I've used Asus' ROG Courser chair for 2 months, here are 3 features I love and 1 that I don’t

I've had a dedicated home office for the past 6 years, having worked from home – and from anywhere around the globe or when inside various modes of transport, quite frankly – for more than the past 15 years.

Wear and tear happens, of course, so when my dedicated Humanscale office chair's arm rests began to crack due to sunlight damage and shed pieces over my home office's floor, I was outside of the 5-year warranty for replacing those.

Try as I might – and resorting to wrapping soft eye-masks around the arms for some degree of comfort – I couldn't find replacement pads for a sensible price, especially with shipping and import costs being far too much.

So I began further research and was looking at whether buying one of the best gaming chairs would better fit my needs than one of the best office chairs. Timing answered that for me, as Asus offered its top-tier gaming chair, the ROG Courser.

That was two months ago, when I duly assembled the flagship ROG on day of receipt. It comes with many features that appeal, but having now used this seat for many dozens of hours, there's also one or two reason to consider not buying one, too.

1. Armrest ace

While the arm rests might not be the first thing you notice about the ROG Courser (it's got built-in lighting, after all, which I'll get to later), they're one of my favoured features about this chair.

That's twofold: one, down to the degree of adjustability; two, related to the level of comfort.

There are three adjustments that can be made: a rise/fall for the arm height; a forward/backward for the arms' forward position relative to your body; and a left/right width adjustment that can position the arms nearer of farther from you.

As such, I've always found my elbows to be in a comfortable position – and, if not, I can make adjustments to accommodate or offset positions related to how reclined or positioned I am, whether I'm casually browsing or in a fixed typing position.

Comfort is key, too, with these rests' high-density foam padding being firm, with just enough give. If I press elbows in, there's a slight resistance, further aiding comfort.

2. Rock it or lock it

Sure, plenty of office chairs offer recline, some more than others. The ROG Courser? If you want to go super chill then you can – as you can see from the image above.

Indeed, this Asus gaming chair can go from 90-degrees upright all the way down to 155-degrees in an angle-flat position.

No, it's not 180-degrees flat, but I'm not looking for a spare bed from my office chair, just something that can permit varied positions when using different products – as I'm not always key-pressing a laptop.

The recline is activated by an easy-to-operate lever on the right-hand side of the chair. There's ample resistance from the chair itself, though, so you need to assert a little push with your body for motion to occur.

Whether you want a fluid 'open' degree of recline – where pressing back will naturally tilt the chair in tandem with your body – is up to you. A second lever, to the left-hand side and a little lower down beneath the seat, can be rotated to 'lock' the tilt feature.

Those who want a rigid position that holds them in a very particular way will appreciate this, as you can make all your preferred positional tweaks and then lock into one position. I do this sometimes when locked into writing, Gmail tab closed, and on task.

3. Lumbar lovin'

The comfort train continues, too, thanks to lumbar adjustment. Inside is a "cold-pressed thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) lumbar pad", the position of which you can adjust by using two rotational dials.

The left-hand dial controls the position of the pad, so whether it will impact your lowest back area or only mid-lower. The right-hand dial, meanwhile, adjusts how much the pad protrudes to offset the typical seating rear.

It's all good for comfort and spine position, while the included headrest is magnetically attachable – so ensures it never sits too low and presses into your back unduly.

I'd quite like the option to advance the headrest's protrusion from its natural position, as my imperfect spine could do with a bit of extra to make the most out of. Nonetheless, this effortless adjustment makes positioning it best for your preference a breeze.

4. Heat and light

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So far, so good, then. But what's not to like? Well, I've got one take-it-or-leave-it comment, while another aspect of the ROG Courser I find more troubling.

The integrated lighting is very on brand, so I'm perfectly content with its presence – even if I never use it. It has to be operated using a separate battery pack (sold separately) which you can attach to the pouch on the rear of the seat.

It's sensible that the chair has no integrated batteries, for sake of safety, not to mention weight. It includes a USB-C cable with a magnetic attachment to the end, which naturally mates with the input port. A series of controls on the rear permits you to make various adjustments, too.

My issue, however, is that even with the lighting off, the surface material of the ROG Courser isn't great at dealing with heat. As such, I find my legs get rather warm in contact with this seat – and that's been amplified further during the UK's persistent heatwaves.

In the winter, mind, I suspect I'll be loving my cosy new office/gaming chair and how it feels. As there's no question of the comfort – this material feels great – it's just the temperature level rises after extended sitting. Kinda like a leather seat in a car – it could do with in-built cooling fans (like some cars offer).

Should I buy an Asus ROG Courser?

One point I've not raised up until now is the price. While my Humanscale 'Task' series office chair (RIP) would have cost somewhere around £900 / $1400, the Asus ROG Courser is yours for £669 / $975 direct from Asus' store.

I'm not saying that's a small price by any means, but paying for quality and assurance of longevity is integral for an office and/or gaming chair. You want something that's comfortable and that'll last you for years – otherwise it's just a false economy.

I'm certainly sold on the comfort and adjustability, non-plussed about the RGB lighting – this will be a make-or-break feature for some, I'm sure – but it's the warmth factor that I find the only real downside of this Asus chair. During the British summertime anyway.

That aside, the Asus ROG Courser is a great gaming chair that'll act as a logical office chair stand-in option for many. Or a do-it-all chair that'll cover all bases, day and night.