Razer Enki review: "A solid if unspectacular gaming chair"

The Razer Enki is the brand's follow up to the popular Razer Iskur chair - which we liked. We liked it so much, in fact, that it went straight onto our best gaming chair guide and I still use it when working from home. The Enki is the new entry-level gaming chair from the hardware behemoth and still looks to offer excellent comfort, adjustability, and positioning without breaking the bank. But how does it fare? Two of the 12DOVE hardware team have used it for a short while now (not at the same time) and can give you the lowdown.

Assembly & Design

Putting the Razer Enki together is pretty simple and straightforward - just how gaming chairs should be. One of our team built the chair on their own in about 10-15 minutes and only required a second pair of hands to attach the main part of the chair to the base, which is always going to be easier with two people. But there's nothing wrong or out of place here: this is definitely buildable by one person.

It's also worth noting that this is not as much of a unit, or as heavy and bulky as the Iskur - it's a slightly smaller chair in every way and that certainly makes the construction a bit more straightforward.

Once constructed, the build quality gives you confidence, too. It's rock-solid, and there's very little 'rattle' or wobble to any particular parts. 

The pictures belie this already, but this second gaming chair from Razer is still safely in the 'office style' end of the spectrum and not one that could be classified as a gaming chair for PS4, PS5, or Xbox, especially in the traditional lounging sense anyway.

The Enki's design and aesthetic are stylish, clearly-Razer, and pretty nice overall. The model we had in is the 'Green' model and this is a predominantly black colour scheme, highlighted with green stitching and accents. Almost exactly like the Iskur, in fact. It's a good balance: plain black would be a bit dull, and full Razer green would be an assault on the eyeballs. This is going to be very subjective obviously and, unlike the Iskur, the Enki comes in three different colours ways too; the Green variant we tested, a full black model, and a Razer Quartz model.

Adjustability, Comfort, & Performance

The two of us who used the chair are quite different in stature so we got a good spread of comfort data and how it matches different folks' sizes. 

My colleague, Tabitha, who is shorter (about 5ft 4-ish) found that the chair wasn't particularly great for the back and the neck, with the head cushion being tricky to position correctly (below the head). As a result, this led to the chair pushing her head forwards, with a little neck and shoulder pain as a result. Removing the cushion wholesale allowed for a far more comfortable experience. 

Tabs found it comfortable for shorter periods of time but often felt forced forwards by the shorter seat depth, the fact that the armrests come quite far out from the back, and the head cushion placement felt all wrong in combination with this. 

When I tested it (a big, 6 foot 2, lad), I too got rid of the headrest as it pushed my head and neck away from the chair too much, meaning my back was pushed away, not receiving the support of the chair. 

We both liked the rigidity of the back which helped promote an upright sitting up position, though, and the Enki also ensures your legs were comfortable and your feet in a good position, firmly on the floor in front of you. I actually preferred this chair in our office to one that was arguably 'better' (more premium, and a softer seat, etc) as its back support was better for me.

However, I don't think I'd swap it for the Razer Iskur underneath my home desk, sitting beautifully above one of the best gaming PCs (in the shape of the ASUS GA15 that I use). The Enki is still a solid gaming chair, though, promoting good posture, provides decent support to your back, shoulders, and arms, and is comfortable for gaming sessions. The amount of flexibility and customisation might not compete with its brethren or others on the market, but, again, this is a sensible compromise as it isn't as expensive as the Iskur. It'll still look at home and perform nicely when slotted under one of the best gaming desks.

Overall - should you buy it?

The Enki is a good chair, though not spectacular or memorable. It would still be a sizeable upgrade on the mid-range, middle-of-the-road chair I had a couple of years ago, so would be a good step up to take without going into the incredibly-expensive ranges and models.

In terms of the gaming setups 'spend or save' scale, we always recommend spending more (if you can) on gaming chairs, and I just think that you'd be wise to do the same here - especially if you were after a Razer chair. The gap in price between the Enki and the Iskur will narrow this year (probably) and even at the Enki's list price point, you're not actually too far off something like a SecretLab chair being a viable option, particularly if there's a small discount on the latter. 

Having said that, the Enki is a solid if unspectacular gaming chair for the medium-tall (and up) gamer. Get it in the right position - with or without the head cushion - and it's great for supporting your back and posterior for decent periods in good comfort. The finish of the chair in its aesthetic, material, and build is also good, and that means, as a package, the Enki chair is a solid gaming chair option if its price point of $399 / £340 suits your budget.