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Boulies Master Rex gaming chair: One-minute review
The Boulies Master Rex is a relaxed gaming chair with an integrated leg rest and various adjustments for improved comfort and versatility.
It’s a good-looking chair, and the Charcoal Grey finish on my review unit made it appear even smarter, although I found the black suede accents a little jarring and unnecessary. Overall, though, this is a relatively understated gaming chair that wouldn’t look out of place in any environment.
I also had the water-repellent fabric finish which was very nice, feeling as good as the finishes on the best gaming chairs around. The rest of the chair is similarly premium, although the head pillow isn’t quite up to the same standards, with a cheaper-feeling material and lacking plushness – but it’s still sufficiently comfortable and supportive.
The seat is quite soft for a gaming chair, providing plenty of cushioning, and is wide enough to comfortably accommodate various frames and sitting styles. The same can be said of the backrest, and I was especially thankful for the very forgiving side bolsters, which cushioned my elbows nicely whenever they made contact.
The Master Rex also features built-in lumbar support, which is adjustable for both height and prominence. I found it comfortable with plenty of support, although I wish it went a little lower, as it doesn’t really get that close to the bottom of the backrest.
What’s more, the two dials on either side for adjusting the lumbar can be awkward to turn while seated and require too many turns to reach their minimum and maximum respective settings, which can make it a chore to set.
I had no such problem when adjusting the armrests on the Master Rex, however. These are very stable and solidly constructed, yet I still found them comfortable to lean on. Again, though, I wish they had a lower minimum height, as well as a more inward bias. However, these are issues I experience with many gaming chairs.
The tilt mechanism was more disappointing, as it failed to easily rock, requiring some force to rock backward, even on its most amenable setting. Yet again, the adjustment dial for it was too laborious to use, owing to the large range between its two extremes.
Worse, however, was the recline mechanism. There’s plenty of range in its angles, but the mechanism itself felt rough and notchy, and I sometimes struggled to lock it in place. I also had similar issues with the Boulies Elite.
The integrated leg rest failed to impress, too. Sliding it in and out wasn’t the smoothest, and there was a fair amount of wobble to it when retracted. It’s well padded, but it’s a shame it only extended as far as my calves – and I’m not a tall person.
Assembling the Master Rex proved easy enough solo, although lining up the cushion gaskets when attaching the tilt mechanism to the seat base can be frustrating. Also, the rubber washers for the leg rest poles fell off too easily, and the machining on some screws was subpar. Despite these niggles, though, the Master Rex was easy to put together on the whole.
The Master Rex isn’t what you’d call cheap, but the quality and features on offer here help to make it a more reasonable proposition. It’s still less than the Secretlab Titan Evo 2022, although this is the best gaming chair around as far as we’re concerned. If you really want to save money, though, the Corsair TC100 Relaxed is a great pick for budget hunters.
In the main, the Master Rex has enough comfort, adjustability, and quality to make it a gaming chair worth recommending. A few features fall short of expectations, but not by enough to reject the Master Rex entirely from your consideration.
Boulies Master Rex gaming chair review: Price and availability
- $479.99 / £409.99 (about AU$762)
- Available now
- Cheaper than some rivals
The Master Rex costs $479.99 / £409.99 (about AU$762) and is available now with PU leatherette and water-repellent fabric upholstery options. The former comes in black and brown, while the latter comes in Charcoal Grey, Ash Grey, and Como (green).
While it sits towards the higher end of the market, the Master Rex is still less than the regular Secretlab Titan Evo 2022, which we think is still the best gaming chair overall. That chair doesn’t come with a leg rest, but the brand does make an add-on accessory – although this carries a hefty price tag.
If you want to spend a lot less than either the Master Rex or the Titan, the Corsair TC100 Relaxed is the best budget gaming chair around in our view. It doesn’t quite have the same high build quality as its rivals, and the assembly process isn’t the best, but it’s still a comfortable and well-designed seat.
Boulies Master Rex gaming chair review: Specs
|
Price |
$479.99 / £409.99 (about AU$762) |
|
Dimensions |
51.6 x 29.1 x 18.9 inch / 131 x 74 x 48cm |
|
Max user weight |
243lbs / 110kg |
|
Min seat height |
18.1 inch / 46cm |
|
Seat width |
20.9 inch / 53cm |
|
Recline angle |
165 degrees |
|
Warranty |
2 years |
|
Material |
Leatherette, fabric |
Boulies Master Rex gaming chair review: Design and aesthetics
- Solid construction
- Soft, premium fabric
- Integrated lumbar and leg rest
The Master Rex sticks to Boulies’ typical aesthetic, with a more formal approach to traditional gaming chair design. It has a relaxed bucket-style backrest, while the seat base has no bolsters to hem you in – which I’m personally thankful for.
The water-repellent fabric I had on my test unit was smooth to the touch, feeling premium yet durable without the scratchiness that can plague some fabric finishes. Its stitching also appeared executed to a high standard, while the dark grey finish looked smart and sleek. The black suede accents seemed superfluous, though, and didn’t really add much in terms of form or function.
Most aspects of the Master Rex seem very well constructed. The frame and wheelbase are solid yet not too heavy, and the casters glide easily on hard and soft surfaces alike, without any catching on the latter. I was also thankful for the softness of the backrest side bolsters, which made them very comfortable on my elbows.
The 4D arm rests are another highlight, offering plenty of stability while being easy to operate. They have a hard-wearing surface yet are still comfortable, and are wide enough to accommodate most forearms.
The Master Rex also includes a leg rest that slides out from underneath the seat. However, the mechanism doesn’t retract smoothly, catching slightly as you pull, and there’s a fair amount of wobble when it’s out all the way, which doesn’t exactly inspire confidence. What’s more, the leg rest itself is quite thick, which means that when stowed, it gets in the way if you want to sit with your legs bent underneath you.
The Master Rex also comes with integrated lumbar support, so no back cushion is required. A head pillow is included, although this doesn’t feel as premium as the rest of the chair, owing to cheaper-feeling material and lack of plushness. It doesn’t attach magnetically either, relying on an elastic strap instead.
Boulies Master Rex gaming chair review: Comfort and Adjustability
- Useful adjustments
- Integrated lumbar support
- leg rest issues
I found the Master Rex a comfortable chair to sit in. The seat is soft and generously cushioned, more so than the seat on the Boulies Elite, for instance. It’s also pleasingly wide, allowing for various sitting styles.
Combined with the similarly plush backrest, this helps to make the Master Rex one of the most comfortable gaming chairs. The inbuilt lumbar support also provides sufficient back support, although I wish it went further down, as even on its lowest setting, it sat in the middle of my back more than I would’ve liked.
What’s more, adjustments are awkward to make while seated, owing to the positioning on the dials. Neither dial is labelled either, so you’ll have to refer to the manual and remember which one adjusts which parameter. Worse still, there are far too many rotations between their minimum and maximum settings, which only adds to the difficulty of making adjustments. At least the adjustments they do provide are meaningful.
The recline mechanism of the Master Rex doesn’t fare much better in this regard. As I found with the Boulies Elite, it’s too notchy and rough, and I often struggled to lock into position.
The tilt mechanism is a further oddity. I found that no matter how much I loosened the dial underneath, it was still too resistant to allow for easy rocking. And as with the lumbar adjustment dials, it requires far too many turns between each end of its extremes. I did, however, like the lever for toggling the tilt lock, as it moves horizontally rather than vertically, which I found more convenient to operate when seated.
On the other hand, the 4D arm rests on the Master Rex are hard to fault. All manner of pivots, rotations, and slides are possible, so most users shouldn’t have a problem getting a comfortable setup. I only wish they went lower and slightly further inwards, but I have this gripe with most gaming chairs I try to some degree; all things considered, they still offer sufficient comfort for extended periods.
The party piece of the Master Rex, though, is the retractable leg rest. I found this comfortable thanks to the amount of padding it provides. It can be adjusted for length, depending on how far you pull it out. However, it doesn’t extend all that far, and I wish it was long enough to rest my heels rather than just my calves, and a little more width wouldn’t have gone amiss either.
What’s more, despite its thickness, it still doesn’t sit level with the seat, meaning your feet dangle below you somewhat. While it’s nice to have, these drawbacks make the leg rest more of a gimmick rather than a feature you’ll want to use regularly.
Boulies Master Rex gaming chair review: Assembly
Putting together the Master Rex was a relatively quick process. I managed to build it by myself without help, although as with many gaming chairs, it can prove difficult and onerous when installing the seat onto the wheelbase, but this was still perfectly manageable.
There were a few other niggles, though. Firstly, when installing the tilt mechanism to the seat base, you’re required to insert small cushion gaskets in between the two before attaching the bolts. These spacers remain completely loose while you do this, which means they’re all too easy to displace and makes the process very fiddly.
In addition, the small rubber washers for the leg rest poles fell out when I took them out of their packaging – so take care not to lose them. Also, some of the screws had some machining damage to them; they were still perfectly functional, but this doesn’t exactly speak highly of Boulies’ quality control.
Ultimately, though, these are small grievances, and the whole process was relatively quick and easy compared to some other gaming chairs I’ve built in the past.
Should I buy the Boulies Master Rex gaming chair?
Buy it if…
Don’t buy it…
Boulies Master Rex gaming chair review: Also consider
Here are some alternatives to the Boulies Master Rex:
| Header Cell – Column 0 |
Boulies Master Rex |
Secretlab Titan Evo 2022 (Regular) |
Corsair TC100 Relaxed |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Price |
$479.99 / £409.99 (about AU$762) |
$549 / £469 / AU$799 |
$199 / £199 / AU$399 |
|
Dimensions |
51.6 x 29.1 x 18.9 inches / 131 x 74 x 48cm |
51.2 x 27.6 x 19.3 inches (130 x 70 x 49cm) |
53.5 x 23.4 x 19.7 inches (136 x 59 x 50cm) |
|
Max user weight |
243lbs / 110kg |
285lbs / 130kg |
264lbs / 120kg |
|
Min seat height |
18.1 inches / 46cm |
17.7 inches / 45cm |
17.7 inches / 45cm |
|
Seat width |
20.9 inches / 53cm |
18.5 inches / 47cm |
21.2 inches / 54cm (incl. bolsters), 14.2 inches / 36cm (excl. bolsters) |
|
Recline angle |
165 degrees |
165 degrees |
160 degrees |
|
Warranty |
2 years |
3 years |
2 years |
|
Material |
Leatherette, fabric |
Leatherette, fabric |
Leatherette, fabric |
How I tested the Boulies Master Rex gaming chair
- Tested for several days
- Made various adjustments
- Years of gaming chair experience
I tested the Master Rex for several days, and used it for gaming and for working. I used it on hard floors and on a large rug, and made every adjustment I could.
I have been PC gaming for decades, and during that time I’ve owned a variety of chairs, including those made for gaming, such as the Secretlab Titan, and office chairs, such as the Steelcase Leap.
I have reviewed other gaming chairs previously, including another Boulies model, the Elite.
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lewis.maddison@futurenet.com (Lewis Maddison)
