Iskur is Razer's first gaming chair. That's right, one of the world's largest makers of gaming peripherals has introduced a product for gamers to sit in. Gaming chairs are virtually everywhere in 2020, and have been for the past few years, so it is a bit of a surprise that Razer, one of the largest makers of gaming peripherals, did not have one.

The glaring hole in its impressive product lineup has finally been remedied. This $500 chair is neither the cheapest nor the most expensive (that ignominious honor belongs to the Herman Miller/Logitech collaboration), but a middling price does not mean an average chair. [Iscar is] packed with the best gamer-centric features designed not only for comfort, but also to improve health through better posture. Iscar is a formidable chair with all-black multi-layer leather and luminous green stitching. The frame is thick and looks more like a throne than a gaming chair. And the tagline "For Gamers, By Gamers" should dispel any doubts about the chair's functionality.

Given the huge box it arrived in, I was concerned that assembly would be quite difficult. The delivery truck had to stop in the middle of the road to unload the huge package. Too bad there was no one around to watch. I digress.

Assembling the iskel was actually an easy enough task, thanks to the included visual aids. There is even a QR code that shows a handy video tutorial for those who have trouble understanding the diagrams and icons. It took me about 40 minutes to assemble Iskar, mainly because I savored the experience and took tons of photos and videos along the way. In reality, it probably took less than 20 minutes to assemble everything.

Once I sat down in the Iscar, I was amazed at how much it enveloped me, immediately reinforcing my image of the throne. That's not surprising: from the sturdy leather to the soft-touch armrests, the Iscar is anything but flimsy. The cushions are tough and can support up to 130 kg of weight. However, the seat cushions were a bit too firm for me, and I kept shifting my weight around all day.

It is quite difficult to lean back in the chair car, but the height and tilt are controllable enough. The chair is designed to sit straight, so it takes a lot of strength (and balance) to get into a leaning position. The armrests are 4D and can not only move up and down, but can also move further inward, outward, and rotate. The fit is not compromised.

But the real star of this chair is the new adjustable lumbar support mechanism. Unlike other gaming chairs that have a permanent contoured shape or use additional pillows for lumbar support, the Iscar uses a piston-actuated lumbar curve that allows the user to push the panels forward and outward for stronger or weaker lumbar support.

Simply pull the lever and the lower back panel comes out, aligning the spine for perfect posture. To adjust, simply pull the lever and push the panel back until it comfortably fits your height and back.

This system works wonderfully, but to be honest, I didn't like it. My biggest complaint is that the panel is raised from the bottom, where my hips are, forcing me to move forward in the chair to accommodate it and to lean backward to get shoulder support. This was incredibly uncomfortable.

Adding a sexy memory foam neck pillow only exacerbated the discomfort by forcing me to lean forward with my neck and shoulders out of alignment. After playing in a variety of positions, I removed the pillows, leaving the lumbar spine in its default position.

The Razer Iskur is a handsome and imposing gaming chair with excellent attention to detail and a vast number of ways to adjust it to your specific needs. Unfortunately, the lumbar support mechanism, while a great idea, was far more burdensome than comfortable. I expect this mechanism will be improved in the Iscar V2, but until then, if you can try it out in a store, do so before purchasing.