Vertagear SL5000 Hands-On Review

The chair boasts easy assembly, a sturdy build with quality materials, and ergonomic features including adjustable armrests and backrest. However, there are areas for improvement, particularly the armrest padding. Comfort-wise, it offers firm support and is well-designed, but a broader seat would be more accommodating. Overall, it’s a solid, versatile gaming chair, offering good value for its price.

Vertagear SL5000 – Pro and Cons List

Note: This chair was provided by Vertagear.

Are you big and tall and looking for the best gaming chair for your build? Then check out my review of the Vertagear PL6000!

Spoiler: you’re gonna like it! 

Spec Sheet of the Vertagear SL5000

Before we begin, don’t forget to check out the main technical characteristics of this gaming chair in the table below.

Overview of the Vertagear SL5000
Weight: 55.11 lbs (25.9 kg)
Adjustable in height
Seat width: 22.4’ (57.5 cm)
Recommended height for the user: between 5’6” and 6’4”.
Maximum supported weight: 260 lbs (120 kg)
5 wheel Aluminum Alloy Base
4D armrests
Backrest adjustment up to 140°
Industrial grade class-4 gas lift
Supplied with lumbar and headrest cushions
2- Year warranty

Delivery and unpacking

The Vertagear SL5000 arrived safely: it’s a beautiful baby weighing over 60 lbs, so plan ahead!

During the unpacking of the chair I thought it was well packaged and secured. The various parts, such as the seat and backrest modules, the base, the accessories, etc. are very well protected, with plastic and bubble wrap. I also like the simplicity: as you can see in the picture, they aren’t many parts, so it’s easy to find everything. As for the documentation, there are no frills: we have the assembly instructions, and that’s it.

In short, a great first impression.

What is my opinion on the assembly of the Vertagear SL5000?

Let me tell you right away: this is one of the easiest and fastest gaming chair assemblies I have ever done. It took me a total of 20 minutes and that includes photos and note taking. I did it by myself, and even if the parts were heavy, I had no difficulty handling them and following the assembly instructions. It is recommended to turn the seat base upside down and to place the seat mechanism onto it. After that you can turn it to upright position and install the backrest.

And here, I must say that I was pretty happy. As you know, I find that installing the screws onto the backrest is often a pain, and this was as simple as it gets. I owe this to the ingenious patented ‘Slide-in’ hardware of Vertagear. Instead of having to adjust the screw threads with the recline levers, you simply have to slide the backrest into the seat brackets and install the screws. When you say it like that, it’s not very clear, but believe me, I only had to spend a few minutes on it and I had no difficulty fitting the screws into the threads. In addition, the manufacturer didn’t bother with screw covers and the result is not unsightly. As they are often difficult to apply, I’m glad I could skip that step. The large black screws blend in with the color and are therefore relatively unnoticeable.

The assembly instructions are quite well-made and clear. Available in different languages, the manual also includes diagrams at each step to help you with the assembly. It should be noted that this is a generic manual intended for several Vertagear models. It worked perfectly with the SL5000 model.

What are the features of the Vertagear SL5000?

Now let’s dive right in and detail the different settings and technical characteristics of this gaming chair:

• Armrests: 4D
• Backrest: adjustment up to 140°
• Seat: adjustable in height
• Tilt: yes, with locking system
• Lumbar support: yes, with strap
• Head cushion: yes, with strap
• Maximum load: 260 lbs (120 kg)

I’ll go into more detail in the following sections; overall, however, I can already say that it is a very good, versatile, and reasonably priced gaming chair. However, there is room for improvement, especially when it comes to the armrests. As is, the padding is minimal, and it’s too bad there are no buttons for their right/left rotation. As for the seat, I think it could be broader. Note that the seat measurements given are misleading, as they includes the edges. The actual seating space is therefore smaller and it is not possible, for example, to sit cross-legged.

What I think of the build quality of this gaming chair

In my opinion, the Vertagear SL5000 gaming chair has great build quality! Apart from the armrests which are made of plastic, the rest is mostly made of steel including the star base and the frame. The whole thing seems very solid to me, but to increase consumer trust, Vertagear should extend the warranty. In this case the legal warranty period is limited to two years.

• The upholstery: the PU leather is of good quality and I think it would stand the test of time. However, the faux leather is not microperforated, unlike the AKRacing Master Pro for example. The fabric looks good: the stitching is excellent, no thread is out of place and the fabric isn’t pinched or caught. The feel is quite neutral, though I preferred how the Master Pro felt, it was more unique.

• The armrests: they are made of plastic, but don’t worry, they don’t stand out from the rest of the chair and they look quite nice. These are 4D armrests and have therefore 4 directional adjustments. Dedicated buttons allow you to adjust the armrest by height, forwards/backward and sideways. I find the whole thing nice, even if the adjusting by height is a bit stiff (due to the plastic). What I wonder is why there isn’t a button for the left/right adjustment. It is freely adjustable but fortunately once again Vertagear has paid attention to the details. The usual problem with adjustments is that they can be undone if, for example, you instinctively grab the chair by the armrest to bring it to you. Here, the Vertagear SL5000 requires you apply force to adjust it, so it does stay in place. However, it’s not very intuitive, and the locking system is not very flexible. To gain consistency and ergonomics, I think the manufacturer should simply include a fourth button and, if possible, allow for free rotation with a locking system.

• The cushions: they are similar to the fabric on the frame i.e. they have no defects whatsoever. Generally, when PU leather is used for the cushions, the fabric ends up being pinched and I like to see that this isn’t the case here. The stitching is also impeccable. The design is well thought out, with the same two colors used to echo the rest of the chair and the manufacturer’s logo prominently displayed. For the rest, it’s rather standard.

• The base and casters: the 5 star base is made of steel, and it’s made of good quality material, without chips, bumps or other defects. It is solid, stable and has a clean finish. As for the casters, they are a nice size and move easily on different types of floors. It’s better on a smooth surface, but it’s still nice on medium-pile carpets or rugs. Moreover, they are silent.

• The gas lift: nothing special to say, it does not sink and works perfectly, including when adjusting the seat height.
• The tilt feature: it is a fully fledged feature and I find it very generous. It is, in fact, close to the Secretlab Titan chair in this respect. So you can lean back quite far and even combine tilt and backrest adjustments, as I’ll explain below.
• Adjustable Backrest: you can adjust the angle of your sitting position up to 140°. In fact, it is possible to go further thanks to the tilt feature, which as I mentioned, is very generous. Based on my attempts on previous models, I was slightly afraid of combining tilt + max adjustment angle, for fear of collapsing. But the chair has tremendous stability, even when the majority of the weight rests on the backrest. Also, the backrest adjusts forward slowly, so you don’t have to worry about a sudden forward movement, a common problem of many mid-range gaming chairs. Once again, this is further proof of Vertagear’s attention to detail.

In conclusion, the Vertagear SL5000 gaming chair has a great design quality and is very versatile. Seat, backrest, tilt and armrest adjustments are all features you can take advantage of. However, I think that the manufacturer can do better on the armrests which, I admit, are often the weak point of gaming chairs.

Comfort and ergonomics of the Vertagear SL5000

Now that we have seen the features, I want to give you my opinion on the comfort of the chair.

First of all, I find the chair ergonomic and comfortable on the back. The support provided by the backrest is clear and envelops the body well. The back cushion is a real bonus, as long as you place it properly i.e. on the small of the back. If you move, however, the cushion may sink back down and you will have to reposition it. After using the seat for several hours, I felt no pain and was comfortable; a big strength.

I also think the chair is ergonomic on the neck and head. The headrest is as essential as the lumbar cushion. It is quite soft and therefore offers an enveloping effect for your spine. I tried to use the chair without the head cushion and I don’t really recommend it, the top of the backrest is too stiff and doesn’t have enough padding. The cushion is easy to install and makes the chair very comfortable.

The seat is very comfortable and offers firm support. Very firm, even, so if you prefer something more balanced, I recommend the AKRacing Master Pro or the Noblechairs Icon. Here, we are closer to a Secretlab Titan or KLIM eSport Gaming Chair.

Finally, the armrests are too poorly padded. Their rigidity is a shame. They hold more than they support your arms. I won’t go so far as to say it’s uncomfortable, but it’s a shame, as it reduces the impact of the 4D feature.

Conclusion of my Vertagear SL5000 Review

In my opinion, this is a good quality, versatile and full-featured gaming chair, both comfortable and ergonomic. It has many advantages, such as its different settings, firm support, cushions and an interesting design. However, I think there is room for improvement, particularly regarding the armrests. A free extended warranty would be nice especially considering the price.

So, would I recommend you buy the Vertagear SL5000 gaming chair? 

Yes, absolutely. I find the price appealing compared to the competition, especially as you can find it for around $340.

The original price of almost $400, however, seems a little overestimated, as this chair suffers from the comparison with Secretlab chairs, which have better fabric and armrests for a fairly small price difference.

At less than $350, however, I think the Vertagear SL5000 offers an attractive price/performance ratio.