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Review: Vertagear PL4500 gaming chair – an ass-pleasing wonder

The Vertagear PL4500 is an absolute revelation in comfort.

Vertagear pl4500 gaming chair review
Image: Marc Townley / KnowTechie
The Good
So very comfortable
Looks incredible
I can feel my spine again
The Bad
You may have to choose between getting out of it and soiling yourself It’s not portable enough to take everywhere in life
9.8
Overall

Here at KnowTechie, we’re all about being cynical pricks. We complain a lot, and when something sucks, we have no qualms about tearing a new asshole into something. It’s something we all enjoy doing, and there seems to be a little competition about who can be the grumpiest.

Vertagear’s PL4500 has managed to anger me in a whole new way. For the first time in recent memory, this incredible gaming chair has given me absolutely nothing to complain about. Crazy, right?

Respectfully, I’ve had to bow out of the cynolympics and enjoy sheer bliss under my ass. But, there’s a good reason why. Read on to see what makes it so special.

Down with the thicc-ness

Vertagear pl4500 gaming chair review
Image: Marc Townley / KnowTechie

The first thing I’m going to point out is that this chair is heavy. It’s ‘double-c thicc’, tipping the scales at 58.9 lb. But that’s for a very good reason. The PL4500 is aimed at big and tall users. Vertagear recommends a maximum height and weight of 6’6” and 118 kg (260 lb), but it will take a max load of 400 lb.

You shouldn’t have any trouble putting it together, though. The instructions are clear, and everything slides into place with nice satisfying clicks.

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From beautiful PU-coated caster wheels to a steel-reinforced frame, everything is easily fitted, and any moving parts are secured with a bit of help from the supplied tools and screws. Once it’s all constructed, you’ll be greeted by something that feels incredibly sturdy.

Chairway to heaven

Vertagear pl4500 gaming chair review
Image: Marc Townley / KnowTechie

Gaming chairs can sometimes look a little overbearing and garish. The sleek all-black/charcoal model completely skips this trend, although brighter options – like black and green, black and white, or the Swarovski-crystal encrusted chair – still don’t force you to look away.

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I’ve got mine set up at home, and it looks incredible whether I’m on yet another Microsoft Teams call, getting my ass handed to me in Fortnite, or waging war against opposing tribes in Age of Empires. However, we won’t mention how it looks bathed in the glow of an Incognito browser and your favorite adult website.

Every square inch has a premium look and feel, even down to the smooth-rolling wheels and textured fabric to either side of the back support. I was completely expecting nice visuals, especially for a $450 price tag. What I wasn’t expecting was to keep staring at it randomly.

Baby got back(rest)

Vertagear pl4500 gaming chair review
Image: Marc Townley / KnowTechie

Looks would be for nothing if the chair weren’t comfortable, though, so it’s lucky the PL4500 excels here, too. Almost everything you can think of can be adjusted until you find the right settings. You can tell there’s a hell of a lot of attention put into this area, and it pays off.

You can change the seat’s height and tilt angle. So can the angle of the backrest. I tested it out as far back as it goes, and you can almost lie completely flat.

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It’s not a desirable situation, but if you ever found yourself stuck to your desk for any reason (like trying to snipe an eBay bargain, beating scalpers to the latest batch of PS5s, or having to use your bedroom as a Walter White-style meth lab), you’ll be secure in the knowledge you can grab a quick power nap on it.

A removable head cushion and back cushion give added control over exactly how your body shapes the chair. For example, I have awful posture at times, so a cushion at the bottom of my back really helped me to sit straighter for longer.

I was surprised how much control you get over the armrests, too. They can be sat at slimmer or wider positions relative to your profile, the armrests can move backward and forward, raised and lowered, and they even have around 90 degrees of rotation on the horizontal.

When all moving parts are considered, it’s hard to imagine anybody out there being unable to find their ideal balance.

Sit down on it

Vertagear pl4500 gaming chair review
Image: Marc Townley / KnowTechie

Ok, so I think we can all agree that it looks fantastic. And there’s obviously plenty of options when it comes to adjusting it. But the important question is, is it actually comfortable?

In short, yes. Beneath the coffee fiber padding, you’ll find Ultra Premium High Resiliency Foam, which has incredible density and almost reaches the hallowed heights of memory foam.

Vertagear claims that the coffee fiber HygennX system will limit odor and promote breathability while also controlling bacteria. I can definitely vouch for breathability.

I’ve sat in it wearing joggers, shorts, and jeans (separately, of course. Wearing them all together would be weird), and not once have I had to deal with overheating. This is a big plus for me, as I always seem to be running a degree or two hotter than anyone else.

The bacteria and odor control aren’t something I can mention too much about, though. It’s not as though I’ve gone for a run before sitting down in it to see how much sweat it retains. However, I have released a few farts that were so bad my cat left the room, and there seem to be no long-lasting effects just yet.

Light it up

Vertagear pl4500 gaming chair review
Image: Marc Townley / KnowTechie

While the chair itself is stunning to look at and ridiculously comfortable in use, Vertagear was kind enough also to send an RGB LED kit.

Including a USB dongle, two separate light fittings, and the rechargeable battery, this kit really took everything to the next level. After a quick download of the NZXT software, you’ll have a raft of personalization to wade through.

All the usual suspects are here, so you can keep to one static color, create rainbows, enjoy cool flowing patterns, or – and this one is my favorite feature – sync it with your game. The palette will evolve from green to red when playing your favorite shooter to reflect your health status.

It’s so incredibly cool to play something with the lights off and see LEDs casting a dynamic glow all around the room. It’s such an immersive thing and something I would never have thought of.

Final verdict

I’ve never been one to shout about the joys of a decent chair. I’ve always just survived with cheap deals and second-hand chairs that have conspicuous stains on the seat. However, the Vertagear PL4500 is an absolute revelation in comfort.

My back feels genuinely supported, and my hips aren’t bearing as much weight. I can easily last a whole working day sitting in it without the fidgeting and constant repositioning of my legs that I usually have to deal with. A chair has no right to be this comfortable, but I’m so happy that it is anyway.

The Vertagear PL4500 retails for $449 and can be purchased directly from the company’s website. The chair is also available via Amazon, Office Depot, and Walmart.

Have any thoughts on this? Let us know down below in the comments or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

Editors’ Recommendations:

Just a heads up, if you buy something through our links, we may get a small share of the sale. KnowTechie was provided a sample for this review. Click here for more.

The Good
So very comfortable
Looks incredible
I can feel my spine again
The Bad
You may have to choose between getting out of it and soiling yourself It’s not portable enough to take everywhere in life
9.8
Overall

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A gamer since I've been able to hold a controller, I can usually be found with a PlayStation, Xbox or Switch controller in my hand.

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