Posted in: Game Hardware, Games, Review, Video Games | Tagged: gaming chair, Vertagear

Product Review: Vertagear's SL 5000 Gaming Chair

Published Mon, 29 Nov 2021 07:43:09 -0600

A short time ago, Vertagear decided to send us one of their newer gaming chair models to check out as we got our hands on an SL 5000. The company has gone out of its way in recent years to upgrade its line and compete with other companies in key areas, trying to provide the best comfortable sit possible for gamers while also adding a bit of style. We got this lovely midnight blue model you see here in the mail, put it together, tested it for a few days in front of the TV and desk, and have some thoughts.

First off, when looking at current gaming chairs, the lumbar is usually the first place to inspect. This particular chair has a cushioned back, but it is flat. So they have added a lumbar pillow that you snap into place and move up and down however you see fit. The pillow is basically standard for most chairs that don't have it built-in, and depending on the kind of back you have, this is either a godsend or an annoyance. We're going to err on the side of caution and say its a benefit, especially to those who have back issues in various places and need to move it around from time to time.

The seat of the chair contains Ultra Premium High Resilience Foam (UHRF) and was designed to cushion 2.5lbs per cubic foot. Along with a thin black fabric and gold pattern sewed into the seat, the sides and parts of the chair are PUC synthetic faux leather that's been treated to give extra resistance to dirt and stains while also being comfy. Usually, we're not big fans of raised sides as we find most of the time, these tend to push into people's thighs and hips and are uncomfy. This one, however, was spaced out just right so that even those of us with a bit more weight aren't feeling cramped when sitting. It did a fine job supporting our backside through workdays at home and long gaming sessions.

The head has its own pillow that you slip onto the top, made from the same foam as the lumbar pillow and the seat. This particular one we did have an issue with as when we put our head on it, we could feel the Vertagear logo coming through. We can forgive branding, we can't forgive scratchiness for the sake of branding. The pillow works well, but if you got short hair, you're gonna feel this one a little more than you want.

The armrests are on par with everyone else in the industry, this one simply has a different design to their 4D arrangements. You can adjust how far forward or back they how, how far in and out, how high and low, and what direction they twist in. It is a little bit of a harder surface than some others use for theirs, which again, works for some people who (like us) tend to lean on one side or the other throughout the day and need a little more support when doing so.

The underside is pretty standard as well, as Vertagear has made it pretty easy to adjust the height and axis for you to lean back. You also have the ability to lock it in and lay back a bit, much like you saw it positioned in the first photo of this review. There's no real complaints here, we're simply showing this part off so you can see how everything is positioned when you get your hands on it.

Thye back of the chair is pretty standard, but it should be noted that like a lot of their products, these two slots on the back (which are primarily used for helping position the lumbar support pillow) can be taken out and replaced with custom LED lights. Which you can program by hooking your chair up to your PC and downloading the right software to interact with either other lighting in the room or setting up your own look to appear fancy for both personal use and streaming if you so desire. We didn't get a kit for this one, but its nice to know the option exists.

Overall, the Vertagear SL 5000 is a pretty cool chair. The design is tight, the comfort is there, the capability of changing things out for customization is cool. There's really nothing here that makes this a bad chair. The main factor in the end for you will be the price, as it's usually about $460 (depending on if you buy it directly from their site or retail). It is comparable to a lot of the chairs currently on the market, so if you decide to go all-in, it's not going to be a waste of money. And it comes with a warranty in case it breaks down on you sooner than it should. But we enjoyed using this one and look forward to see what they make next.