Vertagear came about in 2015 when a group of furniture specialists, hardware designers and gamers came together. Since then, they have been slowly making a name for themselves in the gaming chair market. The top of their S-Line series is the Vertagear SL5000. Combining the ergonomic insights of furniture designers and the insights of gamers, Vertagear promises the SL5000 will “hit the sweet spot for extreme gamer.” We out that to the test to see if the Vertagear SL5000 was worth it.
Vertagear SL5000 Gaming Chair Specifications
Maximum User Height: Up to 6’4
Weight Limit: 330 lbs
Tilt: 80 to 140 degrees
Colors: Black, Red, Blue, Green, White, Midnight Blue
Armrests: 4D
Assembly
Assembling the Vertagear SL5000 is quite easy, as long as you follow the instructions. The packaged instructions are well laid out and simple to follow. One important thing to note, the SL5000 has a slightly different assembly than many other gaming chairs. This is not a bad thing, but just make sure you look over the instructions before you dive right into it. We are definitely not speaking from experience (insert sweating emoji here).
Pros
When you first look at the Vertagear SL5000, you might be inclined to think it is not the most comfortable chair. But, you’d be surprised. Though it does not offer the huge plushy cushioning some other gaming chairs provide, the SL5000 is supremely comfortable. We had no problem sitting on the chair through either the workday or extended gaming sessions.
The exterior of the chair is made with PUC faux leather. For many folks, PUC is not what you would be used to seeing. Most companies will use either PVC or PU leather for their chairs. Those are both good choices, but the PUC is an unexpected high-point for the SL5000. It is soft like genuine leather but still seems to be able to take the wear and tear over time. We tested the Vertagear SL5000 Midnight Blue model which also features HygennX. This material is created with coffee-infused fiber and silver lining embroidery. That is a fancy way of saying it breaths incredibly well while also fighting off bacteria from those super sweaty gaming sessions.
Maybe the biggest positive of the Vertagear SL5000 is that this chair will fix your broken posture. A lot of gaming chairs are built for comfort first without thinking about long-term effects on the body. Vertagear focused on the proper way to sit. That is not to say the chair isn’t comfortable, we already said it is, but the lumbar support and head pillow are bound to readjust your curvy spine.
A nice little feature, though it is sold separately, is the RGB/LED upgrades. If you want to go full gamer mode, you can order an upgrade kit to add LED lighting to your chair that can be wirelessly controlled. You can even connect it with the audio of your gameplay or music.
Cons
Frankly, the Vertagear SL5000 is stiff. It is not the type of chair you sink into and feel like a nice warm hug. If that is what you are looking for, this may not be the best chair for you. That honestly comes down to personal preference. We had no issues with it ourselves but it did take some time to get used to it, especially the rather large lumbar support pillow.
One other thing we noticed, was that the fabric did tend to collect some dust/dirt. This may just be an issue with the Midnight Blue model and the HygennX. But, we did find we needed to break out the lint brush a few times to keep it looking its best.
Conclusion
The Vertagear SL5000 is a fantastic gaming chair. It is a fantastic office chair. It is a fantastic “whatever you need to do at your desk” chair. The materials used are top-notch, it supports larger users that many other gaming chairs can’t and it will actively fix your posture. Is it going to be the most comfortable chair in the first couple days? No. But, once you get a feel for what Vertagear is trying to do and you get comfortable with it, the SL5000 is an excellent choice.
