve ever reviewed, this is a subjective value. Is the chair amazing? Yes. It’s outstanding and I’d replace every chair I own with one if I could. But whether or not it’s worth it to you depends on if you fall in the demographic that’s looking for such a luxury item or, conversely, how you feel about financing one.

Pros

  • Amazing comfort - the best we’ve ever used
  • Doesn’t overheat, even though it’s 100% memory foam
  • Brisa is soft, supple, and easy to clean
  • Easy assembly
  • Outstanding ergonomic adjustments to make the chair perfect for you

Cons

  • Very expensive

The product described in this article was provided by the manufacturer for the purpose of review.


GameByNight

Christopher Coke

Chris cut his teeth on MMOs in the late 90s with text-based MUDs. He’s written about video games for many different sites but has made MMORPG his home since 2013. Today, he acts as Hardware and Technology Editor, lead tech reviewer, and continues to love and write about games every chance he gets. Follow him on Twitter: @GameByNight