NAG & PS Nation

Product: Sumo Solace
Manufacturer: Sumo Lounge International
Price: $299.00

Sumo Lounge recently offered to send one of their chairs for review and after hearing Glenn go on and on about his last year I jumped at the chance. I was given a choice between one of their top sellers, the Sumo Sultan and one of their new models, the Solace.

In looking them over on the website, the Sumo Sultan looks similar to the bean bags chairs of our youth, but much larger and made of much better material. The Solace appeared to be more compact, like a lounge chair. Since I have limited space to work with when it comes to additional furniture, I decided to try out the Solace instead.

When the box arrived at my door, it was much smaller than expected. I didn’t see how a chair could fit into such a small space and had concerns about how it would retain its shape after being packed so tightly for the journey to my doorstep. The box itself was very rugged, thick, heavy duty cardboard that would be difficult to rip or tear. It was sealed with plastic straps and those heavy industrial copper looking staples. After getting it open, i found that the chair was packed and wrapped tightly in two thick, heavy clear plastic bags, one inside the other. This was an incredibly well protected product and you can be assured that it’ll get to your door in excellent condition.

When I finally squeezed the chair out of its packaging, it popped right into shape, simple as that. As you can see from the pictures, it has a back to it, one that I was worried about. Would it be solid, sturdy or just too weak? When I sat down, I was pleasantly surprised by how well it holds its shape. It’s all some sort of foam inside and as much as I tried to lean back and make it bend, it held up beautifully.

When I play games, I’m usually sitting on one of the couches. I find myself constantly adjusting my legs and body all over the place as I play. I go from sitting upright, to leaning forward, to one leg under me, to laying across the couch, to laying with half my body over the edge in the laziest of poses. I wasn’t sure how this (relatively) skinny chair with really only one way to sit would work out for me. Imagine my surprise when I was able to sit comfortably for three plus hours cruising through game after game. This is easily the most comfortable chair I’ve ever used while gaming. I absolutely love it.

The microsuede cover is soft to the touch and comes in four colors, black, tan, brown and red. There’s also a pocket on the right side for your remote or whatever else you want to keep there so it’s always within reach. Getting into the chair isn’t a problem but getting out is a little different. I’ve found it best to roll to the side then stand up. It’s low to the ground and you’ll easily sink into the comfortable cushiness of it. It’s surprisingly light as well making it very easy to slide it around the room or move it to another room with ease if necessary. I couldn’t be happier with it.

The big question for you then is, “Is this chair worth it for me?”, and to that I’d say, it really depends on what you’re looking for. At $299 this isn’t really an impulse purchase. You’re paying for a quality chair made of really nice materials. If I had never sat in it I probably wouldn’t have considered spending that much on a chair, but after spending time with it, I can easily say it’s worth every penny, and hey, this guy seems to love it too. Hail Baby.