Expert’s Rating
Pros
- All-day comfort
- Excellent, premium materials
- Stylish, understated design
- High-quality lumbar support
Cons
- Lumbar support not adjustable
- Cheap-feeling adjustment controls
- Expensive, with RGB lighting sold separately
Our Verdict
The PL4800 offers almost everything most people are looking for in a gaming chair – provided you’re between 5ft 9in and 6ft 6in tall. You’ll find better value for money elsewhere, though.
If you’re looking to upgrade your gaming experience with a dedicated chair, there’s more choice than ever before in 2023. That’s also true of Dutch firm Vertagear, with four options available in its 800 Series from 2022.
The PL4800 I’ve been testing is the most expensive, and it’s specifically designed with taller gamers in mind. If you’re under 5ft 9in (1.75m), the SL3800 and SL5800 are better options. Taller than 6ft 6in (1.98m)? Go for the PL6800 instead.
So, does the PL4800 justify the high asking price? I spent a few weeks testing it to find out.
Design & build
- Impressive, high-quality build
- Great ‘HygennX’ fabric
- Plastic adjustment controls
As with most gaming chairs, there’s some assembly involved once the PL4800 arrives. Vertagear describes this as “effortless” though, and it certainly wasn’t long before the chair was ready to use.
With the armrests already attached, all you need to do is attach the base and wheels to the bottom of the seat, then slide the backrest into place. If my experience is anything to go by, this should take around 15 minutes, and it’s very much possible for a single person.
From first impressions, there’s one word I’d use to describe the PL4800: unremarkable. Vertagear hasn’t deviated far from the traditional gaming chair design, so it doesn’t exactly stand out from the crowd.
Anyron Copeman / Foundry
However, that’s not necessarily a bad thing. This design offers much more support than your regular office chair, making it a good choice for extended gaming sessions.
The PL4800 also has an impressive, premium build that helps justify that high price tag. Opting for a steel frame makes it feel more robust than the aluminium often found on cheaper models – Vertagear offers a 10-year warranty on it.
Adjustment relies on a standard gas cylinder which can technically be replaced, but a two-year warranty on the rest of the chair means you’re better off sending it back to Vertagear.
The PL4800 features four standard caster wheels, which offer an impressive range of movements. A rubber coating means they’re better suited to hard floors than carpet, but I used it on the latter with no issues.
Anyron Copeman / Foundry
Then there’s the chair itself, which combines four different materials: PU (artificial) leather, UPHR foam, memory foam and what Vertagear is calling ‘HygennX’.
Deciding against real leather already reduces any odours from the PL4800, but HygennX takes it to the next level. Made using coffee grounds, it supposedly neutralises bacteria growth and improves breathability, helping prevent the build-up of heat and strong smells.
If my experience is anything to go by, it really works. After 7 hours of usage each weekday for almost three months, it still looks almost brand new. Even if you tend to sweat a lot, the back of the chair is dry within a few minutes.
HygennX covers most of the chair, including the elasticated headrest you’ll find in the box.
The PU leather accents are the only place you can add a splash of colour, with the Midnight Blue version I tested joined by options for Midnight Green, Midnight Purple, Carbon Black, Burgundy Red and Black/White.
Most feature eye-catching orange stitching, but it feels high quality and built to last.
Anyron Copeman / Foundry
The only exceptions to that statement are the plastic adjustment controls and casing around where the RGB light kit would be (more on those later). Both feel cheap and out of place on such a premium chair, but they’re far from dealbreakers.
It’s also worth reiterating that this chair is designed for people between 5ft 9in (1.75m) and 6ft 6in (1.98m). Vertagear also specifies a maximum weight of 25.6 stone 9lbs (163kg) – alternatives are available if you’re shorter or heavier.
At 6ft 3in, I feel the PL4800 was designed with someone like me in mind. But even so, I wouldn’t want the top of the chair to be any lower. If you’re closer to 6ft 6in, I’d go for the taller PL6800 instead.
Features & adjustment
- Adaptive lumbar, but not adjustable
- Plenty of height and tilt adjustments
- RGB light kit sold separately
The HygennX material is a feature in itself, but there are few more to be aware of.
It wouldn’t be a gaming chair without lumbar support, which combines HygennX with layers of memory foam and UPHR foam. Vertagear is calling this ‘ContourMax’ lumbar, and claims it can adapt to the shape of your body to enable a healthy posture.
Anyron Copeman / Foundry
This supported my lower back well, but that won’t be the case for everyone – even if you’re within the height range. If you have a longer back, for example, the lumbar support will be in the wrong place.
With that in mind, adjustable lumbar is a notable omission. Many other gaming chairs include this feature, which ensures a better fit for everyone.
Talking of adjustments, there’s plenty of scope for it on the Vertagear PL4800. The standard height control offers a good range of movement, although the tilt function on the other side doesn’t offer much flexibility.
But while the chair is designed to promote good posture, it offers extensive recline options. You can go back until you’re almost lying down, although at that point it becomes very unsteady.
Anyron Copeman / Foundry
There are also 4D armrests, meaning you can go up/down, side to side, in/out, or angled. Having this flexibility is nice, but I mostly kept them in the same position.
However, it’s worth noting that some other gaming chairs provide more adjustment controls. The Mavix M7, for example, also lets you control seat depth, recline tension and the height of the backrest itself. None of those are necessities, though.
As you might expect from a gaming chair, it’s also possible to add RGB lights. There are dedicated slots for two just below the headrest, but $299.99/€299.90 extra (at full price) makes it hard to justify. I haven’t been able to test these, although they do look very slick.
Comfort
- Comfortable and supportive
- Encourages good posture
- May need a lumbar cushion
If you’re going to buy a dedicated gaming chair, it needs to be comfortable. From using the Vertagear PL4800 for around seven hours each weekday for almost three days as my main office chair, I can confidently say that’s the case.
The materials mentioned above mean it strikes a good balance between comfort and promoting good posture. I tend to hunch over while working, but the PL4800 helped avoid that for the most part.
It’s helped by a waterfall-style seat design, which relieves pressure on your knees and encourages you to put your feet flat on the floor – provided it’s at the right height.
Compared to the seat and backrest, the armrests are much harder with less padding. This was initially a slight concern, but I never found them uncomfortable during my testing.
Anyron Copeman / Foundry
However, it’s not all good news. The fixed position of the lumbar support means it won’t be right for everyone, even if it can adapt to the contours of your back.
Unless I was sitting almost completely upright, adding a cushion was the only way to ensure the right level of support. Some gaming chairs include lumbar cushions in the box – it would’ve been nice to see that with the PL4800.
Price & availability
As I alluded to earlier, the Vertagear PL4800 is on the expensive side, coming in at $579.99/€579.90 (approx. £510) when paying full price.
To add the RGB light kit, you’ll need to pay an extra $299.99/€299.90 (approx. £263) at RRP.
The PL4800 is only available direct from Vertagear at the time of writing, but the company does offer a 10-year warranty on the frame and a two-year warranty on everything else.
Nonetheless, you’ll still be paying significantly more than most entries in our gaming chair chart. Features vary between models, but better value for money can be found elsewhere.
Verdict
Vertagear’s PL4800 is a gaming chair built for people 5ft 9in (1.75m) and over, for whom it’s a great option.
Undoubtedly its most impressive feature is the custom HygennX fabric, which does a great job of preventing build-up of heat, moisture or strong smells. It combines with PU leather, UPHR foam and memory foam for a comfortable, supportive experience.
The adaptive lumbar support is another key feature, but it won’t be right for everyone. If you’d rather adjust its position manually, the PL4800 isn’t for you.
Combined with expensive RGB light add-ons and an already high price tag, this gaming chair will only be right for a specific type of person. If that’s you, this will be hard to beat.
