It seems Gaming Chairs are like buses; you wait around for a review of one, then two come along at once. If you’re confused, Nil Games’ recently reviewed the JR Knight Racer Gaming Chair. But we’ve something different today, the HARLEV Gaming Chair from Scandinavian furniture store JYSK.
Known for selling pretty much everything you could need for your home, JYSK is a company that is now looking to enter the Gaming market. The company’s name stands for trustworthiness, and a deal is always a deal, but will that prove the case with the HARLEV? Let us find out.
Assembly – 4.5/5
Having recently moved office for work, I’ve become accustomed to building office style chairs, and whilst this hasn’t been the easiest of the chairs I’ve put together, it isn’t difficult at all. Pop the wheels on the base, stick in the hydraulics stand, mount the seat controllers to the chair and place it on the stand, add the arm rests, and finish by attaching the back. Pretty simple and easy enough to do it by yourself, took me less than 20 minutes to get it all set up.
I did have an issue with one screw where the hole it was going into seemed cross threaded already, but after taking it out and starting again a few times, I finally tightened it up securely. I was surprised how easy the back was to attach as well, normally, I’m used to having a metal plate that screws into the back and then slots in underneath, but this literally just attaches by screwing the arms into the sides of the chair.
Build Quality & Design – 3.5/5
So, being a budget chair, and also having a 2* review on their website (in fairness it is the only one), I was a little dubious when I came to test this out. But it reminded me not to judge a book by its cover, because until you try something out for yourself, you don’t know what it’ll be like. And the HARLEV certainly turned out better than I expected.
The base and caster wheels are solid plastic, which some people may not prefer because it doesn’t look as cool as a powder coated or chrome coloured frame, but it means that you’re less likely to ruin it with scratches, and it certainly feels more robust. The armrests are of the same hard plastic material, and whilst they look ok, have no padding and are quite short. Not just that but they don’t adjust either so you’re left with them being stuck in a set position.
The rest of the the chair seems to follow that racing seat style design, and looks really good. In fact, I prefer this to many others because it isn’t designed with leather material, well, there is some, but the majority of the chair is covered with a breathable mesh fabric. Meaning you can game completely naked and you won’t get a sweaty bum.
Comfort – 3.7/5
The seat and back are nice and firm, and really comfortable to sit on for prolonged periods of time. But it does lack padding on the arms for comfort. Not a massive issue if you don’t use them, but for those moments where you’re trying to relax during matchmaking, it is nice to have them. The arms also aren’t adjustable, which means you’re left having to rest your arms in what may be for some, an unnatural position.
I’d say there is an issue sizewise too, although that does depend on your height. Personally, it was a little small, and the adjustable height didn’t really lift me all that high either, leaving my legs planted firmly on the ground with my knees bent as if I was crouching, and before anyone says, I’m not that heavy that I’ve busted the hydraulics I swear.
But maybe the HARLEV was just designed for younger or smaller gamers, as the headrest for me goes to the base of my neck. It didn’t
Value for Money – 3.5/5
Whilst it isn’t going to set you back a couple hundred pounds like some gaming chairs, at £99.99 (price correct as of 26/01/2019) it still feels like you could do better if you’re on a budget. The chair itself is comfortable, but it really does lack features that cheaper chairs like the JR Knight Racer chair have such as adjustable arms, and as mentioned above, it is a little small.
That said, the quality speaks for itself and it does certainly feel of a solid build, is comfortable to game in for a prolonged time and certainly looks the part.
Overall – 3.8/5
Whilst this may be more expensive than some budget chairs, and lacks things like adjustable arm rests and armrest padding, it still has a lot of quality about it. It looks great, meaning it would suit any gamer’s setup, it’s comfortable to sit in and it’s made with my preferred mesh fabric cover opposed to the widely used faux leather materials you find.
It is a little on the small side for me personally as well, but that just means for the younger/smaller gamer out there, this chair would be an ideal fit. It’s definitely worth checking out though, and the best thing about it being from a furniture store, unlike many chairs online, you can go in store to find it and test it out if it’s for you.
For more details about the HARLEV gaming chair, click HERE to go to the JYSK website, or click HERE to find your nearest store. FULLSYNC does not make
