A Serious Challenger To The Gaming Chair Elite
If I was put on the spot and asked to recommend one brand of gaming chair, it would be SecretLab. I’ve used enough of their chairs over the years to know full well that whatever SecretLab creates will be of the highest quality, and able to last across years of use. It’s SecretLab who have powered my gaming sessions for the best part of a decade. And not once have they let us down, even as we’ve moved to a work from home scenario too.
Just below SecretLab though? Well, that would be NobleChairs. I was extremely taken by their Hero range. And whilst they couldn’t quite compete with the brilliance of SecretLab’s Softweave, they weren’t far off.
Now we can throw Blacklyte into the conversation too. Their Athena Pro chair is easily on a par with the NobleChair, pushing SecretLab all the way for a top spot recommendation. Buy the Blacklyte Athena Pro and you will not be disappointed with what is on offer.
A Fast And Frustration-Free Setup
We’ll start with the setup of this thing, and whilst I’m in a position of power, having unboxed and built a number of gaming chairs over the years, I’m not sure any have been as straightforward to put together as the Blacklyte Athena Pro. Pulling it from the box is a cinch, throwing on the included – and much appreciated – grippy gloves for installation purposes is a joy. And the huge instruction sheet that is front and centre of that box is super easy to follow. As a lone man, with no help from outsiders, I had the Athena Pro unboxed and in pride of office place within 15 minutes. Included allen keys and drivers help, but this is about as easy to put together as a gaming chair could possibly get; aside from it coming fully assembled straight from the cardboard.
Premium Comfort Without Reinventing The Wheel
For the most part, it’s all familiar stuff too. We’re probably pretty close to peak gaming chair here in 2026, with all high-end brands working similar vibes. They know what works, and they know that cutting costs won’t keep them at the top of the game, and so dual-density memory foam seat bases and backs, 4D armrests, lumbar support, gas struts, class-leading 50mm PU silent casters and tons of adjustability are all standard. Strip away the logos and branding from this seat, or any premium offering, and you’ll probably struggle to spot too many differences between what is on offer.
Fabric That Impresses
Sitting ever-so-slightly lower (a couple of centimetres) than what we are usually used to, the Athena Pro looks brilliant, especially in the fabric grey that we have been hands on with. That’s a personal call, of course, mostly as the aesthetics sit nicely with our office and gaming setup, yet the soft touch means that it is super comfy to lounge on. With leatherette sometimes an issue in the hottest of climates (something the UK is fast noticing), it’s the fabric that wins out for us, consistently staying cool no matter how much the mercury rises.
But Blacklyte has a ton of differing styles present if you need it, from black leatherette, Fnatic editions, Rainbow Six Siege branding and more. How long the white leatherette will hold up with the grime of gaming is anyone’s guess though. A quick wipe down every now and then may be for the best.
Built To Last
Sitting on a five pronged, caster-complete base, the Athena Pro is connected via an SGS-certified gas lift, with Class 4 mechs ensuring that you’ll be treated to smooth lowering and raising of the seat. Again, it’s the top tier materials of such that are present elsewhere, but it does mean the £399 GBP price tag can be warranted.
Helping further warrant that price is an ultra-soft memory foam that slightly adapts to your shape over time. We’ve been in this seat for a good few weeks, and whilst it did feel a little hard to sit on initially, especially when compared to the SecretLab we moved from, it does seem to have softened a smidge over that time. We’d suspect that will continue to be the case going forward, long term. For now though, what has impressed us most is just how easy the Athena Pro is to live with. We’ve spent entire workdays sat in it before rolling straight into evening gaming sessions and never once felt the need to swap back to another chair; even with our beloved SecretLab alongside it. That’s probably the highest compliment we can pay.
Blacklyte are keen to point out that the Athena Pro comes with a dual layer construction to that foam. And excuse the marketing speak for a minute, but it does mean you are treated to a high-density polyurethane core; a core that has been injected with carbon and silver ions to aid that long term support and shape. Honestly, we care about the feel of what we are sitting on, much more than ‘carbon and silver ions’ but for those who want to be sure of the most minute of details, it’s here, present and correct.
Ergonomics That Suit Almost Everyone
Neatly, the Athena Pro comes with a highly adjustable lumbar support. Following the curve of your spine, this is amendable in both height and depth, ensuring you can get an extremely personalised fit. When bad postures and increased pain in the lower back is on the rise, that’s an appreciated touch. Our only ask is that the two twistable knobs on either side of the seat were lower; they are just slightly too high for ease of use.
With further adjustability via two under-seat levers for seat base and backrest angles, the latter which shifts between 90 and 149 degrees, the Athena Pro is set up with everything you would expect from a premium gaming chair, with a premium gaming chair asking price.
The Finishing Touches
And then, the icing on the gaming chair cake? The adaptive neckrest, aka pillow that comes included with the Athena Pro. Attaching via a magnet system built into the top of the seat back, it’s simple enough to chuck this pillow wherever you want it placed. Combine that with the pretty soft 4D armrests that swivel and raise as needed and you’ve got a decent little recipe for gaming chair goodness. We’re 188cm tall, and have preferred to have that pillow slammed right near the top of the seat, but our partner at 165cm picks that up and moves it down a touch every time she sits down, whilst also pulling on the height lever to drop the seat lower to the ground. It means that the Athena Pro is more than capable of suiting gamers and workers of various heights and sizes.
One Of The Best Gaming Chairs We’ve Used
There’s very little to complain about in regards to the Blacklyte Athena Pro Gaming Chair. Yes, it’s pretty expensive, but we live in a world in which you very much get what you pay for, and so should your budget be able to stretch, we’d wholeheartedly recommend you chuck Blacklyte’s Athena Pro Gaming Chair onto your wishlist at the very least. We’re big fans of how gaming chairs can enhance sessions as a whole, and you can be sure that any premium chair you may purchase will elevate things to all new levels.
If SecretLab have spent the last decade setting the benchmark for premium gaming chairs, Blacklyte have more than earned the right to be mentioned in the very same conversation.
Huge thanks go out to Blacklyte for providing the Athena Pro Gaming Chair for review. Pick one up for yourself from Blacklyte direct. They come in various colours, and if you want to save a little more money, perhaps consider the non-Pro Athena.
