I've spent over 35 hours sitting in Secretlab's new Atlas task chair and there's a lot I like about it — but I'm still not sure it will dethrone my Herman Miller

Early Verdict

Secretlab Atlas: Two-minute review

With the Secretlab Titan Evo firmly cemented as one of the best gaming chairs, the Singaporean furniture giant is now gunning for the office market with the launch of its first dedicated task chair: the Secretlab Atlas.

Back in April I flew out to the brand's HQ for an early hands-on and a look behind the scenes of its development. And now — having sat on the newly released chair at home for more than 35 hours — I've been pretty impressed with the experience so far.

Aesthetically, the SecretLab Atlas looks great. It's distinctly Secretlab, with echoes of the Titan Evo in its overall silhouette, but not too garish for an office setup. All of the color options, which range from basic black and white to the slightly more adventurous Dune or Cookies & Cream, are appropriately subdued and should blend in well in most home office settings.

With prices starting at $499 / £399, the materials are suitably premium and feel great to the touch. I'm testing one of the fabric variants, which boasts the brand's SoftWave Plus weave, and while it's still very early days I can say that other Secretlab chairs I've tested with the same finish still look practically brand new after years of use.

The Secretlab Atlas is also refreshingly no-nonsense to actually sit in. There's built-in lumbar support, but it's adjusted automatically cutting the need to fiddle with various dials and agonize over getting it just right. It feels quite firm at first (especially compared to the soft rubbery mesh of my usual Herman Miller Sayl) but the support is definitely there, and I've found it perfectly comfortably on my back so far.

You can, of course, still customize the rotation of the armrests (not by a full 360 degrees, but rather three distinct positions), move the seat base forward or backwards, and tweak the amount of force required to recline the backrest or lock it in a static spot when you just want to lie back for a little rest.

The chair's height is adjustable too, though this is the one area that I'm not completely satisfied with so far. The first thing that you will notice when you sit in the Secretlab Atlas is that it's a low chair, with its height capping out at about 16.7in / 42.5cm from the ground. This is actually intentional, and apparently designed to make it easier to plant your feet on the ground, but I really wish that it could go a little higher.

I'm roughly 6ft 2in / 188cm tall (testing the large variant of the chair) and the Atlas' maximum height is just scraping the borderline of what I find pleasant. I've moved the seat base forward to try and compensate, but if I were any taller, my legs would be at a bit of an awkward angle.

I understand the vision, but it's odd that you don't at least get the option to go higher if you want — especially when almost every chair that I've tested lets you. This likely isn't going to be an issue for the vast majority of buyers, however.

Secretlab Atlas: Price and Availability

• Secretlab Atlas starts at $499 / £399
• Premium range starts at $699 / £599
• Available via the Secretlab website

The standard Secretlab Atlas starts at $499 / £399 and is available in two finishes: Neo Hybrid Leatherette and SoftWeave Plus Fabric. Leatherette buyers can choose from Classic Black and Moon (a kind of light grey and black) while those on the fabric side get Black, Cookies & Cream (a grey and black weave), or a sandy Dune color.

You can upgrade to the premium range for some extra cash, with prices starting at $699 / £599. This adds a layer of NanoFoam Composite designed to make the chair more comfortable, and swaps out the black armrests, hydraulics, and wheel bases of the standard versions for perfectly color-matched alternatives.

Again there are two finishes: NanoGen Edition (with the brand's ultra-soft NanoGen leatherette), which comes in Pure White+ or Pure Back+ and SoftWeave Plus Fabric which is available in Black+ or Dune+.

Two size options are available: regular and large. The regular design is intended for those under 5ft 10in / 178cm tall and weighing less than 200lbs / 100kg with large for everyone else.

You can buy the Secretlab Atlas direct from the Secretlab website.

Secretlab Atlas: Specs

Secretlab Atlas: Design and Aesthetics

• Looks very stylish
• Lots of attractive color options
• Multiple finishes on offer

The Secretlab Atlas is definitely more stylish than your standard office chair.

Its backrest has a shape that looks almost like a cross between the racing-seat style Secretlab Titan Evo gaming throne and more traditional office models such as Boulies Nubi or Desktronic SitOne. It's distinctly Secretlab, but not in a way that makes it appear unsuitable for serious workspaces.

Unlike some of the more elaborate Titan Evo limited edition models, this isn't a chair that is going to look embarrassing if you're in a video call to your boss.

I think all of the available color options and finishes are pretty sleek, but I'm particularly fond of the Dune and Dune+ colorways. The sandy pale hue perfectly complements a white or light oak desk and adds a little color to your setup without going totally overboard.

If you prize aesthetics, the more premium range is definitely the one to go for. The color matched armrests and so on definitely elevate the look and help it look extra premium.

The inclusion of a magnetic head pillow regardless of the model you choose is also very welcome.

Secretlab Atlas: Comfort and adjustability

• Firm but supportive
• Automatic lumbar adjustment
• A fantastic head pillow

As I mentioned earlier, the Secretlab Atlas feels pretty firm at first, which took a little bit of getting used to. It's been extremely comfortable for my back in spite of this though, and has felt very supportive so far.

The integrated lumbar system does seem to work and, while I was initially skeptical of the lack of ways to adjust it, does the job well automatically. If you focus your attention on your back and shift around on the chair, you can actually feel it moving a little bit under your weight to redistribute the pressure.

The backrest's inherent curve is also impressively effective. Secretlab told me that it was designed using over a decade of data and testing, and you can really tell. It's easy to sink into and provides plenty of support right up to your shoulders.

Although it can be removed, I've had the included head pillow practically glued to the chair. It's by far the nicest that I've ever seen included with a chair, with some wonderfully soft memory foam that provides support in all the right places. I could sleep on it, and this is coming from that someone that usually doesn't bother using any additional accessories.

I also appreciate the fact that it can be attached to basically any point near the top of the headrest so that it can cushion either your neck or the back of your head.

The chair's controls are also worth of some praise. A lever on the left-hand side lets you unlock the seat base to adjust its depth, or lock and unlock the backrest by flipping a big switch. The switch is accompanied by an indicator that either shows words 'unlocked' (in green) or 'locked' (in red), letting you check your setting at a glance.

It's also quite nice that the backrest actually remains momentarily locked when you unlock it, requiring you to lean back in order to bring it forward and avoiding it awkwardly springing forward and hitting you like on some other chairs.

The tilt force adjustment mechanism found on the opposite side is well labelled too, with up to four red squares appearing to denote its current level. It's positioned next to the height adjustment level which brings the seat base up or down.

The design of the controls is a little unusual, but I love the distinct tactile feel of each mechanism, and have learned how to operate it all very quickly.

My only problem thus far has been the maximum height of the seat base. It's a little lower than I would like, and has forced me to reposition my monitor to keep it at an ergonomic level. This is pretty annoying, but hasn't actually caused my any real strain in my legs or knees so far — though you can be sure that I'll be monitoring this carefully in the weeks ahead.

Secretlab Atlas: Assembly

• Very well packaged
• Easy and quick assembly process
• All necessary tools included

When it comes to the assembly process, there are few brands as consistent as Secretlab. I've never had an issue building one of their chairs, and the Atlas is no exception.

My box arrived pretty banged up with a few visible gashes (presumably the result of some rough handling in the courier's warehouse) but the condition of everything inside was flawless thanks to a liberal quantity of perfectly sculpted packing foam.

Assembly instructions are provided on a huge piece of laminated paper and are very meticulous. You're also given all the tools that you would need in the box: a hex key, magnetic screwdriver, and even a foam sheet to protect your floor. This makes the whole process very newcomer friendly and, while I'm experienced building furniture for review, I'm confident that almost anyone would be able to put this together without issue.

In total, the whole process (which involves assembling the wheel base and attaching the armrests and backrest) took about 20 minutes from unpacking the box to being seated at my desk.

Early verdict

The Secretlab Atlas has been very impressive in my hands-on time so far. The experience feels premium from the get-go thanks to a wonderfully smooth assembly process and the undeniable quality of the materials used.

I love the overall design and have found it very comfortable to sit in as well, especially when I'm relaxing with the backrest locked all the way down and my head resting on that incredible included pillow.

That said, the low height of its seat base is an annoyance. I don't think it will be a dealbreaker for many, but it does mean that I'll likely return to my usual Herman Miller Sayl Gaming Chair (a model that I consider pretty much the perfect task chair, bar the lack of a headrest or shoulder support) when testing is over.

Still, the Herman Miller is substantially more expensive (starting at an eye-watering $1,020 / £755) than the cheapest Atlas, so the fact that the Atlas gives it a fair run for its money is commendable indeed.

I'll be back in the next few weeks with my full verdict after I've spent a bit more time with the chair.

What is a hands on review?

Hands on reviews' are a journalist's first impressions of a piece of kit based on spending some time with it. It may be just a few moments, or a few hours. The important thing is we have been able to play with it ourselves and can give you some sense of what it's like to use, even if it's only an embryonic view. For more information, see TechRadar's Reviews Guarantee.