They are Singapore’s premier gaming chair company, but Secretlab, a poster child for the Republic’s brand of success in the startup space, just can’t stand sitting still. Since its debut in 2014, the local company has grown to include a now-defunct office chair and has also added accessories like its MAGNUS desk line-up. Still, it will forever be reminded of its gaming chair roots, which has seen three evolutions to date, from the original Throne, the Omega, and then the TITAN, before its most recent refresh, the TITAN Evo line.
The fact that it’s more well-known for its ergonomic chairs doesn’t make it a one-trick pony, as the company has proven that there’s still room for innovation, with the debut of not one, but two evolutions of its ergonomic chair formula, in the form of its first task-focused chair, the Secretlab ATLAS, alongside a new material, the SoftWeave Plus Fabric with NanoFoam composite.
At first glance, the overall silhouette of the ATLAS doesn’t look too different from the TITAN Evo, although it is noticeably slimmer (side profile), with more streamlined edges. Don’t be fooled, however, as its unique features lie within the fundamental structure of the chair itself, something you will notice straight out of the box.
Speaking of, the Secretlab unboxing experience of the ATLAS has changed drastically, and for the better. Secretlab chairs have always been pretty easy to assemble, but the ATLAS takes the cake when it comes to streamlining the building process, thanks to the new design of its core mechanisms. Assembling the chair took less than 15 minutes and can be easily done by a single person.
But on to the chair itself, the ATLAS differs from its predecessor in two major ways – its new RE-CURVE backrest design with integrated lumbar, and its synchronous tilt mechanism.
Owners of the TITAN Evo would no doubt be familiar with its adjustable lumbar feature, but the ATLAS does away with this entirely, instead offering a distinct lordotic curvature along the backrest that’s meant to conform to the entire curvature of a user’s back and neck, providing expanded spinal support.
What this means, though, is that while the chair provides ergonomic lumbar support out of the box without much need for further adjustments, users who aren’t accustomed to having something sticking against their back have no means to reduce the pressure entirely. Still, it’s not really an issue worth quibbling over, because as someone who doesn’t use such a feature, the ATLAS’s more subtle implementation of lumbar support ultimately provides a comfortable experience, largely thanks to its new fabric material, but more on that later.
As Secretlab’s first task-focused chair, the ATLAS is designed to allow users to switch between “work” and “rest” postures on the fly, and that’s where its synchronous tilt mechanism comes in. Unlike the TITAN Evo’s design, which sees the backrest sitting on top of the seat base, here the former is sitting behind the latter.
With this subtle but intentional design adjustment, it essentially overhauls how the chair reclines. Now, the backrest and seat base move in sync with the user. As Secretlab describes it, the seat base tilts by one degree for every two degrees of backrest recline, resulting in a more natural posture change that reduces the strain on your back.
To facilitate this dynamic posture adjustment, the ATLAS no longer features the traditional lever-based recline system, instead streamlining the process to two mechanisms – a four-level tilt force adjustment dial on the right side of the chair’s base and a locking lever on the left.
This means that users can easily switch between an upright working posture and leaning back by simply flicking the lever on the left, with both said lever and tilt force adjustment dual now placed at a much more reachable location compared to what was seen on the TITAN Evo. The ATLAS also features a neat extra safety feature where the chair will automatically lock into position at certain reclining thresholds, preventing a user from falling backwards when unlocking the lever while leaning back. Similarly, the tilt force adjustment dial is only unlocked when the chair is in its upright position, further preventing unwanted accidents.
Finally, the ATLAS also features another minor but noticeable difference to the TITAN Evo – adjustable seat depth, which allows a user to move the seat base forward or backwards. This helps to accommodate more variation in the length of a person’s leg, and does help to provide more body size compatibility, especially since the ATLAS only comes in two sizes this time around – Regular for heights and weights below 178cm and 100kg, respectively, and Large for heights between 178 and 195cm, and weights below 120kg, so take note if you are of a larger build.
Rounding off the ATLAS’s features is the return of its adjustable armrests, which can be adjusted for height, swivelled, and moved forwards and backwards, although side-to-side adjustments are missing here. The latter two adjustments are also done dynamically and not with a lever, and while its swivelling mechanism is sufficiently tight, the ratchet mechanism for forward and backwards movement on our review unit was pretty loose, meaning it tended to adjust on its own just with the force of placing an elbow on it. Also gone is the magnetic CloudSwap replacement system for the armrests, which, although understandable since it’s a whole new system, is still an unfortunate omission.
While the ATLAS itself offers innovations with some understandable downsides depending on a user’s preference, the same can be said for its new material offering, the SoftWeave Plus Fabric with NanoFoam composite, which is a step up through and through.
Secretlab already proved they are the masters of comfort when it comes to leatherette with the TITAN Evo NanoGen Edition, and now, they are providing the same revolutionary comfort for those who prefer their fabric offering.
This premium range of materials essentially adds a layer of Secretlab NanoFoam composite to the seat base, and in short, makes this the most comfortable chair we have ever sat in in a long while, with the amount of cushioning here more akin to that of a sofa chair than an office chair. One downside here is that the SoftWeave Plus Fabric with NanoFoam composite is currently a material exclusive to the ATLAS line, so hopefully, Secretlab will expand its availability to the TITAN Evo in the near future, as it’s a true game-changer for fabric chair users.
With prices starting from S$599 (S$849 for its premium Nanofoam composite range), where does the Secretlab ATLAS sit in the company’s repertoire of ergonomic chairs? In essence, those looking for a more versatile chair for gaming, work or rest still can’t go wrong with the TITAN Evo line, but if you’re looking for something more optimised for focused productivity, then the ATLAS is the way to go.
Additionally, if features aren’t a concern for you, and you’re just looking for the most comfortable fabric ergonomic chair that money can buy right now, then the ATLAS with its SoftWeave Plus Fabric with NanoFoam composite is a no-brainer.
GEEK REVIEW SCORE
Summary
The ATLAS marks the next chapter in Secretlab’s ergonomic chair journey, offering not just a way to maximise a user’s focus and productivity, but also introducing its most comfortable fabric-based material yet.
Overall
9.4/10
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Aesthetics - 9.5/10
9.5/10
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Build Quality - 9/10
9/10
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Performance - 9.5/10
9.5/10
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Value - 9.5/10
9.5/10
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Geek Satisfaction - 9.5/10
9.5/10
Kevin is a reformed PC Master Race gamer with a penchant for franchise “duds” like Darksiders III and Dead Space 3. He has made it his life-long mission to play every single major game release – lest his wallet dies trying.
HSALS
