Secretlab Titan Evo NanoGen Edition review

Our VerdictThe Titan Evo NanoGen Edition is the most comfortable a Secretlab chair has ever been, and its commitment to material innovation is the reason behind that. But that’s also seemingly the reason behind the ~$200 price increase over the standard version.

Our Verdict

The Titan Evo NanoGen Edition is the most comfortable a Secretlab chair has ever been, and its commitment to material innovation is the reason behind that. But that’s also seemingly the reason behind the ~$200 price increase over the standard version.

ForExtremely comfortablePlushCell armrests as standardResilientWell-madeLooks greatAgainstHuge price premium over Titan EvoNegligible tilt tensioning

ForExtremely comfortablePlushCell armrests as standardResilientWell-madeLooks great

AgainstHuge price premium over Titan EvoNegligible tilt tensioning

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I’m going to be honest, when Secretlab got in touch to say it was shipping me a brand new gaming chair with the subject line “the new Secretlab chair you’ve been waiting for…” I was expecting something more than anotherTitan Evo. That’s not to denigrate the classic Secretlab chair—there’s a reason that it still sits uncontested atop ourbest gaming chairlist—but that in itself was a reworked version amalgamating two of its predecessors.

If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. That’s a maxim more PC gaming brands could do with having tattooed on the inside of their eyelids when so many will change for change’s sake to hit some artificial, iterative release cadence. And yet,and yet,change is vital to avoid stagnation, especially if you’ve become comfortable on the summit of your industry.

I can quickly point to Intel with CPUs, and Corsair with mechanical gaming keyboards, and if Secretlab wants to avoid falling behind its own competition then it needs to keep on innovating.

(Image credit: Future)Sizes:R (170–189 cm / <100kg), XL (181–205 cm / 80–180kg)Fabric:NanoGen Hybrid LeatheretteRecline:up to 165°Warranty:3-year (extendable to 5-year via social endorsement)Armrests:4D adjustmentPrice:$799|£669(Regular)$849|£719(XL)

(Image credit: Future)

Secretlab Titan Evo NanoGen Edition gaming chair

Sizes:R (170–189 cm / <100kg), XL (181–205 cm / 80–180kg)Fabric:NanoGen Hybrid LeatheretteRecline:up to 165°Warranty:3-year (extendable to 5-year via social endorsement)Armrests:4D adjustmentPrice:$799|£669(Regular)$849|£719(XL)

I didn’t have “paradoxical breakthrough” with “next-generation materials” combining “benefits previously thought impossible in the same material” on my Secretlab 2024 bingo card. I’ll give you that sounds like peak marketing hyperbole, but if you’re going to have a go at improving a classic gaming chair design you could do a lot worse than making sure it’s more comfortable and more durable than the previous edition. Even if it does read like Secretlab has found some kind of vibranium/unobtanium weave it can lay on top of a new chair.

Before I get to that particular pain point, let me just talk about the upsides. The Titan Evo is a modern classic, a great gaming chair that is both reliably comfortable and remarkably resistant to the rigours of life as a piece of modern gamer furniture. But, while our unit in the office looks as good today as it did the moment our Jacob pulled it out of its packaging, I’ll admit that I’m not wild about the chair’s ‘ride’.

I’ve got a lot of padding myself, I’ll grant you, but I’ve always found the Titan Evo feels just a little too hard. Thisismore supportive than most softer chairs, and probably better for you in the long run, but I’ve found myself shifting around a lot more on the older chair than I do with the new NanoGen edition.

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

Image1of3

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

(Image credit: Future)

Secretlab Titan Evo NanoGen Edition gaming chair

(Image credit: Future)

Secretlab Titan Evo NanoGen Edition gaming chair

(Image credit: Future)

Secretlab Titan Evo NanoGen Edition gaming chair

So, why is that?

The twin support pillars Secretlab is building its new chair upon are two new material implementations, namely its new NanoGen Hybrid Leatherette and the NanoFoam Composite it’s using for cushioning the tush.

The first is its new coating for the entire upholstered part of the chair, and it is genuinely lovely. Even as the days have gotten colder the fine-weave leatherette Secretlab has created feels supple and soft, and far more pleasing to the touch than the still-actually-pretty fine finish the Titan Evo enjoys.

Of course, we’ve come to expect that finish to be immaculate, and it is here, too. The stitching is fine and consistent, and though I almost take that as read with a Secretlab chair, it’s always worth noting that level of quality you do get with the brand.

Of greater import, however—especially for those who, like me, found previous Secretlab chairs too hard—is that NanoFoam Composite. Now, I’m not going to go full Aniston, but the science bit is in combining the company’s cold-cure foam (the hard stuff) with a softer lightweight topper which provides a softer cushion. There’s also something about the bonding material used between those layers, but it suffices to say the end result is a really comfortable seat, that feels both soft and supportive as you move around, all at the same time.

Image1of2(Image credit: Future)(Image credit: Future)

Image1of2

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

(Image credit: Future)

Secretlab Titan Evo NanoGen Edition gaming chair

(Image credit: Future)

Secretlab Titan Evo NanoGen Edition gaming chair

This is the paradox Secretlab’s marketing department is on about. Soft and resilient in the leatherette as well as soft and supportive with the cushioning. And it works. This is the most comfortable gaming chair I’ve ever sat in, and definitely the most comfortable a Secretlab has ever felt.

With those two newbie features you’re getting the rest of the Titan Evo experience, too, including the lovely magnetic memory foam neck pillow, though now with those PlushCell memory foam armrests (mmm, soft) as standard. That means 4D armrests, though with a 50% higher adjustment range. Honestly, that’s not been a huge deal for me, I’m a set and forget kinda chair guy, so the range doesn’t hit hard so long as I can get myself set up in the first instance.

And yes, that set up is easy. I’ve seen folk almost break bones setting up gaming chairs (you know who you are) but the Secretlab Titan Evo might not be as simple as pulling it out of the box in one piece, but putting it all together takes less than 30 minutes.

This is the most comfortable gaming chair I’ve ever sat in, and definitely the most comfortable a Secretlab has ever felt.

But I still have issues. My first is a throwback to my outgoing chair. In all honesty, I’m not really going to miss theMavix M9which has graced my desk for the past few years. It was a fine chair, and I dig the slighter frame and meshwork, but it was a pain to set up (I ended up having to craft one functioning chair from three separate units which arrived with me in various states of destruction). But its tensioned tilt was something I didn’t know I was going to miss until it was gone.

Secretlab talks of adjustable tilt tensioning, but honestly from one extreme of the tension knob to the other is maybe the difference between the chair tilting back when you look at it or when you breathe on it. So, it’s a locking thing not a tilt rocking thing.

My biggest struggle with the Titan Evo NanoGen Edition, however, is the price. At $549 for the regular-sized Titan Evo (itself $100 more than it retailed for at launch), or $628 with those plushy armrests, it’s a fair chunk of cash, but actually not a bad price for a really well made piece of furniture. That aforementioned Mavix M9, on the other hand, is a $999 chair and isn’t as comfortable or supportive a seat for the money. Nor has it retained its looks or comfort over time.

Image1of2(Image credit: Future)(Image credit: Future)

Image1of2

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

(Image credit: Future)

Secretlab Titan Evo NanoGen Edition gaming chair

(Image credit: Future)

Secretlab Titan Evo NanoGen Edition gaming chair

Buy if…✅You want the absolute peak Secretlab gaming chair experience:The comfort of the NanoGen Edition is unparalleled in any other of its chairs.

Buy if…

✅You want the absolute peak Secretlab gaming chair experience:The comfort of the NanoGen Edition is unparalleled in any other of its chairs.

Don’t buy if…❌You baulk at the price premium:The only real issue here is that while it is a more comfortable chair, everything else is identical to the only-a-little-less-comfortable standard Titan Evo.

Don’t buy if…

❌You baulk at the price premium:The only real issue here is that while it is a more comfortable chair, everything else is identical to the only-a-little-less-comfortable standard Titan Evo.

Secretlab Titan Evo NanoGen Edition: Price Comparison

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The Verdict91Read our review policySecretlab Titan Evo NanoGen EditionThe Titan Evo NanoGen Edition is the most comfortable a Secretlab chair has ever been, and its commitment to material innovation is the reason behind that. But that’s also seemingly the reason behind the ~$200 price increase over the standard version.

The Verdict

91Read our review policySecretlab Titan Evo NanoGen EditionThe Titan Evo NanoGen Edition is the most comfortable a Secretlab chair has ever been, and its commitment to material innovation is the reason behind that. But that’s also seemingly the reason behind the ~$200 price increase over the standard version.

91Read our review policy

Secretlab Titan Evo NanoGen EditionThe Titan Evo NanoGen Edition is the most comfortable a Secretlab chair has ever been, and its commitment to material innovation is the reason behind that. But that’s also seemingly the reason behind the ~$200 price increase over the standard version.

Secretlab Titan Evo NanoGen Edition

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Our Verdict#

Our Verdict