HARDWARE REVIEW

E-Win Flash XL Series Gaming Chair Review

by Dan Morris, January 24th, 2018

Comfort whilst gaming is definitely something I have taken for granted over the years but as life drags me kicking and screaming towards my mid-30s it’s definitely something I’ve started to take an interest in. This is the E-Win Flash XL Series Gaming Office Chair (with pillows), or the FLG-XL for short. The XL designation marks this as part of their range for the larger user and the chair can support weights up to 150kg or 330lbs.

Out of the box, construction was relatively speedy and simple, with not only easy to follow instructions but all the tools you need also included as part of the purchase price. It even came with a pair of gloves which, whilst it may sound a little unnecessary, were noticeably dirty once the chair was complete. Putting it all together came down to attaching the seat and backrest together, adding the wheels to the five-pronged aluminium base then screwing the two halves together. I’d estimate it took me no longer than 20 minutes before I was able to sit in the chair for the first time.

It’s immediately apparent when assembling this chair that the build quality is of a higher level than chairs I’ve used in the past. The sturdy construction is thanks to a steel frame sitting at the centre of this design. Over the top of this is a generous layer of high-density memory foam that really moulds to your shape as you sink into it. The generous proportions of the design were immediately noticeable and the chair didn’t pinch or squeeze me at any point.

There are a lot of options for getting the chair set up exactly as you want it. For starters, there are four options just for the armrests. They’ll slide left to right (towards and away from your waistline), forwards and backwards, up and down and they’ll even twist clockwise and counterclockwise a few degrees so they’re not stuck parallel to the sides of the chair.

Surprisingly for me, I could adjust the height of the seat to the point that my feet didn’t touch the ground which, for someone who’s 6ft 3in tall, is an experience I haven’t had since about 1992. The back recliner lever allows you to set the angle of the backrest to anywhere between 85 and 155 degrees, and I was able to find the sweet spot for myself very quickly. The locking mechanism for this is solid and there’s no dead zone or wobble once the correct position has been found. As well as this control for the backrest you can, of course, recline the entire chair back, so whether you wish to be sat bolt upright or almost completely reclined, this chair will cater for that. You can even adjust the tension on the tilt mechanism.

So, what’s it like to sit in? Using memory foam was a smart choice and whilst at first, it may seem just a touch too firm, a couple of minutes in the race-style seat is enough to know that the material moulds to your shape quickly and efficiently. The support from the two included pillows, a lumbar support and a headrest, is ample and the lumbar support can be adjusted easily on two sliding elasticised bands that run vertically around the back of the chair. Both cushions are also removable. The tilting mechanism is sturdy and whilst I felt a little off-balance when I set the backrest and the tilt as far back as I could, it’s unlikely I would ever find this a comfortable or suitable position to game from.

As a chair you’ll be spending a lot of time in, it’s hard to fault. The material is soft and breathable, the design ergonomic and attractive and as stated already the build quality is impeccable. As it’s the XL version of the chair it does take up quite a lot of room, as you’d expect, but just be aware of this if you’re intending to place this in a small room or corner.

I didn’t get too hot or uncomfortable when I was testing the chair over a couple of hours, and the only aspect that took any time at all to adjust to my liking were the armrests, quite possibly because there are so many options for them. It is also marketed as an office chair and I could quite easily sit in this for hours on end whilst working.

The chair is available from the European E-Win store for €389 and free postage, which converts to somewhere around £349. At the time of writing the chair is available in either black and red or black and blue, though the US store does appear to also stock a black and orange edition.

As a special treat, we’ve teamed up with E-Win to offer 15% off any of their gaming chairs by using ‘VGU’ during checkout.

If you spend a lot of time sitting at a desk when gaming or working, you could do a lot worse than replacing a standard office chair with this model.