Secretlab Atlas Review: Form, Function and Focus

If you've ever been in the market for a gaming chair, chances are you've heard of Secretlab. Thanks to its signature NanoFoam material and flashy lineup of crossovers covering pretty much every known IP under the sun, Secretlab has basically become the Apple of gaming chairs over the last few years, with no signs of slowing down.

But as beloved as the Titan Evo and its NanoGen upgrades are, there are two buzzwords in the modern world of office and gaming chairs that it's not quite as associated with – ergonomics and task-focused seating. In this day and age, when everyone is more aware than ever of the long-term effects that whatever they use has on them, these two elements have become the first thing anyone asks about when looking for a new throne to sit on.

Secretlab has always made comfortable chairs designed with ergonomics in mind, but unlike many modern chairs, task focus has never been the main feature. That's finally changed with the Atlas, Secretlab's first task-focused chair that aims to take what worked with the Titan and apply it to a chair that's all about ergonomics. From my time with the Atlas so far, it succeeds with flying colours, quickly taking over the Titan's place as my de facto seat in the house.

The Atlas is much sleeker and lower than the Titan, but I miss the skins

Before you even get to the ergonomics side of the Atlas, the most immediately noticeable difference is its design, which is sleeker and more professional than even the basic Titan variants. The sandy Dune+ variant I was sent for review is surprisingly understated and wouldn't look out of place in a professional office, while maintaining that signature Secretlab look.

I'm a big fan of the more compact and understated aesthetic of the Atlas, as all the other chairs in the line alongside the Dune are designed to have a similarly sharp look. While the Titan has been somewhat typecast as a chair for gamers, the Atlas takes a big step towards a more general audience, one that I think it succeeds handsomely.

That said, one of my only criticisms of the Atlas' new look is that the seat doesn't support the years of leather that the Titan has built up. While this makes sense since Atlas is obviously trying to get away from being too in your face, it's a bit of a shame that they aren't compatible and an option if you want the ergonomic design while rocking a Pikachu skin.

Secretlab's Atlas makes task focus a breeze with its synchronous tilt

As important as looks are for something that will take up a large part of your office or living room, the most important part of a chair is how it feels to sit in. The Atlas is just as comfortable as you'd expect from Secretlab, if not more, due to the shape adjustments made to the memory foam cushion to better support your neck and head. The Re-Curve Backrest might be the star of the show though, as it's incredibly supportive and feels like it suits my slightly smaller frame better than the Titan.

I have regularly switched between my Titan and Atlas, and have come to prefer the shape and feel of the latter by far. The big reason for my preference and what really makes the difference with Atlas overall is its task-focused features. The synchronous tilt mechanism allows you to switch between the upright focus position with your feet planted on the floor for full concentration, and the relaxed rest position which is meant to let you relax and give your body a break.

Switching between these two positions is easy thanks to the reversible locking mechanism found at the base of the chair, which allows you to easily go from work to, in my case, reclining as far as possible for some gaming. Atlas also allows you to adjust the weight needed for the tilt with a handle on the other side, making the whole process very customizable and easy.

This tilting mechanism is central to Atlas and its implementation of the Pomodoro technique, which is about separating focused work with short bursts of relaxation for full optimization. The Atlas is my first introduction to both that mindset and task-focused chairs, and while I was initially concerned that the focus would result in a less comfortable chair, it manages to do both incredibly well. Basically, it's all good things about Titan, but with a healthy twist.

Does Atlas' task-focused design work?

I've had the Atlas for a couple of weeks now and have sat with it pretty much every chance I get, both at work and when relaxing. As someone with terrible posture who's never really thought about the long-term effects of hunching over my monitor, I've made sure to switch between focus mode and sleep mode as much as possible to get the most out of the Atlas.

Although two weeks is too early to tell how much of a difference the Atlas has really made, I can say that regularly switching between the two modes and finding a rhythm to give my body and mind a break has made a big difference in how I approach both work and relaxation at my desk.

I can't possibly pretend to understand the science behind it all, but based on my time with the Atlas, it achieves its goal of task-focused and ergonomic design while keeping it as simple as possible.

Buzzwords aside, the Atlas is also just a remarkably comfortable and uniquely good-looking chair, one that takes everything that worked with the Titan and applies it to a more modern design. If you can bear to step away from Secretlab's signature collaboration skin, it's an impressive and highly recommended upgrade.