Razer is known for its flashy, RGB-lit accessories and hardware, but until recently, it had zero offerings for arguably one of the most important aspects of one's PC gaming setup: the chair. Sure, what you sit in has nothing to do with your specs and how well you can run a game, but it has everything to do with how comfortable you are playing that game for hours on end. Having an ergonomic desk setup is crucial for the health of your back, neck, and spine, and picking the right chair is the first step. That's what makes the Razer Iskur particularly exciting: Razer's first-ever gaming chair was made with ergonomic comfort in mind. The Iskur features a dynamic lumbar support system that you can adjust to perfectly hug the curve of your spine, supporting your lower back to prevent stiffness and soreness after all-day gaming sessions. Combine that with a premium build and high adjustability, and you've got a gaming chair that'll suit your needs very well for years to come.
Design
Released in October 2020, the Razer Iskur doesn't have a particularly flashy look. It's a black chair with accents in Razer's signature green, including some stitching along the sides and the brand's snake logo on the headrest. Razer's "For Gamers, By Gamers" slogan is printed on the front edge of the chair, which I'm not personally a fan of, but it's also not really noticeable unless you bend down and look. When viewing the chair from behind, the only distinctive feature is the word "Razer" emblazoned on the back of the headrest in green, so it doesn't stick out like a sore thumb in my living room (and no, Razer didn't work in any RGB lighting). Compared to other gaming chairs, the overall design of the Razer Iskur is fairly minimalistic, allowing it to blend in and work well with any space.
Ergonomic support
While Razer may have held back with the Iskur's visual design, it didn't spare any details with the ergonomics. The shining feature of the Razer Iskur is its dynamic lumbar support system, which includes a built-in curve that can be adjusted using a lever to align with your spine. While some gaming chairs ship with a completely integrated lumbar curve or a lower back pillow that can easily shift around, the Iskur's attached lumbar curve can be tilted forward to provide personalized support that hugs your entire lower-middle back. Once you've found a comfortable position, you can lock it into place so you don't have to readjust every time you sit down. The lumbar curve has a wide adjustment range as well--up to 26 degrees, according to Razer--further helping you find the perfect angle for your back.
The Iskur's adjustable lumbar curve is a great feature that accommodates people of different sizes and heights, allowing you to find the exact position that fits your lower back. It also allows you to set the most comfortable angle based on your current activity. For example, I tend to sit up straighter and lean forward a bit while working during the day, so pushing the curve down allows the chair to continue supporting my entire back while I sit up straight. While gaming, however, I relax more and lean back a bit, which causes my spine to curve backward slightly. The angle of my back has increased, so the lumbar curve should as well. At that point, I can bring the curve forward to fill the gap between my lower back and the back of the chair so that it is again supporting as much of my back as possible. This is a level of ergonomic support that's simply not possible with the average office chair, and many gaming chairs don't offer this level of flexibility either.
Though having proper support for your lower-middle back is crucial (and often overlooked) when you're sitting for long periods of time, it's not the only support you need. Like most gaming chairs, the Razer Iskur features a high back for your head to rest against, and it also comes with a soft yet firm memory foam pillow that you can place behind your head to support your cervical spine (aka your neck). The pillow has straps that allow it to attach to the top of the chair, which is convenient for storage, but unless you're extremely tall, it's going to touch the back of your skull and not your neck. For the pillow to be useful, you have to remove it from the chair and manually position it into the curve of your neck, and because of this, I don't use it all that often. Between the adjustable lumbar curve and the high back, the Iskur's built-in support is usually enough to keep me comfortable and happy, but if I feel my neck getting sore, I'll still slip the memory foam pillow behind my head to ease the tension.
The Iskur's height requirements should be noted here: Razer recommends it for people between 5'6" and 6'2" to help ensure proper ergonomics. Your feet should be able to rest comfortably on the floor while your thighs are parallel to the ground and your back is against the chair. As someone who is 5'3", I felt a bit of strain at first as my legs sloped downward in order to reach the floor, but this was easily amended by using an ergonomic foot rest to boost and support my feet.
Razer Iskur key specs
| Weight: 66.8 pounds |
| Chair cover material: PVC leather |
| Frame: Metal and plywood |
| Adjustable back angle: 139 degrees |
| Armrests: 4D |
| Recommended weight: Less than 300 pounds |
| Recommended height: 5'6" to 6'2" |
Adjustability
The Razer Iskur's innovative lumbar support curve isn't the only way to adjust the chair to your liking. The Iskur notably includes 4D armrests that move in four different directions: up/down, left/right, forward/back, and rotated inward/outward. This further enhances the Iskur's ergonomics by allowing you to find the position that best supports your arms and elbows when they're in a resting position. For example, people with broad shoulders and long arms may prefer their armrests to be further apart, while I need them closer to me in order for my arms to reach them. The ability to adjust the height of the armrests also ensures you can use the Iskur with any desk, as the armrests will fit comfortably underneath. There's nothing worse than having a chair that you can't push forward to fit underneath your desk.
The Iskur's height and angle can also be adjusted, with the ability to lean the entire chair back (including the seat cushion) or just the back of it by using a lever. A separate lever allows you to lock the Iskur in place--when this is activated, the chair cannot be leaned at all, which makes the back feel even sturdier and supportive. This wide range of adjustability lends to the Razer Iskur's highly ergonomic and customizable design, helping you maintain a proper posture and avoid soreness after hours of sitting.
Build and assembly
The Razer Iskur was built to last. Its body, armrests, and wheel base are all reinforced with steel, allowing it to support up to 300 pounds of weight. The chair itself is covered in durable PVC leather, making it resistant to stains and damage, and the seat is made of high-density foam cushions that mold slightly to your shape. If you like the feel of very soft, cushioned chairs, the Iskur's seat may feel a little too stiff. Both the seat and the lumbar curve also feature a stitched diamond-shape pattern, and it's not exactly the most pleasant to run your hand over. However, the stitching isn't something you feel while actually sitting in it, and the dense foam seat ultimately feels like another supportive feature of the chair.
Putting together the Razer Iskur, however, is no joke. You'll definitely want at least two people helping with assembly, as there are many parts and some of them are pretty heavy. My partner and I also had trouble getting some of the screws to go in at the exact right angle required. Still, once it's put together, you've got an extremely sturdy chair that'll likely last you many years.
Value
At $500, the Razer Iskur is certainly on the expensive end of the gaming chair spectrum; however, it does fall in a similar price range as Secretlab's Titan series and provides a comparable level of quality. Secretlab's chairs are among our favorites on the market, but if ergonomic comfort is your number one concern, the Iskur may be preferable due to its innovative lumbar support system.
The bottom line
Without a doubt, the Razer Iskur is one of the best gaming chairs we've tested. It's an impressive first entry into the space for Razer, ticking many of our boxes for what a gaming chair should have: adjustability, ergonomic support, multi-directional armrests, durable material. While it's a pricier option and a pain to assemble, the Razer Iskur feels designed to serve the needs of as many people as possible, as its high level of adjustability enables the perfect fit for people of different sizes as well as multiple situations. And the benefits of being able to adjust and lock your lumbar support into place can't be overstated, reducing tension and promoting comfort even after hours of sitting. If you're someone who's struggled with back pain and soreness after sitting all day, the Razer Iskur is worth considering.
The Good:
- Built-in dynamic lumbar support system provides personalized lower back support that's extremely comfortable for long periods of sitting
- Plush memory foam pillow adds extra ergonomic support for the neck
- 4D armrests and other adjustment levers allow for the perfect fit and under-desk storage
- Build feels high-quality and durable
- Understated visual design allows the Iskur to blend in with any space
The Bad:
- Assembly is a pain due to the chair's weight and number of parts, and some screws are tough to get in
- Expensive, even when compared to other premium gaming chairs
About the author: Jenae Sitzes has been using the Razer Iskur for both gaming and working from home over the past two months, and her back has never felt better. Razer provided the Iskur gaming chair for review.
