I have a bad back. I’m young and I shouldn’t, but I do. It’s a product of working at laptops in a string of awful, lumbar-straining chairs for years and my tendency to hunch my shoulders and crouch over my work when I’m stressed out or on a deadline. (When you hunch, you can go faster, clearly.) I’ve searched for a chair that’ll protect my poor back for years and while I’ve finally found it, the price of the Razer Iskur will be too steep for most.
The Razer Iskur is a new ‘high-tech’ gaming chair from Razer (the very first gaming chair the company’s released). At retail, it costs $799.85 — a price that’s frankly way too high for most people. For perspective, you could afford to purchase either the Xbox Series X or the PlayStation 5 for that price, then treat yourself to a lavish lunch after.
Most decent gaming chairs exist comfortably in the $300-$600 range, which is vastly more affordable for the majority of people. A chair shouldn’t break the bank and unfortunately, the Razer Iskur does. I say unfortunately because it really is an excellent chair and more people should be able to purchase one.
The sole reason I rate the Razer Iskur over other chairs I’ve used (the $699 HP Omen Citadel is my other ride) is its adjustable lumbar support. It’s also the reason for the eye-popping price tag.
Lumbar Support
Now, this bad boy is the core feature of the chair and the sole reason you’d want to spend $799.85 for the whole package. Rather than providing lumbar support in the form of a small pillow or softer segment, the whole central body of the Razer Iskur lifts up so you can fit the chair to the shape of your spine.
Everyone has different preferences when it comes to seating alignment and with the press of a lever, you can adjust the chair to your particular needs. As a shorter person, this feature is incredible. Generally, gaming chairs are designed for taller folks so things like headrests and back supports are too high above my head or they just don’t sit in the right position. (I did have to remove the Razer Iskur’s memory foam head pillow because I didn’t quite touch it sitting upright.)
When I had the alignment perfect, it was a transcendent experience. This chair massaged my back in ways I’ve truly never felt before. When using it, I also discovered there’s one particular spot on my back where all my tension is stored. Having the chair press into this spot is like having an off button. I sit down, and suddenly I’m on a raft floating out to sea, all my worries disappearing before my eyes.
It’s magical, but is it worth $799.85? Not really.
How soft is the padding?
Outside of the excellent lumbar support, the Razer Iskur mostly resembles your everyday gaming chair. It’s big, bulky and feels more like a throne than an actual chair. Unfortunately, it’s also just as hard and stiff as other gaming chairs.
It’s fairly padded on the butt side of things, but it’s also rigid and not as soft as other chairs. You don’t ‘sink into it’ so much as you ‘sit on it’ and there’s a core difference between the two actions. Despite this, it’s still very comfortable as long as you’re used to sitting straight. (If you have a tendency to sit cross-legged, you’ll struggle with the hardness of the side supports.
The way the Razer Iskur is shaped, it encourages you to assume what I’m going to call ‘perfect posture’ — legs straight, back supported and arms by your sides. It’s great if you’ve got a bad back or if you want to improve your posture, but any other form of sitting is strictly discouraged. It’s ergonomic or “get off” with this chair.
Still, for everyday use (particularly if you use a computer for work) it’s absolutely perfect. If you’re a big huncher, it’s basically a godsend.
Should you buy it?
I’m not about to tell you how to spend your money, but $799.85 for a gaming chair is very steep. If you’re already planning on forking out for a decent chair (or you want to treat your back to some goodness), it is hard to go past the Razer Iskur’s fantastic lumbar support, though.
Sitting in it is like having your back cupped by angels. It nearly made me cry when I sat in it for the first time (although in 2020, that’s easily done).
The Razer Iskur is a chair for gaming’s bougie 1%. It’s expensive, but it is very good. While I’d certainly hesitate to fork out that much for a chair, the less poor will have an absolute ball with it.
If you choose to purchase it, your back will thank you for the rest of your life.
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