Comfort Research Zeus Echo Gaming Chair Review

Whether you love PC or console gaming, most gamers will agree that your game improves when you are comfortable while playing. It also doesn’t hurt to have speakers, cup holders and a headrest. Our friends over at Comfort Research were nice enough to let us review their Zeus Echo Gaming Chair in all of its comfy, convertible, surround-sound glory!

Specs

• Side control panel for power, volume and input/output jack
• 2.0 sound has 2 mid-range speakers
• Side arm rests for comfort
• Pedestal base

 Features

In my time spent gaming, I’ve tried quite a few gaming chairs. Generally, unless you’re willing to drop a ton of cash, these chairs are made for console gaming and they have an annoying habit of only sitting on the floor. Rocking relentlessly and difficult to get in and out of if you aren’t 13 or younger, these chairs simply aren’t made for a modern adult gamer. Whether its the sitting on the floor with your legs sprawled out that bothers you, or the hilarity that ensues when the doorbell rings and you can’t get out of your gaming rocker, it’s time for a new iteration of the adult gaming chair.

Pedestal

That said, I can’t possibly describe how happy I was to see that the Zeus Echo Gaming Chair had a pedestal base. I was under the false impression that I was going to be reviewing a gaming rocker that sits solely on the floor, and while this is partly true, I was ecstatic that Comfort Research had enough foresight to incorporate an optional pedestal into the design of this chair. Not only does it get you off the floor and into a normal sitting position, but it also raises the chair high enough to function well as a desk chair for your PC gaming setup. While the pedestal does not have a hydraulic function, it was tall enough to work at my desk. However, If your desk is on the taller side, the Echo may be too short for your liking.

Cup Holder

Aside from the pedestal, there are still a ton of awesome features that make this gaming chair stand out from the crowd. My personal favorite is, of course, the cup holder pouch with drawstrings. Nothing says a night of gaming like an ice cold beer (or root beer if your aren’t 21!) and sitting it on the floor next to you while you game is just asking for trouble. Gaming gods forbid the bottle gets kicked over by someone and beer flows under your console, or worse gets knocked over into your gaming keyboard. This handy little pouch, thanks to the drawstrings, fits bottles and cans of any size, securely.

Headrest

As you can see in the picture above, there is also an optional pillow attachment to chair. Um…yes please! As much as I love holding my head up through hours and hours of game-play (do I sound lazy, yet?), who wouldn’t love to have a pillow attached to their gaming chair? If, for some unfathomable reason, you don’t, it attaches and detaches easily with a strip of Velcro.

Armrests

Generally, if you have an on-the-floor gaming rocker, armrests are not really part of the package. Where does that leave you? Usually, with your elbows awkwardly resting on your thighs. The great thing about the Zeus Echo is that the armrests are to die for. Not only are they present and accounted for, they are padded and soft to avoid that uncomfortable plastic-digging-into-skin feeling. While it may not seem like an amazing feature, if you have ever gamed for hours without them, then you know that armrests are a must have.

Storage Pouches

The Zeus Echo also includes some pretty convenient storage pouches. The most prominent pouch is located on the back of the chair. It is very large and would be capable of holding tons of games, controllers, and other items that might otherwise be laying around. There is also a very small secondary pouch located on the side of the chair near the volume controls. While it is not specified, I can only assume that this is a storage pouch for the wires that are associated with the speakers. Either way, it is a very convenient place to store the wires and hookups.

Convertible

Although I would never consider removing the chair from its amazing pedestal base, everyone is not me and should you desire to have the Echo on the floor, it can be easily lifted from the base and used as a floor rocker. There is also a removable pin that allows the chair to fold in half for storage and space saving purposes.

Speakers

Yeah, I saved the best for last. The Zeus Echo sports two 2.0 mid-range speakers that are embedded in the chair on either side of the headrest. I was a little skeptical at first because, hey, I love wearing a headset when I game. However, if you are home alone or not at risk of interrupting anyone with your gaming noises, I have to say that the speakers are significantly more awesome than the sound that comes through my headset. The placement of the speakers on either side of the gamers head makes for an awesome surround sound, in-game-esque experience. When tested, the speakers get loud enough to make it almost impossible to sit in the chair while they are turned all the way up, so they definitely pump the sound adequately. While it would have been a significant perk if the speakers had Bluetooth capabilities, they are connectable through a very thin, long, unobtrusive cord that would not have a problem reaching any television, console, or computer.  The controls for the speakers (volume and equalizers) are on the right side of the chair, on the side of the seat.

The Bottom Line

So, how does the Zeus Echo Gaming Chair stack up against other gaming chairs? Frankly, it’s the best I have had the pleasure of using, and I say that unbiasedly. This chair has every feature I could possibly ask for in gaming furniture.

Pros: Everything! The speakers are amazing, I love the pedestal… and the cup holder?…enough said.

Cons: Speakers could benefit from Bluetooth connectivity and I would love to see the pedestal have an adjustable hydraulic.

Overall, I would recommend this chair to anyone who is looking for a comfortable gaming unit that is off the floor and more adult in nature.