AndaSeat Novis gaming chair review

Gaming chairs are a dime a dozen, and AndaSeat is striving to establish itself as a leading brand in the market. I’ve been maining an AndaSeat Kaiser 4 XL which sets a high standard but its hefty price tag of nearly $579 USD (£550 GBP / $1,050 AUD) makes it a little too premium of a choice for most of us. So when AndaSeat reached out to test its newer, cheaper AndaSeat Novis chair—which comes at a $249 USD (£235 GBP / $450 AUD)—I was more than curious to see how it fairs. Suffice to say, there’s a significant trade-off in features and comfort that explain why this is quite literally, half the chair of its sibling.

Out of the box it strikes a sharp silhouette—angular panels, clean stitching, and an integrated headrest hinting at "ergonomic" without delivering padding. But while its design language suggests premium comfort, the reality of sitting on it is an exercise in frustration: it occupies that lonely slice between "good value" and "usable terror".

Assembly is refreshingly painless: the gas-lift cylinder slides into the sturdy five-star base, the backrest bolts neatly to the seat pan, and the dual-stage armrests snap into place without protest. The tilt-tension knob is set so tight that it takes several revolutions to find a usable resistance. I tested the gas lift through various heights; it’s smoother than many budget models, and the chair’s center of gravity feels stable even at full recline.

Yet the first clue that AndaSeat cut corners on comfort emerges immediately: the box is devoid of support extras. No head pillow, no lumbar cushion, not even a fabric-wrapped sachet to soften the impact. Settling into the seat reveals the core issue: a slab of dense, "high-density cold cure" foam that practically dares you to test its limits. The seat’s slight forward pitch might encourage alert posture, but without softness under your sit bones, it feels like resting on a sculpted rock ledge. At least the back can tilt through a generous 90°–165° range, lockable in any position but there’s no rocking mode.

Fifteen minutes in, my pelvis cried uncle; an hour later, my thighs were singing an aria of discomfort. By comparison, the Kaiser 4 cushions contours with memory foam, creating an oasis of softness, and even the Razer Iskur X—cheaper at around $350 USD (£275 GBP / $525 AUD)—uses a firmer foam that embraces rather than repels your shape.

That design choice carries into the chair’s spine support—or absence thereof. The backrest’s built-in headrest is handsome in its minimalism, but without a head pillow, it does little more than press cold plastic against your neck. Lower down, the back panel is comparatively flat, lacking the basic s-curve that even cheap office chairs do. AndaSeat markets a $40 USD (£30 GBP / $60 AUD) memory-foam lumbar pillow, but paying extra for basic support feels like buying seat belts a la carte. If you’ve ever experienced the Kaiser 4’s dial-driven lumbar system, which lets you tweak spine-hugging pressure mid-session, or Razer’s 5D lumbar in the Iskur V2, the Novis’s inert slab will feel like a deliberate insult.

Armrests on the Novis only offer up-down movement. That’s as basic as it gets but if you’ve ever experienced the joy of 4D arm rests, this will smart. I could never find a right position for these arm rests in relation to my desk—there just wasn’t enough motion to get things right. Meanwhile, the Kaiser 4’s four-axis rests allow you to swivel and pivot at will and without those degrees of freedom, the Novis’ arm rests feel like a tacked-on apology rather than an intentional ergonomic feature.

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In terms of looks and materials, the Novis fabric deserves genuine applause. The Ash Gray weave fabric version I got is breathable—particularly welcome in Brisbane’s sticky heat. After weeks of use, there’s nary a sign of pilling or wear; the texture still feels fresh against bare skin. Aesthetically, it’s versatile enough to blend into a home office or living room without shouting "gaming rig!". But I can’t speak for how easy this fabric is to clean as the Novis doesn’t seem to be machine washable like some Secretlab chairs.

Pricing is the final clincher. At $249 USD (£375 GBP / $720 AUD), AndaSeat pitches the Novis squarely at people wanting that premium feel without the full premium price—and they almost get away with it. Yet for $350 USD (£275 GBP / $525 AUD) you can snag the Iskur X, which delivers core comfort and integrated lumbar support. If your budget is truly fixed, the Iskur X is a shrewd compromise; if you can stretch, the Kaiser 3 is worth the splurge.

Ultimately, the AndaSeat Novis chair nails aesthetics, sturdy build, and some functional adjustments but trips at the finish line. The foam comfort, limited arm rests and lacking lumbar support contribute to a chair that looks far better than it feels. A gaming chair’s promise is to vanish under your body, letting you lose yourself in play or work without distraction. The Novis refuses to disappear—it’s a constant reminder of itself, in the form of aching pressure points and an unyielding backrest. This is definitely far from the best AndaSeat has to offer but I guess the adage is true; you get what you pay for.