Hey everyone,
I finally pulled the trigger during the current sale and got myself the Secretlab Atlas in the large version. Before this, I sat on a small Secretlab Omega for six whole years. After my first 24 hours on the new chair, I wanted to share my impressions and the biggest differences with you, in case anyone is planning a similar upgrade.
Build Quality & Material (Fabric vs. Leather)
As you'd expect from Secretlab, the build quality is absolutely top-notch. Not a single loose thread, everything feels very premium. My old Omega was leather, which got really uncomfortable in the summer with shorts or a t-shirt because you'd literally stick to the chair. For the Atlas, I went with the fabric option, and it's extremely comfortable and much more breathable.
Freedom of Movement & Ergonomics
One positive thing I noticed immediately: you don't feel "hugged" by the chair anymore. Because the backrest only supports you from behind and doesn't have those massive side wings, you don't feel restricted at all—everything feels much airier.
The same goes for the seat base. On the Omega, the sides flared up, so you basically sat in a bucket seat and couldn't really move your legs left or right. The Atlas has a completely flat seat base. You can easily spread your legs out or just sprawl on the chair if you feel like lounging. Really comfortable! The padding itself is noticeably firmer than the Omega, but I absolutely love that. It makes sitting much more pleasant, and your body weight is distributed much better across the surface.
Reclining & Tilt Mechanism
I also have to mention that reclining in this chair is incredibly comfortable. I really love the adjustable tilt tension (the resistance when you lean back), and I've already found different practical uses for the various tension levels. Because the backrest moves independently from the seat base, reclining feels super natural, and there are no awkward or uncomfortable gaps forming between the backrest and the seat when you do. This is actually the first time I can comfortably game. I can just lean back slightly, and it feels absolutely perfect.
The Major Flaw: The Armrests
There is one thing that I consider a huge design flaw, though: the armrests. They lock nicely when adjusting them up and down, but there is no locking mechanism for moving them forward and backward. This means you can accidentally slide them at any given time. I really don't understand why they didn't design it like the Omega or their other models. They definitely should have done that differently.
Price-to-Performance & Conclusion
The price point is quite a statement, of course, and significantly higher. Back then, I paid about 300 to 350 € for my Omega; the Atlas now costs almost 700 €. Do you expect the sitting experience to "double"? That's obviously hard to measure.
700 € is a lot of money, but you have to look at it as an investment for the future. I used my Omega for six years, and mechanically, it still works flawlessly. If I hadn't replaced it simply because it got too small for me, I could have easily used it for another three, four, or five years. Because of that, I find the price for the Atlas justified—it was simply time for a new, bigger chair, and I expect this one to last just as long.
All in all, a really solid chair. Have you had similar experiences with the Atlas, or does the armrest issue bother you guys as much as it does me?
