Windows Central Verdict
The Secretlab TITAN Evo (2022) is one of the most popular gaming and office chairs of all time for many good reasons, and the NanoGen Edition enhances that iconic design with Secretlab's most comfortable and durable materials yet. It's an excellent chair in every category, but this level of refinement comes at a hefty cost.
Pros
- +
Most comfortable chair Secretlab has ever made
- +
Premium fit and finish that feels built to last
- +
Upgraded PlushCell Armrests are awesome
Cons
- -
Perfection is expensive
- -
Tilt tension is finnicky
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Whether you're considering a new chair for your office or gaming setup, or you've simply been on YouTube and Twitch for more than a few hours, it's practically guaranteed that you've heard of or seen Secretlab.
The Secretlab TITAN Evo is one of the most iconic, popular, and critically acclaimed gaming chairs of all time, and Secretlab has refined it over the years with new features, improvements, and versions. Now, a new king has arrived; the Secretlab TITAN Evo NanoGen Edition takes everything great about the current version released in 2022, and perfects it with Secretlab's proprietary "next-gen" materials.
Tens of thousands of hours of research, development, and testing have resulted in the most comfortable, supportive, and durable chair Secretlab has ever released. Any complaints you may have had about the TITAN Evo (2022) likely still apply here, though, and regardless of quality it may be hard to swallow that price. This is the height of premium for bucket-style chairs, but you are getting what you pay for.
As a writer and tech reviewer, I spend dozens of hours a week firmly seated in a chair. Comfort, support, and durability are of paramount importance, so I've become familiar with everything a company needs to get right to make a truly great chair for your gaming setup or office.
Disclaimer
This review was made possible thanks to a review sample provided by Secretlab. Secretlab had no input nor saw the contents of this review prior to publication.
TITAN Evo NanoGen: Pricing and specifications
- The TITAN Evo NanoGen Edition retails from $799, a $250 upcharge.
- It's Secretlab's flagship chair, and does come with all the upgrades.
• Price: From $799 at Secretlab (Black) | Secretlab (White)
• Sizes: Regular (5'7" to 6'2", less than 220lbs), XL (5'11" to 6'9", 175-395lbs)
• Features: 4-way L-ADAPT lumbar support, Heavy Metal Edition 4D Armrests w/ CloudSwap support, PlushCell Memory Foam Armrest Tops, Magnetic Memory Foam Head Pillow, NanoGen Hybrid Leatherette, NanoFoam Composite, SKINS support, height, tilt, & recline adjustability
Secretlab products are not known for being affordable, with the mainline TITAN Evo (2022) starting at $549. Sure, there are some smaller or "lite" versions now, but the best-seller sets the bar. In comparison, the Secretlab TITAN Evo NanoGen Edition starts from $799 at Secretlab, a $250 upcharge over the chair with which it shares a core.
That price isn't just getting you the new Secretlab NanoGen Hybrid Leatherette fabric and NanoFoam Composite cushioning, though. Secretlab also includes its Memory Foam head pillow and magnetically attached armrest tops in the box, with the latter usually being an optional add-on. For the most part, though, the TITAN Evo NanoGen Edition is extremely similar to the non-NanoGen version, so that premium can feel a little steep.
The Secretlab TITAN Evo NanoGen Edition is available in both black and white colorways; you'll miss out on all the variants and signature editions available to the standard TITAN Evo, but the NanoGen Edition does support all the same Secretlab SKINS.
In the box, you'll find the Secretlab TITAN Evo NanoGen Edition chair, split into 11 pieces, and the Memory Foam Head Pillow. You'll also find a collection of tools and screws to assemble the chair. The NanoGen Edition is covered by Secretlab's standard 3-year warranty, with an extended 5-year warranty available for free by following the steps at Secretlab.co.
TITAN Evo NanoGen: The good
- The NanoGen Edition has everything great about the regular TITAN Evo.
- The new "NanoGen" materials actually do make a difference, though.
- Luxuries like upgraded armrests are also included in the price.
If you know anything about the Secretlab TITAN Evo (2022) — and you can read our review if you need the refresher — then you're off to a great start becoming familiar with the NanoGen Edition. At its core, this chair is identical to the standard best-selling variant, and even comes in two sizes, Regular and XL (at time of writing, the XL variant is up for preorder for $849 at Secretlab).
It's the same bucket-seat design with the same dimensions and all the same adjustibility. The packaging is the same, and so is the assembly process. That setup process does mean tearing your way through more plastic than I like to see, but the instructions are clear and I had little issue assembling the NanoGen Edition entirely by itself. Build quality is also just as excellent as I expect from Secretlab... Or arguably even better with the NanoGen Edition.
That's thanks to the new NanoGen Hybrid Leatherette and NanoFoam Composite. Those are fancy, trademarked words to represent the new proprietary materials Secretlab spent literally tens of thousands of hours researching, developing, and testing. You can read my Secretlab TITAN Evo NanoGen Edition announcement breakdown for more information on that, I'd like to keep this review more succinct.
To summarize, Secretlab wanted to do the impossible — find a chair that is both soft and firm, comfortable and durable. That may seem contradictory, but Secretlab actually has something here.
I've used several Secretlab chairs and those from competitors, as well, and the NanoGen Edition is easily among the most comfortable. The leatherette is soft to the touch and stays cool to the touch, and even after weeks of use the pure white surface hasn't been marred by any stains or marks (with one exception, I'll get to that below). Secretlab claims its NanoGen Hybrid Leatherette is 14 times more durable than standard pleatherette, is easier to clean, and is also more resistant to the yellowing effects of UV lights.
I can't personally attest to those latter claims, but I've seen absolutely nothing to cause me concern so far. The new NanoFoam Composite, which basically combines multiple layers of specialized foam with incredible precision, is also a noticeable improvement over the standard TITAN Evo. It's the perfect blend between comfort and support, and melds to my body without ever losing its shape. It's an impressive balance to strike.
Elsewhere, we're back to the similarities. The NanoGen Edition boasts the same 4-way L-ADAPT lumbar support system as the regular TITAN Evo, which lets you adjust the lumbar support up, down, out, and in. It's still not the best lumbar support you'll find in a chair, but it works well and that flexibility makes a huge difference. You're also looking at the same height, tilt, and recline adjustability, with familiar levers to control it all.
The NanoGen Edition's fit and finish does feel slightly better overall, though, and Secretlab is including some extra luxuries. You do get Secretlab's Memory Foam Head Pillow in the box in a matching hue (silver for the white NanoGen Edition), and it magnetically attaches to the head rest. I really like this pillow, and the magnets allow me to adjust it to my needs exactly.
Secretlab's 4D Full-Metal Armrests were already some of my favorites on a chair, but the NanoGen Edition upgrades to the Heavy Duty Edition, which considerably increases how much you can adjust the armrests. Those armrests also support Secretlab's CloudSwap tech, which basically lets you replace or upgrade the armrest cushions in a second. You'll find a set of matching PlushCell Memory Foam Armrest Tops in the box, which mirror the pillow in color, fabric, and comfort. All great stuff.
Secretlab Lumbar Pillow Pro
Secretlab also sent me its Lumbar Pillow Pro to test alongside the TITAN Evo NanoGen Edition, but I was only able to use it for a few weeks. After the NanoGen Edition dropped, Secretlab learned that the Lumbar Pillow Pro would leave permanent stains on the white leatherette... and sure enough, my chair was stained. Secretlab sent me a replacement backrest and is working on removing the staining issue on the Lumbar Pillow Pro, but that's why this section is incomplete.
Still, I used the Lumbar Pillow Pro enough to give you the rundown and my initial thoughts. This uses Secretlab's PlushCell foam, and it is a very comfortable cushion. It's perfectly sculpted to rest against the lumbar support on the TITAN Evo and sculpted to enhance that lumbar support. I'm not 100% convinced that it's a must-have add-on, but it can feel great if you prefer softer support.
My only complaint is that the Lumbar Pillow Pro doesn't attach to your chair in any way. I constantly had it falling over every time I stood up, which quickly grew tiring. I wish Secretlab had built magnets into the Lumbar Pillow Pro and the NanoGen Edition's back — similar to the head rest pillow — to keep the cushion in place. Considering the Secretlab Lumbar Pillow Pro goes for $79 at Secretlab in black or silver, that minor frustration adds up over time.
TITAN Evo NanoGen: The bad
- The NanoGen Edition is functionally identical to the regular TITAN Evo.
- A $250 upcharge for a handful of upgrades may be a tough pill to swallow.
- I do wish Secretlab had updated the tilt and tension adjustment, too.
While the Secretlab TITAN Evo NanoGen Edition does take everything great about the regular TITAN Evo, it also inherits any weaknesses. There aren't a lot to speak of, honestly, but one nitpick is that the tilt and tilt tension adjustability feels finnicky, unreliable, and restrictive. You get a knob on the right side that allows you to unlock and lock the title of your chair at different angles, but it's an exercise in frustration finding the sweet point.
It's difficult to fully articulate exactly what the issue is here, but this singular level is not intuitive in the slightest, and seemingly suffers from some reliability issues if Reddit is to believed. You may struggle to unlock the tilt, you'll have limited to no ability to actually adjust the tension of that tilt, and you may find it mysteriously difficult to relock the tilt in your preferred position. There's a trick to resetting the tilt by reclining the backrest and pushing back as you unlock the tilt before leaning forward, but even that feels hit or miss.
Aside from that, though, the NanoGen Edition's only real weakness is its price. The TITAN Evo already isn't an affordable chair, although it's honestly not that abnormal in the market, but the NanoGen Edition spikes that price up to a shocking degree despite only implementing a handful of upgrades. Is this chair more premium and more comfortable than its non-NanoGen Edition compatriot? Undoubtedly, but whether that's worth an additional $200-250 is a tougher question to answer.
TITAN Evo NanoGen: Also consider
TITAN Evo NanoGen: Final thoughts
You should buy this if ...
✅You're looking to upgrade your aging Secretlab chair
If you have an older generation Secretlab TITAN chair and it's beginning to show its age, the NanoGen Edition is the "next-gen" upgrade you may have been waiting for. The new materials combined with all the refinements Secretlab made with the 2022 generation make this an excellent upgrade.
✅You want the best in terms of overall quality and comfort
You have to pay a lot for the best, but you are getting the best. The NanoGen Edition promises to last longer without wearing or tearing, and out of the box it's one of the most comfortable and supportive bucket-seat style gaming and office chairs you're going to find.
You should not buy this if ...
❌You'd rather save some money and opt for the regular TITAN Evo
The regular Secretlab TITAN Evo is still available and is frankly the smarter purchase for most people. At over $200 less, the TITAN Evo still gives you 90% of the comfort and durability and 99% of the features. There's a reason it's one of the best-selling premium chairs of all time.
Did Secretlab truly revolutionize chairs forever? Have the material sciences been turned on their head in light of the physics-defying NanoGen and NanoFoam innovations? Well, no, it's not quite that dramatic. What is true is that Secretlab has made one of the most trusted gaming and office chairs more durable, more comfortable, and more supportive simply with new materials, and it does make a difference.
The Secretlab TITAN Evo NanoGen Edition is the best chair Secretlab has ever made, and that immediately makes it one of the very best chairs that you can buy. Marketing blurbs aside, "NanoGen" does feel like a true upgrade, although whether that upgrade will be worth an additional $200-250 really depends on how much you're looking to invest in your back health. For most, the regular Secretlab TITAN Evo (2022) is still available in a wide range of designs, and it's still the most attractive overall option. For those that want the absolute greatest, the NanoGen Edition is here.
The Secretlab TITAN Evo NanoGen Edition is now available in both black and white colorways from $799 at Secretlab, with an XL version on the way for those who need a little more.
Secretlab is flexing its dominance with the TITAN Evo NanoGen Edition, which simply refines one of the best-selling and most acclaimed gaming chairs with new materials that are somehow both more comfortable and more supportive, softer and more durable. It's an expensive chair, but it could be worth it for you.
