The Razer Enki is the company’s new bet for gaming furniture, a chair with several features that improve ergonomics.
Of course, this is not Razer’s first gaming chair, having already launched the Razer Ishkur and more recently the Ishkur X for those looking for great comfort with high-density foam.
But I have to say that, having that reference, the design of the Enki shocked me a bit at first. At first glance, it looks like a simpler chair, not so fluffy or big; in fact, it even seems small compared to models from other brands. Only after having used it for a month, I have understood what the true philosophy of this design is.
Weight distribution, the key
The biggest mistake you can make when using the Razer Enki is sitting like you would in any other similar gaming chair, and I confess that learning that cost me a bit. In the chair that I used every day, I had to sit upright and taking great care of my posture, if I didn’t want to end the day with pain; For this reason, I put cushions and pillows in some places like the base or the back, to help maintain that posture.
With the Razer Enki, at no point have I had to use any cushions ; the chair itself already does that job of positioning your body, but you have to trust it. As if we were talking about one of those couple exercises in which one person drops down for the other to catch, but with a chair.
Weight distribution on the Razer Enki compared to the competition
In other words, you don’t have to jump onto the Enki, but you do have to “sink”, let your weight do the work of moving the chair into the correct position. Only then will you discover that what Razer said in today’s presentation is true: the Enki is designed to optimize weight distribution, combining the seat, the shoulder arches and especially the integrated lumbar support.
Indeed, as soon as you let yourself fall and your body presses against the chair, you will realize that the lumbar area has a greater support than we usually see; As I said before, most chairs leave that function to a cushion, which is sometimes included and sometimes not. With the Enki, you don’t need that, because the chair itself supports the area.
It is thanks to this that Razer can boast a lower load on the base of the back, compared to other rivals according to its presentation. Lumbar support also helps maintain correct posture by forcing you to straighten up; But that also means that if you ‘fight’ the chair, you will end up with more pain.
That is the biggest problem I have encountered with the Enki. Many times I find myself with an incorrect posture, by pure muscular memory of how I sat before; I find out late, and if you feel bad in this chair, you will suffer.
It is important to allow the weight to be distributed appropriately. The piece that makes this possible is at the bottom of the chair; the connection between the base and the seat is much further back than usual, and this is necessary to achieve greater stability when we sit down and lean back.
And leaning back is something really necessary to be comfortable in this chair; it is capable of reclining up to 152 degrees , and in no case should you use it straight, you should always lean back, let the shoulder arches catch you and find the correct posture.
To promote this, we have a tension adjustment in the lower part of the chair, which allows us to regulate the force necessary to recline it , something that is very welcome.
The position of the armrests is also important, and in the Enki we can customize it with various levels of height and the angle we prefer , so that the arms remain in a natural position and avoid unnecessary fatigue. We can move them in every direction we can think of (something Razer calls “4D”): up and down, sideways, back and forth, and even rotate them.
What I do miss is a softer feeling; in fact, the first time I sat down it seemed very hard, but over time, memory foam and your own body adapt to each other. That does not mean that this is not the fluffiest chair on the market, precisely; the seat has a hardness of 60, and the back has a hardness of 75, and it shows. This is done on purpose, to offer the necessary support in the areas that matter. Even so, there are areas where I miss more material, especially in the side arches of the seat that keep the hips in place, which on this model are ridiculously small and don’t really do much.
Very easy to assemble
Assembling the Razer Enki is extremely simple. Although the instructions are for two people, I have had no problem putting it together on my own; although it is important to be careful when picking up some of the pieces, which weigh much more than it may seem.
Contents of the box, with large parts and already assembled
For the rest, the process is straightforward and logical : many parts are already assembled and those that need to be assembled can only be fitted one way. We must take special care, in addition to the weight, not to get our fingers caught in the mechanism that moves the backrest; These and other types of notices (in addition to a joke) appear intelligently printed on the box itself, so we read them as we open it. In addition, we must take into account the weight and size of the box, something important if it is not brought up to our house or flat.
Only one tool is required to mount the Enki, for two screws, and it is included in the box along with a spare screw.
When we assemble it, we realize the high quality of the materials . The Enki is covered in synthetic leather with two different textures, both on the seat and on the backrest. It is a material chosen for its lower environmental impact and the reduction in energy consumption during the manufacturing process, without the use of chemicals that are harmful to the environment. In addition, the finishes are decorated with embroidery in the now classic Razer green color, although I was disappointed that the Razer logo on the back is not embroidered, but is a piece of plastic.
Along with the chair comes a head cushion , designed to take advantage of the holes in the backrest, which do not only serve an aesthetic function. The cushion is very soft and pleasant to the touch, although I personally recommend it in those quiet moments when we are watching videos, for example, to support the head and relax a little. The only problem is that it gets dirty very easily.
A different gaming chair
The Razer Enki has managed to surprise me. I was expecting a simple gaming chair, like the thousands that clog the market, but with the Razer logo; I have found something very different, a chair that does not limit itself to offering us the same design as always with another color.
This also means that the Enki requires a period of adaptation, but once we get used to it, we can take advantage of its advantages such as the possibility of lying down at up to 150 degrees, the great lumbar support, or the customizable armrests. All this, with a great feeling of quality and very good materials. Yes, I have missed more material on the side supports, especially for those of us who are overweight or taller and larger than normal.
The Razer Enki will be available for 449 euros , so it is in the upper price range when it comes to gaming chairs. But in this case, it is better to pay a little more for superior ergonomics.