Merax High-Back Gaming Chair Review

Our Verdict: The Merax Gaming Chair is one of the better options in the sub-$200 price range.

The Merax Gaming Chair is a solid option if you don’t have the enormous budget required to spend on a DXRacer or Vertagear chair. It is marketed as an “ergonomic” chair, but you shouldn’t expect comfort on par with high-end office-class options like Herman Miller’s or Steelcase’s chairs.

However, it is much more affordable than both the high-end ergonomic office chairs that are out there as well as some of the other racing-style gaming chairs. And, it is pretty comfortable for the price.

The one major downside, though, is that the seat is a bit narrow and thus not best-suited for bigger users who have wider hips. Ultimately, this is a qaulity chair for the price you pay and so if you are looking for one of the best options under $200 and you are an average sized gamer, this option from Merax is definitely one you should consider.

If you want to dive more into what the Merax High-Back Gaming Chair has to offer, the review below should help you get a better idea of what you can expect out of it. Or, if you want to go straight to the product page, click below. And, if this isn’t the chair for you, check out our full PC Gaming Chair Buyer’s Guide for more options.

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Merax High-Back Gaming Chair Tech Specs

Dimensions	52.4″ (H) 21.7″ (W) 20.1″ (D)
Weight	55 lbs.
Capacity	250 lbs.
Materials	PU Leather
Type	High-Back
Style	Gaming/Racing
Colors	Black & Blue, Black & Green, Black & Red
Recline	180-degrees
Warranty	1-Year

Style, Design, & Color Options

For starters, this is, obviously, a racing-style high-back gaming chair. And, as such, it will appeal mostly to gamers.

With that being said, this chair’s style is right in line with the growing movement of gamers who are buying and using racing-style gaming chairs.

The base color of the chair is black, but it has accent colors and you have three different options to choose between for those accent colors, which you can see below:

In my opinion, the lack of including an option where the accent colors are black along with the base of the chair (making it a completely black chair) is a mistake, as the colors are so bright and bold that some gamers with a more minimalistic style will likely pass this chair up altogether.

Still, though, there are plenty of gamers out there who are looking for these specific color schemes and so the accent color options will definitely appeal to those users.

1. High-Back Seat

The high-back seat is one of the key components of the racing-style gaming chair trend that is growing thanks to prominent Twitch streamers and YouTube gamers using the same type of chairs.

High-back chairs tend to offer more support for your neck, shoulders, and upper back and are thus good options for taller users.

And, in terms of marketing, high-back chairs offer companies the perfect chance to display their brand’s logos on the top part of the chair, where those logos are more likely to be seen by people who are watching streamers who sit in high-back chairs.

This chair from Merax does sport the typical high-back design and so if that’s something you are looking for—whether you are a taller gamer who wants more upper back support, or just a gamer who wants that look and feel of a high-back gaming chair—then this option will at least tick that box on your list of things to have on a chair.

2. PU Leather Upholstery

This chair is upholstered in PU leather, which is pretty common for chairs of this style and in this price range. Some of the higher-end and more expensive racing-style gaming chairs can come in different materials, but PU leather is pretty par for the course for this style of chair.

PU leather is essentially a synthetic material that is made from parts of real leather, but is finished with a poulurethane coating. And, PU leather actually comes with some benefits over traditional leather, namely that it is more resistant to water and liquids, , easier to clean and maintain, it fades less quickly, and it is cheaper to make, and thus brings the price of the chairs down that it is used in.

The downsides of PU leather, though, are that it is not as durable or strong as real leather.

Ultimately, though, even the high-end gaming chairs on the market don’t use real leather and neither do most of the well-regarded ergonomic office chairs.

So, for all sakes and purposes, the PU leather on the Merax Gaming Chair is to be expected and brings enough pros to the table that it should deter many users from choosing it.

3. Dimensions and Weight Capacity

As far as dimensions go, the Merax Gaming Chair is, again, right on par with other chairs in its price range.

The chair measures in at 52.4″ tall, 21.7″ wide, and 20.1″ deep. And, just to be clear, those are the maximum distances, as both the height and width (through the arm rests) can be adjusted.

For capacity, the chair is rated to hold up to 250 lbs., which is actually fairly low considering there are chairs in this price range that have capacities of over 300 lbs.

I am thinking, though, the the lower capacity may be due to the fact that this chair can recline a full 180-degrees, and the capacity may be more based on what the chair can handle in its fully-reclined position.

In any case, though, if you are a larger gamer, you’ll likely want to look for a chair that can handle your frame. And, that is even more so true, as multiple larger gamers have complained that the seat itself is too narrow.

While the overall width of the chair is 21.7″, that measurement includes the armrests as well. And, because the seat is a buck-style seat, the true width of the seating area is closer to 14-15″.

So, again, if you have a larger build, or if you have wide hips, you’ll probably want to look at different options.

Important Features

There are quite a few different features on Merax’s High-Back Ergonomic Racing chair that help make it a worthy option. In this section we’ll go over what some of those features are and go into a little more detail on why they might be something that you would enjoy.

1. 180-Degree Reclining

For gamers, the ability to recline back in your chair is a really nice feature to have. Most gamers tend to do more than just actively play games on their computers. They watch gameplay videos, their favorite streamers, and movies. And, in those scenarios, since the user doesn’t have to be active to watch that kind of content, it is nice for them to be able to recline back a bit and relax while they watch.

And, of course, not everyone wants to sit a 90-degree angle even when they are playing games or actively using their computer.

So, with the ability to recline Merax’s gaming chair, users will get a bit more flexibility in how they are able to position their bodies throughout the course of their sessions.

And, because the chair can recline back a full 180-degrees, you even have the option to take a nap. That might not be something that everyone will use, but just the fact that that option will always be there gives this chair a bit more value than similarly-priced chairs that don’t have this feature.

2. Lumbar Support and Headrest Pillows

The one downside of this new racing-style computer chair is that the backs tend to be pretty straight up and down. And, while some users might not mind that, other users who need lumbar support probably won’t be able to sit in a chair like that.

So, a lot of these gaming chairs come with an added lumbar support pillow that attaches to the back of the chair via straps and typically they are adjustable in some form or another.

Merax’s racing chair does include a lumbar support pillow, as well as a headrest support pillow, too.

Although, the quality of the lumbar support pillow is in question. I personally don’t use any type of lumbar support pillow as I find I can never find a position for them that I can get used to.

However, there are a few other users out there that have reviewed this chair who have mentioned that the lumbar support pillow is a bit firm and not too comfortable (although, I thought lumbar support was supposed to be firm?).

And, the other problem with the lumbar support pillow is that it is not as easy to adjust as the lumbar support pillows that come on some higher-end chairs—like the ones that come with DXRacer’s chairs. Whereas DXRacer’s lumbar support pillows can be adjusted by sliding it up and down the straps, the lumbar support pillow on Merax’s gaming chair is connected to the straps, and so adjusting it means going behind the chair and adjusting the straps, rather than sliding the pillow up and down.

In any case, the lumbar support pillow and headrest do come with this chair and I’m sure they’re good enough for most users. But if you’re picky about your lumbar support you might want to look elsewhere.

Is the Merax Gaming Chair for You?

As with most products, there is a certain point in which each product makes sense to a specific consumer. The same is true both with computer chairs in general, and with this chair.

So, rather than saying, “No, this product is not a good product and you should avoid it,” or “Yes, this is a good product and you should absolutely buy it,” the truth could lie on either side of that decision.

It really all comes down to, first, your budget, and then second, your personal preferences and needs.

So, who does the Merax Gaming Chair make sense for? You probably already have a general idea of whether or not it is a chair that will make sense for you, but there are really fiver factors that will determine whethere or not it is a chair that you should even consider:

• You have between $100-$200 to spend.
• You want a high-back chair.
• You want a racing-style gaming chair.
• You want a chair with red, green, or blue accents.
• You’re an average-sized user who doesn’t need a bigger chair.

If you have more to spend, you’ll probably want to look at higher-end options.

If you want a mid-back chair, or a traditional executive-style chair, you’ll want to look at different options.

If you want a racing-style chair that doesn’t have accent colors on it (a solid color), or one that has accent colors that the Merax Gaming Chair doesn’t offer, then you’ll want to look at different options.

However, if what you are looking for out of a chair matches those four factors above, then you can add at least add the Merax Gaming Chair to a list of chairs to consider.

There are definitely other chairs that match those four factors as well, and so then it will all come down to determining which one is the best option. For instance, if you don’t really need the 180-degree recline option, then you can probably save some money and get a similar chair that doesn’t have the feature.

Ultimately, my goal is not to make up your mind for you, but rather give you as many facts about the chair as possible in order to help you make the right decision for you. This is a solid chair for the price, but in the end, only you will know if it’s something that will make sense for you.

Overall Product Value

Now, if you’re just looking for what kind of value the Merax Gaming Chair brings to the table, in my opininon, this chair offers a good value for the price.

Again, I have laid out scenarios in which this chair would be a viable option for you.

Is this going to be a chair that you rave over and love every little thing about? Probably not. And, that’s just simply because at this price range, there really is no such thing as a flawless chair—especially among the racing-style/gamer chairs out there.

But ultimately, if you do have between $100-$200 to spend, this chair will provide good value in comparison to some of the other options in this price range.

It is a fairly comfortable chair (especially if you’re used to sitting in cheaper chairs), it’s aesthetics will no doubt appeal to certain gamers, and it’s recline option is a pretty cool option as well.

In terms of comfort and support, this chair definitely isn’t on par with the more expensive ergonomic chairs out there (like Herman Miller or Steelcase), and it isn’t quite as well-built or as polished as high-end gaming chairs (like the options from DXRacer and Vertagear.)

But, it doesn’t cost nearly as much as those options. And, so, overall, for the price, it is definitely a worthy choice.

Check it Out on Amazon