So, you're shopping for a gaming chair. You've found a seemingly fine assortment of cheap ones hovering around the $100 range, you researched the uber-expensive Razer Iskur up there at $500-ish, and somewhere in between, you've stumbled upon AndaSeat's $300 Jungle 2 Series gaming chair. It has a footrest and advertises itself as being office-friendly. The question is: Is it worth the money?
Kind of, sort of. At the end of the day, virtually no gaming chairs are worth the ridiculously inflated prices being charged, no matter what company they're from. The $100 tier is usually the only one with a realistic understanding of average people's seat expense limits, and even then, those chairs often miss out on a bunch of fun frills. So with these tricky factors in mind, and based on the current chair landscape, I'd say the Jungle 2 Series is worth grabbing since it's a great chair, arguably better than the rest I've tested, but wait for a sale if you're not in a hurry. AndaSeat does a lot of them, and they really help cut down on cost.
Bottom line: It's a well-built, chunky chair perfect for smaller people. It's very comfy, with a cute little footrest to boot.
For
- Stylish design
- Comfy, easily maintainable materials
- Footrest is soft, fun
- PVC and linen = vegan friendly
Against
- Footrest's longevity is unknown
- Footrest doesn't have articulation
- No 4D armrests
AndaSeat Jungle 2 Series gaming chair: What I like
Everything about the Jungle 2 Series is just a little more refined than previous AndaSeat outings, right down to the packaging, which smartly bundles all of the tiny components into a single box. The chair itself has a lot going for it: The armrests are a trimmer, smarter shape than the usual AndaSeat fare, the new footrest is soft and conveniently placed, the support pillows are cushier; the list goes on and on. The point is, everything's just a little better about the Jungle 2 Series than other AndaSeat chairs for a price that's more or less the same as the rest of 'em.
The trade-off, for some, will be that that equivalent price is likely possible because the footrest-equipped chair is "medium" size as opposed to other AndaSeat seats' "large" builds. If you're over 5 feet, 11 inches (180cm) tall or exceed 330 pounds (150kg) in weight, this chair isn't recommended for you. But as someone who's under the height threshold and a lightweight 120 pounds (55kg), I've never been happier sitting in a chair from this company. Its size and associated pillow alignment are perfect for supporting my back and neck, and just like with the bigger AndaSeat chairs I've tested, I'm able to fall asleep in it (never intentionally, mind you) thanks to its comfy material composition.
Speaking of material composition, its PVC leather and linen build means that if you have ethical concerns over genuine leather or other fabrics, this chair won't present a dilemma for you. It's a safe buy.
AndaSeat Jungle 2 Series gaming chair: What I don't like
Dislikes with this chair are minimal. One is that the assembly process is minorly annoying since, as usual, the screw fittings are very particular, and getting everything tightened together juuuust right can take a bit of finicking. But that's more or less the case for every gaming chair.
The other dislike is the limited design of the footrest. It can't move down. It's simply a slide-out footrest with a set height, and either you enjoy it there or you don't. The actual rest pad itself can swivel up and down if you like to fidget with your feet, but the overall setup's height can't be adjusted.
A facet of the footrest I'm not yet sure about is its durability. Even as a lightweight guy, I can't help but feel a bit of reverb every time I use it, making me wonder how long the thing will hold up. Will it snap off after a few months of use? I have no clue. But the fact I'm even wondering this makes it worth noting.
One additional item is that the armrests aren't 4D, in that they can't slide forward and backward (just up, down, left, and right). That doesn't bother me since the chair is compact enough that it's unlikely the armrests will ever be out of comfortable range for one's arms, but for those who truly love 4D functionality, take note.
AndaSeat Jungle 2 Series gaming chair: The competition
Competition varies. If you want something truly inexpensive, check out our best gaming chairs roundup where you'll find plenty of budget-friendly options. For example, on that list, EasySMX has a very similar chair (with a footrest!) for a noticeably cheaper price.
If you want to keep it with AndaSeat, though, there's always the original Jungle gaming chair, which may be seeing steeper sales soon thanks to the Jungle 2's arrival. And there's a whole other fleet of comparable, mildly different (and larger) AndaSeat offerings, such as the T-Compact and Dark Demon chairs.
AndaSeat Jungle 2 Series gaming chair: Should you buy?
You should buy this if ...
- You like comfy seating.
- You value ethical material composition.
- You want that nifty footrest.
You should not buy this if ...
- You're unhappy with the footrest's limitations.
- You demand 4D armrests.
- You dislike modern gaming chair prices.
It's a good chair! There's not much else to say, frankly. It has a tight, plumpy cushion for your bum, a firm but soft backrest, and pillows that are just as plush and cozy. The whole thing seats like a dream.
Couple the general comfort with a neat little footrest and the ethical material composition of the chair, and it's an all-around swell seat. That's why it gets a 4.5 out of 5 purely on its own merits. Though, good or otherwise, it's probably not worth $300 since virtually no gaming chair is, unless you're in a supreme hurry to snag a sitter. As mentioned before, consider waiting for one of AndaSeat's numerous sales and pick this good boy up at a more reasonable price down the line. However, if you're in a hurry, you can't go wrong with the Jungle 2.
Robert Carnevale is the News Editor for Windows Central. He's a big fan of Kinect (it lives on in his heart), Sonic the Hedgehog, and the legendary intersection of those two titans, Sonic Free Riders. He is the author of Cold War 2395. Have a useful tip? Send it to robert.carnevale@futurenet.com.