AndaSeat Kaiser Frontier Series XL – Full Review

I’ve been putting it through its paces and now I’m ready to share my findings with you. Read on to hear my thoughts and whether I think it’s worth a purchase.

Kaiser Frontier Series XL – Pros and Cons List

Packaging

I found the Kaiser Frontier Series XL in its box on a rainy day and quickly got it inside. The box had some decent damage on one side (thanks FedEx), but all the contents within still looked great.

As far as packaging goes, Anda Seat did a good job here. The cardboard was nice and thick on the outside, and chair components on the inside were woven together to keep everything from shifting. A smaller box contained the wheels, hydraulics, and screw covers. You don’t normally see these pieces together in the same box, but it worked.

All this meant minimal packing materials and less cleanup after putting the chair together. That’s a win for me any day.

Assembly

The Frontier Series XL comes with a thick instruction booklet that Anda Seat’s known for. I can appreciate somewhat detailed imagery for each language in the book (there are 13 in all), but I can’t help but wonder if there’s a more cost-effective way to convey all this information.

I decided to follow the instruction manual page for page as someone brand new to assembling chairs might do. I didn’t have any questions about the process or how to put the pieces together.

One of my pet peeves are screws pre-set into the chair back that you have to remove before attaching the seat. Why can’t these screws be part of the 16 others sealed inside the box? I know I sound lazy for saying this, but it’s an extra step that doesn’t need to be there.

Unlike most other chairs, the Frontier Series XL didn’t come with the armrests attached either. They were actually very tricky to line up and screw into place, leading to a few extra grunts. The second armrest was even harder because I had the first one in the way and had to make sure I aligned the two perfectly.

Everything else was straightforward enough. Anda Seat’s chairs have a nice metal guide for mounting the seat back on the seat itself which simplifies the process. I’m a huge fan of that.

The plastic covers on either side of the chair that hide screws snap into place magnetically. They sit well enough in place but don’t take much effort to remove. I’m curious to see how often they’ll fall off as I move the chair around.

Features

Feature	Anda Seat Kaiser Frontier Series XL Gaming Chair Specs
Weight	62.8 pounds
Seat Height Adjustment	19.9 to 23.2 inches off the ground
Seat Width	16.9 inches
Weight Capacity	Up to 330 pounds
Chair Material	Premium DuraXrta PVC Leather
Reclining Angle	90° to 160°
5-Wheel Steel Base	Yes
Padded 4D Armrests	Yes
Includes head cushion and lumbar support pillow	Yes
2-year limited warranty excluding wear and tear	Yes

Join me on a journey through the Frontier Series XL’s many features:

4D Armrests

Once I got the armrests installed, I was really happy with them. I admit I spent way more time than I should making sure they were symmetrical while building the chair.

The 4D movement means I can adjust up and down, side to side, front to back, and even twist the armrests to accommodate my play style. I set them and forget them, which is a good thing. They’re so comfortable that I forget they’re there after hours of playing.

Recline

If you’re a recliner, this Anda Seat model does the job well. It doesn’t lay perfectly flat, but in my opinion that’s a little excessive anyway. I can go upright for gaming, lean back to watch TV from a distance, or take a nap at the lowest setting.

Rocker

I need a chair with a good rocker feature, and the Kaiser Frontier Series XL doesn’t quite get there for me. It’s too stiff even at its loosest setting to lean without using my legs to keep it tilted back. What’s the point of the feature if I have to do all the work? Once I’m leaning back, I’d like to not have to apply constant force from my feet to keep the thing from moving forward on me. It’s too bad, since other Anda Seat chairs I’ve reviewed have a much better recline mechanism.

Seat

The seat height seems to be where the “XL” comes into play. It’s not overly wide for bigger folks (I’d say the width fits me well and I’m pretty skinny), but I love how tall the chair is. Most gaming chairs I’ve seen max out at around 19 inches off the ground. The Frontier Series XL STARTS there. I can raise it up to nearly two feet off the ground if I want to, which is so perfect for my 6’ frame. I don’t even have the chair raised all the way to the top like every other chair in my home is. It’s amazing.

Of course, that means shorter gamers may have some trouble touching the floor. No worries, there are a ton of chairs out there for you that sit much lower than this one.

Headrest Pillow

I was hoping for something a little more snazzy for the headrest pillow. It’s held in place by clips that feed through holes in the top of the chair, meaning there is no adjustability at all. The pillow rests below the crook of my neck and feels too low to be really effective. I wish I could raise it up just a tiny bit more.

There’s plenty of padding inside the pillow though, and I do find myself using it when I lean back to ponder a thought or imagine my next move. It offers some comfort after my son defeats me again in Super Smash Bros Ultimate.

Lumbar Support Pillow

The Kaiser Frontier Series XL comes with a curved lumbar support pillow that doesn’t actually attach to anything on the chair itself. It’s more or less held in place by friction from the seat itself, but it’ll fall out or move around on you if you’re not careful.

That said, I like it a lot more than many of the other lumbar pillows or built-in support I’ve seen. The pillow’s very firm and supports my lower back well while gaming. I do have to move it up about two inches to find the sweet spot in my lower back, and my body holds it in place. Whenever I lean forward or get up, I have to readjust the pillow before leaning back again. It’s too bad Anda Seat couldn’t have put some magnets in to hold the pillow in place, but that’s a minor inconvenience.

Build Quality

Anda Seat comes through yet again on a high-quality chair. Everything feels very sturdy from top to bottom, and other than some expected armrest wobble. The chair’s solid when I plop down into it, and I don’t feel like anything could break or give way. It doesn’t move, creak, or feel like it’s going to fall apart when I move around.

None of the pieces stick out to me as cheap or look out of place. Probably the closest things are the screw covers on the side of the chair, but they blend in nicely with the overall design when attached.

I’ve scoured the chair from top to bottom, and I can’t even find a thread that’s out of place. The white Anda Seat logos look really nice in contrast to the black chair and offer a pop of color. It would drive me nuts if these logos weren’t done well, but the stitching is flawless here also.

The wheel base here is listed as steel, which isn’t top-tier but is clearly better than the plastic ones I sometimes find. I’m not worried about it cracking any time soon, but I’m nowhere near the 330-pound weight limit. The wheels are polyurethane, which is common for gaming chairs in this price range. They seem strong and are big enough to move over my carpet with little issue.

I’m not quite sure what “DuraXtra” means, but the PVC leather suits the chair well. It feels a bit coarse to the touch but has yet to bother me even when gaming in shorts. I’ve never felt stuck to the chair when trying to get up or anything. Time will tell how long the PVC holds up before it starts to crack, but I’m betting it’s going to take a while.

Both pillows are good quality and offer a lot of support. There’s a lot of firm padding in each one that doesn’t feel cheap. I still think it’s a miss that the top pillow isn’t adjustable, but I don’t notice it if I’m not leaning back in the chair anyway.

Comfort and Ergonomics

I’ve been sitting in my Anda Seat Kaiser Frontier Series XL chair for quite some time now (research, amirite?), and it remains a very comfortable chair. The frame fits me well and feels like it “hugs” me with how the seat curves sharply up on both sides.

My big test is getting up after sitting for hours and seeing how sore I feel. I don’t have any problems with pain in the Frontier Series XL no matter how long I’ve been gaming.

The padding throughout the chair is on the firmer side, which is a good thing for me. It’s a high-density foam that responds well to my body as I move and adjust while gaming. I’ve yet to feel unsupported or left in an awkward position because the padding isn’t responsive enough.

Lumbar support is very important to me. I’m glad this chair has a pillow I can move and reposition as needed to match the curve of my back and give that layer of comfort I need. Since the cushion’s not attached, I can adjust it as needed, whether slouched, sitting upright, or even reclining.

I alluded to it earlier, but the headrest doesn’t quite sit well with me. It’s kind of in my upper shoulder area instead of at the back of my head or even in the crook of my neck. I feel like it limits my ability to sit back in the chair properly, and I’m always leaning forward more than I should. The padding itself is very comfortable though, and if I could line it up correctly it would be a great pillow to use.

The armrests work well thanks to their adjustability. They’re a firm rubber material but it’s never bothered me because I can rest my entire forearms on them instead of having just one pressure point. You should also be able to find a position you like, thanks to the four degrees of movement they have.

Verdict

When all’s said and done, the Anda Seat Kaiser Frontier Series XL has a lot of positives. It’s robust, feels high-quality from top to bottom, and doesn’t creak or groan whenever I sit down. Nothing on the chair looks cheap, and I’d have no problem showing it off to my gaming buddies.

The lumbar support pillow and height of the chair are huge wins for me. Both work really well with my tallish frame and my legs aren’t in some awkward position. There’s plenty of padding to go around, and the rubber armrests are wide and comfortable.

I’m sad that the head pillow isn’t adjustable, and for me this is the biggest miss of the chair. It would be nice to have the lumbar pillow attach by magnets so I don’t have to get it back into the right place every time I get up.

At $399, the Kaiser Frontier Series XL feels appropriately priced. You don’t have top-tier leather or an aluminum frame, but the materials you do get are good quality for the cost. Comfort is king, and this Anda Seat model delivers there nicely.

I’d definitely recommend the Kaiser Frontier Series XL to a friend or family member. It checks all the boxes of a good gaming chair and won’t break the bank in the process.