Earlier this year we looked at the 2020 model of the Secretlab Titan gaming chair, with detailing inspired by the 2020 Birds of Prey movie. Just like superheroes are continually leveling up, though, so is Secretlab. This time, we're checking out the 2022 Secretlab Titan, which promises to do everything the previous models did right, with a few new tweaks to make the experience even better.
Assembly
As with the Harley chair, the Flash edition chair showed up in a retail box ready for assembly. Since we'd assembled the last one, we were prepared to do this one. Secretlab provides a great step-by-step tutorial, however, in the form of a huge instructional card with big, clear illustrations. On the other side is a big glossy image of the Flash that I'd almost want to hang on my wall. It's definitely doable by one able-bodied person, though having a second person alongside isn't a bad idea.
Magnets, how do they work?
There are a whole bunch of new features that come with this 2022 model. My favorite is the optional (included) head pillow. The previous pillow was similar in terms of overall comfort--both are memory foam pillows with a cooling gel layer. What sets this one apart though, is magnets.
The previous pillow would strap on with an adjustable elastic band. No matter what I did, though, I couldn't get it to hang on due to the chair's sloping headrest. The magnet goes right around that problem, letting the pillow stick right to the chair without making it harder to stick on or increasing the complexity of the build with notches or insert holes or something like that. The magnet is pretty strong--I could open my metal closet doors using the pillow as a handle when it stuck on--but is also pretty easy to move around for comfort.
The magnet isn't absurdly strong, but it's enough that you don't have to worry about it constantly falling off. If you tilt the chair all the way back with the pillow on and then hit the lever to straighten the back, the pillow will definitely launch off, even if it only goes a few feet. This is probably not in the advised list of chair activities, though, so play chairapult at your own risk.
Ergonomical
Further down the chair is a new change to lumbar support. The initial Dark Knight chair we reviewed came with a back pillow that would fall over whenever you got up. The Harley Quinn chair had horizontal lumbar support, meaning that you could make the seatback bow outward to provide additional lumbar support. This one adds yet a second level to this. Different people are different heights, so you can now adjust the height of the lumbar support, too. The lumbar knobs are somewhat awkwardly placed, but still get the job done. It will take a bit to get it all dialed in, but these options, along with the height, rock, and tilt options, give you a ton of ways to make the seat fit right.
The last two new features are down on the seat itself. The arms of the chair have the same 4D control options. That means they can go backward and forward, up and down, slide back or forward, and tilt in and out. Additionally, though, the arm cushions are now--like the pillow--held on by magnets. These magnets are significantly stronger, though. The arms snap right on, and you can remove them pretty easily if you're trying to do it on purpose. The only downside I could see is that these would pull off easily when lifting the chair to move it to a new apartment or down a flight of stairs.
On the flip side, though, this means that you can now replace the part of the chair that likely gets the most abuse, and that's only going to improve the durability of the overall package.
Cosmetics
Speaking of durability, it's worth noting that Secretlab has updated the material on the chair to its NEO Hybrid Leatherette material, which the company says is 12 times more durable than standard PU Leather. After a few weeks with the chair, I can hardly tell that I sat in it. The cushioning is exactly the same as the previous model, which means that it's going to stand up to heavy use, but it won't be quite as cushy as other models. The seat is still comfortable though, and I had no issues enjoying it.
Despite the new leatherette material, though, the styling of these chairs has not suffered at all. The chair is a deep sanguineous red that sits somewhere around the red used in the Ezra Miller Flash from the movies and the Grant Gustin Flash from the shows. It's a darker red, but it's definitely not dark red.
The front and back of the chair are emblazoned with bright yellow embroidered Flash lightning bolt symbols, while the sides of the chair feature yellow accents that would feel at home on any Flash outfit. There are some black carbon fiber-style accents as well that don't fit quite as well but still look good and fit the overall aesthetic of the chair. For comparison, these segments are red on the Superman chair and black with green embroidered "HAHAs."
Comfort
In terms of overall comfort, not much has changed. The seat itself is quite firm; I wouldn't call it cushy by any stretch. With that said, this isn't going to be one of those chairs where the cushion wears down and you end up being able to feel the bolts in the base of the seat. The Dark Knight seat we reviewed a couple of years ago is still holding up in this respect despite daily use (I gave this chair to a friend to ensure it would continue to get used when I moved on to looking at other chairs).
However, extended use has shown something that didn't come up in our initial review, and that's that this chair is ill-suited to all-day use. I work from home and play games at the same desk that I work at. After an 8-hour workday, I might end up at that same desk for another 3-4 hours if my friends are playing games. That's fine once in a while, but over time I began to develop some shoulder pain in my left shoulder. This isn't going to be the case for everyone--no one else I know personally who owns a Secretlab chair has developed this. But it seems like it comes from using the chair for very long periods of time, so if you're working full-time from home you may want to consider a chair slightly more focused on ergonomics.
If you come home from work each night and sit in the chair to game or stream for a few hours, this is going to be the last chair you buy for a very long time. It's comfortable, incredibly well-built, and gives you lots of ways to make it fit your body.
The Flash Titan chair is up for order now.
Disclaimer: Secret Lab provided Batman News with the a chair for the purposes of this review.
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