Secretlab Atlas Task Chair Review: Strong Competitor to Herman Miller, With Minor Height Limitations
TechRadar reviewed Secretlab's new Atlas task chair after 35+ hours of testing and found it to be a well-designed, competitively priced office chair with premium materials and automatic lumbar support. The chair starts at $499 and represents Secretlab's first dedicated entry into the office task chair market, moving beyond its established gaming chair line. The review matters because it signals growing competition in the premium office furniture market and provides consumers with an alternative to established brands like Herman Miller.
Secretlab has launched the Atlas, its first dedicated task chair designed for office environments rather than gaming. After extensive hands-on testing totaling over 35 hours, TechRadar found the chair to be aesthetically appropriate for professional settings, with subdued color options and premium materials including SoftWave Plus fabric. The chair features automatic lumbar support adjustment, customizable armrests in three positions, and a starting price of $499, positioning it as competitively priced against established competitors. The main drawback identified is the chair's intentionally low maximum height of approximately 16.7 inches, which the reviewer found limiting for taller users, though this design choice is intended to encourage proper foot placement. Despite this limitation, the reviewer concluded the Atlas is a strong product that could challenge established office chair brands, though they remain uncertain whether it will fully replace their current Herman Miller chair.
What's missing
The review lacks comparative testing data with direct competitors like Herman Miller's Sayl or other premium task chairs in the $500 price range, making it difficult to assess relative value. Additionally, there is no information about long-term durability testing or user feedback from broader customer bases beyond the reviewer's personal experience.
How coverage differed
TechRadar's review is a hands-on product evaluation with disclosed testing methodology, presenting both strengths and weaknesses in a balanced format typical of tech journalism. The reviewer acknowledges their existing preference for Herman Miller while still recognizing the Atlas's competitive merits, demonstrating transparency about potential bias.
What different sources said
- TechRadarCenter
I've spent over 35 hours sitting in Secretlab's new Atlas task chair and there's a lot I like about it — but I'm still not sure it will dethrone my Herman Miller
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