I'm one of those people who has a bad back constantly. After exercise, during work, or even just having slept a bit sideways, my back always finds a way to let me know.
It's one of the reasons I find it so hard to find a chair usable both for gaming and working - being at the desk all day every day before unwinding with a bit of a Battle Royale with my friends can become a struggle.
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OSIM's uThrone attempts to solve both of these issues. A comfortable chair, perfect for gaming, that also solves my long-standing back issues? Sounds a bit too good to be true. Let's see.
Construction
This thing is not light. With a gross weight of 34kg, you'll need a bit of a hand lugging it up the stairs or wherever you fancy placing it. You aren't going to fancy moving the uThrone around your house once it's set up if you can avoid it.
Having said that, construction was pretty straightforward once it was in the space I wanted it. A hex key was provided to get everything screwed in correctly, and most of the seat came ready-to-go. The only real issue I had came when it felt like the back of the chair didn't quite fit on the base, but a little bit of jiggling and nudging solved that.
Electronics-wise, all you need to do is plug a couple of bits in and attach it to the wall. Power consumption is 60 watts, which isn't an enormous amount considering you'll only be using it in 15-minute bursts. Of course, if you're trying to cut back on costs given the energy crisis, the cost of keeping the uThrone kneading your back will be something to consider. It's worth mentioning that it uses a whole lot less power than the PS5 you might be playing on.
Comfort
It's a nicely-constructed chair for prolonged periods of use. I work at a desk for most of my day, and the uThrone has fully replaced my old office chair. The base is firm enough to not sink into but soft enough that it never gets to the point of needing to move around, and the headrest combined with the lumbar cushion allow me to sit back and reach my desk with ease.
For gaming purposes, the reclining angle is ideal, and the lumbar cushion coupled with the headrest work great for sitting back whilst still focusing on my screen, controller in hand.
The only real downside is that it's probably made for someone a tad smaller - my shoulders are quite broad and occasionally it feels as though I don't have the upper-body support, as some of the backrest dips towards the middle of the chair. This is likely to allow the massage system to function properly but is still a bit of a pain.
The selling point
Speaking of the massage system, this is the real selling point. The reason you'd buy an OSIM uThrone above another gaming chair. For me, it's absolutely brilliant.
Recline the chair and tell it where your shoulders are and you'll be able to feel the V-Hand (their words, not mine) knead and jiggle away. There are a few preset modes, one that focuses on the shoulders and neck, one that goes down to lumbar, and one called 'energise', which seems to be a combination of the two. These last for 15 minutes each, and work a treat for my many consistent aches and pains, although having asked some friends to have a go, they weren't nearly as delighted with it. If you don't struggle with back issues and haven't needed regular massages, the uThrone might go a bit too hard, or at least take some getting used to.
It's important to use the 'Shoulders Position' option before starting, which at first was a bit confusing but soon ended up making sense. Press it repeatedly to tell the uThrone which of the six levels of shoulder height works best for the highest point in the massage, and it'll change up the massages to the right spots. Of course, that'll change depending on how far you're reclining, so make sure to do it every time.
Overall, the actual massage function does exactly what I needed it to, and feels like a luxurious thing to have as part of your gaming setup. The wire connecting the chair to the mains does get in the way of the wheels occasionally, despite the velcro taping it to the bottom of the chair, but if you're sitting still (which you should be mid-massage), it's far from a major issue.
Bells and whistles
In addition to all this, the chair boasts a Bluetooth speaker which is as easy to set up as any other. It's not the highest quality, but it's a bit of a nice-to-have. Chucking on some relaxing tunes whilst grabbing your post-game massage is always a treat, and the sound comes out on either side of your head, making it a sort-of surround system.
In general, the OSIM uThrone is a delightful addition to your gaming or work setup. It's far from cheap, of course, but if you're looking for something to elevate your setup and money is less of an object, it's a gem.
