DXRacer Craft Review

DXRacer was gracious enough to send me one of their Craft Series chairs recently. Join me as I put it
through its paces and see if it’s worth adding to your gaming suite.

Packaging

It’s always nice to see a box that stands out, even if just a little. The blue text really pops, and two sides of the box colored in blue give a high-end feel. Maybe I’m crazy, but it gets me more excited about what’s on the inside.

I opened the box to a well-packed display of chair components. Everything had its place with minimal extra packing material. Nothing shifted (or could shift) so I wasn’t worried about anything getting damaged. I’m happy to report that all the pieces were in tip-top shape as I pulled them out.

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The wheels, which are one of the weaker components, were safely tucked away in a box. That’s a step up from most other chairs I see.

Assembly

DXRacer printed their assembly guide on the back of a cardboard flap inside the box instead of a traditional user manual. Somewhat rudimentary, but it got the job done. I followed the five steps to get the chair put together. It’s mainly pictures, but nothing was difficult to follow.

An interesting observation was the lack of a package with screws. In fact, I went through the box twice looking for it before using my brain and looking at the chair itself. All the screws were pre-installed, so I had to take them all off before assembly. Some of these screws were so well secured that it took two hands and a lot of elbow grease to get them off.

On that note, the hex wrench was all wonky. One of the tips was for the wrong side screw, so I couldn’t use it at all during assembly. Since the hex that fit was on the long end, each tightening required extra torque.

The screw covers fit on either side of the chair with little issue and snap much better into place than Anda Seat’s Phantom 3 offering. Anda Seat’s feel like they’re always going to fall off, and these don’t.

It was easy to slide the headrest in place on the adjustable track on the top of the chair. There’s a stopper that I had to install to keep the headrest in place, and after the full force of my arms, it’s still not firmly in there. I just hope the whole thing doesn’t pop off at some point.

A few minor problems aside, I had the chair together in around 15 minutes. That’s definitely one of my faster assemblies.

Features

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DXRacer Craft Gaming Chair Specs

Weight: 55.57 pounds

Seat Height Adjustment: 18.5 to 21.5 inches off the ground

Seat Width: 21.2 inches

Weight Capacity:  Up to 255 pounds

Chair Material: EPU Leatherette

Reclining Angle: 90° to 135°

5-Wheel Aluminum Base

Padded 4D Armrests

Comes with a head cushion

3-year limited warranty (additional 2 years for free) excluding wear and tear

Let’s see how the Craft Series features stack up:

Armrests

The Craft Series has 4D armrests, which are top-of-the-line as far as I’m concerned. You can move them in and out, up and down, left and right, and even swivel them a bit to find that perfect position.

Or at least, you should be able to. Much of that motion I just mentioned is blocked by the chair itself, pretty significantly limiting where I can move these bad boys. These came pre-installed from the factory, so I don’t know if the issue’s there or if it’s a design issue. It doesn’t affect the way I like to position my armrests, but it’s bound to bother someone.

Recline

In another shocking twist, the chair’s recline only goes back to 135 degrees. I’ve never seen a chair with such little recline outside of the DXRacer line. For comparison, the Secretlab Titan and Anda Seat Kaiser both reach at least 160°. I’ve reviewed the DXRacer Master series before, and even that one goes to 155.

The DXRacer Craft still works for working, gaming, and even reclining back to watch some TV or a movie. You’re only going to be in trouble if you’re looking for some good shut-eye.

Rocker

There is a rocker on the Craft Series, but it’s too stiff to use unless you’re in recline mode. It just requires too much foot power to get the chair to lean back, and I’m not looking for a calf workout when I want to take a little break.

Seat

You’ve got a pretty standard three inches of play on the seat height, which should be enough to accommodate a chunk of gamers. I’ve got mine comfortably at the highest setting, but I’m six feet tall. If you’re much taller than me, I’d try out something like the Anda Seat Kaiser XL instead.

Lumbar Support

DXRacer chose to forego a lumbar support pillow for a built-in mechanism that “fits the curve of your spine”. There’s an awkwardly-placed knob on the side of the chair to activate this, and I’ve got mine cranked all the way to maximum. You can certainly feel the lumbar support engaging as you turn the knob, so it’s not just for show.

I will say that I haven’t had any lower back discomfort since I started testing out this chair. It feels weird if I turn the lumbar support intensity down, though.

Headrest

You get to install the headrest pillow on a little “track” that allows you to move it up and down. I appreciate the flexibility, but seeing as I’m at the upper-end heightwise of what this chair can handle, I just leave it at the very top.

The pillow catches the bottom of my head and settles nicely into my neck and actually feels pretty nice. It has some firmness, which I enjoy but may not be for everyone.

Build Quality

I put the Craft Series through the butt wiggle test to listen for creaks or groans, and I honestly don’t hear any. It feels like a solid construction from top to bottom, and I’m not worried about anything breaking or coming loose.

Looking at all the parts, I can’t figure out why the chair’s only rated for 255 pounds. Secretlab’s Titan EVO goes as high as 395. The steel frame and aluminum base should be able to handle more weight, so I don’t know where the weak point is. Hopefully it’s no big deal.

DXRacer does a stellar job with stitching from top to bottom, and I really enjoy looking at the chair. Even one thread out of place would drive me nuts, so I appreciate the attention to detail here. Plus, the white thread on my white and black chair looks great on the black fabric.

They also do an excellent job with the plastic covers for the mounting screws on either side of the chair. Anda Seat seems to like to cut corners here (I’m looking at you Phantom 3), but these seem sturdy. The magnets to hold them in place are strong too, so they’re not going to fall off on me when I move around.

I can’t really speak to the internals of the lumbar support bar, but it seems to work well. I can feel the support moving in and out as I turn the knob, and it moves in a fluid motion. Chances are I’ll just leave it where it is now, but it’s nice to know I can move it without fear of breaking something.

The headrest pillow reminds me a bit of Yoda’s head with the sides sticking out, but it’s well made. The slider the cushion’s on to move it up and down feels a bit chintzy, is loud, and takes some effort to get the pillow to move. I could see it breaking if I play with the pillow too much.

If there’s one big miss with the build quality though, it’s these armrests. They’re asymmetrical and it looks like the left one is about an inch closer to the center of the chair than the other. What’s worse, they run right into the chair itself when I try to move them back. I’m forced to leave them in a forward position or make other adjustments if I want them back further.

Comfort

After using the Craft Series for a while now, I will say it’s a very comfortable chair. I’ve never once gotten up from a long gaming sesh and had to deal with sore spots or discomfort. It’s one of the few chairs that I can actually forget I’m sitting in.

DXRacer team definitely thought through ergonomics when they designed this chair. I’m a huge fan of the thick and firm padding on both the seat and back, and I love the support it gives. You’re not going to sink into this chair at all, but it kind of feels like you’re sitting in a cloud.

The upholstery is a solvent-free faux leather material advertised as a higher quality and more durable than similar fabrics. I have yet to use this chair long enough yet to test out the wear and tear, but the fabric does feel really nice. It’s soft, smooth, and less rigid than the faux leather in Anda Seat’s Kaiser model.

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There’s the thick, firm rubber on the armrests you’ll find on most gaming chairs. It has a bit of give when I push down on it, otherwise it holds its shape very well. The material’s plenty comfortable whether I’m in long sleeves or my skin’s right against the armrests themselves. I’m able to move them into a position that works for me, but some gamers may take issue with the blocked movement.

I’m a bit of a headrest pillow snob, and I’m okay admitting that. That said, the pillow on the Craft Series is really nice to rest on when I need a short break from writing or up-close action with the keyboard. If I’m playing a console game with a controller, I’m using this pillow all the time.

The lumbar support isn’t really noticeable when looking at the chair, but it is there – and it works. I need a lot of lower back support, and the Craft Series delivers. That support seems to disappear very quickly if I turn the knob even a few clicks, so I just leave it full blast all the time.

When all’s said and done, the DXRacer Craft supports my frame really well. I’d definitely place myself right at the upper end of the height range for this chair, but shorter gamers should have the same success.

Verdict

The DXRacer Craft comes through in almost every area. I love my limitless comfort and the adjustability of most the features so I can set things up exactly how I want them to be. It’s nice to have a headrest pillow I can count on and none of the squeaks or groans other chairs can have.

Everything on the chair looks great, which is important if it’s a focal point of your gaming room. The lumbar support keeps me spry and I can transition from gaming to the real world without sore spots or stiff muscles.

I struggle to get past the armrest issues, especially since it’s such a glaring problem. The rocker feature’s pretty much unusable, and I’m wondering when this headrest is going to break free. It’s going to be a dark day when I can’t use this pillow anymore.

For $449, I expect a high-quality chair. That’s shown here in the stitching, premium faux leather, and aluminum wheel base. There’s all the attention to detail on the esthetic that helps the Craft Series stand out. It feels like the price point is about right for what you’re getting.

I’d have no problem recommending the Craft Series to a friend, given all the features I like about it. The positives greatly outweigh the negatives, and anyone’s going to enjoy the comfort for days. I would make sure this friend wasn’t any taller than me, though.

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