TechRadar Verdict
While the concept of the AndaSeat Transformers Edition Premium Gaming Chair is admittedly very cool, the execution is lacking in every field imaginable. It offers no lower back support, sports a cheap plastic frame, and the recline feature is difficult to activate. Buyer beware indeed.
Pros
- +
Transformers theme is pretty cool
- +
Memory foam pillows are comfortable
Cons
- -
Terrible ergonomics
- -
Cheap plastic frame
- -
Poorly aligned screws
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AndaSeat Transformers Edition: One-minute review
The AndaSeat Transformers Edition Premium gaming chair series was created in the infinite appeal to our long-gone childhood nostalgia. A line of classic Transformers-themed gaming chairs released in three varieties – Optimus Prime, Bumblebee, and Megatron – it’s priced at $400 (around £348 / AU$594) with availability seemingly only available in the US according to the official website.
These gaming chairs, which are very visually appealing especially to fans of the 80s series, are set to adorn any office in the vibrant colors of the original Autobots and Deceptacon. Or at least that’s the idea, since the reality is far crueler.
Setup in general is pretty smooth thanks to the minimal amount of parts and tools needed for it. The instructions are also extremely clear and well written, which took the mystery out of the chair’s construction. Though, unfortunately, it’s marred by poorly aligned screws.
Another issue presented itself: the lumbar pillow has no way to directly attach to the back of the chair, meaning it needs to be held in place with your own body. In the case of the neck pillow, the instructions stated that it came with a strap to hook around which it didn’t and, after experimenting a bit we found it attaches magnetically.
It gets even worse once you actually sit in the chair. Thanks to the poor build quality, the chair is an uncomfortable mess that offers no support to your lower back and actively stresses it out. Despite the claims on the official website that the ergonomic design will support your spine, it does the opposite.
Do yourself a favor: skip this chair and invest in one of the best office chairs that will cost less and support your back much better long-term.
AndaSeat Transformers Edition: Price & availability
- How much does it cost? $400 (around £348, AU$594)
- When is it available? Available now
- Where can you get it? Available in the US
The AndaSeat Transformers chair costs $400 (around £348 / AU$594), which is rather steep for an office-styled chair but lower in price than many other premium gaming chairs. Most likely one of the issues lie in its licensing, which inflates the price well past an office chair’s but without the design elements needed for prolonged sitting. But what kept its price well below the average gaming price is the build quality, which is much cheaper.
The chair isn’t available outside of the US either, according to the official site, which means fans who want to get their hands on these chairs might have to import if the option is available.
- Value: 1 / 5
AndaSeat Transformers Edition: Design
- Transformer-theme is very appealing
- The rest of the chair design is not
Setup is pretty simple, as it comprises of screwing in large screws to connect bulky parts together. These parts can be on the heavy side, which makes it difficult to move them at times. But there’s minimal movement throughout the setup process at least.
However, one huge problem we noticed was a poorly aligned set of screws on the right side of the chair, and no matter how many times we unscrewed and re-screwed it, nothing worked. We either had the choice of halfway shoving the screw in or not inserting it at all. Luckily the chair was stable enough to hold together with the missing screw.
The rest of the setup went smoothly but another issue presented itself: the two pillows had no way to directly attach to the back of the chair, meaning the lumbar pillow and neck pillow need to be held in place with your own body.
- Design: 2 / 5
AndaSeat Transformers Edition: Features
- Has a 160-degree recline option
- Comes with two memory foam pillows
- Lumbar pillow isn't attached to the chair
The AndaSeat Transformers comes with the main parts of any gaming chair, a set of very well-written instructions along with clear pictures, as well as two pillows: a neck pillow and a lower back pillow.
It would have been better for the lower back pillow able to be attached directly or at least have some form of velcro. And in the case of the neck pillow, the instructions stated that it should come with a strap to wrap around the chair, which it didn’t. The pillows themselves are quite comfortable, which makes the lack of attachment more disappointing since it contributes to the overall discomfort of the chair.
The main feature, which is the ability of the chair to recline to a 160-degree angle, works but very poorly as well which can be attributed to poor build quality. Activating the feature takes some elbow grease on the handle, and it makes an incredibly loud noise before beginning its recline. It works but it feels wonky and unstable and would most likely disincentivize a buyer from even using the feature.
- Features: 2 / 5
AndaSeat Transformers Edition: Performance
- Chair is very uncomfortable
- Poor ergonomics
- The recline feature barely works
As stated above, the design and build quality is quite poor, which leads to poor performance. There’s the issue of the poor screw alignment which, at best, delayed assembly and at its worst made one of the screws impossible to properly insert as we built it.
The chair cushioning and pillows are comfortable on their own and of good quality, but the way the chair itself is structured makes the full package incredibly uncomfortable to sit on. Many office chairs jut out around the lower back for proper lumbar support but the AndaSeat Transformer chair sits straight, meaning your lower back will be strained after a while due to supporting itself. And if you have lower back pain, this could take as little as a half hour.
The reclining option is badly built and functions but it’s likely you’ll never use it due to how difficult it is to both activate it and actually move back the chair. On the plus side, the chair wheels move around with ease whether on hardwood or carpeted floors, but that’s hardly a positive when the chair itself feels like torture to sit on after a short period of time.
- Performance: 1 / 5
Should I buy the AndaSeat Transformers Edition?
Buy it if...
Don't buy it if...
Also consider
AndaSeat Transformers Edition: Report card
| Value | Considering all the problems with this chair for its price point, it’s better to invest in an office chair instead. | 1 / 5 |
| Design | The Transformers-themed design is pretty cool, especially for fans of the 80s series, but the actual chair design is poorly-built. | 2 / 5 |
| Features | It comes with the basics that most gaming chairs have, including two comfortable memory foam pillows, but nothing really stand-out. | 2 / 5 |
| Performance | Simply put, this gaming chair is extremely uncomfortable with poor ergonomics and a cheaply made plastic frame. It's not fit for any long-term sitting, whether for gaming or work. | 1 / 5 |
| Total | Poor ergonomics, build, and comfort make it hard to recommend this AndaSeat chair. | 1.5 / 5 |
- First reviewed September 2022
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