Shopping for a gaming chair is a bit tricky for me. I'm a larger guy who often feels cramped in chairs. While there are some XL chairs out there, they can be bulky, pricey, or both. Anda Seat's Phantom 3 delivers the comfort of a large gaming chair without scaling things up across the board. It looks natural in my office but is still wide enough for my hips.
Even if you don't need a wider seat, the Phantom 3 is a solid choice for gaming or sitting at a desk. It's comfortable, elegant, and is available in a variety of styles and materials.
Bottom line: The Phantom 3 gaming chair from Anda Seat is comfortable, stylish, and accommodating to larger folks. It feels natural in an office without taking up the entire room.
For
- Sturdy construction
- Flat wings accommodate larger people
- Available in multiple materials
- Reclines up to 160 degrees
Against
- Lumbar pillow does not attach in any way
- Pre-drilled holes can be difficult to find during assembly
Anda Seat Phantom 3: Price and availability
The Anda Seat Phantom 3 is available for preorder at the time of this review. The product listing for the chair states that orders should start shipping on March 28, 2022.
The Phantom 3 is available with premium PVC leather or linen fabric. Leather models are available in elegant black, creamy pink, or cloudy white. There's also a Six Invitational 2022 Edition of the chair. You can order carbon black or ash gray versions of the linen fabric Phantom 3.
The chair provided by Anda Seat for this review is the premium PVC (faux) leather option in elegant black.
Anda Seat Phantom 3: What's good
The Anda Seat Phantom 3 checks the boxes for a gaming chair in its price range. It's sturdy, comfortable, and easy to put together.
The Phantom 3 feels spacious and comfortable for larger lads without looking comedically bulky. Subtle design choices allow the Phantom 3 to accommodate some badonkadonk without having to scale up the entire chair to ridiculous levels.
I'm 6 feet tall (182.9cm) and around 300 pounds (136kg). Many gaming chairs have vertical wings on the edges of the seat to cradle your butt. That's fine for fitter folks, but I often feel cramped in bucket-style seats. The Anda Seat Phantom 3 has flatter wings that allow me to sit comfortably.
Anda Seat Phantom 3: What's not good
The Phantom 3 is large and comfortable, at least when you can get the lumbar pillow into place. Like some other gaming chairs, the Anda Seat Phantom 3 does not have a way to fix the lumbar pillow to the back of the seat. As a result, the pillow can slide around or sink down as you use the chair throughout the day.
The lumbar pillow itself is soft yet supportive. When placed correctly, it helped me comfortably work at my desk all day. It's just disappointing that there isn't a strap, Velcro, or some other way to keep the pillow in the perfect position. Backs vary from person to person, so I'd like to see a way to permanently set the chair up for my posture.
I only ran into one other issue when reviewing the Phantom 3, and it's a tiny nitpick. When assembling the chair, the pre-drilled holes had a bit of material covering the edges. As a result, it was slightly difficult to line up the screws. This was a minor inconvenience, and it only applied to the initial assembly, but it's worth a quick note.
Anda Seat Phantom 3: Competition
There's no shortage of competition when it comes to the best gaming chairs. Mainstays like Secretlab and GT Omega are worth a look whenever you're in the market for a new gaming chair. Specifically, the Secretlab Titan competes well with the Anda Seat Phantom 3. The Secretlab Titan is pricier, but it has many of the same features as the Phantom 3, plus built-in adjustable lumbar support.
Speaking of ergonomics, the Razer Iskur may be more up your alley if you're focused on your posture. The Iskur has fully adjustable lumbar support and 4D adjustable armrests. The biggest drawback of the Razer Iskur is its price tag of $500. That's $150 more than the Anda Seat Phantom 3, which is a big jump, but it gets you a lot more in terms of ergonomics.
Anda Seat Phantom 3: Should you buy it?
You should buy this if ...
- You want a sturdy gaming chair
- You want a seat with a wide base
- You sit at a desk for extended periods of time
You shouldn't buy this if ...
- You need adjustable lumbar support
- You're on a budget
The AndaSeat Phantom 3 is a solid gaming chair that accommodates people who need a wider seat. It's sturdy, comfortable, and good for sitting at a desk all day. Its only real drawback is that the lumbar pillow may move around.
The Anda Seat Phantom 3 sits between more premium gaming chairs and budget chairs when it comes to price. It delivers a solid value that stacks up well against the best gaming chairs on the market. If you don't need adjustable lumbar support or don't want to spend close to $500, the Phantom 3 is an excellent choice.
Bottom line: The Anda Seat Phantom 3 is a solid chair who can accommodate people that need a wider seat. It's sturdy, comfortable, and attractive. Its only real drawback is that its lumbar pillow may move around.
