You can find gaming chairs across the gamut of prices and quality, but Secretlab has consistently produced winners. Many chairs compete and some follow in Secretlab’s footsteps, but perhaps none more so than the new AndaSeat Kaiser 3. From its refined assembly process to its magnetic parts, it’s a shockingly similar chair to the Secretlab Titan Evo 2022 – and at $449 to $549, depending on material and size, AndaSeat is asking for a little bit less money compared to the Titan Evo’s current $519 starting price. So, if the Kaiser 3 is so much like the Titan Evo 2022, let’s have a look at how close it comes.
AndaSeat Kaiser 3 – Design and Features
The AndaSeat Kaiser 3 is a throne in its XL size, which is a little larger in the seat than the standard large. Ultimately, both versions benefit from a more spacious seating area thanks to a flatter design that does away with the pointless bolsters at each side. Even though the chair has two side lips, they’re packed with cushioning that makes for a comfortable space to sit.
The lack of bolsters on the seat doesn't make this any less of a gaming chair though. It’s still packing a curvy backrest that swoops in at either side of the torso and pushes forward in the shoulder for an impossible-to-AFK posture. There are still two big holes through that might have previously been used by lumbar pillow straps, but AndaSeat has updated its ergonomics as well.
Inside the backrest, the Kaiser 3 has an adjustable lumbar support that’s controlled with a dial on either side of the chair. One raises or lowers the lumbar support, and the other increases or decreases its bulge. It’s not the most transparent design for a lumbar system, as it’s hard to see anything going on within the fabric of the chair, but it’s effective and almost exactly what’s found on the Titan Evo 2022 and similar to the system in the DXRacer Master Module. The headrest also gets an upgrade with a plush, memory foam pillow that snaps on with magnets and a wide range of height adjustment. Then there are the 4D armrests that are just like every other 4D armrest out there, except with slightly softer toppers that can pop off with magnets again.
Removing the toppers of the armrests might not make a lot of sense, but AndaSeat says it has a lapboard-style attachment coming in the next couple months. Unfortunately, the armrests on the Kaiser 3 and Titan Evo 2022 don’t appear to be identical enough to be interchangeable, as their pivot adjustment buttons are different shapes (the only notable difference I can see).
The Kaiser 3 has some of the other gaming chair goodies I expect at this price. Namely, it can recline a good way back, down to 165 degrees, and the seatbase rocks, letting it go even further back. Its 2.7-inch height adjustment range is decent, though not impressive, but the extensive height adjustment of the armrests helps make up for that.
The chair comes with either a PVC leather finish like you’ll find on many gaming chairs, or a linen fabric finish that’s quite comfortable. It’s liable to get dirtier easier, but the heathered Ash Gray of the model I tested hides blemishes well.
With a large seat that’s 20.2x 19.6 inches and an XL seat that’s 20.6 x 22.4 inches, the Kaiser provides spacious seating at either size, making it a viable big-and-tall gaming chair option. Both models feature a heavy-duty Class-4 gas lift to hold up plenty of weight, though the large is only recommended for weights up to 260 pounds while the XL can support up to 395 pounds. This is in line with the Titan Evo 2022, though a far cry from the E-Win Flash XL’s 550-pound limit.
AndaSeat Kaiser 3 – Assembly
The assembly process for the Kaiser 3 is about as straightforward as it gets for gaming chairs that don’t simply come pre-assembled. The wheels, wheelbase, and piston have to be slotted into one another. The tilting seatbase has to be bolted onto the bottom of the seat, and the seatback needs bolting to the seatbase. The armrests come pre-attached, saving a bit of time. Even here the Kaiser 3 is like the Titan Evo, as the seatback has an alignment rail to help get it aligned with the attachment arm. This makes it slightly easier to assemble, but it did take some fussing to line up the holes on the opposite side. Still, the process took less than 15 minutes to handle alone.
AndaSeat Kaiser 3 – Gaming
It’s impressive what a difference a few small changes to design can make. The biggest improvement for use has to be in the seatbase. The absence of metal bolsters completely erased the little nagging sensation that could turn into a sore spot at the sides of my legs after extensive hours in other gaming seats, including AndaSeat’s own. In the Kaiser 3, I can work and play for hours on end without getting any tender spots like this in my legs.
I’ve blown through dozens of hours of Elden Ring and spent even more time working in the Kaiser 3, and it’s proven a worthy partner in the task. The armrests have the flexibility to line-up with my slightly higher-than-usual desk so I can get solid wrist ergonomics for mouse-and-keyboard play and work. The armrests drop down low enough for me to sit back comfortably, and they angle in well for getting my hands on a controller when I want to game that way.
The chair is a bit on the aggressive side for a posture. This is fairly standard for gaming chairs, but a little annoying if you’re used to office chairs. This means a shoulders-forward position that hunches the back slightly. So far I haven’t felt it causing any issues, but I’m left feeling like my posture can never be quite right in the chair. Even though the lumbar support can situate itself nicely where I need it for good low-back support, my upper back feels less supported.
Thankfully, the seatbase makes up for the backrest. Given its pleasant support, I don’t find it too uncomfortable to just sit forward and upright with my back away from the backrest. I’m sitting more than 220 pounds into that seat, so lighter gamers will likely find it even more comfortable. Meanwhile, at 6’3”, there’s still room on the backrest for the pillow to go up for even taller gamers.
