I"ve reviewed a couple of gaming chairs over the past few years and generally found them to score well in our reviews. DXRACER reached out asking if I was interested in taking a look at one of their gaming chairs, and they ended up sending me the TANK Series, which is described as a "Heavy-Duty Gaming Chair For Big and Tall Gamers." It became available to buy in the summer of 2024.
Before we get underway, here is a disclaimer: DXRACER provided a free sample without any review pre-approval.
Let"s get things rolling with a closer look at the specifications and features.
Specifications
| DXRACER TANK Series | |
|---|---|
| Model | Classic |
| Materials | EPU Leatherette, Woven Fabric |
| Height adjustability | 18.8" - 22.4" (47.5 - 56.9 cm) |
| Seat (w+d) | 24.8" - 23"4" (63 x 59.4 cm) |
| Seat cushion | 4.7" (12 cm) 60kg/m³ X-Comfort Foam |
| Backrest | 36.2" - 24" (60 x 90 cm) |
| Backrest adjustability | 90° to 135° |
| Lumbar support | Cushion (magnetic) |
| Armrest adjustability | Multi-directional 4D armrests |
| Rocking angle | 15° |
| Neck support | Included pillow (magnetic) |
| Net weight | 34 kg / 75 lbs |
| Weight support | 180 kg / 400 lbs |
| Size | Super Plus / XXL |
| Colors | Black, Black/White, Black/Yellow, Black Red |
| Warranty | 5 years (upon registering) |
| Price | $599, €539.30, £459.95 |
Introduction
I had to look up what EPU leatherette is, and it is apparently the term used for solvent-free PU (faux) leather; it does not contain DMF, phthalate, or lead. It also has several certifications, which means it can pass Reach 191, it"s RoHS (Phthalate Free), EN-71-3 Free, Azo Dyes Free, Formaldehyde Free, DMFU & DFMA Free. Although all looks like goobly-gook, basically means it is eco-friendly.
In addition, DXRACER says they use a proprietary foam called X-Comfort Foam, which is said to be three times denser than standard foam, resulting in a load bearing of 60kg/m³. DXRACER also claims that these findings can be backed up in comparison to "generic sofa foams" and not any specific brand. What"s also nice to see is that buyers can extend the TANK"s standard three-year warranty to five years, for free, and last but not least, it also offers a 30-day return window.
Below are the meat and potatoes measurements for the chair (in inches).
Durability
I would be remiss to not talk about the the various durability testing this chair underwent before coming to market, as this is claimed on the product page and well, it immediately impressed me.
They are:
- 125lb weight dropped onto seat for 100,000 cycles;
- Force of 400 N (41kg) repeatedely applied to armrests for 60,000 cycles;
- Castors swiveled back and forth with obstacles for 2,000 cycles, 98,000 without;
- A 269lbs (122kg) weight is applied to seat and swiveled left and right for 120,000 cycles;
- A force of 11,120 N (1,135kg) is applied to the Aluminum Base for one minute;
- A 240 lbs (120kg) weight is placed on the seat and a force of 445 N (45kg) is repeatedely applied to the backrest for 120,000 cycles.
Now that"s all disclosed, now onto my own personal findings.
Assembly
The DXRACER TANK came in a large box (almost pallet-sized), and everything was packed very well, protecting the different parts of the chair. Right on top was a large sheet, where on the rear, the five steps to assemble it are printed; they are:
- Install the 3" PU Castors into the base.
- Remove the preinstalled bolts from the backrest and slide them into the metal brackets of the seat cushion, secure with those same bolts.
- Remove preinstalled bolts from the bottom of the seat and install the Heavy-Duty Tilt Mechanism using the same bolts, taking care to place the "FRONT" sticker guidance at the front of the seat.
- Place the Class 4 Hydraulics gas cylinder into the Aluminum Base, tip the chair over onto the floor so that the bottom of the seat is facing upward, and install the Aluminum Base"s gas cylinder into the bottom of the seat.
- Place the Magnetic Lumbar Support and Magnetic Memory Foam Head Pillow onto the DXRACER TANK chair.
The assembly took less than 15 minutes, which is actually the quickest I"ve managed to put a gaming chair together. Having the correct preinstalled bolts already in the backrest and underneath the seat definitely helped, because in previous chair assemblies, these were usually shipped in a separate package, like a plastic mould. In fact, quite a bit of time was saved due to the fact that the armrests (eight bolts) were also already preinstalled into the seat base.
Once assembled, as is the norm for most gaming chairs we"ve reviewed, it kind of looks like an oversized car bucket seat. The seat itself is the widest (by 5cm) I"ve reviewed in overall width compared to the AndaSeat I reviewed at the end of 2021.
Another important part of a seat that"s used as a daily driver is the wheels. The company says they are "PU Casters," which are basically made from Polyurethane, suited to industrial use, and can take a bit of a beating. As you can see from the above photo, they look great and are sturdy. If you have had a seat where one wheel constantly gets stuck, or the wheels do not freely wheel you in the direction you want to go, that becomes a huge frustration. I"m pleased to say I have not become stuck or lacking in the direction I want to wheel myself, and they are, as the company claims, "library quiet." You won"t hear any strange noises when rolling back and forth over a rug or a laminated floor. But as with any chair with wheels, to avoid scuffing laminated floors, a carpet or rug under your chair is a must.
I am 6"2 myself and a big guy, I work from home and gained a few pounds from mostly staying in and the hell away from other people. However, the TANK Series chair is rated for up to 180kg (400lbs), which is used comfortably well within its max rating.
Ergonomics
The number of adjustments you can make, right up to setting it in nap mode — which I haven"t fully tested yet — is what you"d expect from a premium chair. Yes, you can go up and down (max 9.4 cm adjustment), rock back and forth (with tilt adjustment), and lock the chair between 90 - 135°, which is not quite as flat as the AndaSeat is capable of at 160°.
Some thought has also gone into the "4D" arm rests, too, which are cushioned but quite firm; you"ll only know it if you press hard into the PU-covered tops, which give about half a centimeter, but it"s enough to ensure your skin won"t get awkwardly stuck to it in warmer (or sweatier) conditions. It almost feels like plastic and is very easy to keep clean.
There are four levels of adjustment for the armrests: backwards, forwards, swing left/right, and in height up and down, which can be handy for desk clearance. The fourth level of adjustment is both fixed, because you can set it while putting the chair together, and adjustable in and out by about an inch and a half. As I already mentioned, the armrests were already preinstalled to the widest setting, which is how I left them.
One cool feature of this chair is that the forward/backwards and swing-in and outward positions of the armrests are locked into position by default. To adjust them, you have to press their corresponding buttons on the sides — a pretty cool feature that avoids the armrests moving when you"re shifting your full weight on the chair.
Comfort
This is ultimately what it boils down to at the end of the day, right? I don"t disagree that the "X-Comfort Foam" is doing its job, as the seat is quite firm but comfortable at the same time. It has a kind of bounce feel to it, which is down to the firmness of the seat. As I mentioned, I work from home, and although I purposely try to set goals of getting up and having a walk around, sometimes work gets in the way, and before you know it, I have been sitting down for four hours straight.
Again, as with my previous chair review, this chair is also rated for tall people, but nowhere in the product documentation does it say how tall. Being 6"2 myself, I"m happy to say that the backrest is tall and wide enough, and thought has been given to being able to place the neck pillow all the way to the top of the backrest if needed.
Since there"s no lumbar adjustment possible in the backrest, you will need the included Lumbar cushion for sure. I found myself using it every time, and it helps that it is fully magnetic.
Conclusion
I"ll be honest, I haven"t used it for very long, just one week, but any spills also wipe straight off the synthetic leather, the stitching, and the lines look great, not a fray to be seen or stitch out of place. This Black TANK Series actually looks cool, too.
Thanks to the style of the construction of the backrest, this also means there is an opening between the seat and backrest. Although it cannot be seen, you can poke your fingers through from the seat to the back. This way, gunk and dust won"t accumulate, and it makes for easy cleaning.
And my favorite feature of gaming seats is the nap mode. While you"re not lying completely flat, it leans far back enough to make you easily doze off after a heavy gaming or working session.
Overall, this chair is well-constructed and offers plenty of comfort features. The price does vary quite a bit depending on the region, at £500 in the UK, and €599 in Europe, and $599 before tax in the U.S. However, shipping is free, which is a bonus for such a heavy item.
Is it worth it, though? At five years" warranty, I think it"s a pretty good deal. Another firm out of Germany sent me a free replacement hydraulic gas spring for a chair that failed after almost four years, so it was well outside its two-year warranty. My advice is to always try, as you might have the same luck I did. If I could fault it at all, it would be for the missing adjustable lumbar support. This is becoming a norm on premium gaming chairs, and I feel like this also falls in that category at $600.
Where to buy
If you use the link below, a 5% coupon will be applied at checkout (applies to all gaming chairs), bringing the price down by $29.95 to $569.05 (also applicable in other regions). You can also apply the coupon code neowin manually at checkout for the 5% discount.
- DXRACER TANK Series for $569.05 (official website)
- DXRACER TANK Series for $599 at Amazon
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