Geek Review: Secretlab Omega 2018 Gaming Chair

Gaming might provide you with the street credibility, but upscale is where there’s opportunity for growth. Homegrown chair start-up Secretlab knows this very well, hence the new Omega 2018 version of its popular gaming chair.

Except that their new chair no longer looks like a gaming inspired one. The curves of the chair remain the same, looking very much like a race car, but the latest edition is an Ash coloured model that looks more like an executive lounge chair for the office, rather than a Man Cave.

Maybe it’s the simple but elegant black threading, used for both the Omega symbol and company name, instead of a gold coloured one. Or it could be the less than ostentatious use of colours, but this is something that doesn’t scream “gamer”, and is a reflection of the growth of the company in trying for a different crowd.

But if you’re a longtime fan, or have been considering a Secretlab, it’s more than just the colour that the duo behind the chairs are aiming for. The 2018 models of the Omega now come with a thicker foam that, believe it or not, makes an already ultra comfortable chair even more comfortable.

The soft, cushy feel of propping your posterior is still there, but the chair is now seemingly gripping back, with better support and cushioning. Instead of sinking comfortably into the seat, think of it as having your butt gradually submerging into the chair. After about six weeks with the chair, the new Omega is now my go-to chair at home. Sorry, not sorry Secretlab Omega 2015.

On the other hand, the elbow rests have gone the opposite direction, with a slightly softer rubberised cushioning. These won’t make your arm sink in, but there’s now a discernible sensation, that your elbow is not resting on hard plastic. The elbow rests still slide back and forth, have the ability to be elevated or lowered, and can be shifted outwards and inwards, for more precise individual placements of your arms when seated.

Oh, the arm rests, as well as the side guards for the reclining gears, also bear the easily recognisable Secretlab logo, cos you know, branding.

The other changes are also minor, almost indistinguishable ones, for seemingly cosmetic purposes. The side cushioning for the seat is more angular, rather than crafted to form a gradual slope. The plastic housing for the reclining gears on each side are also larger. And on top of the pillow that comes with every chair, there is now a larger backrest memory foam pillow that you can prop on your seat.

Move the slider below. Left is the Omega 2018, right is the Omega 2015.

For now, it looks like the foam can act as a counter for the Secretlab Titan, which comes with an adjustable lumbar support. The Titan is also bigger in size, for larger sized individuals, so it might not be for everyone. The pillow now acts as prop for my back, and this simple pillow is now one of those things you never knew you needed or wanted, but now that I’ve had it and have been using it, I can no longer sit on the chair without it..

For my back to conform to the rear of my Omega 2015, I put it on a slight recline – otherwise, i feel as if my body is too upright. With the pillow, I can prop the back up at a 90 degree angle and sit forward a little bit. The squarish pillow now serves as the prop, enabling me to lean back when i need to, but still keep my body upright when i need to. This is a personal preference of mine, but if the chair itself is the be all and end all of chairs, the pillow is the secret sauce.

Like with all chairs in the Secretlab… well, lab, the chair can do an almost 170 degree recline. The rear recline ends at about 160 degrees, so you can definitely lean back and play a few rounds of video games in comfort. There’s a lever that enables the seat itself to pivot back and forth, thereby creating a sort of rocking chair. The pivot is a slow rock back and forth, but when you rock the chair back with a full recline, you end up with something that is pretty much a bed.

There are only a small handful of chairs that offer this feature, and I’ve tried out some of them, but the comfort of the Omega 2018 is second to none. Can you fall asleep comfortably on this chair? I challenge you to not want to.

The Secretlab Omega 2018 is currently priced at S$499.