We tried it: Homall Gaming Chair Review

…Homall are working to produce quality gaming chairs for a reasonable price.

How does the Homall S-Racer Gaming Chair stack up to the competition? The team here at TopGamingChair recently picked one up and put it through the wringer. Read on to find out our thoughts on this budget gaming chair!

Note: Like many of our reviews, we bought this product to give you an unbiased opinion on it.

Homall S-Racer – Pros and Cons List

Packagin

I recently received the Homall S-Racer Gaming Chair to enhance my gaming setup at home. The boxed chair weighed around 40 pounds, but it was small enough that it wasn’t too difficult to manage.

The box itself was plain cardboard, which was a bit of a letdown. Many gaming chairs come in cool packages with flashy words and neat graphics, so this didn’t help my initial assessment of the chair.

The outside of the box did have a notice not to cut through the tape unless I wanted to risk cutting the leather inside. I took their advice and turned the box upside-down before using a key to open it.

Once inside the box, there were several components between layers of Styrofoam and cardboard that I had to wade through. This isn’t my first rodeo, so I took careful note of all the different components. There were a few plastic pieces that I had never seen before, so I was curious to see when those would come into play.

Some of the components, like the hydraulic lever, were placed in another box for added protection. Here are a few pictures of all the parts laid out and awaiting assembly.

Assembly

I located the instructions smashed underneath the seat of the Homell S-Racer and fished them out of the plastic bag. For some reason, the instructions were taped shut with tape that is not designed to be used on paper. I ripped the thin paper booklet pretty nicely just trying to get the tape off, but luckily I didn’t damage any of the instructions.

The instruction booklet was…interesting. There wasn’t anything mistranslated per se, but it was clear that someone who did not have English as a first language put it together. There were some words a native English speaker wouldn’t use. It didn’t inhibit the assembly process, but those little details make you question the quality.

As I was putting the chair together, the instructions gave every part a letter and number designation. This would have been helpful if the pieces themselves were labeled the same way. There was a key at the beginning of the booklet, but it didn’t make it any easier to identify which part I needed.

Since some of the plastic pieces looked so similar, I just had to sift through the pieces until I found the one that matched the shape of the spot I was putting it.

The entire assembly process took about 25 minutes to complete. The package came with a tool that was hex wrench on one side and a Phillips screwdriver on the other. This was the only tool I needed to get the chair together.

I ran into a hiccup installing the armrests onto the seat of the chair. Screwing the two together involved one hand holding the seat off the ground while the other hand twisted the screws in place. Once I got the first armrest on, I was able to use my leg to support the seat while I drove the other screws home.

The other tricky assembly spot was attaching the plastic housings to the side of the chair (see the picture below). Most of these attachments were completely blind, so I found myself having to feel around with the screw for the hole. It didn’t take too long to make the connection, but the process could have been better.

There were even instructions for attaching the headrest pillow and the lumbar support pillow, which some chair manufacturers seem to think we all inherently know how to assemble.

I did notice that there were zero extra screws in case I happened to lose, break, or strip one. I didn’t have any issue with this, but most chairs come with a few extras just in case.

Specs and Features

Homall S-Racer Specs

Weight: 42.1 pounds

Seat Height Adjustment: 17.3” to 21.5” off the ground

Seat Width: 20.5 inches

Weight Capacity: 300 lbs

Chair Material: PU Leather

5-Wheel Base

Fixed Armrests

Reclining Angle: 90° to 180°

Rocking Function

Comes with a lumbar support and head cushion

Admittedly, this Homall S-Racer chair doesn’t have a lot in the way of features. For the low price of around $100, this didn’t surprise me. Here are my thoughts on the features the chair has:

Fixed Armrests

Well, for a budget chair, it’s hard to expect more than what this chair has. It seems that as the price point drops, the quality of the armrests is first to go.

At six feet tall with somewhat long arms, the armrests are at the right height for me. This is good news because they don’t adjust in any way. I really wish they had some padding on the top, as the plastic armrests feel a bit abrasive after a while.

Recline

I enjoy a good recline when watching TV or a video on my PC, but I use my chair to game and write far more than anything. I quite like how the chair feels fully upright, though, which I use most often. It’s sturdy with a good locking feature, so I don’t have to worry about the backrest moving when I don’t want it to.

I’ve reclined to watch shows, and it’s comfortable enough for me. The chair lacks a footrest, meaning my long legs end up on the floor, and they get restless after a time.

I reclined the chair back as far as it could go, but it falls short of the advertised 180° recline. Looks like it might get to 170°, but I was bummed about the false advertising. Maybe this is just my chair, I’m not sure. In any case, my feet are still on the floor, and I’m not sure I could sleep comfortably for all that long.

Rocker

This Homall S-Racer chair also has a knob under the chair that allows the chair to lean back slightly. The knob is very inconvenient to get to and turn, and even when I turn it completely to enable the rocking feature, it does next to nothing.

If anything, it feels like the chair is loose and wobbly and makes popping noises when I lean back. I tried it a few times, then tightened the knob to give myself some sturdy back support. I won’t bother with the rocker again.

Height Adjustment

With a range of just over four inches, this chair offers about an average amount of height adjustment. I set it somewhere in the middle and forget about it until my son comes to play with the chair. It’s effortless to adjust the height and find my sweet spot again.

Headrest Pillow

Given that the chair’s backrest sits nice and vertically, I find myself using the headrest pillow quite a bit. With some other chairs, I find myself leaning forward, and that pillow goes to waste. I’m glad that’s not the case here.

I find the headrest pillow to be very comfortable, and I really enjoy it. It has a small amount of adjustability, so if I slouch a bit, I can pull the pillow down and still put it to good use.

Lumbar Support Pillow

A good lumbar support pillow really is a “must” for me. Fortunately, the Homall S-Racer doesn’t disappoint here. It has a well-padded cushion that nicely supports my lower back against the chair. I can move it up or down as needed to ensure it stays where I need it to be.

Build Quality

I’m really impressed with the build quality for a gaming chair that sits in the $100 range.

It probably goes without saying, but the heavier the chair usually is, the more robust the materials tend to be. All the movable components, such as the hydraulic height adjustment and recline, are made of metal and not plastic. The backrest, seat, and even the base of the armrests have a steel frame for durability and support.

I always prefer to see a 5-wheel base in metal, and this chair does disappoint there. While it does have five wheels for stability, the base is entirely made of plastic. It looks like it can take a beating, but this is a weak point of the chair, considering I like to plop down in my chair instead of sitting gently.

The Homall S-Racer is a bit on the top-heavy side, which has been a tipping hazard for me when trying to move the chair. When I am stationary, I have no issues. However, as soon as I try to slide the chair forward, the wheels catch on my very short office carpet, and the chair wants to go over…every single time. I usually have to get up and slide the chair forward, which is an inconvenience.

I have no complaints about the quality of the upholstery. I can’t locate a single frayed seam or split anywhere. This holds true for both of the pillows as well.

There were a few scuffs and scratches on the PU leather as I unboxed the chair, which my perfectionist mind struggled with. One of them is on the top of the seat and annoys me before I sit down every time. These are all cosmetic, though.

There are some pretty cheap-looking plastic covers over the metal hinges that take this chair down a notch in terms of build quality. While they protect fingers from getting caught in those hinges, most are held on with just one screw, and this leaves them pretty loose.

I should also mention that the chair is on the noisy side. The PU leather creaks when I’m adjusting my position. This Homall S-Racer’s metal frame makes noise when I lean to one side or the other. My wife’s office is across the hall, and she’s commented on how noisy this chair is when both our doors are open.

Comfort & Ergonomics

I’m thrilled with the amount of comfort and padding this chair gives. I have no issue sitting in it for extended lengths of time as I game or write. I’m still a little miffed that there’s no footrest for when I am reclining, but beggars can’t be choosers at this price point.

All in all, this gaming chair is very ergonomic to the contours of my body. I definitely put the padding on the chair’s seat and backrest to the test, and it’s firm enough to support me well. I feel like the padding will last for quite a long time.

I can say the same about the two pillows. I couldn’t imagine using a gaming chair without a lumbar support pillow, and I am really pleased with the one the Homall S-Racer provides. Given that I like having my chair perfectly vertical, I also get good use of the headrest pillow, which is just as comfortable.

The armrests could do with some support and really let the chair down. There’s no padding to speak off, just hard textured plastic. I end up shifting around more than I’d like because my bony elbows can only handle the material for so long.

Like most people, I get pretty fidgety sitting in the same position for hours. From time to time, I like to pull one leg up on the chair in some sort of a half cross-legged posture, leaving the other foot on the floor. The Homall S-Racer’s narrow seat does not make this move comfortable at all for me, and I wish the chair had a wider seat to work with.

Verdict

The Homall S-Racer is not a $1000 chair, and I wouldn’t be doing anyone a favor if I tried to compare it to one. For its price point of roughly $100, this chair has a lot to offer.

I, for one, really enjoy the chair for what it is worth. It’s a very solid design that feels very durable every time I sit down. The chair’s padding is more than enough for me for long periods, and I have no issue sitting in it.

The chair has a professional look to it and doesn’t look cheap in its design. There are several colors to choose from, so you don’t have to settle for a color you don’t care for. I appreciated that the chair was really easy to assemble, and I was up and gaming in less than 30 minutes.

That being said, there are a few cheap plastic pieces that could be made to look better. The armrests don’t adjust at all and have no padding, which is uncomfortable for my bony elbows after a short period of time.

There’s too much weight in the top part of the chair, and it’s really annoying for me to have to catch myself or get up every time I need to move the chair around. A little better distribution of weight would have remedied this issue.