The Razer Iskur has been on my list to try for some time now and it is also a chair that many of our fans have been asking us to review. While this review is based on first impressions, I feel confident that my opinion wouldn’t change all that much with extended use.
Some of the finer details, like the upholstery stitching, are some of the best you will find on a gaming chair. It also comes with a wide-ranging armrest movement with four-way adjustability.
The biggest surprise on the chair was the crazy lumbar support. It is the most unique and aggressive lumbar support I have ever encountered. With that being said, let’s take a closer look at the main components of this chair.
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Razer Iskur First Impression Links
Razer Iskur First Impressions Video
- Unboxing Iskur Chair
- Assembly
- First Sit
- Reclining in the Iskar
- Razer Iskur Fit
- Seat Comfort
- Iskur Seat vs. Secret Lab Seat
- Insane Lumbar Support
- Bottom Line
Razer Iskur First Impression Video
Unboxing The Iskur Chair
Overall, the unboxing experience for the Iskur was excellent. I have a feeling that they have modeled their packaging off of Secretlab. Everything was boxed in a similar way to the Secretlab Titan chair. All the parts were wrapped in foam and placed tightly in the box to prevent any movement during transit. As a result, each part came out of the box completely unscathed and you can’t help but notice the massive assembly instructions.
Another feature that jumped out at me while unboxing the chair was the quality of the upholstery and the stitching. In fact, this is one of my favorite aspects of the chair. It is definitely on par with Secretlab products, which I consider to be some of the best racer-style chairs on the market for around $500.
Assembly
With everything out of the box, it was time to begin the assembly process. I honestly didn’t really have any issues putting the chair together. All of the parts went together pretty well. I did hit one snafu when trying to attach the small caps to the back recline mechanism. I didn’t actually read the instructions before trying to bang them into place. However, I quickly realized that they are directional, so make sure you have them in the right place.
The second issue arose when I accidentally dropped a bolt between the mechanism and the frame of the chair. It took me a few minutes to fish the bolt out, but again, this was a problem that I brought upon myself.
First Sit in the Iskur
Once I had everything together, the first thing I noticed was just how upright the chair sits. It almost feels like the chair is pushing you forward. The massive hunchback design looks kind of cool, but it is way too much for me. At the same time, I can see how this might be good for people who really like to get into a game or intense tasking.
Reclining in Iskur
At first, I had trouble even getting the chair to recline, but then I realized that the tension control was cranked all the way up. I had to adjust the chair twice to get it to easily recline. The biggest drawback of the recline mechanism is that it is a center tilt design, which required me to get a little more leverage in order to recline.
I also found that the back angle mechanism was a little tricky to get into the right position. I had other people in the office try out the chair and it seemed like everyone struggled with the tilt and back angle mechanisms. You have to pull hard on the lever to engage the functions.
Razer Iskur Fit
When I put the chair in full recline, it still felt awkward to me. I have a pretty slim build, so I wasn’t worried about fit issues, but the chair just wasn’t comfortable.
I also had trouble pulling the headrest down over the neck of the chair when I was in the recline position. When I was upright, this wasn’t an issue. I do think that the sizing of the chair could be an issue for many people.
Seat Comfort
The side bolsters on the seat and the back really limit your ability to sink into the chair and relax comfortably, which is probably the main reason why I felt so awkward in the chair. Your movement is restricted, which is a big difference from the Titan chair. The Iskur is more of a classic racer-style gaming chair with fixed bolsters that can’t be adjusted.
The armrests do come with a nice set of adjustments and I found the pads to be soft and without any hard edges. Even with the four-way adjustments, I still found that the arms were set a little too wide for me, which doesn’t make a lot of sense considering how narrow the rest of the chair is.
Iskur Seat Vs Secretlab
The seat is definitely more on the firmer side, but when compared to the Secretlab, the Iskur is a lot more comfortable. The Secretlab seat feels like you are sitting on a brick and it makes the chair almost unusable. The fabric on the Iskur also feels nice if you are wearing shorts, which is nice for the summertime.
Insane Lumbar Support
The most interesting feature of the Iskur is the lumbar support. I have never seen anything like it. The support uses a gas cylinder to make adjustments and pushes the back pad out in a top-hinging-type motion. This created the most aggressive lumbar support I have ever found in a chair and I have sat in well over 1,000 chairs over the past 17 years.
I also found that the support pushes you so far forward that you are barely sitting on the seat pad. Instead, you end up just kind of hanging off the edge. It didn’t help that getting the lumbar back in place was a little strange as well.
Bottom Line
Overall, the Iskur looks a lot better than it sat. Personally, I am not a huge fan of racing-style gaming chairs, but I feel that for $500, you are better off getting something different unless you fit perfectly in the Iskur.
Additional Steelcase Resources
- What is a PC Gaming Chair?
- Gaming Chairs vs. Office Chairs: Which is Best?
- 5 Reasons Gaming Chairs Are Not Worth It
- We Cut a $55 Gaming Chair in Half to Find Out What’s Inside
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