DX Racer 1 Gaming Chair Review

The Racer 1 is one of the best-selling if not the most popular gaming chair in Germany. It is evident that the main argument for its fame is the attractive pricing: The Racer 1 is the cheapest entry into the world of DXRacer. Even though it seems that the UK’s resellers are not able to draw level with the German pricing, I think this is just a matter of time.

In this review you will find out that the Racer 1 is based on the Formula Series – to be precise: It is a slimmed down version of it. I will show you where the differences are and if the lower price makes up for possible limitations in functionality, quality or optics.

Brand	DXRacer
Model Name	Racer 1
Materials Used	steel frame, nylon base, polyester fabric covering, PU casters, PU armrests
Feature-Set	1D-armrests, (lockable) rocking, class 4 gas lift, lumbar/neck pillows, 90-135° reclinable backrest, silent/floor-friendly casters

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My Racer 1 Review

As always, I advise you to start out with my review video – even though it is still German only (voiceover + new video coming soon). I ordered the Racer 1 about a year ago mainly out of curiosity for I just wanted to now why everyone is going for this racing seat. It has not been in everyday use since then, but I think I have done enough field-testing to give you a precise idea of the Racer 1’s qualities.

Make sure you do not skip the size and buying guide at the end of this review. I will tell you if the Racer 1 fits your stature as well as your budget – if there is a bargain offer out there you will find it here!

I am pretty sure that amazon is going to adjust the pricing in the UK soon. So check out the current offer here!

check pricing:

View on amazon

The Assembly

Nothing out of the ordinary in matters of assembly. Handling all the parts, I did not notice any manufacturing flaws or anything appearing obviously “cheap” – everything is within the usual DXRacer fashion. It takes about 20 to 30 minutes to put the Racer 1 together, and it is relatively easy to solo this encounter.

Surprisingly, the usual struggle with the screws that hold the backrest did not even appear: They went in very smoothly on the first try which put me in a positive mood right from the start. The only thing one could nag about is the synthetic out-of-box smell but the temporary nature of this “problem” relativizes it for me.

My First Impressions Of The Racer 1

Overall shape & ergonomics of the Racer 1

The measurements are no different to the F-Series’, so this is also a chair for the averagely sized gamer. The boulders on the seat and backrest offer welcome side support to deliver the intended race car feeling. So overall nothing exciting but also nothing negative to say about the ergonomic design – it is the kind of crowd-pleaser shape most customers are looking for in a gaming seat.

Examining the fabric cover

It is a refreshing change to review a fabric chair since these are getting pretty rare these days. The manufacturer did an excellent job of aligning the polyester covering, and the precision of the stitchings is also nothing to sneeze at. In contrast to the closely related F-Series the Racer 1 uses a fabric-only cover instead of a PU-fabric-combination.

No threads are sticking out, no excessive wrinkling and an accuracy on par with more expensive chairs. Especially if you consider the low cost of the reviewed Racer 1 (close to 200 quid) there is nothing to complain about.

Proof of a close relationship

The little label on the seating surface of the Racer 1 even carries a little label that says “Formula” convicting it guilty of being its twin brother.

Surprise, surprise: a nylon base

The base is one of the few parts that separates the Racer 1 from the F-Series: Instead of aluminium DXRacer uses nylon as the material which might be part of the reason why this chair “only” carries a max load of 100 kilos. Is this a bad thing? Well, if you tip the scale at a 100 kgs or more, yes. For anyone else, do not bother. The ends carry little red accents that fit the Racer 1’s general picture very well.

The castors are on the smaller side – who cares? Smaller chair, smaller casters – but as smoothly running and floor friendly as its huge-grown relatives.

Putting It’s Adjustability To The Test

Lumbar & neck support

The pillows are also business as usual: You have got the lumbar cushion running up and down on two nylon straps as well as the neck pillow that can be attached from above or through the venting holes in the backrest. Both pillows are covered in PU leather – which is the brand’s standard – making them stand out against the seat’s fabric slip.

The armrests: A bit one-dimensional

Since the Racer 1 is based on the Formula Series, it also has only one-dimensional armrests at its disposal. You can adjust the height of these in a range of 12 centimetres which is sufficient for everyone that fits into this chair. You have

You have to decide for yourself if you rely on more flexibility here. Honestly, I have not had anyone complaining to me about missing further directions. The upside of these less adjustable armrests is that they are attached more firmly which leads to less rattling.

Tilt, rocking & sitting height

Naturally, you can tilt the Racer 1, and you can rock it. As far as tilting goes the chair offers a leeway of 90 to 135 degrees in matters of recline (same as the King Series). While I have not found any precise data on the rocking yet, I would say that it goes back to about 14 degrees and is, of course, lockable in multiple positions.

The sitting height can also be adjusted within a range of about 10 centimetres using the depicted lever.

My Résumé After Test-Sitting The Racer 1 For A Year

Overall Comfort & Ergonomics

Since the Racer 1 is covered in fabric – even though it consists of polyester – it offers a welcome level of breathability. Other than that it feels comfy and not as cold as PU when you are just sitting down.

In matters of ergonomics, users will most likely be satisfied with all the possibilities like reclining, rocking, a lumbar as well as a neck pillow and the height-adjustable armrests. True, it is always nice to have “more” but our guinea pigs that have been testing the Racer 1, have not missed anything function-wise.

For my size – 1.89m & 80 kilos – the Racer 1 is comfortable but during longer gaming or working sessions in front of my PC, I prefer roomier chairs like the ProX or the EPIC Series. That, however, is of course entirely dependent on your preferences and body size.

Durability

My Racer 1 has not been under constant daily stress but it for sure has a couple of hundred hours on its back. I am typing these words after just about one year after my initial Racer 1 review, and the wear and tear is so minimal that it is not even worth mentioning.

Personally, I think that a Gaming Chair even if it is priced only around 200 quid should not show significant signs of wear after a year of usage. No question, this is something that makes the Racer 1 stand out from many other wretched wannabe-seats within that pricing range – simply DXRacer.

One might argue that a fabric cover is harder to clean and more prone to be affected by stains. However, this is not a problem of the Racer 1 but of the material in general and I see this as an avoidable issue – proven by my pictures.

Racer 1 Size Guide

Size-wise the Racer 1 is a great fit for anyone between below average to slightly above average. I would limit the height to about 1.90m and the user’s weight to a max of 90, maybe 95 kilos if you are tall. The feel-good-range, however, is around 1.75m and 75kg with an elbowroom of 10 percent up and down.

Final Conclusion: Serious Rep For Quality Low Budget Chairs

Let us sum up this review:

The Racer 1 is a low-budget version of the Formula Series from DXRacer
Instead of PU or a PU/fabric mix, it is entirely covered in fabric
The Aluminium base has been exchanged for a nylon alternative
The chair has rocking, is reclinable (90-135°) and equipped with 1D-armrests
Priced at around 200 quid this seat is the best-selling chair in Germany
The manufacturing quality is on par with the company’s standards

So all in all, if you fit into this chair and find the design appealing you can make a cheap entry into the ranks of DXRacer – assumed that the pricing is going to drop in the UK.

The Racer 1 is Germany’s most popular Gaming Chair for a reason: You get DXRacer quality & prestige at a bargain price. This trimmed down Formula chair offers everything an entry-level racing seat is supposed to bring to the table. Under reserve – it is still too pricy in the UK – the Racer 1 earns the goturback.uk Bronze Award for its excellent value-for-money ratio.

Racer 1 Buying Guide

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