Introduction
The Razer Iskur V2 is a chair that’s well-loved by both pros as well as more casual users. At the time of writing, it’s even the most popular chair on our entire website. So naturally, we had to try out the new and improved version once it hit the market. With changes to the upholstery material and the cushioning in order to make it cooler, this should, in theory, be the ultimate version of this product. Whether that’s true is something you’ll find out in our full Razer Iskur V2 NewGen review.
At A Glance
Razer Iskur V2 NewGen
It’s one of the best racing-style gaming chairs on the market right now if you ask me, so it’s well worth considering.
Pros
- Really nice lumbar support section that moves along with you
- Nice assembly experience
- Great build quality
- Meaningful improvements over the previous version without changing what made the old one good
Cons
- Neck pillow still has that odd shape
- Expensive
- Casters don’t feel smooth
Specs
| Adjustable Seat Height | Yes |
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| Adjustable Seat Depth | No |
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| Adjustable Armrests | Yes |
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| Adjustable Backrest | Yes |
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| Lumbar Support | Built-in and adjustable |
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| Material | Artificial Leather |
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| Max Weight | 136kg |
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Changes vs Razer Iskur V2
The keen-eyed among us might notice that it doesn’t appear like much has changed between the regular version and this NewGen version. And that’s somewhat true. This isn’t exactly a huge change or complete revamp, but rather an iteration on something that was already well-liked by a lot of people.
The first thing that’s noticeable is that the carbon fiber pattern between the stitching on the sides is gone. It’s a small change, but it does make the NewGen look a bit more put together and less ‘gamery’.
The biggest new features in terms of the seating experience are the addition of Razer’s Gen-2 EPU leather and the dual-density, cold-cured foam seat cushion. Both were added to enhance the breathability of the chair and help it remain cooler for longer.
Aside from this, I don’t see or feel any major changes between the two versions, nor are there any other changes indicated on Razer’s website.
Assembly
The Iskur V2 NewGen, just like its predecessor, is made to be extremely easy to assemble. For starters, you get a pair of gloves to prevent small injuries, and there are also spare screws in case you lose an important one. All the tools that you need can also be found in the packaging, so once you open the box, you’re good to go.
The assembly process itself is very straightforward and easy to follow. What also helps is that there are no awkward stages where you need to fit a certain (heavy) piece at just the right angle, leading to annoying finicky situations. I assembled the chair by myself in thirty minutes or so, and I didn’t break a sweat. Even a traditionally awkward task like attaching the backrest went smoothly due to there being a bracket to hold the backrest in place while screwing it tight.
As long as you take your time to carefully read each step, you’ll have absolutely no issues with the assembly of this chair.
Adjustability and Features
A good chair should work with your body, so it should have a lot of adjustment points. Luckily, Razer delivered and made sure that the Iskur V2 NewGen can be tweaked in all the right ways:
- Height
- Armrests (4D adjustment; height, forward/backward, left/right, tilt)
- Lumbar support (follows your body and can be adjusted in height and depth)
- Backrest
- Chair tilt (with a tilt-locking mechanism)
- Head cushion (in the form of a detachable memory foam cushion)
The standout feature here, to me, is the lumbar support. It’s adjustable, for one, but it also follows your body as you move around. I’ll speak on this further down in the review, but it’s a really cool feature in my opinion.
First Impressions and Materials
As far as I can tell, Razer currently only offers the Iskur V2 NewGen with its PU leather upholstery. It is available in four colors: black, quartz (Razer’s name for pink), light gray, and black/green. The black/green colorway is the one I got but to be honest I would have preferred the full black one, since this version looks a little bit ostentatious.
The bright green stitching is something I would be able to deal with, but then there’s also the green Razer logo on the headrest, another Razer logo near the right shoulder, and another Razer logo on the back. It’s a bit much for me, so it’s good to see a blackout version being sold as well.
Moving beyond that, I have to say that this is an impressive chair. With its patterned seat and lumbar cushion and nice materials, this really does look like a quality product. Even the armrests (something that seems difficult to ‘get right’ for most brands) feel very solid here.
One thing that I really don’t like is the fact that the head cushion attaches by means of a strap. I had a problem with that last year when I reviewed the Iskur V2, and I still do now. To me, it cheapens the look of the chair, and it’s also quite simply an inferior solution to magnets, since those straps always start sagging after a certain time. This NewGen version would’ve been an ideal time to bring out the magnets, but alas.
Comfort and Adjustability
Foam
Razer has switched to a new dual-density cold-cure foam for the NewGen edition. The seat cushion is also perforated, according to their marketing materials. I say ‘according to their marketing materials’ because it’s not something that you see with the naked eye.
In terms of the overall sitting experience, the chair luckily feels quite similar to its predecessor. The Iskur V2 NewGen still offers that slightly more cushioned experience compared to some of its competitors, which I really love. It’s softer than what you get from something like a Secretlab Titan Evo, but still firm enough so that your body doesn’t sag.
Obviously, comfort is subjective (some people like a very hard foam, others despise it) but for me, this is a really nice balance. The Iskur V2 NewGen allows me to sit straight up in ‘work mode’ for hours and it seamlessly transitions into a comfier, more couch-like experience once I sit back a bit. It doesn’t feel like a chair that’s designed for one task specifically. For what it’s worth: my partner (who has no knowledge of gaming chairs or office chairs whatsoever) also really likes the seating experience.
To complete the whole thing, the edges are all nicely rounded and there are no hard edges anywhere. The seat area is also wide enough to allow for various cross-legged positions, which can be a bonus to some.
In terms of overall comfort and softness, the Razer Iskur V2 NewGen’s foam is still up there with the best in its genre for me. I’m very happy that the people at Razer didn’t change the feeling of the foam too much.
Lumbar Support
Comfy as the chair may be, the star of the show is still the lumbar support if you ask me. This Hyperflex Lumbar Support System has a swivel design so that it moves with you as you shift around in the chair.
I am someone who is constantly switching positions and moving around, so I absolutely love this feature. It really does feel like it makes a difference to me, and being able to sit at a slight angle in your chair without losing lumbar support feels great, even though I know it’s not the best posture to have.
The lumbar support can also be adjusted both in height as well as in depth, so it’s quite easy to get it to a position that suits your body and preferences exactly. And, to top it all off, it’s also very quiet. There’s no creaking or rumbling, even when you’re moving around a ton.
The lumbar support is an aspect that ranks this chair among the comfiest racing-style chairs I’ve tried so far and really is a standout feature. If you like a full, hugging type of lumbar filling, you’ll also be happy to know that the support can extend outward quite far.
Neck Pillow
With the chair also comes a neck pillow. I already mentioned this in my review of the regular Iskur V2, but I don’t like this. It has a really odd ‘bowl’ shape that just does not agree with my body or the way I tend to sit at any point. As such, I pretty much never use this neck pillow. It’s well-made and soft, sure, but it feels extremely awkward to me.
Of course, the above is subjective. It could be that this neck pillow works wonders for some. But what’s not subjective is the fact that it uses elasticated bands. Most modern gaming chairs go for magnets at this point in time, so I’m quite disappointed to see that Razer is still going old-school here. There might be some reason for not going with magnets that I’m not aware of, but this chair costs a cool $699.99, so it’s not like it’s a budget product.
Missed opportunity, if you ask me.
Everyday Usage
Upholstery and Breathability
If you read my reviews with any regularity, you’ll know that I’m not a fan of (faux) leather materials. This chair doesn’t change that. I quite simply prefer the feeling of fabric or mesh, even over real (quality) leather.
With that said, I do have to say that the Iskur V2 NewGen feels very good. In terms of touch, this new synthetic leather feels slightly coarser to me, which might be due to the micro-perforations. It’s a supple and soft synthetic leather that looks and feels high-quality, so if you’re someone who doesn’t mind or prefers leather-like materials, this will no doubt satisfy you. It’s one of the better-feeling faux leathers I’ve tested.
In terms of breathability and durability, Razer claims that this new Gen-2 EPU leather is 13 times more durable than ‘regular PU leather’. That’s a claim that I cannot verify, but I can attest to the breathability. And that’s quite good. For such a robust and thick PU leather chair, I never really felt like it got too toasty or sticky. And I do feel like it fares better in this aspect than its predecessor.
I do have to say that it’s currently early spring here, with temperatures that don’t exceed 20°C (89°F) so I haven’t had the chance to test the chair in truly brutal summer conditions. Still, I have tested my fair share of chairs by now, and this one does feel very good in terms of temperatures and breathability compared to other PU leather chairs.
I do really hope Razer will release a fabric version of the Iskur V2 NewGen, though. I would absolutely love that.
Build Quality
First, a note. The build quality of a chair is difficult to properly evaluate in a review. A review product gets tested for a couple of weeks before it makes way for something else, and chairs are products that are meant to last for years. As such, it’s not really possible to find issues that can pop up after years of extended usage in such a short time.
With that said, chairs can obviously be judged on how well they are made. And this one feels and looks great. Razer has used quality materials across the board, and there are no parts on this chair that feel cheap or out of place. Levers feel smooth and consistent with no ‘deadzone’, the foam or upholstery doesn’t creak, and the base is solid and reliable. Even notoriously ‘rattly’ parts like the armrests feel great here.
It’s not all rosy, though. I don’t love the wheels, as they don’t glide as smoothly as I’d like them to. I’m not someone who rolls around in their chair all the time, but it’s still something that I noticed. Some of the included wheels are quite stubborn and feel ‘stuck’ at certain points. Perhaps it’s a small QC flaw with my specific chair, but it’s worth noting regardless.
Ease of Use
The Iskur V2 NewGen is not a difficult chair to use. Controls for the lumbar support are properly marked and can be reached while sitting in the chair, for one. That’s great because it makes dialing in the chair a lot easier.
Other controls are also easy to reach and respond well. The controls for the armrests are on the firmer side, but that can be a good thing to prevent accidental changes when moving.
All in all, this is a straightforward chair. It’s got a classic design so there’s no learning curve involved here.
Conclusion
The Razer Iskur V2 NewGen is not a drastic reimagining of its predecessor. To me, that’s a good thing. The original Iskur V2 was a really good product to begin with, and it made its way to the top of our most used chair list (at the time of writing) so it would be foolish to change too many things.
To me, the chair has been improved. I did not have any huge overheating issues with the previous one, but this newest version does feel a bit cooler and slightly more premium to me, so the designers hit the mark there. They did also miss some other points where they could’ve improved, most notably with the neck pillow and the way it attaches. That’s not enough to ruin my enjoyment of the chair, but it does feel like a missed opportunity.
In summary, the Iskur V2 NewGen is still that same very comfy chair with an amazing lumbar support, it just got cooler and a bit more durable. So if you’re looking for a new chair and you like what you’ve been hearing about the Iskur line, this is it. It’s one of the best racing-style gaming chairs on the market right now if you ask me, so it’s well worth considering.
If you already own an Iskur V2 and you don’t have any overheating issues, you can safely skip this one, though.
This product was received for free from the manufacturer and given to our reviewer to test and review. Brands and manufacturers have no editorial control over our reviews. For more information, check out our review FAQ.
Former semi-pro gamer turned writer, product reviewer, and community manager.
