Design & Build Quality

When Razer first unveiled its Iskur line of gaming chairs, it was as highly priced as its other competitiors. Knowing that Razer decided to launched a slightly lower-cost alternatives and named it the Iskur X line where they would do collaborations to beef up their sales. This year, we have the 2nd collaboration after its first Genshin Impact version, a collaboration dedicated none other to gamer girls and Hello Kitty lovers alike. This is the Iskur X in the Hello Kitty and Friends variant. Since Razer is fairly new in the ergonomic gaming chair industry, can they take over their competitors with a slew of offerings? let's find out. Starting off with the design, the Iskur X looks very similar to the original Iskur. From the top, there is your distinct Razer logo sewn onto the headrest. Moving down, there is a large print of Hello Kitty sitting atop the multi-coloured rainbow floating above the clouds as starry details adorned the edges of the backrest. And if you realised, the Iskur X drops one of the biggest features of the more expensive Iskur and that is the adjustable built-in lumbar support. It is simply just a flat backrest which you can of course, purchase an additional pink Hello Kitty lumbar cushion if you want to get additional back support. There is also no memory foam headrest cushion included too and none of the same theme by Razer. The backrest lightly wraps you in a comfortable and non-intrusive way that you hardly fit constricted in your movement even if you have wide shoulders. The entire backrest and seat base uses the same PVC leather and there are white stitching seams all around the chair giving it a clean and minimal aesthetics that adds to its quality finish. At the back, we have the Razer and Hello Kitty and Friends logo proudly ablaze above the Sanrio characters of Little Twin Star floating on the clouds to Badtz-Maru, Pochacco, Keroppi, Pompompurin, Hello Kitty, Kuromi, My Melody, Tuxedosam and lastly Cinnamoroll above in the rainbows. Now back to the front, the seat base itself feature a simple mirror outline of Hello Kitty's ribbon can be found together with flowing details of a rainbow and clouds from the front backrest design. It is important to note that the edges of the seat base are finished in a white PVC leather instead of pink like the whole seat. It gives off a different vibe and adds to its two-toned design approach but I would caution that the white leather might be the first to be stained as some gamers do like to keep their legs crossed and their feet would have to most contact with that area. And while, we are at it, I have to say the seat base is really wide and more than enough for one to cross their legs with ease. Onto the pivots of the reclining backrest, a simple light grey plastic cover on the outside encase the black metal pivot joints that holds the backrest and seat base in place. However, instead of the magnetic covers that we see on some of its competitor's chairs, Razer has stuck with the tried and true standard screws to attach the side plates on. It definitely isn't the most pleasing way to assemble that part but I can see why they did so. On one hand, Razer could lower some cost on the materials side and dedicating more cost to makes the print more premium knowing that users wouldn't interact with tightening screws that often anyway. On the right, you will find the lever that allows you to push back the backrest position to a mere 139 degrees. Definitely not a lot for a full nap but just enough for short relaxation need. Of course, with no fully recline mode, I am glad to report that it is impossible for any toppling issues even if you keep your legs crossed and lean all the way back at 139 degrees. Moving on, the armrests are 2D and wrapped in a rubber finish with plastic extenders that slides up or downwards with a push of the button at the bottom of each armrest. The armrests are also capable of moving inwards to fit your typing or gaming needs or outwards to create more space for cross-legged sitting. There is however, no option to push the armrest forward or backward to bring it closer or further away from your desk to the chair. The bottom of the armrest which attaches to the seat base are fortunately made of metal and the L-shaped curve is covered with yet another piece of plastic to protect users from any potentially sharp metal underneath. With all we need to know about the exterior of the prints, we also need to consider the insides of the seats to determine its comfortability. And yes, there is a series of different materials combined. At its core, it is filled with cotton and polyester layer to give it thickness together with a multi-synthetic leather wrapping the outside layers and lastly a resin finish on the most outer surface to give it shine. Razer claims that it is tougher and more durable than standard PU leather and the plush yet dense High Density Molded Foam cushions support your body shape. And I have to say, it is to a certain extent true but not to the fact that they will eventually mould down to the shape of our bottom. It is indeed of just enough dense and firm support for a gaming chair to feel right for ergonomic uses. For long gaming sessions, I do experience some heat trapping when used in a non air-conditioned room. At its best, I could sit for around 4 hours straight without standing up if I were to use it in an air-conditioned room and around an hour or two in a non air-conditioned room before I need to air the trapped heat. In terms of durability, it has a while since I owned the chair and it seems to hold up fine without any peeling from small accidents as of yet. Onto heaviest parts of the chair, the steel-reinforced frame and metal wheelbase can support a weight of up to 136 kg, and is ideal for gamers with from 170cm to 190 cm. Now, you will find a lever on the right helps to adjust the height of the seat. It is fitted with a gas lift class 4 hydraulics and a 5-star metal powder coated wheelbase that you attaches to its 6 casters that are plastic. I would say it is definitely floor-friendly and won't damage delicate floorings but as for the longevity, not so much. Unfortunately, that isn't my only pet peeve. If you realised by now, Razer has did away with using some parts from their original Black/Green variant but there is one part that I wished they didn't do so; the piston. The piston is black and it is visible at the bottom of the wheelbase. To me, it did surprise me at the start and still throw me off when I look at the entire product from far, I felt that it was out of place and they could have at least make the visible part of the same light grey colour to match the aesthetic.

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User Experience & Comfort

In terms of comfort, the Iskur X is on par with one of the best ergonomic gaming chair that I have tested. My height and weight was in the range of the Iskur X series and it seems to fit my body frame like a glove. While there was a lack of any multi-tilt adjustability to cater for different times of the day from working for long hours to even taking a short nap, it is certainly possible to take a nap. For my use case, the longest time I could peacefully take a nap on it is around 1 hour before waking up. For breathability, the PU Leather isn't the best and the seat tends to warm up pretty quickly after an hour of sitting. Most of the time, you would have to get up to air the seat to avoid trapping heat. However, the leather is slightly resistant to accidental water spills which buys you some time to clean up the mess when a spill happen and it would not likely leave a stain. Since, the Iskur X cushions are mostly pink, I do see the PU leather getting dirty over time and possibly darkening with everyday uses as well unless you do frequent leather cleaning with the right solution. All the moving parts of the Iskur X is made with high quality metal, however most of the other parts that you usually interact with are encased in plastic. Hence, in day to day use, it doesn't instil as much confidence in the longevity of the plastic parts as they may tend to wear down easier. Still, knowing that the frame is fully metal means that internally we won't face as much wear and tear issues. If you wish to tighten the screws after some time of use, you do have to go through the hassle of removing the rubber cap and unscrewing the plastic cover to get to the internal frame. Lastly, Razer also offers a 3 year warranty for its mechanisms and moving parts excluding wear and tear.

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PROS​

• Durable Construction

• Excellent Build Quality & Materials

• High Density Molded Foam

• Durable PU Leather

• Resin Finish and Fine Prints

• Clean and Minimalistic Stitching Seams

• 2D Armrests

• Backrest Recline

• Gas Lift Class 4 Hydraulics

• 3 Year Warranty

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CONS​​

• Lack of Personalisation Services

• Mere 139 Degree Recline

• Lack of Any Similar Themed Headrest Cushion

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The Bottom Line

All in all, the Razer Iskur X Hello Kitty And Friends Edition is a premium, comfortable and cute gaming chair that not just serve gamers who game for long hours, it is also a great office chair that excludes a sense of fun, lovable atmosphere to any room. With great materials as well as a sleek design, the Iskur X stays on top of the pack when it comes to recommending a great ergonomic chair with fun and excitable collaborations in its near future.