DXRacer Racing Test: My experience with the R-Series
Today I present you my test of the DXRacer Racing Series. The “R” in “R-Series” stands for Racing, as well as in the F-Series for “Formula”. At the time, these terms were used to appeal to the racing scene in particular, especially since the shape of the chairs is also based on racing seats.
However, it wasn’t just the racing gamers who felt addressed back then, soon more and more gamers wanted to have such a chair – why not? They are comfortable, ergonomically shaped, the quality is right and they look cool – something different than the typical desk chair. And the Racing Series from DXRacer as one of the first gaming chairs ever, I present to you today. This much in advance: I also have criticism.
Important note: I’m testing the RV131 today, also known as the “Racing Pro.” This model is different from the standard DXRacer Racing series. Essentially different are the casters, the mechanics & the armrests. I point this out in the respective sections. Otherwise, the chairs are similar.
Racing (RV131)
Aluminum base, cold foam upholstery, PU cover (fabric also possible), plastic castors, plastic armrests
– depending on model –
3D/4D armrests with soft plastic overlay, (lockable) rocker mechanism, backrest can be tilted up to 135°, max. load capacity of 90/115kg,
DXRacer Racing Series Test: These components make the chair
Before I give you my opinion on the seating comfort of the R-Series and I present the individual components, again in brief what you can look forward to – these are the core features that the model comes with:
- Soft PU cover: The cover of my RV131 is a synthetic leather with many decorations. However, the Racing series is also available with a fabric cover and the designs differ depending on the model.
- 3D/4D armrests: My version is equipped with 4D armrests, the less expensive R-series variant with 3D armrests. Both have pads made of soft plastic.
- Rocking mechanism: My Pro version is equipped with an extended, i.e. lockable, rocker mechanism. The standard racing series has the normal standard mechanism.
- Adjustable backrest: The backrest of the models can be tilted backwards by up to 135° to the seat surface.
- Load capacity up to 90kg/115kg: The standard R-series is loadable up to 90kg, the Pro version up to 115kg.
- Neck and lumbar cushions are of course included with the chairs as standard. How I find the design of the cushions, more later.
Seat comfort & body sizes: This is how comfortable the DXRacer Racing is
This DXRacer Racing review is a mix of my 167cm & 52kg tall & heavy test person and my 189cm & 82kg tall & heavy self. Actually, we both do not fit the chair: My test person is a bit too short and I am a bit too tall.
Together, however, we can give you a very good picture of comfort and ergonomic potential. Each of us has spent several days on the DXRacer R-Series.
What particularly strikes my test person when she first takes a seat: The cushion is pleasantly soft for her. The foam hardnesses at Secretlab & noblechairs are much too hard for her, which is also due to her very light weight of 52kg. The lighter you are, the less the cushion yields and the harder it feels.
I felt similarly here. I like the hardness of the upholstery, even though I like hard upholstery just as much. The soft faux leather also makes a statement and stands out: It really is softer than any other chair I’ve had here so far. We like that a lot.
First conclusion: the chair is definitely made for slim gamers. Provided further with the elaboration of the suitable body proportions:
Seat: Subtle side bolsters, adequate legroom
The side bolsters on the seat are probably the most criticized element in the gaming chair sector. People often complain that the side bolsters are too steep and limit legroom. Background: The side bolsters get their shape from steel tubes, which are covered with upholstery. As the only chair I know of, these side bolsters are made of pure upholstery material only on the Arozzi Vernazza.
This is also often the case, although the problem here is also often that the particular buyer has not bought the chair that suits him. From a certain girth, you can no longer use some chairs, others are more suitable.
Here you can see that the side bolsters rise quite steeply, but are very low overall. This is not a problem for my slim test person, who does not lack legroom at all. At 167cm & 52kg, she has a correspondingly slim build and the chair is made for slim people: In this respect, everything is fine here.
With my 189cm & 82kg you can already tell that it’s getting tighter. However, I can still sit well, so these side cheeks would not restrict me particularly. If I remember correctly, they were also once much more pronounced. Less is more in this case, but in this respect: all done right, DXRacer.
The sidewalls are problematic here only if you have particularly muscular or thick legs, or is generally heavier built – but the DXRacer Racing series is not made for that, there would rather offer the King: DXRacer King Test.
Backrest: Present side bolsters underline the target group
The shape of the backrest also shows that the RV131, just like its brothers from the Racing series, is rather for slim to at most normally built gamers. This is clearly visible in a picture from above:
Here you can see taut side cheeks, especially in the lower back area. I actually prefer them to be as flat as possible, because they’re not that useful in front of the computer. However, my test person also likes them quite a bit, as she says.
You sit more straight due to this design, which is basically not a bad thing, as long as you still have a little room for position changes. Because sitting completely stiffly straight is also not good – dynamics and frequent changes are everything here.
However, to the target audience of the chair fit the side bolsters. These should hardly be constricting for someone who is slim and has treated himself to this model. I fit, for example, in the area of the latissimus muscles still, but really still in the backrest. In the area, however, I am also somewhat more athletic than average.
Rocking mechanism: Requires certain body height
Attention: My DXRacer Racing series in the Pro version has an extended rocker mechanism with locking function. The “normal” R series has only the normal rocker function, which can not be locked.
The extended rocker mechanism is a bit easier to rock than the normal one. However, the effect is not particularly great here. It is more important that you can also determine the rocker function.
So, for example, if I want to stay in this position, then I can press the lever and the chair will stay in this position. So instead of us having to choose between rocker mechanism on or off, here we can lock the mechanism in any position we want.
The rocking mechanism of the DXRacer Racing Series in the test works well, although it seems a bit stiff. For example, DXRacer states that the chair can be used from a height of 160cm. However, my 167cm tall test person is too short to use the rocker function.
Even on the lightest step, she can’t push herself off the ground to teeter, as you can see in the video above. She can still get her feet on the ground, but she can no longer teeter. So you have to be a bit taller or heavier: DXRacer also states here that a weight of min. 60kg is recommended.
The body weight also plays a role here, the more body weight leans in the backrest, the easier the rocking succeeds. Possibly with 167cm & 70kg one would be able to operate the rocking mechanism better, whereby also me with 189cm notices that the mechanism goes somewhat more heavily, than others. Nevertheless, I can rock well.
Conclusion: For these body sizes & weights, the R-series from DXRacer is suitable!
DXRacer itself gives heights of 160cm-185cm. The upper limit also meets it quite well, however, I would go higher than 160cm. My test person comes with the feet on the ground, but can not use the rocker mechanism because it is too small & light. Depending on body weight, I would therefore set higher here.
The seat offers enough space for a maximum of normally built gamers and the backrest is similarly designed: If you’re not too wide, you’ll fit great in the chair. The Pro version can support up to 115kg, the normal one only up to 90kg.
I would set the suitable height at 170-185cm. Small deviations up or down are sometimes okay, depending on the length ratio of upper and lower body. For the DXRacer Racing you may be slim to maximum normal built, I think already from 90kg it is too tight in the back. Heavier gamers have to look further.
Other components in the DXRacer Racing test: The chair can still do that:
The topic of comfort & size advice was a bit more extensive this time! The better you can now assess whether the DXRacer R series is something for you. Now I’ll introduce you to the remaining components & features before I have to complain about the workmanship and the conclusion concludes this test.
Faux leather cover: polyurethane (or fabric)
As mentioned above, the cover material here is PU, which is a synthetic leather. What strikes us here is that the leather is particularly soft compared to other chairs. It also feels absolutely good. In the standard version, however, the R series is also available with a fabric cover to provide more breathability.
High-quality PU synthetic leather, however, can also achieve something. For example, I sweat much faster on my cheap dining chairs at home than on the high-quality PU covers of many of my chairs. So if you’re not prone to heavy sweating or live in an attic, you have a free choice.
Additionally, the PU of the Pro version has embellishments that basically look cool, but still need work on its finish. More about that in a moment.
REACH compliance
The PU covers are REACH-tested and have a corresponding certificate. REACH is an EU regulation that prohibits or restricts the use of certain chemicals. (Registration, Evaluation, Authorization of CHemicals = REACH). So we can assume that there are no unnecessary chemicals in the covers.
4D armrests with soft touch (or 3D)
My Racing Pro version (RV131) is equipped with 4D armrests. The normal Racing Series from DXRacer has 3D armrests, it lacks the shifting of the support from left to right and back, which I also would not really miss.
So you can adjust your armrests in 3 or 4 directions and set them the way it suits you.
What I like about the 4D armrests of the DXRacer Racing Pro series in the test: There is a button for moving the armrest support forwards and backwards. Some armrests don’t have this button, and you can simply slide the support forward like this. However, it sometimes happens that you accidentally adjust it when you lean on the armrest while standing up or sitting down. That does not work here, top!
Backrest can be tilted 135° backwards
What must not be missing, of course, is the backrest tilt. The backrest can be tilted backwards with a lever on our right.
Angles of 125°-180° to the seat surface are common here. The DXRacer Racing series manages 135° and that is also quite sufficient, for example, to take a comfortable position to watch videos. More does not really help here and is more reminiscent of a dentist’s chair. Therefore, I am completely satisfied here.
If you also turn on the rocker function, it goes even further back.
Lumbar and neck pillows: PU-covered and partly too big for us
In order to relieve our lordosis in the neck and lumbar area or the surrounding muscles, there are usually neck or lumbar cushions for our gaming chair. Of course, these are also included with the R-Series.
My test person finds the neck pillow comfortable. She has quite a pronounced curvature in the neck area and the neck pillow fits in perfectly here. I prefer to sit on the chair without it. For me, it’s a little too big and I’m not a fan of PU pillows either because they’re a little too rigid for me. Something soft & fluffy is better for me, but as the test here shows, that’s a matter of taste.
I recommend using the lumbar cushion to very few users of the DXRacer Racing RV131. As with almost all chairs, the cushion is simply too large to fill only the lordosis. Those who are hollow back patients may be able to do something with the cushion, but for us with even a slight hollow back, it is too large.
I am forced into a stronger hollow back than I have when I use the pillow – if this is also the case for you, then better do without the pillow. My lordosis is already sufficiently filled by the shape of the chair.
Base & casters: Differences between R and R Pro in the test
My Pro variant of the DXRacer Racing series has an aluminum base with colored inlays, while the normal R series has a black base. Normally, there is not really much to say here.
However, I find the idea with the colored inserts, which are inserted during the assembly itself, very good. Looks super.
The rollers are also different in the Pro version, namely 2.5cm larger in diameter. The larger the role, the better the runnability, it is said. In my DXRacer Racing test, the rollers run absolutely smoothly and even with the smaller rollers of the standard version is certainly nothing to worry about.
Workmanship & quality: Criticism of the R-series' workmanship precision
The standard series costs around $240, while my Pro version of the DXRacer Racing series costs $400. Then you can also look very closely at the workmanship, especially for a manufacturer with such a long experience. I am not completely satisfied here.
Here I show the backrest at the bottom above the seat.
Here you can see the seat at the bottom left.
These are the design elements that I find very cool in principle, but they were not implemented too well.
This is purely a processing and design criticism, which of course does not affect the seating comfort in any way. Still, I don’t think it has to be. There are chairs in this price range that bring more precise workmanship. Whether I am an unfortunate individual case, I do not know.
Apart from these points, however, the DXRacer Racing Series makes a solid impression.
Conclusion of my DXRacer Racing test: Buy or keep looking?
Basically, I am well satisfied with the DXRacer R-Series. Despite the fact that we with 167cm & 189cm both do not fit optimally to the chair, we were able to get a very good picture, as we each spent a few full working days on the model. What strikes us positively:
- 3 or 4D armrests: The armrests can be adjusted to fit and are equipped with pleasantly soft plastic
- Rocking mechanism: Our model has an extended rocker mechanism that runs well. In the normal version it is the standard mechanism
- Soft padding & soft cover: The padding is DXRacer-typical pleasantly soft, as is the PU leather
- High quality product with minor exceptions
I have to criticize the size of the lumbar pillow in the end. I don’t like the neck pillow 100% either, but my tester does. The biggest problem for me is the workmanship level – there are some inaccuracies here.
Apart from that, DXRacer has brought a solid chair onto the market here, which is well suited for slim gamers from 165 or 170cm & 60kg and which I can recommend well. Only the price of the Pro version with $400 I consider a little high for what is offered, also due to the inaccuracies of the cover. But who is in the recommended size range on the road, can access.
How does the DXRacer R- and F-Series differ?
So where is the difference between R- and F? Once again, I have a small comparison table in which you will notice that the differences are rather small. At that time, little thought was given to body sizes and weight in these series – this only came later with the King Series.
Backrest: 84 cm
Depth of the seat: 45cm
Width of the seat: 36cm
Backrest: 88 cm
Depth of the seat: 47cm
Width of the seat: 36cm
The backrests were measured here without the thickness of the seat, some manufacturers measure this as well.
What do we find? Correct. There really aren’t any big differences in the measurements between the series. The DXRacer R Series is quite similar to the other two. These are small differences, which in my eyes are also not 100% meaningful.
Personally, I would like to see the model jumble thinned out a bit. I don’t think you need all the different models, rather you create more confusion for interested buyers about the right model than necessary.
Well, what the heck. We have high-quality chairs here in any case. In my opinion, it hardly matters whether you choose F or Racing Series. What matters in the end is which versions they are: The Pro or Standard versions.