For anyone shopping for a premium gaming chair, the brands DXRacer and Secretlab are among the two most coveted brands. Both offer excellent chairs, though in terms of value, they are not equal from our extensive testing.
In this post, we’ll explore the biggest differences between DXRacer and Secretlab gaming chairs, and which model you should ultimately get based on a variety of factors. Let’s go!
DXRacer vs Secretlab Popularity
To start, let’s take a look at which brand is more sought after these days, just for the fun of it:
The data is based on Google Trends for 12 months ending Dec 20th 2020. You can see that globally, DXRacer is slightly more popular than Secretlab.
In terms of geographic interest, Secretlab is more sought after in North America and Australia, while DXRacer reins supreme in the Middle East, parts of Europe, and South America.
DXRacer vs Secretlab Gaming Chairs at a Glance
Here’s a glance at what each company offers:
| Secretlab | DXRacer | |
| Total Models or Series Offered | 3 Models | 8 Series |
| User Height | 5’3” to 6’10” | Up to 6’6” |
| Maximum Weight Capacity | 390 lbs | 400 lbs |
| Price | $419 to $749 | $329 to $629 |
| Warranty | 3 to 5 years limited warranty | 2 years for accessories, lifetime for frame |
While Secretlab keeps things simple with just three models, DXRacer at the time of writing offers 8 series, each with additional models. Confusing much?
Secretlab Models
| Omega | Titan | TitanXL | |
 |  |  | |
| Price | $419 to $749 | $459 to $799 | $539 to $559 |
| Upholstery | PU leather, Fabric, NAPA leather | PU leather, Fabric, NAPA leather | PU leather, Fabric |
| Color and Designs | 36 variants | 36 variants | 5 variants |
| Recommended Height | 5’3” to 5’11” | 5’9” to 6’7” | 5’11” to 6’10” |
| Recommended Weight | < 240 lbs | < 290 lbs | 220 to 390 lbs |
| Seat Dimensions (usable width) | 14” W x 19.29” D | 19” W x 19.68” D | 21” W x 19.88” D |
| Seat Height | 18.11” to 21.85” | 18.7” to 22.44” | 19.09” to 22.83” |
| Backrest Height | 31.5” | 33” | 33.46” |
| Armrests | 4D | 4D | 4D |
| Maximum Recline | 165° | 165° | 165° |
| Check Price | Check Price | Check Price |
The main difference between the Secretlab models are their sizes. The Omega and Titan models also come with two additional upholstery choices, upping the potential maximum price tag. The Titan XL is for really large people.
Competing DXRacer Models
On the side of DXRacer, the three series that match up best with the three Secretlab chairs in terms of specs and price are the Formula, King, and Tank series, respectively:
| Formula Series | King Series | Tank Series | |
 |  |  | |
| Price | $329 | $499 | $629 |
| Upholstery | PU leather and fabric | PU leather | PU leather |
| Color and Designs | 4 variants | 5 variants | 3 variants |
| Recommended Height | 4’0” to 5’10” | 5’3” to 6’3” | 5’7” to 6’7” |
| Recommended Weight | < 275 lbs | < 275 lbs | < 425 lbs |
| Seat Dimensions (usable width) | 14.5″ W x 18″ D | 16″ W x 21.5″ D | 17.5″W x 20.5″D |
| Seat Height | 17.9″ to 21.8″ | 19″ to 23″ | 18″ to 22″ |
| Backrest Height | 32.6″ | 33” | 37.5” |
| Armrests | 1D | 4D | 4D |
| Maximum Recline | 135° | 135° | 120° |
| Shop Amazon | Check Price | Check Price | Check Price |
| Shop Chairs4Gaming | Check Price | Check Price | Check Price |
Some of the other DXRacer series are the Racing, G, Sentinel, and Valkyrie. They are all targeted towards gamers with small to average builds. The difference lies in the design, most notably with the G series that is modular (you can add on features like a footrest or cup holder).
How We Compared DXRacer with Secretlab
Obviously we couldn’t purchase every model of the DXRacer and Secretlab chairs for comparison. However, just by getting our hands on one chair from each company, we can get a good idea of what to expect from each brand.
To that end we purchased the DXRacer King and Secretlab Titan, two very closely matched gaming chairs on paper and tested each one for over 30 days.
The rest of our analysis below uses valuable information gleaned from the above hands on tests, along with specs and features provided by each company.
DXRacer vs SecretLab Build Quality
In the area of build quality, both DXRacer and Secretlab leave their cheaper competitors in the dust. However, we found the later to be more consistent in the quality of all its parts.
The DXRacer King series for example is the heaviest chair we’ve tested. To support the suggested 275 lbs weight capacity, the chair is reinforced with additional metal rods at the bottom, a huge 5 star metal base, and 4″ thick cold cured foam that engulfs the entire chair. It’s a beast of a chair.
The Secretlab Titan is almost just as heavy duty as the comparable DXRacer King. With a suggested 290 lbs capacity, all of the key components of the Titan are made of either metal or aluminum. High quality cold cured foam is also used as padding inside the seat and backrest to prevent sagging over time.
One component where the Secretlab beats DXRacer is the quality of the armrests. In all models of DXRacer, they are made of plastic and feels rather flimsy. On the Secretlab, they are wider, more premuim feeling, and reinforced with metal that should last longer.
Verdict: While both brands come with superb build quality, we find the quality more consistent across all components in the Secretlab chairs. Both brands advertised weight capacities can be trusted however, unlike with many cheaper gaming chairs.
DXRacer vs Secretlab Comfort Level
In terms of comfort, DXRacer and Secretlab are pretty evenly matched, unless you’re really wide that is.
All of the compared models use thick cold cured foam inside the seat and backrest for padding. The material is extremely supportive and resistant to sagging, something that heavier people will benefit the most from.
We find the neck pillow on the Secretlab, which is infused with gel, much more comfortable than the standard foam pillow on DXRacer chairs.
Having said that, the DXRacer’s pillow has better height adjustability, as it can optionally go through the cut out near the top of the backrest that gives it more range of movement. If you’re on the shorter side (< 5’8″), this is something to pay attention to.
Here’s an important difference- if you’re really wide, you’ll most likely find the Secretlab Titan and Titan XL more comfortable due to the wider seats. The Titan offers around 20″ of usable seat width, and the Titan XL up to 22″. Compare that to DXRacer, where the King series avails just 16″ of usable seat width, and for the Tank series, 17.5″. This is due to the racing car centric design with those pronounced side bolsters in the later.
Verdict: Overall DXRacer and Secretlab offer comparable comfort levels. However, for very large people with wide hips, Secretlab’s seats will be more comfortable due to the more tapered side bolsters – hence wider overall seats – compared to those on DXRacer’s.
Aesthetics and Upholstery
Aesthetics is something that’s hard to “judge”, though this is made easier here due to DXRacer and Secretlab’s fundamentally different approach to gaming chair design.
Design and Color Choices
DXRacer is the quintessential gaming chair company, with almost all of its chairs taking after the classic race car seat look. This means flamboyant colors, a cut out near the top of the headrest, and pronounced seat and backrest bolsters (aka wings).
If your ideal gaming chair is one that mimics the seat in a luxury sports car, DXRacer is the clear winner here. Between their Formula, King, and Tank series, you have over 12 different models and 4 distinct colors that all follow this design philosophy:
Secretlab on the other hand takes the “anti-gaming” approach. Its chairs are often described as more corporate looking than traditional gaming chairs. You won’t find the classic external lumbar pillow or highly pronounced wings around the seat here.
The default black muscular look of the Secretlab chairs makes it the winner for gamers looking for a more “grown up” look in their gaming chair.
That’s not to say you can’t still have some fun with the chair’s aesthetics. The company offers a whopping 32 color variants on both the Omega and Titan. These variants, aside from having different color combinations, also come in different artwork. Fans can opt for League of Legends, DOTA, Overwatch, Game of Thrones, or Batman inspired designs. The Titan XL, though, is only available in 5 variants.
Upholstery
In the upholstery department, Secretlab clearly has a leg up over DXRacer as far as choices.
The DXRacer Formula series is adorn with a breathable fabric and PU leather combination. On the heftier King and Tank series, this is replaced with a more durable synthetic leather, though at the expense of breathability.
Secretlab on the other hand lets you pick your desired upholstery on all three models of their chairs:
- Secretlab PRIME™ 2.0 PU Leather: Default option. 4x stronger than standard PU leather.
- Secretlab SoftWeave® Fabric: More breathable than PU leather but easier to get dirty
- NAPA Leather: Premium real leather with the best of both worlds.
In our testing, the Secretlab Titan’s PU leather Prime upholstery is softer and slightly more breathable than the PVC synthetic leather on the DXRacer King. Both feel more durable than standard PU leather.
Verdict: There is no clear winner on this one, though clear differences in aesthetics between the two brands. Go for DXRacer if you relish the look of a high end sportscar seat, and Secretlab for a gaming chair with a more corporate feel that will blend into any office space.
If you live in a hot climate, Secretlab’s choice of fabric and real leather are clearly better choices than DXRacer’s synthetic leather.
Features and Ergonomics
Both the Secretlab and DXRacer offer premium features. However, with DXRacer, which you get varies greatly depending on the series:
- Armrests – Even the Omega, Secretlab’s cheapest offering, has 4D arms. On the other hand, the armrests on the DXRacer Formula series are only height adjustable.
- Recline Mechanism – The DXRacer has a maximum recline angle ranging from 120° to 135° in the three participating series. The Secretlab all have a maximum recline angle of 165° regardless of the price. Both brands support rocking, tilt tension adjustment, and tilt lock. Tilting adds another 15 – 30 degrees to the maximum angle of the backrest in both brands.
- Seat Tilt Lock– Seat tilt lock is an advanced feature that lets you lock in the tilt angle of the seat as it inclines. All Secretlab models support seat tilt lock, while on the DXRacer’s side, you’ll find it only in the King and Tank series.
- Neck Support– All of the compared series from both brands use an external neck pillow to provide neck support. However, thanks to the cut out in the headrest, the DXRacer ones offer more height adjustability. On the other hand, the Secretlab neck pillows with their gel infused insides are more comfortable.
- Lumbar Support – Out of all the DXRacer’s offerings, only the Master series sports a built-in adjustable back support. The rest use height-adjustable external lumbar pillows. This is the opposite for Secretlab, where all models feature a built-in depth adjustable lumbar support except for the Omega that opts for the classic external pillow.
- Footrest – For both brands, none of the series they offer come with a built-in footrest. However, DXRacer’s G and Master series have modular parts which can be purchased separately. This includes a retractable footrest, a cup holder, and a multifunction bracket.
Verdict: Out of the box, I would say the Secretlab chairs offer more adjustability than their DXRacer counterparts. They can recline farther, and the built in lumbar support is depth adjustable. If you’re looking for things like a footrest or a cup holder however, DXRacer’s modular G and Master series are worth looking into.
DXRacer VS Secretlab – When to Get What
Taking everything into account, here’s what chair you should get based on specific scenarios:
Go for the DXRacer if:
- You like the classic racecar style chair design
- You’re short and slender. (Formula series)
- You anticipate needing a footrest, cup holder or laptop holder to attach to your chair at some point. (G and Master series)
- You’re very tall and require a backrest that can provide complete head coverage (Tank series).
Go for the Secretlab if:
- You want a gaming chair that can blend into any professional setting
- You want gaming chairs adorn with themed designs from popular games and esports organizations.
- You want a backrest that can recline to a near flat position
- You live in a place with a hot climate. (Opt for the fabric or real leather upholstery)
- You prefer or require a wide seat.
- You want an integrated adjustable lumbar support instead of the default one size external lumbar pillow
Final Verdict
Overall, in our opinion, Secretlab is the better pick. You get more features, more consistent build quality and greater comfort at a lower price. It’s more worthy of the price it commands in other words.
The one compelling reason to consider a DXRacer is if you prefer the splashy racing seat design in your gaming chair, although there are comparable alternatives as well on the market.
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