As part of a line of product drops for the MMORPG’s 10th anniversary, as well as the upcoming Dawntrail expansion, Square Enix has teamed up with Secretlab for a Final Fantasy 14 edition of its Secretlab Titan Evo 2022 chair.
This version features blue and gold embroidery on the chair company’s “Hybrid Leatherette” depicting the aesthetic of Shadowbringers’ Ocular room, with interchangeable “role icon” magnet patches and the game’s logo facing towards the user. Secretlab also released two “Lumbar Support Pillows” featuring characters from the game, which can be purchased separately.
Final Fantasy 14 fans have a special eye on this one, as the MMORPG has seen a myriad of interesting collaborations of the years, from Uniqlo’s new second launch of themed shirts to a Citizen limited-edition line of its eco-watches. As a gaming-first luxury chair company, Secretlab has frequent collaborations designs, including a World of Warcraft one of an earlier version of the Titan Evo, and so they sound like a good choice on paper.
However, the Titan Evo 2022 is still a luxury gaming chair, which means it’s important to know if this is worth the investment. The FFXIV edition of this gaming chair is priced higher than the base, with this edition going for $624 (or $674 for an XL). Plus, we have a unique opportunity to utilize both Regular and Small sizes, so there’s plenty to consider before buying this.
Specifications
Current Price: $534 (Secretlab)
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Brief Prelude for Secretlab x FFXIV Titan Evo 2022
Rarely do hardware reviewers and sites find the need, far less an opportunity, to retread a gaming chair for review, especially one technically in the same design line. However, when we were offered a Secretlab x Final Fantasy XIV Titan Evo 2022 collaboration chair to review, we saw a fresh set of opportunities. Our 2021 review gave this chair a stellar outlook, but admittedly, I’m working from the other side of the spectrum in regards to “the target audience” for these products. I would be ordering the “Small” size, which means I’m also a little bit less capable of assembling these myself.
There’s also a small series of events to note for this review that lend fresh insights. Originally, as part of the standard process, I received the “Regular” size chair. I was considering asking about this option for the chair launch just before my chair caught a hitch in my small room and pulled off the entire cover of the chair back mechanism—which shocked everyone involved, including MMORPG’s editors, given our past experience with Secretlab chairs’ quality. Thankfully, Secretlab was willing to accommodate both the replacement and the change in size to a Small.
While this series of events felt pertinent to note first for transparency, we’ll talk about what was learned later down in the review, especially in regard to the chair’s design features, adaptability and ability to be disassembled and moved.
Unique FFXIV Edition Design Highlights
Let me be blunt here: Visually, this chair is stunning in real life. The embroidery thread is not only vibrant; there’s a beautiful shimmer to the light blue threading, especially on the Crystal Tower on the back, that’s hard to convey in photos and videos. Careful attention is also paid to the patterning of the thread itself, making for gorgeous texturing. Based on what else is out there, this may aesthetically be one of the best FFXIV pieces of merchandise based on the quality of the design choices alone.
The “swappable role patches” are really cute in theory, and I have fun playing around with them. However, in a chair that relies a lot on magnets, it’s ironically one of the weaker magnetic systems in place. My patch found itself in my seat or on the floor a lot as I stretched and sat in odd positions on the chair. At least, there’s not much lost for it, as the patch location itself has the FFXIV meteor logo on it, which is a neat design touch in and of itself.
As noted by many with their eye on the chair, the only option I believe would have made this perfect is the option for the SoftWeave fabric instead of the Secretlab Neo Hybrid Leatherette. I fully believe the choice between softer cottons, mesh and leather/pleather is a personal one, and I personally tend to lean towards mesh, as I sweat a bit in the summer, and it’s poor hygiene for both myself and the fabric. However, given the intricacy of the embroidery, I completely understand the choice here.
Plus, many FFXIV fans, coming from other games like World of Warcraft and League of Legends with prior Secretlab offerings, aren’t necessarily willing to invest
At the end of things, generally the design choices simply make sense. This is the sort of product where I’d buy this quality of material and embroidering alone just to hang on the wall.
Titan Evo 2022 Small Gaming Chair Features
At the end of the day, this is still a Titan Evo 2022 chair, and it’s got all the bells and whistles of one, as our previous reviewer discussed. The Titan Evo is clearly designed for all-day, all-night, any-use functionality that gamers essentially live in nowadays.
The instructions for assembly are extremely clear and even photographed step-by-step on a giant cardboard poster, which, on the other side, doubles as a gorgeous Endwalker cover art “poster.” I did struggle a bit doing assembly by myself (the first time) at certain steps, as the chair is pretty heavy. Indeed, the instructions do recommend a two-person assembly process, probably exactly for this reason.
The built-in “L-Adapt Lumbar Support System” has a lumbar support “skeleton” literally in the seat back, letting you adjust your lumbar support in four directions between depth and height. It’s been outstanding for my posture, personally. I can also push it back when I’m trying to enjoy a more relaxed position.
I’m also a fan of the highly flexible backrest and tilt plus tilt-lock systems. To “trick” my brain into being in a more “relaxed working position” I’ve been able to tilt my chair back, lock the seat itself in an upwards/backwards position, and bring the seat forward so I’m still sitting up. In the evenings, when chatting to friends or listening to music, I’ve tilted the chair almost egregiously far back. It only still bugs me that in 2024, we haven’t found an alternative “weight adjust” system than a bulky, tough, oversized knob, but we’ll get there one day, surely.
The more controversial item of the Titan Evo line is the super-firm memory foam cushion, which, on a scale from 1 to 10, starts at an 8.5 or so once unpacked. Already, too, I’m starting to feel the “give” of the cushion and its fabric happen as I break it in and sit on it for long hours day and night (and in all sorts of awkward positions). If you aren’t sure how a firm cushion could be an optimal choice, it’s worth having a brief “hear me out” moment, especially for those who may be looking at the FFXIV chair as a first luxury gaming chair.
As I’ve seen and experienced traditional office chair cushions, mainly the ones hiding under pleather, what tends to happen over time is that traditional cushions tend to form, then push in, then sink over time. Our reviewers here, plus other Titan Evo owners online as I’ve researched it, note that these chairs have held up and not caved in in the two and a half years since release so far—and that’s key, given the target audience likely spends anywhere from an evening to that plus a workday in these chairs, and these are literally $600 chairs.
However, that said, with full brutal honesty, your mileage may vary a lot. If you truly believe a stiffer cushion will be an issue, this will not be the investment for you.
Small Sizing Differences for Secretlab Titan Evo 2022
The situation discussed in the Prelude, between my personal body size and the change in use from a Regular to a Small, presents a rare and unique opportunity to discuss the quirks of the Small. The Small indicates it’s for users at or under 5’6” and 200 pounds; I’m 5’4”, and even at my highest weights, I’m still very safely below the Small chair’s weight limit.
As mentioned, I struggled on my own with both sizes’ chairs’ assemblies (and the disassembly) given I’m not a particularly strong person. It’s doable with a lot of space, good floor traction, and patience, though it may take a few minutes longer.
When I was sitting in my Regular chair, I certainly felt like I was swimming in the chair’s most prominent features. To sit all the way back on the already-too-wide seat, my upper calves were digging into the firm seat cushion, and once I was, I needed to put all my weight into the tilt feature. The armrest width was still a bit wide when adjusted, and the head of the chair was pretty high, meaning that the included headrest pillow included with my chair wouldn’t rest where I needed it to.
These frustrations mostly went away when I made the swap to the Small chair. I can comfortably use the headrest pillow and press less weight into the tilt function. My legs also fit a little more snugly against the edges of the seat itself, so I feel like I’m making full use of that cushioning.
However, the seat itself still feels a little long. The edge of the chair digs more into my calf still than I’d like, even in a more “upright” position. It’s not a small deal, as I imagine anyone smaller than 5’0” may have issues with their legs unless they have particularly longer legs, though this may be fixed for upright-sitting with one of the lumbar pillows. At least, the sizing is good for odd, legs-up sitting positions, especially used in conjunction with the tilt and tilt lock features.
That said, the market is already rough for smaller customers. If you find yourself struggling to choose a higher-end gaming chair that you aren’t “swimming” in, then this may be worth your consideration.
Disassembling and Returning the Titan Evo 2022
As previously discussed, at one point, I had to disassemble and return my Regular-size Titan Evo chair in order to send it back to Secretlab. While I’m not exactly sure how lenient they are on a standard consumer’s warranty, they do have a 49-day (as of date of arrival) return policy as of April 2024, which would surely include the FFXIV collaboration, so I find it worth talking about that process here.
If you’re unsure if you’ll keep the chair, keep everything in your packaging for that period of time. as they expect you’re keeping and utilizing all the materials. We informed them that we’d thrown out all of the packing materials except for the box, but they found this alright so long as we “flat-packed” it (meaning, everything fit in the box without stretching the cardboard). Thankfully, Secretlab included shipping for us, but that’s not the case if you choose to make the standard return, according to the standard return process. If they opt to let you fix your own chair with their parts, as there’s no “repair shop,” they’ll apparently send you those parts free of charge.
Secretlab is generous enough to have a step-by-step video on how to disassemble your chair, though it’s a bit of a rough chore. This process included W4 lubricant, a rubber mallet, and a large wrench for the steps involving separating the hydraulics. Again, I live in an NYC apartment, so a large wrench and a rubber mallet weren’t things we simply had laying around; however, we got through as much of the process as we found feasible.
If you plan on moving and just want to disassemble the chair for its own sake, it’s still frustrating, as the rubber mallet step of separating the bottom of the chair from the hydraulics and the top is a rough step. Regardless of disassembly choice, you’ll also want to keep the red tab (as they instruct), as it’s actually a danger to have that backrest mechanism unchecked when you’re moving it around, or even if you have kids that touch everything.
Secretlab x FFXIV Lumbar Cushion: A Brief Review
In addition to the Titan Evo chair, the FFXIV collab launched two Memory Foam Lumbar Pillows with embroidered patches of, respectively, the “Fat Cat” minion and fan favorite Chocobo “Alpha.” While I was able to preview both at the Dawntrail Media Tour, I only received the “Alpha” one to review, though it was exciting to receive either at all. Each comes at $59.
The cushion is soft and firm at once in perfect balance. It’s deceptively soft to the touch, because once a lot of weight is applied to it, the density kicks in and supports that form; I suspect it’ll last a long time, too. The primary “background” fabric is a gentle plush that I fell in love with on hand-touch, but in practice, I’m sure it would be uncomfortable for long periods. That said, while I was expecting the embroidered patches to disrupt the comfort of the fabric, I actually found it added a nice touch of breathability, as the patches break up that plushness.
It does its job extremely well on its own; however, I found it redundant with the Titan Evo’s lumbar support system. Adding the pillow helps the aforementioned issue (from my sizing discussion) of the seat being too long, but at the cost of essentially being four to six inches away from the back, even at the lower areas of the upper back. I could see it being a bit helpful if you push the lumbar systems back, but it’s not a great pairing.
If your current chair lacks ergonomic/lumbar support features, this might be a good alternative to a full chair replacement, or just a good addition to your setup in general.
Final Thoughts
Furniture is an investment, in my opinion, and so at a price point over $600, it’s important to know what you’re getting for your money, and to know that it’s a good long-term solution. Despite the hitch in how I managed to break the chair, and that I will wear it into the ground, I know the Titan Evo 2022 will last me for at least a few good years before I consider another.
It’s great for what it is; if you exist around its quirks, it’s nearly perfect. However, this is a case where I would absolutely advocate for a “your mileage may vary” approach, especially given FFXIV’s diverse demographic, and its wants and needs. A harder cushion and the leather-only design are actually draws to me, but may turn a lot of buyers off. But if you’re looking for a piece of FFXIV luxury and history, and a lot of ergonomic support, then I would strongly consider this.
The product described in this article was provided by the manufacturer for evaluation purposes.
