Review: DX Racer FastbackIntroductionFor the past year or so, Need for Seat has been a very active sponsor for professional gamers such as Flo, and has also sponsored various tournaments as well. I'm sure most people here have seen or heard about these chairs and may be considering purchasing one. I have purchased the DX Racer Fastback recently, and I am writing this review because prior to esports, this company was unheard of and many of you are probably wondering if their chairs are any good. The answer is, not really. I am not a chair expert or enthusiast by any means, so take my advice as a typical customer review. This chair is obviously not featured in the OP simply because it's not a high end chair. It is not a chair you should get if you are willing to shell out for the best chair for your body type, but at $279, it is a chair worth considering if you are on a budget.PicturesAdjustmentsThere are only three adjustments on this chair - backrest angle, seat height, and armrest height.
It lacks the customization for seat depth and seat angle. For my height (5'11), the seat depth is perfect. When sitting properly, I can fit 3 fingers between my back of my legs and the front of the seat. The seat has a slight backwards angle of about 4 degrees. Although sitting back is very comfortable, leaning forward is a bit difficult.Build QualityAs you can see from the picture, the chair has a steel frame. The legs are steel as well. This makes the chair very sturdy, but also quite heavy (55 pounds). The fabric is stitched nicely, but I have not used this chair long enough to see how long the stitching holds up. There are a few holes in the fabric where screwed go through, but these holes are not reinforced in any way, so tugging on the fabric may tear it on the screw. The plastic parts on the chair are low quality. It is not textured, and you can see visible imperfections in it, similar to cheap plastic toys. Some plastic pieces have one screw in the center to attach to the chair, so you can lift up the sides.
FabricAs you can see from the picture, there are two types of fabric on this chair - the non-speckly one and the speckly one. I'm not a fabric person, I don't know what they are called, okay? The non-speckly one is a little big abrasive, so contact with bare skin is not very comfortable. The speckly one feels weird. The fabric itself is soft and smooth, but there are small plastic bits on there. When sitting normally, you don't actually feel any of it.BackrestThis chair has a full backrest and is rigid. This means that you can rest your entire back and head on it, and when leaning back, the backrest stays in place. As you can see from the picture, the backrest has curves on the sides which bend forward. The upper curve serve as shoulder rests. You are able to lean to the side against them. When leaning back in the seat and putting your arms in the most relaxed position, the lower curves serve as an armrest for the upper arm. I find this very comfortable and definitely a very redeeming quality of this chair.
The backrest is made of foam, probably this kind or something similar. The foam is fairly stiff. It is slightly softer than mesh chairs, but not nearly as soft as typical leather seats or cushioned seats. Overall, I find it quite comfortable, but maybe a little softer would be nice for me. The shape of the backrest is perfect flat and rectangular. There's no arch or concave.SeatThe seat is also made of foam. The seat cushion is quite thick, so even though the foam is stiff, it still feels soft enough. The foam is perfectly flat. Some other chairs have slightly concaving seats, but not this one. With foam, it's probably better this way. The seat cushion is actually a separate part from the seat itself, as shown in the picture, but they are stitched together by these small copper rings on the underside of the seat, so I don't think you can take it off. This means that whatever goes between the seat cushion and the seat isn't coming out easily. MovementThe chair rolls around and rotates very smoothly, so no problems here.
The parts came nicely oiled. The rotation has a tiny bit more static friction than typical chairs, so it won't rotate when you don't want it to. Overall, the increase is so little that you won't notice it unless looking for it.CushionsThis chair comes with two cusions - one for your neck and one for your lumbar. The neck one feels like a pillow, while the lumbar one is foam. These cushions really suck. I tried positioning them in various ways, and they just really don't fit well. They are too big and just get in the way. I think this chair definitely needs a cushion for the neck or some sort of headrest, since leaning your head back puts it too far back, but the cushion it came with isn't the right shape or size. I'm considering ripping open the cushion and carving it into the right shape myself.Overall VerdictIf you want a high end chair, you will have to pay at least $500. The DX Racer Fastback is only $279. Other chairs I have used include the Herman Miller Aeron and the Steelcase Leap.
The Fastback is noticeably inferior in both build quality and comfort, but it's definitely not bad. When sitting on this chair for longer periods, I don't even notice it's there and there's absolutely no discomfort. Leaning back on this chair actually feels fairly nice. When buying a chair, it's important to know that you will be using it for many hours a day for the decade or so that the chair survives, so shelling out extra cash for a noticeable improvement is always worth it. I would definitely recommend getting a high end chair if your budget allows it, but for those who want a decent mid range chair and also to support esports, the DX Racer Fastback is a good option.Barcelona Chair Frame Straps Black / Back: 25.25" | Seat: 26.75" / NoSeat: 26.75" / Yes Black / Custom / No Black / Custom / Yes White / Back: 25.25" | White / Custom / No White / Custom / Yes Ivory / Back: 25.25" | Ivory / Custom / No Ivory / Custom / Yes Dark brown / Back: 25.25" |
Dark brown / Custom / No Dark brown / Custom / Yes Tan / Back: 25.25" | Tan / Custom / No Tan / Custom / Yes Replacement straps for the Barcelona chair. 17 straps in each set. Barcelona chair cushions and Barcelona ottoman cushions are also available. Please note that it may take 8 - 10 weeks to fulfill your order. Please view the dimensions tab to ensure that our straps will fit your frames. You may also purchase longer straps to accommodate your chair if required and purchase rivets if required. Should you decide to purchase the straps with rivets, we will drill holes into the straps for you. Please note that a rivet tool is needed to attach the straps onto the chair's frame. Please be advised that the product is meant for replica chairs only. If you're purchasing for your original or vintage knoll frame, please check the dimensions to ensure that this product will fit your chair. We offer no returns or exchanges on this item. In instances where the shipping company is unable to deliver your straps, they will either hold onto your order until you pick it up or discard it, in which case we cannot be held responsible.