AndaSeat Kaiser 4 XL review

Our VerdictLarge, supportive and very comfortable, the AndaSeat Kaiser 4 XL has room for all, with excellent lumbar support and plenty of adjustability.

Our Verdict

Large, supportive and very comfortable, the AndaSeat Kaiser 4 XL has room for all, with excellent lumbar support and plenty of adjustability.

ForGood looksRoomy dimensionsPop-out lumbar support is very comfyMagnetic head cushionAgainstBranding isn’t subtleSoft backing prone to damageArmrests have slightly too much wobble

ForGood looksRoomy dimensionsPop-out lumbar support is very comfyMagnetic head cushion

AgainstBranding isn’t subtleSoft backing prone to damageArmrests have slightly too much wobble

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Gaming chairs come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. However, if you’re someone of larger dimensions your options narrow down a bit. While plenty of gaming chairs are comfortable, if you’ve got wide shoulders, are particularly tall, or simply need a bit more room, you’ll probably have considered something built specifically for the bigger frame—like theAndaSeat Kaiser 3 XL.

However, there’s a new model in town, and it’s the AndaSeat Kaiser 4 XL. Designed for those who need a lot of room, this substantial chair has serious dimensions. The backrest measures 86.5 cm tall, with a shoulder width of 57 cm, while the bottom cushion is 54 cm across and 51 cm deep. The shoulder wings are larger than the previous model, and it’s now got fancy 5D armrests and a pop out lumbar support with 4-level adjustment.

Kaiser 4 XL specs(Image credit: Future)Rec. height:181 cm (5' 11") to 210 cm (6' 10")Rec. weight:80 to 180 kgRecline:135°Features:Magnetic memory foam head pillow, four-level pop-out lumbar supportMaterial:PVC leather (reviewed), linen fabricArmrests:5D, upward foldingColors:Black, white, purple, orange, brown, maroon, pink, blue (linen—gray and black only)Price:$539

Kaiser 4 XL specs

(Image credit: Future)Rec. height:181 cm (5' 11") to 210 cm (6' 10")Rec. weight:80 to 180 kgRecline:135°Features:Magnetic memory foam head pillow, four-level pop-out lumbar supportMaterial:PVC leather (reviewed), linen fabricArmrests:5D, upward foldingColors:Black, white, purple, orange, brown, maroon, pink, blue (linen—gray and black only)Price:$539

(Image credit: Future)

The “Kaiser” embroidered logo on the AndaSeat Kaiser 4 XL

Rec. height:181 cm (5' 11") to 210 cm (6' 10")Rec. weight:80 to 180 kgRecline:135°Features:Magnetic memory foam head pillow, four-level pop-out lumbar supportMaterial:PVC leather (reviewed), linen fabricArmrests:5D, upward foldingColors:Black, white, purple, orange, brown, maroon, pink, blue (linen—gray and black only)Price:$539

Sitting in the Kaiser 4 XL for the first time is a bit like getting on a plane and realising you’ve accidentally been upgraded—there’s much more room here than you expect, and it’s a pleasant surprise.

I’d go as far as to say the lumbar support here is actually the best I’ve used to date. It’s easy to dial in exactly as much or as little as you need, and the pop-out cushion treads the line between being soft enough for comfort, and firm enough to provide proper, meaningful back support.

Image1of4(Image credit: Future)(Image credit: Future)(Image credit: Future)(Image credit: Future)

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(Image credit: Future)(Image credit: Future)(Image credit: Future)(Image credit: Future)

(Image credit: Future)

The AndaSeat Kaiser 4 XL gaming chair in white

(Image credit: Future)

The pop-out lumbar support cushion of the AndaSeat Kaiser 4 XL

(Image credit: Future)

The bottom cushion of the AndaSeat Kaiser 4 XL gaming chair

(Image credit: Future)

The recline handle of the AndaSeat Kaiser 4 XL

Like the previous model, there’s also a magnetic head cushion with some seriously powerful magnets. It’s good fun to chuck it at the chair and watch it attach with a pleasing thunk, and it actually requires some genuine effort to move it around once attached. Once you’ve got it in position, it’s not going anywhere easily, so it’ll support your neck exactly where you place it without sliding about.

Then there’s the armrests, which are 5D. For the uninitiated, that means they adjust up and down, forwards and backwards, left and right, and rotate. Oh, and they split in the middle to fold upwards, too.

On that last point: I’m not exactly surewhy.You can, if you so wish, raise your arms like you’re performing a T-Rex impression—which doesn’t seem particularly useful unless you had the overall height of the chair down at its bottom setting and a very high desk. I suppose you could tilt them inwards and use the upright position to hold a controller in front of you, but it feels a little awkward in practice.

Still, keep them flat and they are very large, slightly soft and squishy, and extremely comfortable. If you’re an arm-leaner this is excellent news, as testing the Kaiser 4 XL has made me wish all chairs had armrests of this size. They do wobble on their axis a little more than most between rotational settings, however. It does seem like an intentional amount of play in the mechanism, but it could do with a little tuning for a more high-quality feel.

Image1of4(Image credit: Future)(Image credit: Future)(Image credit: Future)(Image credit: Future)

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(Image credit: Future)(Image credit: Future)(Image credit: Future)(Image credit: Future)

(Image credit: Future)

The 5D armrests of the AndaSeat Kaiser 4 XL in a flat position

(Image credit: Future)

The armrest of the AndaSeat Kaiser 4 XL in the raised position

(Image credit: Future)

The side lumbar adjustment control on the AndaSeat Kaiser 4 XL

(Image credit: Future)

The pop-out lumbar cushion control on the AndaSeat Kaiser 4 XL

If I was ordering my own model I would have picked the fabric version, as I find PVC leather chairs uncomfortably sticky in summer, and cold in winter. I’m not quite sure how AndaSeat has managed it, but the faux-leather model I received suffers from neither. On hot days it’s been cool and refreshing, without causing excess sweat, whereas on cold nights it’s not frozen solid like the rest of my house.

The inner chair material seems pretty tough, too, and despite receiving a white model (insert rant about touchable white objects being a bad idea here) it’s been easy to wipe clean. Just be prepared for every little spec and stray hair to bother you—if you’re anything like me—but there’s a whole range of colour options here that should be less prone to showing the odd bit of dirt.

…if what you need is a really big, comfortable chair with great back support, the Kaiser 4 XL is the one to pick

What isn’t so tough, however, is the textured soft-touch backing on the rear of the chair. It’s pleasingly squishy, and looks great. However, my review unit does have a nick taken out of the material. I’ll give AndaSeat the benefit of the doubt here and say this may have happened during construction, despite best efforts to be careful.

However, it does suggest that if you’ve got a space where you expect the back of the chair to touch things, it’s likely to get damaged if it encounters a sharp edge or corner.

There’s also the branding to consider. The rear very loudly displays both “AndaSeat” and “Kaiser” in large, embroidered lettering, which is mirrored on the inside of the seat itself. It doesn’t look bad, necessarily, but it’s a little gamer-y in a way that lets everyone know you bought a gaming chair and not a super-serious office seat.

Image1of3(Image credit: Future)(Image credit: Future)(Image credit: Future)

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(Image credit: Future)(Image credit: Future)(Image credit: Future)

(Image credit: Future)

The magnetic headcushion and overt branding on the AndaSeat Kaiser 4 XL

(Image credit: Future)

The rear seat backing material on the AndaSeat Kaiser 4 XL

(Image credit: Future)

A small nick in the material of the rear backing of the AndaSeat Kaiser 4 XL

That’s a shame, as I reckon with some smaller text and less overt branding this would be a good candidate for a chair to use at work without advertising your hobbies. It’s a handsome object overall, so a more subtle, smaller text design would have tied in better with the overall vibe.

For downsides though, that’s pretty much it. It’s even well-priced at$539, given our top gaming chair recommendation, theSecretlab Titan Evo, is actually $10 more expensive. You’re getting a whole lot more chair (in terms of size, at least) for the cash here, and that makes it a good value proposition.

Which puts me in a bit of a quandary. Does that make the AndaSeat Kaiser 4 XL thebest gaming chairof them all? Well, for most people, I’d say not quite. The Titan Evo seems more resilient to damage and perhaps a little more robust in general, as we’ve had one knocking around the office forever and it’s held up remarkably well. I also think the more subtle design is slightly better looking, and if you don’t need the extra room you might find the SecretLab is more cosseting to your particular frame.

But if what you need is a really big, very comfortable chair with great back support, the Kaiser 4 XL is the one to pick. It’s large and in charge, but still quite refined, and a comfortable daily driver with relatively few drawbacks. A big seat it may be, but the value for money here is nearly as huge.

AndaSeat Kaiser 4 XL: Price Comparison

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The Verdict87Read our review policyAndaSeat Kaiser 4 XLLarge, supportive and very comfortable, the AndaSeat Kaiser 4 XL has room for all, with excellent lumbar support and plenty of adjustability.

The Verdict

87Read our review policyAndaSeat Kaiser 4 XLLarge, supportive and very comfortable, the AndaSeat Kaiser 4 XL has room for all, with excellent lumbar support and plenty of adjustability.

87Read our review policy

AndaSeat Kaiser 4 XLLarge, supportive and very comfortable, the AndaSeat Kaiser 4 XL has room for all, with excellent lumbar support and plenty of adjustability.

AndaSeat Kaiser 4 XL

Large, supportive and very comfortable, the AndaSeat Kaiser 4 XL has room for all, with excellent lumbar support and plenty of adjustability.

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