It’s well-known that being a gamer hits your wallet hard. Not only do you need to fork out for your beloved console, but throughout the course of any year you’ll need to stump up for games, for controllers, for headsets and more. For many though the biggest outlay will be for a gaming chair; a piece of kit that whilst not absolutely necessary, is certainly a viable option for anyone who takes their gaming seriously.
The thing is, these chairs aren’t cheap, and whilst bargain basement options are present, if you want a good chair you should be prepared to pay up for it. But kicking around under the radar as an alternative to the super highly priced Noblechairs and Secretlab offerings is a mid-ranger from AndaSeat – the Jungle Series. If you don’t want to absolutely blow your life savings, it’s probably worth a consideration.
Don’t get me wrong, as a gamer who has been lucky enough to see their gaming sessions powered by the plonking of their derriere in some of the finest gaming chairs on the market in recent years, it’s certainly tricky to recommend the Jungle Series from AndaSeat. You see, this chair is most definitely some way off the top when it comes to features and comfort. But if you’re not too fussed about fancy gimmicks and just need a seat to drop yourself into, it does the job. Especially if you come in on the shorter, lighter, smaller side. And particularly if you forgo the use of the lumbar support cushion with quick measure.
The AndaSeat Jungle Series Premium gaming chair comes in two colour schemes – all black, and black with red stylings. Thanks to AndaSeat themselves it’s the former of these which we’ve spent some decent time with, moving our AndaSeat Kaiser 2 to one side in order to get a real feel for what the Jungle Series is able to offer up.
At first glance it isn’t too bad either. Going together straight out of the box in a matter of ten minutes, you’ve got what you would expect of a chair sitting around the mid-spot of the market. Covered in an all-black PVC-leatherette-styled material, the Jungle Series looks great, with defined ridges and styling in both the seat base and backrest allowing it to really look at home in the gaming scene. With bucketseat stylings, and the AndaSeat logo proudly emblazoned across the backrest, the headrest and the two detachable lumbar and neck supports, this could easily fit in any gaming cave, and more particularly in a teenager’s den.
It’s well-catered for in the initial comfort stakes too, with a fairly soft seat base and back rest allowing you to collapse into its arms with ease. Throw in some side supports to grab you for a snug fit (and these really are the showstoppers here), and there is absolutely nothing wrong with how the Jungle Series fits in AndaSeat’s ranges. In fact, as that mid-range option for those who can’t find it within themselves or their wallet to blow hundreds, it’s more than capable of doing a job.
However, as a 6ft 2in, 80kg male (someone who is right on the upper limit height-wise for what the Jungle Series allows), I’ve found the AndaSeat Jungle just a tad too small for everyday use. It’s absolutely fine for jumping into and onto for quick gaming sessions, with the class 4 hydraulic piston shifting it up and down with ease, but going from the brilliant AndaSeat Kaiser 2 down into this, one really does notice.
It’s not as comfortable for one, with the lumbar support never really providing a decent fit. In fact, this lumbar pillow is extremely awkward to position nicely, so much so that it has been fast removed to allow for more than five minutes of use. It’s then when the Jungle Series manages to become a comfortable unit; one that is worthy of a place on the scene.
The armrests are a step or three down too, and whilst we’ve been treated to the glories of some 4D armrests in recent years, these only adjust up or down, with little movement in any other direction. That said, they are decently padded and soft enough in use. There is little in the way of seat base tilt either, so your only real adjustments come from the – admittedly lovely – rear recliner. This works brilliantly with a simple pull of a right-sided lever moving the back of the chair across all manner of degrees. In fact, we’ve found the Jungle Series to be great when lounging around, kicking back in a more laid-back fashion for film watching. Bereft of that lumbar pillow of course.
Ultimately though, when you put this up against some pricier competition, we’ve found the Jungle Series to be just a bit too small and lacking. We’ve been used to some serious kit over the years – the Secretlab Titan and Noblechairs Hero have been our ports along with the Kaiser 2 in recent times – chairs that are made for the bigger user. Whilst the Jungle Series fits us fine, cushioning and supporting our mass as it should, it’s once again a bit of a backward step. Never has the extra room to manoeuvre in the larger chairs been such an appreciated one.
On the whole though, if you’re looking to purchase the AndaSeat Jungle Series gaming chair, you should know that, for the money, you’ll be finding yourself with a decent piece of kit. But that said, if there’s room to stump up more, you’ll discover the luxury and finer features of something like the Kaiser 2 able to provide an altogether better experience.
Huge thanks go out to AndaSeat for providing us with the AndaSeat Jungle Series Premium gaming chair for review. If you wish to pick one up for yourself, head over to AndaSeat direct.