Vertagear SL5000 Gaming Chair review: Firm and flexible support

Many of iMore writers are gamers, so it's not surprising that many of us choose great gaming chairs like the Vertagear SL5000 Gaming Chair instead of conventional office chairs for work. Gaming chairs tend to recline much farther than even the best ergonomic office chairs, have a car-like bucket seat shape and winged back, have more substantial neck and lumbar support cushions, and have more flexibility in the armrests. This can add up to a more comfortable position for both gaming and working.

Vertagear SL5000 Gaming Chair: Price and availability

The Vertagear SL5000 Gaming Chair is available at many major retailers, such as Amazon, B&H, Dell, QVC, Overstock, Wayfair, and Vertagear's own site. The retail price is $400, though it usually sells for less than that, anywhere from $353 to $390. Choose from six colors: Black, Red, Blue, Green, White, and Midnight Blue (as seen in my photos.)

Vertagear SL5000 Gaming Chair: What's good

You can expect to be able to use the Vertagear SL5000 Gaming Chair for many years without deformities since the chair's Ultra Premium High Resilience Foam filling is quite firm. The steel frame comes with a 10-year warranty. This chair has the car-like bucket seat and winged back that you expect from a gaming chair. The coasters are coated with polyurethane (PU) for easy gliding on any hard surface. An industrial-grade gas lift allows you to adjust the chair for height. At 5'4", I've had office chairs that would not adjust low enough for my feet to sit flat on the ground. This isn't an issue with the Vertagear SL5000 Gaming Chair — in fact, it can go lower than I need. The maximum recommended height is 6'4" and the maximum weight is 260 pounds.

You can recline the backrest from 80° to 140°. You can adjust the tilt tension as well. Two removable cushions are included: lumbar support and neck support. Both are firm and adjustable so you can place them precisely where you need them. The armrests adjust in four directions to accommodate just about anyone's size and preference: they go in and out closer or farther from the body, forward away from the backrest and back towards it, up and down, and they twist out from side to side like pinball flippers. The synthetic leather covering this chair is both soft and durable. It comes in a half-dozen different color combinations to suit just about any taste or decor.

Vertagear SL5000 Gaming Chair: What's not good

Truthfully, I'm more of an office chair person, as I prefer a softer seat. While the Vertagear SL5000 Gaming Chair is a comfortable gaming chair, it doesn't feel quite as comfortable to me as a good office chair. That's really down to personal taste, though.

While the chair was easy to assemble, I did have one screw that would just not go in all the way. Perhaps someone stronger could force it in, or perhaps I erred along the way. But I've assembled a number of chairs on my own and never had this issue. This certainly isn't an inexpensive chair.

Vertagear SL5000 Gaming Chair: Competition

As mentioned earlier, the Vertagear SL5000 Gaming Chair is recommended for people up to 6'4" and 260 pounds. If you're a bigger or taller person, check out the Vertagear PL6000 Gaming Chair. It's designed for people up to 6'8" and 350 pounds.

If you're looking for a gaming chair that looks a bit more furniture-like, check out the AndaSeat T-Compact Gaming Chair. Its soft linen fabric cover looks attractive with any decor.

If you're like me and you prefer the shape and feel of an office chair, check out the Oak Hollow Furniture Aloria Series Office Chair. It's my current go-to chair for work.

Vertagear SL5000 Gaming Chair: Should you buy it?

• You like a firm, supportive gaming chair
• You want a flexible chair that reclines up to 140°
• You want neck support and lumbar support cushions

• If you prefer a softer office-style chair
• If it's out of your price range
• If you don't like the "gamer look"

This is a gaming chair to consider if you like firm support and super adjustability. It's not for you if your tastes lean towards a softer chair or if you don't like the look and price tag of this chair.

What kind of chair you choose to sit in for long periods of time is going to be a matter of taste. While the gamer-style chair isn't going to be my first choice for work (I'm not a gamer), many iMore writers do choose a gaming chair in lieu of an office chair for both work and play. The Vertagear SL5000 Gaming Chair is a high-quality gaming chair that firmly supportive and offers a host of options for customizability such as a deep recline, height and tilt adjustment, removable neck and back cushions, and four-way adjustable arm rests. While assembly was fast and pretty easy, I did have one screw that wouldn't go in all the way.

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