We spend a lot of time at our computers these days. Whether it’s long drawn out gaming sessions, working, arguing with strangers on the internet, we tend to put most of our attention into the computer itself and neglect the very (essential) component responsible for keeping us, well, at the computer. High end gaming chairs are one of the new trends filling this need among gamers and PC enthusiasts. In the past, high end gaming chars were quite expensive and owning one was unobtainable for many people. Recently, as this trend continues, prices have dropped, and quality has increased based on competition! I believe there are quite a few people out there on the fence about whether owning a gaming chair is the right move currently.
In this review we will be taking a very close look at one such chair: Introducing the EWin Champion Series Gaming Chair. Before we dive into the product itself, let’s take a look at EWin, an OEM manufacturer, and why their chairs stand apart. EWin is a new company founded in 2016 who’s primary focus is in the ergonomic gaming chair scene. They focus heavily on product quality and comfort. They back their quality with a 1 year warranty, and a 2 year warranty on the frame and seating tray. Currently, EWin offers four unique gaming chair series, the Champion Series, Calling Series, Hero Series and Flash Series. Each series has it’s own set of features and price points. Today, let’s take a look at the Champion series and go over each of its many features in depth. Quality, comfort, design, and assembly will be a few of the many items we will be looking at when reviewing this product.
Next up, let’s take a look at how this product was packaged, and assembled.
The Ewing Champion series gaming chair was shipped from the US and arrived to us after just a few days via Fedex. The box that the chair was shipped in was a large and sturdy doubly-ply box with extra card board pieces stuffed on the sides for extra strength. The box itself isn’t overly impressive visually, but seeing as that you’ll be receiving the chair in the mail and not from perusing your local computer hardware store, it probably doesn’t matter a whole lot. Probably best to keep the box design visuals down to a minimum anyways, as to not attract those who might want to keep the chair for themselves.
Inside the box, we get a sense of the level of care EWin puts into packaging. Each item was completely surrounded by foam tubing and foam sheets. The chair seat and back were also surrounded by foam and placed inside plastic bags. There was nothing tedious about the unpacking process which can sometimes be the case. Packaging was easily removed and did not require any special tools. The overall placement of each component of the Champion Series chair was done in such a way that nothing will move around, or cause damage during shipping.
Included in its own box was all of the hardware pieces needed to construct the chair. Also included were the assembly instructions, a pair of hex-wrenches and a pair of white cloth gloves which the instructions specify should be worn during assembly. We’re not 100% sure why they were needed as there were no sharp parts. Our guess is they’re there to either to protect your hands, “just in case” something goes wrong, or to protect the beautiful finishes on the chair from your grubby gamer fingers. Either way, I thought they were a nice touch.
At first glance, the mounting hardware appears that of excellent quality. Every item feels solid and is free of defects. Even the mounting screws looked like they were of a bit higher quality than what we’ve seen before. I did thing it was nice that even though only two of the hex-screws and plastic screw covers were required, they included extras… just in case. We’ve all been there.
This review will not be covering the assembly portion in detail. Suffice it to say, assembly is quite simple, although it does require a bit of awkward lifting when attaching the back portion rest to the seat portion. Having a friend to help out is recommended. As a test, we constructed the chair from start to finish without reading the instructions (Overly manly man approved). This was to demonstrate that assembly is quite intuitive and if for whatever reason you either don’t have the manual, or for whatever reason are unable to read the instructions, all is not lost. However, we do recommend following the instructions to ensure proper function and for safety reasons.
Head on over to the next page for details about the products features, quality and for more detailed images!
Fully assembled, you can see the EWin Champion gaming chair in all its glory. For this particular gaming chair, I really like the color scheme and overall design. The accent colors really make it pop. The racing seat inspired curves do an excellent job providing comfort while not getting in the way when sitting at a desk.
As far as features go, The EWin Champion gaming chair is definitely well equipped. Almost every component can be adjusted to ensure optimal comfort which will definitely assist in the overall objective of pwning noobs even longer. The back of the chair features two pillows, one for the head and another for the lower back for lumbar support. The lower pillow can be adjusted up or down for optimal placement (or easily removed if desired). These pillows are probably one of my favorite features. They are very soft and provide excellent targeted back and neck support, something my previous budget office chair lacked.
The back and bottom seat cushions are advertised as constructed using cold molded foam surrounding a steel metal frame. Built into the frame are elastic bands which provide support and will definitely help in providing comfort years after purchase. In theory, it seems that the bands should help in taking some of the load off of the foam molds, thus reducing general compression wear on the foam. These stretchy bands can be seen from the underside of the bottom seat in the image below:
The back cushion can be reclined forwards and backwards. And WAAAY backwards if you feel like taking a nap!
A word of caution though: This chair has the ability to recline in two different ways. The first is at the base where the chair swivels, and the other is at the junction between the back and bottom cushions (similar to that of a seat found in a car driver’s seat). When adjusting the recline on the back cushion, first engage the rocking recline lock on the bottom base area. Since the chair has the ability to recline via, the rocking mechanism AND the back cushion recline lever, you may end up falling backwards. Engaging the recline lock which prevents the chair from rocking at the base, proceeded by reclining the back of the chair is the safest way to recline all the way back.
The armrests on the Champion can be adjusted in four different ways: Front to back, side to side, up and down, and the front tip can be turned in or out at an angle. EWin has an excellent info graphic depicting this on their product website found HERE. Despite what the look like, the tops of the armrests are actually soft and slightly squishy, not hard plastic like I originally thought. This adds a small level of comfort for those extended gaming sessions. The ability to adjust the armrests to precisely where my arm was level with the desk/mouse, made the overall experience that much better. Overall, they are mounted very securely and I was able to put my full weight on them (185lbs) while bouncing up and down without any give.
The materials EWin used to wrap the chair appears of good quality and should hold up for a very long time if handled properly. It has a very nice, soft feel to it and repels water nicely. The leather pieces are held together by what looks like heavy duty nylon stitching. The color of the stitching used matches perfectly with the leather piece it is holding together. You can tell there was some malicious attention to detail put in during design and construction of the Champion series chair. Here are some close ups:
The base of the Champion features a base consisting of 5 casters in a star pattern and is constructed out of very strong steel. What we found interesting was that on the EWin’s website, they mention that the base is made up from aluminum. Aluminum would have been nice because it would cut down on some of the overall weight. Steel is not a bad material to use because it is very strong, though much heavier than aluminum. Most desk chairs use a plastic base from what I’ve personally experienced, so overall I’m not disappointed over the use of steel. The five casters are pretty standard, plastic and metal construction. They roll and spin nicely, are quiet and feel pretty solid.
Overall, we are very happy with the overall quality, features and attention to detail of the EWin Champion. Let’s wrap up this section with an interesting video showing the quality (and destruction) of a typical EWin chair vs. the compeition.
The EWin Champion series gaming chair was by far one of the most quality-driven products we’ve had the opportunity to review. EWin’s attention to detail was certainly apparent in the Champion’s internal and external construction. There are a plethora of adjustable options which give the user the ability to find that perfect sweet spot of comfort many other chairs lack. In my case, I work, game and relax at my computer so having a chair that meets every need as far as comfort and style go, to me is just as important as important as having high end IPS gaming monitor. At the time of writing this review, the Champion retails for $369 with a current sale price of $289. (better hurry!) Overall, excellent value especially when you factor in free shipping to anywhere in the US.
The only downside I could find was that the base was constructed out of steel rather than aluminum which was outlined on their website. Aluminum would have shaved off a few pounds while being equally as strong as its steel replacement. Since weight isn’t a huge concern to me personally, I am not bothered by it. A steel base will last just as long and will not bend or flex like plastic bases we see on typical office chairs.
Overall, if you are in the market for a high end gaming chair that will last for years and not break the bank, we highly recommend the EWin Champion Series gaming chair! Or if you’re not, we could all use a new chair. Factoring in quality, price, durability, and ease of construction, we are pleased to present the Champion with the GND-Tech Diamond Award!
If you have any questions or thoughts, please feel free to leave a comment below!
Bonus pic, because dogs love gaming chairs too: