AndaSeat Novis Series Budget Ergonomic Gaming Chair
design
I tend to think the same thing with most racing seat-style gaming chairs I review, there’s not really much to talk about on the design front. A gaming chair always looks like a gaming chair and from brand to brand, model to model, with the exception of mesh back options like the AndaSeat X-Air Pro, they all tend to look the same and copy each other when new features pop up.
Perhaps more than any other chair I’ve sat in lately however, the AndaSeat Novis looks quintessentially gaming chair. This is almost the template all other gaming chairs are built from, a simple bucket seat with absolutely no bells and whistles, just what you’d expect from a self proclaimed budget offering. The AndaSeat Novis is available in two sizes, L and XL, and two upholstery options, PVC and linen. It’s a refreshingly simple lineup, you aren’t even given a colour choice – the PVC is black and the linen is ash gray. I’ve taken a look at both for this review.
The first thing to note is that while the Novis is a budget offering, straight out of the box I didn’t get that impression. I’ve constructed a number of AndaSeat chairs before and the experience here was no different to the nearly 3x as expensive Kaiser 4. The upholstery is the same as the brand’s more expensive chairs, the castor wheels are the same and so are the gas lift and tilt options. This may be ‘budget’ but you aren’t being skimped on the basics which is nice to see. With the exception perhaps of a head cushion nothing is missing here either, and does anyone really use that pillow anyway?
Piecing together the AndaSeat Novis gaming chair was simple enough and took me around 10-15 minutes to complete by myself. I consider myself somewhat of a chair building expert by this point and don’t usually bother to read the instructions (wheels on the bottom, seat on the top – that about covers it), if you do want a little guidance through the process though the included booklet is simple to follow. Being a budget offering I wasn’t surprised to see no slot-in side support bracket and while this does make things a little fiddlier solo, if it shaved a few bucks off the price then I can live without it.
As you’d expect, for the most part the AndaSeat Novis L and XL run incredibly similar at a glance. The size change brings minor shaping differences between the two, but there is one noticeable material difference. The L variant’s star base is a moulded plastic while the XL variant retains the metal base of other AndaSeat chairs. I didn’t notice a difference when using the two chairs day to day, though that plastic base does make the Novis L considerably lighter without feeling any less stable.
performance
I didn’t love my time with the far more expensive AndaSeat Kaiser 4, so before taking a seat in the Novis I was a little nervous about what the budget experience would be. I needn’t have worried though, AndaSeat’s least expensive chair might actually be its most comfortable. The AndaSeat Novis is a poster child for keeping things simple and getting the basics right, as far as a chair goes, that’s stability and comfort and it does a wonderful job of both.
The most instantly obvious thing is how much more welcoming the main seat cushion is than not only AndaSeat’s other chairs, but their rivals’ offerings too. The Secretlab Titan Evo for example proudly boasts how firm its seat is and the Kaiser 4 and Boulies Master Series followed a similar theme though not quite to the same extent. It really makes the Novis stand out with a seat cushion that’s soft and engaging. While I felt like I sat ‘on’ those others chairs, I sat ‘in’ the AndaSeat Novis. Is it as good for my spine? I don’t know, I’m not a chiropractor. But as a fan of sitting comfortably I can tell you I wish my Titan Evo’s cushion was more like the Novis’.
The main back cushion is much firmer than the base but is shaped nicely and offers plenty of support. Again simplicity is the order of the day here with no adjustability whatsoever, just a contoured profile that, for me at least, struck a nice balance between comfort and ergonomics. Peculiarly however, the PVC leather upholstery of the XL variant of the AndaSeat Novis I’m testing almost felt oversized. It didn’t closely follow the shape of the back cushion, instead bridging across the main face and almost feeling like you were leaning back into a shallow trampoline. This wasn’t an issue on the linen covered L variant so I’m not sure whether it’s the size or the material to blame, or it could just have been my individual unit, but it was a little less comfortable and quite distracting as a result.
The rest of the Novis gaming chair’s hardware does exactly what it should without flare or fuss. The armrests mercifully are only single-D and in a world of 6D uppy-downy-lefty-twisty-foldy armrests I’m so glad to see it. They go up and down with a decent enough range of movement while doing away with frankly unnecessary and often detrimental other movements. They’re stable, have a little give to the rubbery top cushion and stay firmly in place at an impressive stagger of different heights. They’re all I want from arm rests.
The expected tilt and lean controls are here too though they’re a little too resistant for my liking. Even after spending an eternity loosening off the under-seat knob, I still felt I had to actively push back against the Novis to be able to lean. As a man who enjoys a frequent recline to ponder the many meanings of life this quickly became a problem and realistically is probably what’s stopping me from daily driving the Novis over other far more expensive options. It may loosen up over time but it has a long way to go and I’m not sure I’ll ever get it there.
summed up
It may be AndaSeat’s cheapest gaming chair but from what I’ve experienced so far, it’s probably its best. This is a crowd-pleaser of a chair, the cushion is softer and more welcoming than most others and it makes for a remarkably comfortable sit. Sometimes the simplest things in life are the best and that certainly seems to be the case here, AndaSeat has stripped it back, stopped trying to show off and have nailed it as a result.
No, it’s not perfect. There are visible cost-cutting measures in different places and you aren’t getting quite so many toys to play with as other chairs. But if you’re not likely to spend an hour fine-tuning the position and strength of your lumbar support, then why spend the money on having that tech in the first place. If all you’re after is a comfortable chair to sit and game in at your desk for a couple of others, the AndaSeat Novis is going to be hard to beat.
