SecretLab Titan (2020 Series) Review (2024)

We've tested several gaming chairs over the last few years, and many tend to blur together. They use very similar materials, padding, and nearly identical structural and mechanical designs. They're consistently functional, just not really varied. SecretLab impressed us last year with chairs that distinctly feel higher quality in build and materials, and its Titan chair earned our Editors' Choice for its supple, sturdy synthetic leather and dense, generous padding. Now SecretLab is updating its Titan and Omega chairs to a new 2020 line. The 2020 Titan ($399) we tested is slightly more expensive than last year's model and doesn't have any visibly significant changes, but better materials, better armrest mechanisms, and a longer warranty all build on an already excellent gaming chair, earning it our Editors' Choice.

Similar Look, Updated Materials

Visually, the 2020 Titan looks identical to the previous version. It's a large black gaming chair covered in synthetic leather, with faux carbon fiber texturing on the sides, red stitching on the seams, and a gold T logo embroidered on the back rest (for the Stealth version; a Black version uses black stitching and embroidery, and replaces the carbon fiber textured sides with suede). The only obvious hint that this chair is any different is the small patch on the left side of the backrest featuring an embroidered SecretLab logo with the number 2020 next to it.

The Titan is available in both synthetic leather (Prime 2.0 PU Leather) or fabric (SoftWeave) versions. The synthetic leather model is $399, while the fabric version is slightly more expensive at $429. Both are $50 pricier than their respective previous versions ($349 and $379). To help make the price bump more palatable, SecretLab provides a five-year warranty for its 2020 chairs, more than twice as long as the standard two-year warranty its predecessors have.

Either model is recommended for users up to 290 pounds. The smaller Omega is recommended only for users up to 240 pounds. If you need a higher-capacity chair, the AKRacing Master Series Max is built to handle up to 400 pounds.

We were impressed by SecretLab's polyurethane (PU) leather on the previous Titan, which already felt more supple and sturdy than the PU leather used in most other gaming chairs we've tested. SecretLab has improved the material for its 2020 line, calling it Prime 2.0 PU leather. The company says it's rated for 200,000 abrasion tests, ten times that of industry standard synthetic leather as tested by Singapore's Agency for Science, Technology, and Research (A*STAR).

We can't attest to the long-term sturdiness of this new material ourselves, but after over a year of use, last year's Titan has seen only minute signs of wear on the extreme corners of the seat. The Prime 2.0 PU leather on the new Titan feels identical to the old model, which is a very good sign. For contrast, a DXRacer Racing series chair used for a similar amount of time has already seen bare patches on the seat, and its PU leather has gotten rougher and visibly a bit worn.

Padding is the other factor that has led us to regard SecretLab chairs higher than most other gaming chairs we've tested. The new Titan uses a very firm cold-cure foam molded to the contours of the chair. It's solid and supportive padding that runs completely through the headrest and sides of the chair back and the seat. The only discernible cavity on the Titan is the rear of the backrest, a standard aspect of gaming and high-backed office chairs that gives the lumbar area a bit more give than the rest of the chair.

Lumbar Support and Head Pillow

Speaking of lumbar support, the 2020 Titan has the same unique lumbar mechanism as its predecessor. Instead of an optional flat pillow like many gaming chairs (including SecretLab's Omega series), the Titan has a knob on the right side of the backrest. This knob adjusts the firmness of the lumbar area, providing more or less support without adding bulk. It's a fairly useful but overly complicated solution to a problem normally solved by a simple removable cushion. Fortunately, like a removable cushion the knob is a design element you can ignore; if you don't like the lumbar support it gives you, dial it back all the way and use your own cushion.

It's a shame SecretLab doesn't also include a lumbar cushion, though, because the company's pillows are excellent. Most gaming chairs come with a headrest pillow and a flatter lumbar support cushion, including the SecretLab Omega. The Titan only comes with the headrest pillow, which feels amazing. The pillow is covered in a black velour material embroidered with the SecretLab logo, just like the pillow included with the previous version. The new pillow uses dense memory foam with a layer of cooling gel instead of conventional synthetic pillow stuffing, and feels incredibly soft and supportive against the head. It's another marked step above most other gaming chairs we've tested, which use PU-covered headrest pillows and often much firmer, less accommodating foam fill.

Armrests and Adjustments

Finally, the armrests represent the most significant design change on the 2020 Titan. The metal supports are thicker and much more solid, and the four-directional adjustment mechanisms have been completely overhauled. The armrests can still be adjusted by moving them up or down; sliding them forward, backward, left, or right; and by rotating them left or right. The rotational adjustment is now locked with the same button that controls the armrests' forward and backward position, so you can't accidentally bump them to a different angle like you could with the previous chair. That button is now flush against the side of the armrest instead of sticking out, as well.

The height adjustment lever for each armrest is wider and now made of metal instead of plastic, and moves more smoothly. Only the left-right sliding adjustment button was left mostly untouched, still plastic and located in the same position as before. The armrests themselves are similar to the previous versions, but feature a PU coating that feels softer and less plasticky.

Aside from the armrests, the Titan features two other standard gaming chair adjustments. The chair itself can be raised or lowered on its pneumatic base with a pull of a lever located on the right side of the bottom of the seat, just like nearly any other wheeled chair. The backrest also generously reclines with a second lever located on the right side of the seat, behind the armrest. The entire chair, including the seat, can also rock back, or lock in place with the lever on the left side of the bottom of the seat.

A Comfortable, Long-Lasting Gaming Chair

I've been using the 2020 Titan for the past week, and it feels very comfortable and supportive. It also feels almost indistinguishable from the previous Titan unless I adjust the armrests. It's nice to see the armrests completely lock in place unless I press or pull the right adjustment control, but in terms of comfort and convenience, that's the only real advantage the new chair has over the previous one. This isn't a knock on the 2020 Titan; both chairs are excellent, and feel more premium and solid than most others on the market.

The real advantage the 2020 Titan presents comes in the long term. The Prime 2.0 PU leather is rated to be much more resistant to scuffs and general wear, and SecretLab backs up that promise with a five-year warranty. That's certainly worth the extra $50 on the 2020 Titan's price tag. Considering last year's chair was already a few steps ahead of the competition in quality, it's little surprise that the SecretLab 2020 Titan now earns our Editors' Choice.

If you do most of your gaming in front of the TV rather than the computer, the Respawn-900 is a unique alternative. It's a gaming recliner with a fixed, flat base instead of a wheeled base, and larger armrests that feature a cup holder. It doesn't feel as solid or premium as the Titan, but it's a bit less expensive, and is worth a look if you don't want wheels.