Secret Lab Titan Stealth Gaming Chair Review

I have to admit to never having heard of the Titan gaming chair. In fact, I’d never even heard of the company behind it, Secret Lab.

But then, I am based in the UK and, until recently, the Secret Lab focus was set on Singapore, with the US then following in line. Now though, the UK, and Europe as a whole, is firmly in the sights of this company and with a philosophy that is intent on direct sales, superb material quality and top-class customer support, chances are the products that they create will be of the utmost quality.

So when I got given the chance to check out Secret Lab’s largest chair, the Titan, in its Stealth guise, I was never going to turn it down. With the blurb mentioning that it ‘features a taller backrest and wider seatbase, this is a chair that the bigger-than-average person won’t have to squeeze into’, and the negative press that gamers occasionally get for being, well, larger than average, it seems only right that they are starting to target the gaming market with it. After all, as a 6ft 2in 85kg gamer who primarily spends hours a day slouched on a sofa, laying on a beanbag or jumping around the room with controller in hand, anything that can help me with my long gaming sessions is a good thing.

And without a word of a lie, the Titan Stealth has been an absolutely stunning addition to my life. And yes, I understand that it is ‘just a chair’.

Starting with the unboxing and assembly of the Titan Stealth, and I have to admit to being somewhat shocked at just how well packaged the whole thing was. But then this isn’t just some cheap product that could be chucked in a box before winging its way to the consumer. This is a quality product that is well made using the highest quality materials.

With enough packing and plastic covering to sink a small naval fleet in Battlefield 1, you can be utterly sure that once you place your order with Secret Labs your chair will arrive fully intact, without a mark on it. The packaging also doubles up as a neat way of keeping the chair and all its components clean during the assembly process too – so it’s not just there to save your product from the hands of that delivery driver. Not that we’ve ever had issues with delivery drivers. Honest.

You will however quite possibly need two people to help you set up the Titan Stealth, for it is most definitely a well built, heavy piece of kit. The majority could be done alone, but it most certainly makes things easier to have a second pair of hands so you can line up the brackets which connect the back to the base, and then again as you carefully drop the entire thing on to its aluminium five-pronged castored base. I’m well known in these parts for being a bit rubbish at any DIY, but even I had the chair up, running and, ahem, sitting pretty, in around 25 minutes. Proud of myself? Definitely.

That must mean that the instruction leaflet that comes with the chair is well designed and pretty thorough then? Well, yes it is, and I can’t disagree with the fact that it points out every little step with helpful imagery along the way. There are also numerous assembly and troubleshooting videos helpfully placed on the Secret Lab Youtube channel, and these will most definitely help out should you hit a snag. Personally, I managed to follow the written instructions to a tee and the whole assembly was pretty flawless. Secret Lab are however pretty keen to point out that, without fail, you must not pull on the reclining lever prior to actually having the back piece in place. But this safety issue is well labelled and thrust in your face at every moment possible.

So once the Titan Stealth is completely assembled, what is it like? Well, it’s like a chair. Just a hugely comfortable one that is much more akin to sitting in a high end car seat than your usual office/gaming chair.

Both the seat base and reclining back are well padded, and the back piece comes with a resistance lever that can allow you to dial in your preferred settings – much like you’ll find with the lumbar support in your car. The prime PU leather and cold cure foam may just be fancy names for a bit of leather and padding, but they are supremely comfortable to sit in. The extra thick layer of foam sitting under the wipe clean PU leather promises extreme cushioning and support for anything up to 130kg of load, and whilst I’m not even close to its maximum weight allowance, have found that to be the case at all times. I’ve obviously been using this chair for a little while prior to writing this review, and during that time I’ve been sat in place for anything up to five hours at a time. Not once have I had any issues with the comfort or fitting.

There is also no hint of stickiness from the PU leather faces. Granted, I’m currently sat here in the UK on a dreary mid-week October’s day – and it’s been far from warm over the last couple of weeks – so it would be good to see how well I manage to stick to the Titan’s surface when kitted out in shorts come mid-summer. But for now, things are good. Very good.

The reclining backrest is fully adjustable along its entire length, and whether you want to sit bolt upright, or lie down for a bit of a rest – perhaps as you take in a long lengthy cinematic cutscene, or wait for a mate to join you in FIFA Pro Clubs – the Titan Stealth delivers. Occasionally, if you don’t judge it precisely, there is a slight knock as the reclining lever is pulled for adjustment purposes, but that is by no means the end of the world and won’t ever impact on the enjoyment this chair brings.

With a decently smooth swivel that allows complete 360 degree rotation with ease, further adjustments can also be made to the angle of the base by adjusting a lever found on the left side under the seat. A similar one on the right brings height adjustment, giving us gamers with longer legs the chance to stretch out. With my 6ft 2in frame, I’m probably sitting just above the middle height that the chair allows, so those taller than myself will have no issues at all. Secret Lab actually point out that those coming in at anything between 5ft 7in to 6ft 4in should find the Titan Stealth more than acceptable.

The red stitching that adorns the edges of the seat brings a lovely detail and goes well with the whole black stealth vibe. The included copper Titan ‘T’ emblazoned on the back piece, the Secret Lab logo adorning the included super squishy velour head pillow, and those logos that sit proudly on the seat base and its rear are quite blingy, but thankfully never over the top. Personally, I think I may well have preferred it if the red stitch was in fact copper or white to help compliment the logos a bit more, but then perhaps the whole ‘Stealth’ vibe would have gone out of the window.

Dropping down to right at the very bottom of the chair and in a rather lovely little touch, Secret Lab have even ensured that the castors that allow it to move freely on any floor have been oversized, with an XL feel to them. This apparently allows for a smooth ‘ride’ and when combined with the PU rubber coating, should ensure that the chair is kind to the vast majority of surfaces.

As it stands, everything I’ve so far told you about the Titan Stealth is in the positive, and that’s because there is an awful lot to enjoy. But with any product there is always room for improvement – so what can Secret Lab do better with the Titan Stealth?

Well, the 4D armrests, although slightly spongy and covered with the same PU that the rest of the seat has been treated to aren’t the most comfortable of things, even when taking into account their 4D nature. Whilst you can move them left and right, up and down, forwards, backwards or angle them out, after half an hour or so of resting your arms on them, you’ll find indentations from their grooves magically appearing on your arms. For a chair that is padded beyond belief, it’s a bit strange to see these components come in slightly under par.

They are also extremely fiddly to adjust, especially in the left to right movements and when you take into account the fact that all other adjustments work well, a bit more effort could have gone into these armrests. Especially as they prove to be important contact points for any gamer.

I have to also point out that the frame of the seat can be noticed slightly as it tries to burst through its rear and the plastic covers that sit over the top of any screws you need to put in place during the assembly process are in fact a bit too plasticky. But perhaps that is being a little picky because at the end of the day, they are nothing but covers. Other than that though and there is nowt to dislike about the beauty that is the Secret Lab Titan Stealth chair.

At the end of the day, it may be just a chair, but it’s a supremely comfortable piece that will enhance your gaming sessions no end. If you’re in the market for a new addition to your office, your man cave, or your gaming life, then I wholeheartedly recommend you give it a great deal of thought.

Perhaps the price is a bit too high for many, and I know a fair few gamers who will baulk at the thought of spending the equivalent of what could be dropped on an entire new console or ten games, but if you’re serious about video games, have a bit of cash spare and want to partake in long sessions in the most comfortable way possible, then short of providing a full on recliner with integrated footstool, there can surely be no better.

Bravo Secret Lab – it’s great to have you here in the UK and thanks for giving us Brits the chance to enjoy the Titan Stealth!

Related: Unboxing the Secret Lab Titan Stealth Gaming Chair