Secretlab Omega 2020 vs Titan Evo 2022: The battle of the ultimate gaming chairs

The Secretlab Titan Evo 2022 is one of iMore’s most highly-rated chairs. It’s big, comfy, and extremely well-built. It’s the newest chair in the Secretlab line, avaialble in an incredible number of colors and materials. It’s also not cheap. The Titan Evo starts at $439, and then goes up to $1099 for the top-of-the-line Napa Leather option, making it one of the more expensive gaming chairs on the market. It's also available in three size options. There are small and regular size options that both cost the same, and then an XL option that costs $50 more than the smaller ones. The version here is the XL. While you definitely get what you pay for, is it possible to get a similar experience with one of Secretlabs older chairs?

The Secretlab Omega 2020 is still a fantastic chair. In my review, I scored it four and a half stars, the only real shortcoming being that it’s not quite for my body shape or others like me. Otherwise, materials, patterns and build quality are also excellent, and you can grab one from $389 up to $459 for add-ons and premium materials. Because it’s one of Secretlabs older models, it’s reduced in effectively a permanent sale. That’s a fair amount less than the newer Titan Evo — but is the upgrade worth the extra, or should you stick with the older model?

We’ve put them head to head to find out whether you can save some money on the old one and get a similar experience, or whether you should spend the extra dollars. 

Titan Evo 2022 VS Omega 2020: Build and materials

The Titan Evo is made out of some of the best materials around. The fabric used on the surface of the chair has to be touched to be believed. It’s soft and textured, with some lovely give to it. It also feels strong, as if it could take some punishment. The PU leather is also impressive, feeling as close to real leather as I think it’s possible for fake leather. There’s oodles of metal all over the place. The metal wheelbase in particular is very impressive, spreading out large enough to not fit easily through most doorways in my house.

The chair feels like a tank. A big, comfy tank. It’s certainly built like one — for the most part. The only thing that feels a little funky on the chair is the 4D armrests. It's cool that they can pan around in all different directions, but there’s a wobble present that takes some of the luster away from what is otherwise a spectacularly well-made chair.

It’s an issue that’s not present on the Omega 2020. While there is a little give in the armrests, they otherwise feel phenomenally stable. The rest of the Omega 2020 is similar to the Titan Evo 2022. The materials are again fantastic, the PU again feeling uncannily like real leather, and the metal making the chair far too heavy for one person to lift up the stairs. It does fall down in one key area compared to the Titan, however.

These are both chairs with phenomenal levels of tilt. The back falls back far enough to let you stare at the ceiling, and the seat base tilts even more, effectively letting you lay down flat. It’s an impressive feat — and one that feels better on the Titan Evo. The Titan Evo feels more strength in the tilt mechanism. The Omega, while sturdy, has more give to its tilt mechanisms, and it can feel a little scary going backward.

While the armrests are a little rattly, the sturdiness of the tilt mechanism on the Titan means it wins out this round.

Winner: Titan Evo 2022

Titan Evo 2022 VS Omega 2020: Ease of use

While there are loads of levers and nobs on the Titan Evo, they are all easy to learn and even easier to use. They all feel sturdy, and are within easy reach, even on my enormous Titan Evo XL. There’s a lever that unlocks the tilt function under the left side of the chair, a lever that controls the height of the chair under the right side, and a handle that tilts the backrest on the right side. The two levers on the underside are both plastic but have a pleasing feel to them and the action is positive and easy to click into place. The lever for the backrest has a lovely almost car-like handle on it, making swinging the backrest back super easy and convenient.

There are then two wheels on the backrest itself. These control the adjustable lumbar on the backrest, and both feel excellent to use. There’s one on either side, with one controlling the height of the support and the other controlling the depth. The armrests also feature loads of buttons and switches. There are two metal switches that unlock the armrest height adjustment that move with a satisfying ‘clunk’. These are on the outside of each armrest and are easy to adjust. There’s then a button under the armrests on the inside of the chair, and they control how close the armrests are to you. These, again, click nicely and the armrests move with a smooth slider. The final buttons are on the end of the armrests, and they control the swivel and forwards and backward movement of the rests. These are also metal, and feel great to the touch.

All these controls may seem overwhelming, but you quickly get used to what all of them do. It’s as easy to use as any other desk chair, with intuitive controls that are all easy to reach.

Things are a very similar story in the Omega 2020. The controls to manipulate the tilt and height and the armrest controls are identical, all working and feeling as good as the controls on the Titan Evo 2022. It does lack the lumbar adjustment nobs, but that's only because it lacks the lumbar adjustment of the bigger chair. Either way, the controls on both are equally as sturdy and easy to use —  so this one is an easy draw.

Winner: DRAW

Titan Evo 2022 VS Omega 2020: Comfort and features

The Titan Evo 2022 is, to put it simply, one of the most comfortable chairs I have ever sat in. The seat base is wide and fairly shallow with plenty of room for my generous frame. The seat cushion has enough give to be comfortable, but stiff enough that you don’t immediately sink to the hard cushion base of the course of the day. The bucketing on the backrest is excellent and keeps you in place no matter how fast you might spin around on the spinner. The armrests are supportive and, while plastic, comfortable enough not to notice the hardness of the material.

The most comfortable part of the chair is the adjustable Lumbar support on the backrest of the chair. With the nobs mentioned above, you can make the support more or less pronounced, and you can change the vertical position as well to make sure it’s in the right place on your back. It can be a little tricky to dial it in, but when it’s there it’s great. The whole package adds up to be a desk-bound throne that keeps you comfy throughout the day.

The Omega 2020 is also comfortable, but not as comfortable as the Titan Evo 2022. See, mileage may vary with this one. The cushion material is similar to that of the Titan, but the racecar-like bucketing on the seat digs into my legs as I sit on the chair throughout the day. In this regard, the chair isn’t as comfortable to me. For those with less posterior girth, however, things will be a lot more comfortable. The slimmer seat cushion has all the same softness and stiffness benefits as with the new one, and that bucketing will do more to keep you in place during long sitting sessions. For me, it’s simply ‘not it’. For others, it could well be the one.

Perhaps it's because of the size options that are available on the Titan Evo. My XL is designed to fit taller and larger frames, while the Omega is designed for smaller ones. You can of course get the regular and small sizes in the Titan Evo that are closer to the Omega in size, but they lack the severe bucketing - so, to my mind, they are likely to be more comfortable.

The Omega does lack some of the other comfortable features of the bigger chair. There’s no adjustable lumbar support on the backrest, and the armrests are a little harder than those on the Titan. It also doesn’t go quite so far up on the back, and the head pillow that comes in the box doesn’t adjust quite as well as it does on the Titan. Don’t get me wrong, the Omega is still a super comfortable chair, but the Titan just feels a little more so.

WINNER: Titan Evo 2022

Titan Evo 2022 VS Omega 2020: Look and style

If you’re looking for something more simple, then the Titan is the way to go. It lacks some of the over-the-top styling queues of other gaming chairs, opting instead to be smoother and less ‘in your face’. My version with the SoftWeave fabric looks great, and slips perfectly into my workspace. Beyond that, however, there’s not much to comment on.

The Omega goes a little further. I simply adore the way this thing looks. It's like a racing seat on a stand, replete with bucketing and shaping. Mine also has one of the very cool special designs on, in particular the K/DA All Out design. It is stunning. There’s glittering thread embroidered into small character logos and KDA on the backrest. There’s more almost fractal-looking embroidery on the backrest and seat base, as well as shards of holographic PU that shimmers in the light. It looks amazing and feels like it’ll last, too.

These designs are available on the Titan Evo, but the shape of the chair is still less intricate than the Omega. The Omega is everything all at once and looks great doing it. If you want the comfort of the Titan and the louder design, however, you can do that. I wish my chair had the design, but alas, no such luck.

Between the two, I have to say that the Omega looks better than the Titan. It’s a gorgeous chair even without the snazzy design on it, but that design just elevates it further. Want something that doesn’t shout super loud about itself? The Titan Evo is the way to go. Want something that stands out? The Omega is the way to go.

WINNER: OMEGA 2020

Titan Evo 2022 VS Omega 2020: Extras

In the Titan’s box, you get a couple of extras. The neck pillow is big and super soft, with magnets in the back to make it easy to adjust up and down at the top of the backrest. Secretlab's pillows are always great, and this one is absolutely no different. Apart from the little tool kit you get as well, however, that’s pretty much it. While you can swap the covers of the armrests out, you don’t get any extra ones in the box.

You can buy some extras, and they’re pretty great. I’m currently enjoying the Technogel armrest covers. They’re a thin layer of gel covered with a PU membrane that are super soft and really makes resting those elbows really comfortable. I am told the PlushCell memory foam armrest covers are also brilliant, with the same memory foam and soft fabric you’ll find in the cushions, albeit attached to an armrest cover. You can buy a lumbar cushion from the website as well, although it's a little thin.

Instead, I am lucky enough to be able to nab the Lumbar cushion from the Omega. You can buy it online, but it comes in the box with the older chair. It is a wonderful cushion. Just the right thickness, and covered with a super soft microfibre fabric. It’s thin enough that I still get the Lumbar support from the built-in adjustments but thick enough to be really comfortable.

In fact, for extras you get in the box, the Omega wins out. That Lumbar cushion comes along with a still relatively adjustable and consistently excellent neck cushion in addition to the small tool set that you can use to not only build but adjust small parts of the chair. Apart from the armrests, you can buy pretty much all the same add-ons as you can for the Titan, including new wheels that are better for different surfaces. You know I love my Titan Evo, but the Older Omega 2020 has this one.

WINNER: OMEGA 2022

Titan Evo 2022 VS Omega 2020: Value and availability

The Secretlab Titan is not cheap. It starts at $439, and goes all the way up to a $1099 Napa leather version. The version I have is the Softweave in the Cookies and Cream decoration which costs $589. That is, for lack of a better term, an expensive chair. For what you get, it’s well worth the price, but it is a tough price to swallow.

It is also supremely available. There are loads of designs, with only a few out of stock. There are different finishes, including a PU leather, the aforementioned softweave, and Napa leather, as well as an Exotic officially licensed Lamborghini option. If they go out of stock, they are frequently brought back, and you can preorder out-of-stock options to make sure you get one.

The Omega on the hand is a fair bit less expensive. It currently starts at $389, and you can choose between a few different decorations and materials. My version is the K/DA League of Legends special edition, which comes in at $459. That’s a PU leather version of the chair. While the chair is slightly cheaper, however, you’ll find that because it is now end of line, there are far fewer options to choose from as the chair is no longer being built. You’ll save money, yes, but you’ll get fewer designs to choose from.

In this case, the Titan pulls out slightly ahead. The chair may be more expensive, but you’ve more options to choose from, and you still get excellent value for money. If you want to save money above all else though? Then the Omega 2020 is the way to go.

WINNER: Titan Evo 2022

And the winner is…the Secretlab Titan Evo 2022

Before talking about why the Titan is better, it’s well worth reminding ourselves that both of these are fabulous chairs. The Omega, despite being slightly older, comes very close in build quality, and even does better when you look at what stuff you get in the box. It even, in my opinion, looks better than the Titan. Honestly, if you’re looking to save a little money when you’re buying a desk chair from Secretlab, then the Omega is a great way to do it.

It does, however, trip over occasionally when you compare it to the Titan Evo 2022. The Titan is far more feature-packed, with more lumbar adjustability in the back and with sturdier feeling hinges and tilting. It’s also more comfortable for people of all shapes and sizes. If the bigger XL chair would be too big for you, you can opt for one of a range of different sizes from the XS for kids through an S and regular size. The XL will cost you a lot more, so if you can fit in the regular, it’s worth the saving. 

The Titan beats out the Omega in most ways, including comfort and build. It also, in my opinion, presents a better value package, and it’s easier to get a hold of. While both of these Secretlab options are excellent, the Secretlab Titan Evo 2022 is the better gaming and desk chair.