Secretlab Titan Evo Lite review: a more affordable gaming chair

The Secretlab Titan Evo Lite is a brand-new chair from one of the biggest names in gaming chairs. It is designed to offer “95% of the premium experience” of the Secretlab Titan Evo for “20% cheaper”. It’s a simple concept, but does it work?

Gaming chairs were once seen as a specialist option for those who sit for days on end in front of high-powered gaming PCs. That was until someone realised that gaming chairs are far more comfortable than regular office chairs, even if you only use your computer for a few hours a day.

When I redid my home office just before lockdown I decided to invest in a gaming chair to replace my stylish but rather uncomfortable low-backed office chair. It’s a decision I haven’t regretted once, though it does make all other chairs feel rather hard.

A decent gaming chair, though takes more space and considerably more cash than your standard chair. So, an option that costs a little bit less will be appealing to more people. I’ve been using the Secretlab Titan Evo Lite now for about a week and think it’s going to be extremely popular. Should you pick it over the full Titan Evo though, is a bit more complicated an answer.

Price and release date

The Secretlab Titan Evo Lite was officially released on 24 January 2024. The chair is available in five versions, including two leatherette and three SoftWeave colours and is priced from £389 / $449 directly from the Secretlab website. The chair also comes in an XL version for £459 /$499.

That’s around £70 / $100 less than the current full Titan Evo starting price of £469 / $549. I expect the SoftWeave models to cost a little more, like they do on the Titan Evo too. Secretlab regularly offers discounts on its chair though, and while just under £400 still feels like quite a lot, if this dropped to under £300 it would feel like a real bargain.

Packaging and set up

As with previous Secretlab chairs, the packaging for the Titan Evo Lite is beautifully done. Everything comes nicely packaged and there are both clear instructions and even a video guide to follow.

All the pieces of the chair can look a little overwhelming at first glance, as it does require a little construction time. However, if you follow the steps on the sheet or on the video, it’s a simple process and can be done by one person. That said, having a second person can help when turning the chair over and attaching the back.

All the needed tools come in the box and there are even soft pads you can place on your floor to prevent the chair from damaging surfaces. In all, I had the Titan Evo Lite unboxed and built in just under 30 minutes.

Performance and features

To look at, the Titan Evo Lite looks very similar to the full Titan Evo. I tested the Prime 2.0 Leatherette Stealth edition, which has the same red stitching as the regular model. The biggest tell-tale is on the back of the chair, where it says Evo lite underneath Titan.

The padding is the same cold-cure foam as the Titan Evo, and it has a similar array of adjustments to allow you to make yourself comfy on the chair. There’s no head pillow included with the chair but you can buy one separately if you want one.

The armrests still have the 4D adjustments, allowing them to move up and down, forward and backward, closer or further and even rotate. The only difference here is that the top section is not removable.

While there is still lumbar support on this Titan Evo Lite, there’s no dial to adjust that support. You do still have the tilting base and the 165-degree recline function if you want to lean the chair right back for a rest. I do like to have the chair to tilt when I lean back on mine, so it’s nice that it is still included on this model.

One difference you might not notice at first is the wheelbase. Rather than an aluminium base, the Evo Lite uses a nylon construction to form a hard plastic base (the XL still uses aluminium for strength). This doesn’t appear to have changed the weight limits on the chair (100kg for the regular model) but I do wonder if it will last as long as the aluminium.

Secretlab is keen to point out that softness doesn’t always lead to the most comfort, and the Evo Lite feels quite firm when you sit on it. It’s certainly firmer than my old Titan SoftWeave I have at home. However, after sitting on the chair for a while it does feel comfortable, thanks to the number of adjustments you can make to get it just right.

Should I buy the Secretlab Titan Evo Lite?

The Secretlab Titan Evo Lite does sacrifice a few features of the original design. However, those features are unlikely to impact the use for most users, and if that brings a Secretlab chair into your budget, then it’s worth it.

It’s an incredibly sturdy and well-built chair that is perfect whether you are a seasoned gamer or just looking for a higher-class of home office chair. The firmer base might put some people off – there is definitely more padding on the original Titan (2020) –  but it’s by no means uncomfortable to sit on. I would recommend the SoftWeave version of the Evo Lite if you want something a little softer, especially if you regularly sit wearing shorts, or just your pants.

Ultimately, the Secretlab Titan Evo is still the best gaming chair you can buy. But if you want to save yourself some cash, the Evo Lite is a very appealing proposition. Should this chair drop under the £300 mark, then you’d be crazy not to buy it.