Secretlab TITAN EVO 2022 Series Test - The ultimate power amplifier?
Secretlab recently announced the TITAN EVO 2022, a gaming chair that is supposed to combine the best of the 2020 series of the Secretlab OMEGA & Secretlab TITAN. After Secretlab released the specs & features, I was also first flashed by all the innovations & features that are supposed to be there.
As I noted in my Secretlab TITAN Evo 2022 review, there isn’t a remarkable new feature behind all of it, but there are some cool new features. The new TITAN EVO 2022 can be ordered in 3 sizes and I could imagine that the two predecessor models could be replaced by the 2022 model one day. However, nothing is known about this.
Of course, I got myself a 2022 in XL early on to convince myself of the new improvements. First of all: The market launch of the Evo did not go completely smoothly and my model is also affected by creaking noises. You can find out where they come from and what to do about them in this test report.
Secretlab
TITAN Evo 2022 XL
lacquered solid aluminum base, breathable cold foam upholstery, PU cover//fabric possible, large 60mm plastic castors, molded soft plastic armrests
4D armrests, lockable rocker mechanism, tiltable backrest (165°), max. load capacity of 150/180kg, NEW: Continuously adjustable 4-way lumbar support, NEW: Magnetic neck cushion with memory foam, NEW: Cloudswap system for swapping armrest pads, NFC tag for authenticity check.
Innovations & functions on the TITAN EVO 2022
Secretlab really hits the ground running when it comes to features & innovations and also applies for patents & trademarks for a lot of things, but there’s not as much behind some of the points as you might think. Essentially:
- New: L-Adapt lumbar support: The Evo 2022 is the second gaming chair ever with vertically & horizontally adjustable lumbar support after the Backforce One Plus.
- New: Magnetic pillow: The neck or head pillow holds magnetically to the backrest, so it can be moved very flexibly. This eliminates the need for the typical straps.
- New: Cloudswap: The 4D armrests are equipped with a new magnetic exchange system called Cloudswap. The support can be removed and exchanged with another one.
- New: Neo synthetic leather: The new Neo leather feels similar to Nappa, so it is softer. However, a true hybrid leather as Secretlab calls it itself, it is not quite in my opinion. More later.
- New: The Secretlab TITAN Evo comes in 3 sizes: Small, Regular & XL.
- Rocking mechanism: The TITAN Evo 2022 is equipped with an extended, i.e. lockable, rocker mechanism.
- Backrest can be tilted up to 165° to the seat surface
- High-quality materials: there is a high-quality aluminum base, metal knobs on the armrests - the chair looks very valuable due to the use of good materials.
These are the essential things for me. Also new, for example, is the shape of the seat, the previous softweave cover now has a “plus” and is supposed to be even better, and there is also an NFC tag on the chair to check whether you have bought a genuine TITAN Evo 2022.
Your chair creaks? Mine too. Solution:
After the delivery of the first TITAN Evo 2022 models there were many reports of strong creaking noises, my model is also affected. The noise is generated by friction between the cover and a side cover, which did not exist before:
But there is already a solution: Secretlab sends out “barrier kits” for this, which are inserted between the cover and the side cover. These then eliminate the problem. That’s not a big deal, but it would of course be nicer to avoid contacting the customer service and to have the whole thing work creak-free right away.
However, it can be assumed that this problem only affects the first large batch. In upcoming batches, the problem will be fixed. Happens!
Seating comfort: Is the TITAN Evo 2022 comfortable?
Comfort-wise, the TITAN Evo is comparable to its predecessor, I would say. The cushion hardness seems a little softer to me, but must still be called firm. With my 189cm I opted for the XL, rather too big than too small is my motto.
The features of the chair allow a more precise optimization of the seating comfort, so we can adjust the lumbar support vertically & horizontally for real fine tuning. With the memory foam cushion, neck & head are well bedded.
Patented cold foam - Really?
In fact, there is less behind it than you might think at first. The foam is good, no question! However, Secretlab is quite clever in marketing individual features. I did a little research on the patent issues:
The patent is “pending”, meaning applied for but not yet approved. It probably won’t be, Secretlab probably knows that too. In the field of seat foams it is difficult to reinvent the wheel and above all not necessary.
But let’s take a look at patent SG 10202102953R: “SG” stands for Singapore and if the number starts with “10”, it is a local patent, which refers only to the country where it was applied for – Singapore in this case.
This means that if this patent were to be approved, it would only apply to Singapore. Foam producers from Singapore would not be allowed to use this “special” foam composition. However, production in all other countries of the world would be allowed to use it. Is this how you would protect your blatant cold foam innovation?
Here you can see that the patent is rather clever marketing for the Secretlab TITAN Evo 2022, but I can’t really blame the manufacturer. Anyone who had really developed a blatant foam would probably not only patent it for a country of production, but for a continent or the whole world. Otherwise, China, for example, would copy it instantly.
So not such good cold foam after all?
Do not misunderstand – the foam is therefore not bad. On the contrary, a very good, dimensionally stable cold foam is used here, which you will not sit through so quickly. The resistance to deformation is very good here due to the strength. It’s just not the super hot shit that you expect when you think of the patent.
Cross-legged test: legs crossed on the TITAN Evo
For me with 189cm height and 80kg weight it is of course no problem to cross the legs on the XL. The Secretlab TITAN Evo 2022 hardly has any side bolsters anyway, so this will not be the legroom limiting component for anyone.
The advantage here is that the TITAN Evo is available in 3 sizes. So everyone has the space required for his height to cross the legs.
Cross-legged test passed!
Body sizes: Which Secretlab TITAN Evo fits you
This question, which is sometimes the most important when buying the right gaming chair, takes a back seat with the TITAN Evo. After all, the chair is available in 3 sizes: Small, Regular & XL. Nevertheless, let’s take a look at the space conditions:
"Pebble" seating area with plenty of space
The old seat of the TITAN has been redesigned, the newly shaped seat is called the “Pebble seat base” and is intended to provide ergonomic support. A gentle curvature is intended to ensure a centered sitting position. To this end, seat cheeks are only hinted at.
For me, the new seat is just a new seat, with a different shape, but without that I feel a big improvement. But there was not much to improve for me. You could have taken an even softer foam for those who like to sit soft. Otherwise, we have the Secretlab TITAN Evo just a solid seat that does what it should.
Waterfall edge for pressure relief
Part of the new seat surface is also the so-called waterfall edge. The end of the seat is beveled. This is to take pressure off the thighs and make it easier to bend the legs if you like to have them or your feet under the chair.
This is a good idea, the effect is not a massive one, but it does make it easier to get your feet under the chair. The fact that so much attention is paid to detail here can only be praised.
Backrest without restrictions
The backrest also does not restrict its users. Often, the side wings are pronounced in the shoulder area, causing the shoulders to round forward. That is not the case here.
Such sidewalls are of no use at all, so I think it’s very good that they’re left out, because they can’t be of any use, but they can be a nuisance. Leaving them out is the best option.
Conclusion: Suitable body for the Secretlab TITAN Evo
So space is there and I believe that a chair is better off providing too much space than too little. Secretlab gives the size recommendations as follows:
These size specifications I can not agree after I received the Small. Even on the Small I can sit with 189cm just even, because would have been completely sufficient for me with 189cm also the Regular, whose backrest is another 4cm higher than that of the Small.
Therefore, I am firmly convinced that you can take even up to 195cm height still the Regular and can save the 50€ to the XL. The XL you need only if you are really very wide built or even taller. More about this here in the video:
By the way, the same gas springs are used for the Small and Regular versions, and the possible seat heights are also the same. Only the seat height of the XL is higher to make the chair suitable for particularly tall gamers.
The open design of the backrest should not cause any problems for anyone. Even in previous models, we were careful not to include any pitfalls for the freedom of movement.
Innovations & Features of the TITAN Evo en Detail
The main points are through: Comfort & Size Advice. Now it’s exciting to find out what all the innovations & features add to the seating comfort as well as the look:
L-Adapt 4-way lordosis support
Secretlab has treated itself to a neat innovation here. The lumbar support can be adjusted vertically and horizontally with the wheel on the backrest. We can therefore adjust the height of the lumbar support as well as its shape. So far, only the Backforce One Plus had that.
The L-Adapt technology is intended to additionally adapt the support to the user’s movements. When we turn to the right, for example, the support, which is equipped with movable hinges, is supposed to move with us. However, I don’t notice that much of it, but it’s also hard to feel it with my back.
The vertical & horizontal adjustment option, on the other hand, one notices of course already and this function I also welcome. Lumbar cushions are not a hit for lordosis support. The next level is a firm protrusion of the backrest in the lordosis area like on the Backforce One.
After that comes horizontally adjustable support, such as the noblechairs HERO has. This type of support should easily suffice for most people.
The dynamic L-Adapt lumbar support goes one better with its vertical adjustment, allowing for precise fine-tuning. This means you can support your hollow back exactly the way you want.
Magnetic head / neck pillow + memory foam
This is something that I really find very useful and successful. Secretlab has discovered the magnets for themselves, which are also used for Cloudswap and the side covers on the backrest.
With the help of neodymium magnets, the head or neck pillow sticks where you want it. The pillow can therefore be fixed without straps, it is important here that you have also chosen the right model for your own size, so that the magnetic device is also in a suitable frame.
Neck cushions often can’t be pulled down low enough on chairs with wide headrests, so smaller people can’t adjust the cushions properly; they lie too high. With the magnets, that problem is history.
It also looks better. It looks better without the straps that grip around the backrest. Most importantly, the memory foam is really comfortable on the Secretlab TITAN Evo! The pillow is velvety soft to the touch and the memory foam conforms very nicely to the head and neck area. A pillow that I like to use.
In addition, on the foam in the pillow is still a layer of cooling gel, so that it is not too warm in the neck. Nice to have, but probably not necessary.
4D armrest with cloudswap on the TITAN Evo
The armrests of the Secretlab TITAN Evo 2022 are adjustable in 4 directions (4D) and equipped with Secretlab’s new Cloudswap technology. The armrest supports, which come with a particularly soft plastic, are removable and also hold magnetically.
Secretlab thus offers the possibility of upgrading the arm rests with accessory pads. Technogel Premium pads are offered in the store for this purpose. These are supposed to adapt to the arm & wrists like memory foam and cool at the same time. I have already ordered them, they should be delivered in January 2022.
I find this option very interesting! I can not yet imagine anything under the Technogel, but I’m super excited and find the idea also just cool to change also at the always same armrest pads times what. Very innovative!
By the way, the armrests can only be adjusted by operating the metal knob at the front of the base. This is to prevent you from accidentally adjusting the armrest. Secretlab really goes into the smallest detail in development!
Advanced rocking mechanism with locking function
Anything else would of course be disappointing in this price range, the Secretlab TITAN Evo comes to your home with an extended rocker mechanism.
The resistance during rocking can be adjusted to the user’s own body weight by means of an adjusting wheel under the seat. Backrest & seat do not change the angle to each other when rocking, as a synchronous mechanism would, for example.
For this purpose, we can lock the rocker mechanism in any position. With standard mechanisms, the only option is to rock or not to rock. Here, the lever can also be moved, for example halfway, and the position is locked.
Tilt back up to 165°
The backrest can be adjusted backwards at an angle of up to 165° to the seat surface using the lever on your right. This allows you to lie in the Secretlab TITAN Evo and also have a root canal performed spontaneously.
The trend here is downward: more and more manufacturers are limiting this angle, often only 125-140° is offered. So far, no one seems to need more, but since having is better than needing, we are happy to take the 165° and keep as much flexibility open as possible.
60mm large & quiet running rollers
The rollers of the Secretlab TITAN Evo are with 60mm size rather large rollers. The larger the rollers, the lighter they should be.
The Evo’s rollers run smoothly and quietly and do their job to full satisfaction.
Aluminum base in noble look
Metal bases are common in the price range of the Secretlab TITAN Evo; nylon is used more in cheaper segments. Thus, the TITAN Evo is delivered with a black lacquered aluminum base.
I find the design very nice, the base looks classy and high-quality. On one of the struts is still a Secretlab logo fitted.
Authentication via NFC tag
An NFC tag is attached to the lower backrest of the TITAN Evo 2022. If you scan it with your smartphone, it confirms whether it is a genuine chair or a fake from another manufacturer.
This question does not really arise in Germany, we can only order directly from Secretlab anyway. Apparently there have been cases of counterfeiting abroad, however, Secretlab once pointed this out in a Facebook post. So for us quite unexciting, but nice gimmick.
Covers on TITAN Evo: Softweave & Neo
You can get your TITAN Evo 2022 with the new Softweave+ or the Neo Hybrid synthetic leather, which isn’t really hybrid at all. But more about that in a moment. There is also the option with real nappa leather in the store, but it says for a very long time that this is currently not available. I suspect that this option will be abolished in the long term.
Softweave+: fabric cover has become 3.5x stronger
We already know the softweave covers made of super soft fabric from the previous models. This softweave cover has been further developed for the Secretlab TITAN Evo 2022. Whether the new fabric cover performs better than its predecessor in abrasion tests is not known.
Only in a tensile strength test does Secretlab state that Softweave+ is 3.5 times stronger than its predecessor. I don’t dare to draw conclusions about a higher durability from this, because I don’t know whether a tensile and tear test is the appropriate method for this. But what the heck, the fabric cover has been optimized for the better, and that’s a good thing for now!
In any case, though, Softweave is a super comfortable and soft fabric cover that feels similar to the noblechairs HERO TX fabric cover. The qualities of the fabric covers can already differ greatly. Compared to the fabric cover of the DXRacer 1, this one is really worlds better.
Neo hybrid leather - Caution misunderstanding
Secretlab claims to have developed the new Neo hybrid leather itself. With hybrid leather, I first thought of the noblechairs Black Edition, which consists of vinyl & PU and is particularly robust and breathable. Secretlab means the “hybrid” in the name but differently:
The Neo synthetic leather consists of a carrier layer of microfiber and a top layer of resin laminate. Secretlab has developed this top layer itself. The surface also feels really great, the leather is really nice and soft and actually reminds you of Napa leather, one of the most expensive genuine leathers around.
However, I am somewhat critical of the term “hybrid”. According to my research, it is relatively common in the production of PU artificial leathers to take a backing layer of fleece (also microfiber) and provide this with a PU top layer. According to this, the hybrid leather is a normally manufactured artificial leather:
In both cases, you have a fleece/microfiber carrier layer and a top layer. The innovation here then lies “only” in the top layer, which Secretlab has developed. I find the new leatherette absolutely successful, haptically it is really great! Only with the term “hybrid” I have my problems.
Workmanship & quality on the Secretlab TITAN Evo
At a price of around $470, I have very high expectations here, which could already be met with the predecessors and also met with the TITAN Evo 2022. I have nothing to complain about here, the chair looks very valuable.
Here you can see a very minimal wrinkling on the headboard, the leather could have been a bit tighter. Here I complain but at the highest level, I had to hold the lamp well on it, so that you can see it at all – I’ve noticed it myself only late.
The seams are otherwise very precise without exception, the manufacturing level is high here.
And you don’t have to worry about the use of materials either, after all, the chairs can withstand loads of up to 150kg or 180kg – you can’t afford materials that are too cheap, especially not if you give a 3-5 year warranty.
3-5 years warranty with exclusions
Secretlab offers a 3-year warranty on the TITAN Evo 2022. You get 2 years on top if you either pay $50 or share a picture of the new chair on social media. A warranty beyond the 2 years is commendable.
However, there are also some exclusions in the warranty statement. Natural wear and tear, for example, is not included, but that’s normal and basically how all office or gaming chair warranties are handled.
Secretlab’s statement has a lot more, though, so “aging of materials” is excluded, as well as damage if you sweat a lot due to illness, and “accidents” are also excluded, whatever that means. That’s the point: these points can be interpreted generously and it’s not entirely clear what exactly the warranty covers.
What it should definitely apply to, however, are cases in which basic components of the chair simply break, such as the base, seat, armrests or similar. At least these points are covered in my opinion, and for longer than is often the case.
Conclusion on the TITAN Evo Review - Buy?
This has become a long test report, which speaks for the Secretlab TITAN Evo for now, because: If I have a lot to write about, it’s either because there are a lot of features, or because there is a lot to criticize. The only criticism I have for the TITAN Evo is the marketing: The cold foam patent is a bit of window dressing, and I’m not sure if the “hybrid” leather was deliberately chosen to make more of the new cover than it is.
Although that wouldn’t be necessary: The neo-imitation leather with its nappa-like surface is haptically great and successful. However, I’m not sure if I can really hold that against Secretlab – marketing is marketing.
The bottom line is that Secretlab has made a big leap in the evolution of its own chair series and created an all-around successful product. With 3 sizes to choose from, everyone can find their perfect chair, features like the L-Adapt 4-way lumbar support make a big splash, as does the new Cloudswap technology for the armrests.
The chair is well thought out down to the last detail, the magnetic neck cushions are a highlight for me and you can clearly tell that they are making the right effort in developing the perfect gaming chair. I find the Secretlab TITAN Evo 2022 really great.
Pros:
- Successful L-Adapt lordosis support
- List Item
- Magnetic neck pillow without rubber & with memory foam
- Cloudswap: 4D armrests with interchangeable pads
- Advanced rocking mechanism with locking function
- Very high quality covers made of fabric or imitation leather
- Optimized in many small details
- For sale in 3 sizes
