It’s been a while since we took a look at a gaming chair. Most chairs these days follow a very similar formula. For the most part, gaming chairs are comfortable, ergonomic, and are based on racing seat designs. Lately, a few companies have offered up slightly different takes on chairs for gamers.
Anda Seat is a company you may not have heard of before. They offer gaming chairs in three sizes: medium, large, and extra-large. The company also offers up regular and premium chairs. Our Anda Seat Dark Knight review looks at a premium gaming chair with larger than normal lumbar and neck support. Read on to see how why it was awarded an Editor’s Choice of 2021 Award here at Techaeris!
Specifications
The Anda Seat Dark Knight gaming chair has the following features and specifications:
- Large memory foam neck pillow & lumbar support
- Premium black & carbon fiber
- 4D armrests
- Multi-Functional tilt mechanism
- 65 mm PU covered wheels
| Model | Dark Knight AD12XL-DARK-B-PV/C-B02 |
| Foam Type | High Density Mould Shaping Foam |
| Foam Density | 60-65 Kg/M³ |
| Frame Construction | Metal |
| Chair Cover Material | Carbon Fiber/PVC Leather |
| Base Type | 5-Star Metal Base |
| Caster Size & Material | 3″ Caster/PU |
| Mechanism Type | Multi-Functional Tilt |
| Adjustable Back Angle | 160° |
| Seat Size | 16.12″ (Front W) x 14.96″ (Back W) x 19.29″ (D) |
| Seat Depth | 20.0″ to 21.65″ |
| Seat Width | 16.14″ to 22.83″ |
| Armrest Pad Size | 10.63″ x 4″ |
| Arm Height | 12.76 to 15.63″ |
| Backrest Height | 32.21″ |
| Backrest Shoulder Width | 23.82″ |
| Chair Height | 52.56″ to 54.80″ |
| Gas Lift Specification | 65/50 |
| Gas Lift Class | 4 |
| Weight Capacity | 200kg (441 lbs) |
| Weight (approx) | 33kg (72.75 lbs) |
| Warranty | Lifetime warranty on all functionality portions of the chair |
What’s in the box
- Backrest
- Seat base with armrests
- Chair mechanism
- Five-star base
- M8 Hex Allen key
- M6 Hex Allen key
- 5x Caster wheel
- 2x Side cover
- Gas lift piston
- Piston cover
- 8x M8 screws
- 2x M6 screws
- Lumbar cushion
- Headrest cushion
Design
At a glance, the Anda Seat Dark Knight Premium Gaming Chair looks like your typical racing-style chair. The front of the chair is finished with PVC leather and has nice carbon fibre-style accents on the back and along the sides. The seat base is nice and thick, rising on each side to help keep you in place. The back is nicely plush as well, wrapping slightly inwards around your mid-section.
The chair’s back curves outwards at about shoulder height and features two cutouts for the lumbar support straps to loop through. Continuing up, the chair curves back inwards for the headrest, flattening out on top. On the front of the headrest, the Anda Seat logo is stamped into the material. The back adjusts between 90 and 160 degrees, allowing you to set it at your desired comfort level. When used at my computer, I usually have the chair sitting straight up. While on my Xbox, I lean the backrest back a bit. In either case, the chair was equally comfortable during extended sessions.
On either side of the chair is a 4D armrest. That is, they adjust in four different ways (more on that in a bit). The armrests themselves are about 10-1/2 by 4-inches, a nice fit, at least for my arms.
The Dark Knight chair also comes with two memory foam pillows as well. The first is a large lumbar cushion that is larger than you’ve likely seen. Roughly 13-inches in height and 14-inches wide, it is also finished in PVC leather with the sides featuring the carbon fibre finish. The headrest is large as well, between 11- and 13-inches wide due to its design, and about 17-inches in height. It is thinner at the top and bottom, bulking out to about 5-inches, pretty much right where my neck is.
Underneath it all, the Dark Knight gaming chair has a powder-coated steel framework with oversized bars. Wrapped around this is high-density mould shaping foam. There’s no question it easily supported my 200lb+, 6′ frame, and it is rated for up to 441lbs.
The base of the chair is a five-star base constructed out of metal. Each base arm has a 65mm (2.55″) caster wheel, which rotates easily when moving the chair around. Attached to this is the SGS certificated Class 4 hydraulic piston, which, in turn, is attached to the chair. Instead of going straight up, the chair mechanism mounting actually angles towards the front of the chair. It does look different and like the chair would lean forward but once assembled, it’s as solid as you can get in a chair.
Not only does the Dark Knight gaming chair look great, especially with its black carbon fibre finish, but it is also very sturdy and comfortable. And yes, the name and style do bring a certain caped crusader to mind…
Assembly
Assembly of the Anda Seat Dark Knight gaming chair is pretty straightforward. A single person can do it; however, a couple of steps are easier with a second pair of hands. Working alone, it took me about 30 minutes to assemble the chair. This time included opening and unpacking the box. Speaking of the box, everything is nicely packaged and protected in the box, with nothing being damaged upon the first inspection.
There are ten steps to assembly. First, remove the four pre-installed screws — two from each side — from the backrest with the included hex Allen key. Even though it takes a bit more time, I like that Anda Seat pre-installed the screws. You then know exactly where each one goes, and you don’t risk being short or losing one when ripping over the usual bag.
Once the backrest is aligned to the seat base, screw the four screws back in and tighten. Next, attach the left and right side covers over the support brackets on the side of the chair.
Once the back is on, flip the chair over and remove the four screws from the base. Align the chair mechanism, making sure the sticker with the arrow pointing towards the front is properly oriented. The next step is to insert the wheels into the five-star base until they click.
Flipping the base over, insert the gas lift piston into the base, then slide the piston cover over the gas lift. Finally, line up the seat base and back component over the gas lift and the main chair is assembled.
The chair comes with a detachable lumbar cushion and a detachable headrest cushion. The lumbar cushion is attached by feeding the straps through the holes in the top of the backrest and sliding the other end between the cushion back and seat bottom. The straps then click together with a plastic buckle. The detachable headrest attaches to the seat back by way of a single strap fed through the same holes and fastens with a buckle clasp.
As far as chairs go, the assembly was pretty straightforward and easy enough to complete in a relatively short time.
Assembly Photo Gallery
Ease of Use
The Anda Seat Dark Knight gaming chair can be adjusted in several ways. The seat backrest can be adjusted slightly forward or back to about 160 degrees. To do so, pull the handle on the right side of the seat and lean forward or back until you have the desired angle. Once there, release the handle, and it will lock in place.
On the right side, but under the seat, is the lever to adjust the seat height. Tilt it up to adjust the seat height and release it once you’re at your desired position — pretty standard operation for gaming chairs in general.
The chair also features a Leisure Mode. This allows you some leeway in tilting the entire chair forward or back. To enable or disable this, pull the handle under the left side of the seat up. When enabled, it allows you to tilt the entire chair back and forth at your leisure (pun intended). If you reach under the seat, there is a knob you can twist to adjust how easy the Leisure Mode tilts back and forth.
Finally, the 4D armrests! Most chairs have armrests that move up and down and may move in and out as well slightly. On the Anda Seat Dark Knight, not only do they move up and down, but they move horizontally, sideways, and even twist inwards. To move it up and down, there is a lever on the outside of the armrest support. On the armrest’s inside edge is a button near the front for moving it forward or back. On the inner edge, just under the armrest, is another button that allows you to move it from side to side. To twist the armrest, grab the front edge of the armrest and twist. It can be angled in one step, left straight, or angled out once step.
Overall, the chair is easy to adjust and comes with plenty of adjustable options to provide you with the “fit” that suits your comfort levels.
Comfort
I’m a sloucher, what can I say. Good lumbar support is definitely something I can benefit from with a chair I sit in a lot. The Anda Seat Dark Knight has some of the best lumbar and neck support I’ve experienced in a gaming chair. The lumbar support is nicely contoured and fits my back just fine.
As with any chair, I did find that I had to force myself to sit up straight. However, with the Dark Knight, while it felt odd at first when you are leaning against the headrest support, it feels more natural and comfortable. This is due to its size and design. Whereas most other chairs have a small rectangular pillow, this one is much larger and designed for better support — and you can feel it.
Price/Value
With an MSRP of CA$749.99, the Anda Seat Dark Knight Premium Gaming Chair does sound expensive. Premium is definitely the key here, and the chair really is worth it.
However, the great news is that the chair is currently on sale for $499.99 on the Anda Seat website — which is a steal for the quality, comfort, and ease of use. Even better, if you order it on Amazon.ca right now, you can get an extra $50 off, bringing the price down to $449.99.
Wrap-up
If you’re looking for a solid, comfortable, nice-looking premium gaming chair with excellent support, look no further than the Anda Seat Dark Knight gaming chair. It may be pricier than other options, but it’s worth every penny — especially given the current sale price.
This gaming chair from Anda Seat was definitely easy to award an Editor’s Choice of 2021 Award here at Techaeris.
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