And because I spend so much time in the chair every day, back, neck, and joint health is paramount to me. Which is the reason I can no longer sit in traditional gaming chairs for any length of time. The sad part about that is I generally enjoy some of the designs that traditional gaming chairs offer. And with the Respawn FLEXX that doesn’t have to be given up. In fact I think it looks better than just about any traditional gaming chair out there. Even some of Respawn’s own. With all of that said, there’s a lot to talk about with the FLEXX. Should you spend your hard-earned money on this thing? If so, why? I’m a firm believer that you shouldn’t take choosing a gaming chair lightly. Even if you don’t spend all day in it like I do. Because at the end of the day, you’re still going to end up sitting in it for extended periods. And over time, that will without a doubt start to impact you if you aren’t protecting your back and neck. So, we’ll get into all of that stuff below.
The Respawn FLEXX is really an ergonomic chair wearing some gaming armor
I honestly believe that the FLEXX is an ergonomic chair first and a gaming chair second. Its core features and design are built around the ergonomic benefits to promote back and neck health. But on the outside it looks good like a gaming chair if you really love that whole gaming aesthetic. Like it’s wearing a set of gaming armor. I can’t stress enough how much this makes the chair that much more appealing. Respawn combined the best parts of that overall gaming look with the more subtle designs of an ergonomic look to arrive at something in between. And the FLEXX is all the better for this decision. There’s no thick, bulky racing seat back draped in cheap PU Leather. While there is some synthetic leather, it’s entirely restricted to accent parts. Like the wings that feather out from the sides of the back, the headrest, and a small section of the front part of the seat. The rest is mesh. Which not only looks better, but it serves the functional purpose of keeping you cooler after sitting in the chair for hours on end. This kind of build is also a much better solution for warmer climates. I used to live in Phoenix. And before I had moved to using an ergonomic chair, I was using a traditional racing-style gaming chair that was covered completely in PU leather. Which was terrible during the Summer. Overall, the design of the FLEXX is really quite sleek while adding just the right touch of gaming flair.
The sliding seat makes this perfect for both short and tall people
Sliding seats are definitely not overrated. And if you can pick up a gaming chair that has one, you should. Most notably because they conform better to both short and tall people. I’m not extremely short, but I’m not tall by any means. And the sliding seat made it easy to adjust the chair to provide more comfort so my feet aren’t dangling while I sit for hours on end. And more importantly, so my legs were at the right angle to help with comfort and circulation. Adjusting the seat slide is also really easy with the dedicated lever on the left-hand side. So you can change things up on the fly if you like, or if you’re like me you can set it up to find the perfect resting point, then leave it there for good. This also makes it really suitable for anyone who shares a gaming chair with others. Say, a family. Because if everyone using it has different heights, the seat can easily be adjusted for everyone quickly. Again, this is another feature that is designed to promote overall ergonomic health and trust me, it makes a difference. Both the seat and back are also made with performance mesh. Which is designed to continue supporting you over time. The mesh also provides better airflow for keeping you cool. Interestingly, Respawn has a new chair coming out that uses heat-dispersing gel in the seat to keep you cool.
The chair’s weakest points are the arms and the base
While the FLEXX has lots of high points, and I have enjoyed using it, it’s not perfect. The plastic base feels a little cheap and the chair could have been improved overall by using a metal base for an even sleeker look. Where I personally feel the chair is weakest though is the wheels. If I’m being entirely honest, they’re not good. Not only do they feel cheaper than the base, but they don’t roll well on carpet. Which is an issue for me as much as I get in and out of the chair and often have to roll it away from my desk and back while doing so. That being said, I’m probably a little spoiled having been using the Mavix M9 before I started testing the FLEXX, and the M9 comes with rollerblade-style wheels that make it feel like it’s gliding on air. The good news is that you should be able to easily swap the wheels that come with the FLEXX to some aftermarket rollerblade-style wheels if you want to. Which I would highly recommend doing. Also worth noting is that I’m not too fond of the arms. Every chair I have owned or tested in the last few years has had 4D arms that move in a number of ways to find the sweet spot for comfort. While I can appreciate that the arms on the FLEXX go up and down and move forward or backward, there’s no recourse for adjusting width. So you’re stuck with the default width and that can be a small issue for some if your arms sit at a wider point while resting. This isn’t a dealbreaker but definitely a small setback.
The tension-based recline lets you find the perfect angle for your back
Another great thing about the FLEXX? The tension-based recline. Using the tension knob under the seat you can find the right amount of tension so your back feels supported while sitting and leaning backward. Then you can lock the recline in place if you want to keep it at that angle while playing games, or just sitting in the chair enjoying a movie or show. This is a much better and easier to operate method for the recline than most gaming chairs provide. Which is a pull-up lever that usually sits in the right side of the chair that you can pull up to disengage the lock and then let go when you find the right angle. Sure, the pull-up lever works. But it just feels more cumbersome to use and at least with the tension feature on the FLEXX, you can always lean back at a moment’s notice and use the under-seat lock when you don’t want to lean back any further. Respawn calls this their Syncro Tilt Recline, and its aim is to help give you better spinal alignment as you lean back while also providing better circulation to your legs. Doing so in a manner that lengthens your torso as you lean back to make all that fall into place. It definitely helps improve the overall comfort, and your back will thank you for it if you often sit down to game for hours at a time.
Should you buy the Respawn FLEXX?
I think there is a pretty big market for the FLEXX and that market includes just about any gamer/person that works from home that isn’t looking to spend upwards of $1,000 or more on a chair for their needs. While I won’t say the FLEXX would even come close to something like the Herman Miller – Logitech G Embody gaming chair, it does provide meaningful ergonomic features at a fraction of the cost. So, yes. You should buy the Respawn FLEXX. IF you’re looking for a gaming chair with ergonomic support that still looks like a gaming chair to some degree. And at $399, the FLEXX definitely feels like a good value especially compared to traditional gaming chairs from other brands at the same price. Respawn Flexx
