When the AndaSeat Keiser 2 appeared at my front door in its sizeable box I was excited. This chair isn’t the cheapest but its sturdy construction was a real draw, although I did sort of regret that when I was trying to lug it up two flights of stairs to my study. It’s sold as a gaming chair, but if you’re working from home it has everything you need for a comfortable.
ANDASEAT KAISER 2 GAMING CHAIR REVIEW: PACKAGE AND SETUP
Once you’ve got the bits out of the box you’ll notice something impressive. AndaSeat’s instructions are clear and simple. Actually putting the chair together isn’t hard, the components are quite heavy but I built mine alone in about 30-45 minutes. I did mess up by not tightening some of the bolts down enough, and had to take it apart again to rectify that, but that’s on me.
If you’ve built a chair before, there’s not much new here. Watch out for how you mount the arms, because moving them later requires you take the chair off its base again because how the screws are located. I pushed the mounting for the arms out as far as I could and they are still stable enough to lean on.
I also like the fact that everything you need is included. You get one of those bog standard allen keys that does everything, but if you have a good tool kit you might find it more pleasant to use than the provided key.
ANDASEAT KAISER 2 GAMING CHAIR REVIEW: DESIGN AND FEATURES
From an aesthetic perspective the AndaSeat isn’t going to surprise anyone. If you’ve seen one gaming chair, you’ve pretty much seen them all. On the one hand, I like the fact this this model is available in red, I think that’s a really nice departure from relentless gaming black. Of course you can also get it in black, if that’s your preference. It’s worth noting that AndaSeat does Marvel edition seats too, and I think they’re a riot, especially for kids who are cutting their teeth on game streaming and YouTube.
Like most gaming chairs there are a couple of cutouts in the back rest. You can thread the pillow that’s provided with the Kaiser 2 through this, but I didn’t use it because I couldn’t get comfortable with it in place. Your mileage will vary, but it’s there if you want it.
The flexibility of this chair makes it a pretty good choice for daily use. For one, as well as a generous weight limit, it can also lie almost totally flat. Not useful for most gaming or work situations, but handy if you need a refreshing power-nap. I tested this after a day of work, and to my surprise it is actually possible to doze in it. It feels stable with that back fully reclined, which is a testament to its design. Just don’t forget to lock the tilt feature before you put the back into this position.
Also available in this fetching red!
Like most gaming chairs AndaSeat make some claims that the arm rests operate in the fourth dimension. I was expecting this to involve some time travel, but the disappointing reality is that they only move forward, backwards, up and down, left and right and can be twisted too. I really didn’t find the twist that useful, but the rest of the adjustments will help you get comfy. I’m not docking AndaSeat any points for its failure to provide me with a way to travel through time.
The base is a beast, which is good news as it keeps the chair stable and helps it achieve that 160 degree back support movement that makes napping possible. The downside is that moving the chair on carpet can be bothersome and cause it to make clunking noises of complaint. However the big wheels are coated which stops them eating your carpet and should make them safe on wood floors. Whatever your floor surface, a protective mat can help stop damage and it’s worth considering one if you’re worried.
AndaSeat Kaiser 2 lumbar support cushion
ANDASEAT KAISER 2 GAMING CHAIR REVIEW: PERFORMANCE
If you’ve ever sat in a chair, you’ll know that no matter how hard you try they are disgusting receptacles for dust, snack crumbs and other detritus. What’s good about the Kaiser 2 is that there are no crevices that you can’t pop a microfiber cloth into. That means that cleaning it is dead simple, and because it uses “PVC Leather” you can wipe it down.
And that leather is also a potential problem for summer. Unlike a mesh chair, the Kaiser doesn’t really allow air to flow that well. The faux leather gets hot, and for extended sessions in hot months it feels like it could be potentially unpleasant. That said, our hot May and June this year haven’t been too bothersome. I would have been hot anyway, and I still managed to use the Kaiser 2 without too much hassle.
I’ve been testing the Kaiser for a while, and I’m pleased to say that the foam has stayed in shape and there have been no noticeable deformations where my slightly heavier-than-usual lockdown arse has been placed day-in, day-out. Interestingly over a few months the PVC has become a little marked in the middle of the seat, although it’s not that noticeable.
That package here is very appealing. I found I was able to sit properly at my desk and banish the aches and pains of my previous office chair quite easily. The dimensions are a bit on the large side, but that's fairly similar to other gaming chairs of its type.
It's worth checking out our guide to the best gaming chairs to see some of the other options out there, but despite being a less well-known brand in the gaming chair market, AndaSeat proves that it has a product well worth considering.
ANDASEAT KAISER 2 GAMING CHAIR REVIEW: VERDICT
Overall a very decent, well-made chair that offers enormous flexibility. It’s comfortable, can support a decent amount of weight and allows you to sit bolt upright, or lie down. You get both a lumbar pillow and neck support included so no matter how you sit, you should be able to make this chair work for you.
The colour options of black and red are both classy and make this a more subtle option for a gaming chair. It’s at the higher end of pricing, but there are often discounts making it a bit more affordable and it certainly feels like it’s got years of life in it.
Particularly worthy of note are wheels, which shouldn’t destroy either wood or carpeted floors. Along with a decent faux leather that will suit anyone keen not to use animals for seating. It’s also got decent foam inside, making it resilient to every day use.
On the downside, it’s a monster in both size and weight and won’t suit smaller rooms. You might also want to check out our review of the AndaSeat Dark Demon, which offers a lot of the same features and also won us over during testing.
