Blacklyte Kraken review

pcgamer.com:

With the gaming chair market being somewhat saturated with plush perches, all looking very similar, it's hard for any company to stand out from the competition. Secretlab achieves this by making its chairs out of quality materials, to a high standard, and at a reasonable price. For the past few weeks, I've been using a Blacklyte Kraken gaming chair to see if the same holds for the China-based company.

At first glance, the Kraken gives off a distinct Titan Evo vibe but it's different enough to not be a direct clone. There is clear evidence of some strong influences in the design but the main reason why I'm using Secretlab as a reference is the Kraken's price. Blacklyte wants $519 for its chair, which also just so happens to be the same amount of money as a Titan Evo if one buys it directly from Secretlab.

There's only one size of Kraken available, recommended for people between 165 and 195 cm (66 — 75 inches) in height, and under 150 kg (330 lbs) in weight. I'm 184 cm and 70 kg (read: tall and thin) and I have to say that its dimensions don't fit particularly well for my build.

It's not because the Kraken isn't spacious—the seat base is quite wide and filled with dense memory foam and covered with some nice PU leather (aka leatherette). The problem is that it's quite short and there's quite a large gap between the edge of the base and my knees. Tilting the chair back doesn't help, due to the large 'panel' that fills much of the seat back.

Sizes: R (165 — 190 cm, <150 kg)
Fabric: PU leather
Recline: up to 168°
Warranty: lifetime for frame, 2 — 3 years for seat, back, and accessories
Armrests: 4D adjustment
Price: $519 | £449 | €442

This is the Kraken's lumbar support and it's basically a spring-loaded section that moves forward with the pull of a small lever. Blacklyte claims that it «perfectly match[es] the natural shape of your lower back» but it absolutely doesn't with mine—all it does is push me further along the base, leaving my legs with even less support than