Vertagear PL4800 Review: A Gaming Chair for Tall Players

Price under consideration

$579.99

Best Prices Today: Vertagear PL4800

If you’re looking to enhance your gaming experience with a dedicated chair, you’ll have more choices in 2023 than ever before. This also applies to the Dutch firm Vertagear: four variants are available in its 800 series from 2022.

The PL4800 I tested is the most expensive and it’s specifically designed for taller gamers. If you are under 5ft 9in (1.75m) tall, the SL3800 and SL5800 are your best bet. Are you taller than 6 feet 6 inches (1.98 m)? Choose the PL6800 instead.

So, does the PL4800 justify the high asking price? I spent several weeks testing to find out.

Design and assembly

• Impressive build quality
• Excellent HygennX fabric.
• Plastic adjustment knobs

As with most gaming chairs, the PL4800 will require some assembly once it arrives. Vertagear describes it as “effortless” and sure enough, the chair was soon ready to use.

With the armrests already attached, all you have to do is attach the base and wheels to the bottom of the seat and then slide the backrest into place. Based on my experience this should take about 15 minutes and is quite possible for one person.

Based on first impressions, I can describe the PL4800 in one word: unremarkable. The design of Vertagear doesn’t differ much from traditional gaming chair designs, so it doesn’t really stand out from the crowd.

However, this is not necessarily a bad thing. This design provides much more support than a typical office chair, making it a good choice for extended gaming sessions.

The PL4800 also has an impressive premium build that helps justify its hefty price tag. The choice of a steel frame makes it more durable than aluminum, which is often used in cheaper models – Vertagear offers a 10-year warranty on it.

The adjustment depends on the standard gas bottle, which is technically replaceable, but the two-year warranty on the rest of the chair means you’d be better off sending it back to Vertagear.

The PL4800 is equipped with four standard casters for an impressive range of motion. The rubber coating means they are better suited to hard floors than carpets, but I’ve used it on the latter without any problems.

Eniron Koopman / Foundry

Then there’s the chair itself, which combines four different materials: PU faux leather, UPHR foam, memory foam, and what Vertagear calls “HygennX.”

The ditching of genuine leather already reduces any odors from the PL4800, but HygennX takes it to the next level. Made with coffee grounds, it supposedly neutralizes bacterial growth and improves breathability to help prevent heat build-up and strong odors.

In my experience, it really does work. After 7 hours of use every weekday for almost three months, it still looks almost like new. Even if you tend to sweat a lot, the back of your chair dries out within minutes.

HygennX covers most of the chair, including the elastic headrest you’ll find in the box.

Faux leather accents are the only place you can add a splash of color: the Midnight Blue version I tested has options for Midnight Green, Midnight Purple, Carbon Black, Burgundy Red, and Black/White.

Most of them have attractive orange stitching, but they look high quality and durable.

Eniron Koopman / Foundry

The only exceptions to this statement are the plastic adjustment controls and the housing around where the RGB lighting kit would be (more on that later). Both feel cheap and out of place in such a premium chair, but they’re far from a deal breaker.

It is also worth repeating that this chair is designed for people from 5’9″ (1.75m) to 6’6″ (1.98m). Vertagear also lists a maximum weight of 25.6 stone 9 pounds (163 kg) – alternatives are available if you’re shorter or heavier.

At 6’3″, I feel like the PL4800 was designed with people like me in mind. But even so, I wouldn’t want the top of the chair to be even lower. If you’re closer to 6ft 6in, I’d go with the taller PL6800.

Features and customization

• Adaptive lumbar but not adjustable
• Lots of height and tilt adjustments
• RGB lighting kit sold separately

The HygennX material is a feature in itself, but there are a few more things to be aware of.

It wouldn’t be a gaming chair without the lumbar support that combines HygennX with layers of memory foam and UPHR foam. Vertagear calls it the “ContourMax” for the lower back and claims it can adapt to your body shape to provide a healthy posture.

Eniron Koopman / Foundry

It supported my lower back well, but not for everyone, even if you are within the height range. For example, if you have a long back, the lumbar support will be out of place.

With that in mind, the adjustable lumbar support is a notable omission. Many other gaming chairs include this feature which ensures the best fit for everyone.

Speaking of adjustments, the Vertagear PL4800 has plenty of room for that. The standard height adjustment provides a good range of motion, although the tilt function on the other side doesn’t offer much flexibility.

But while the chair is designed to provide good posture, it offers ample reclining options. You can come back until you are almost lying down, although at this point she becomes very unstable.

Eniron Koopman / Foundry

There are also 4D armrests, which means you can move up/down, side to side, in/out, or at an angle. Having that kind of flexibility is good, but I basically kept them in the same position.

However, it is worth noting that some other gaming chairs have more adjustment options. For example, the Mavix M7 also allows you to control seat depth, tilt tension, and the height of the back itself. However, none of these are necessary.

As you would expect from a gaming chair, you can also add RGB lighting. There are dedicated slots for two right under the headrest, but the extra $299.99 / €299.90 (full price) makes it hard to justify. I haven’t been able to test them although they look very smooth.

Comfort

• Comfortable and supportive
• Promotes good posture
• May need a lumbar pillow

If you are going to buy a dedicated gaming chair, it needs to be comfortable. Using the Vertagear PL4800 for about seven hours each weekday for almost three days as my primary office chair, I can safely say that this is the case.

The materials mentioned above strike a good balance between comfort and good posture. I tend to slouch while I work, but the PL4800 helped me avoid that for the most part.

This is aided by the waterfall seat design, which takes pressure off your knees and encourages you to put your feet on the floor – as long as it’s at the right height.

Compared to the seat and backrest, the armrests are much stiffer and have less padding. It was a bit of an annoyance at first, but during testing, I never felt uncomfortable with them.

Eniron Koopman / Foundry

However, this is not all good news. The fixed position of the lumbar support means it won’t suit everyone, even if it can adapt to the contours of your back.

Unless I was sitting almost completely upright, adding a pillow was the only way to provide the right level of support. Some gaming chairs come with lumbar cushions – it would be nice to see them in the PL4800.

Price and availability

As I mentioned earlier, the Vertagear PL4800 is expensive: $579.99 / €579.90 (about £510) when paid full price.

To add the RGB lighting kit, you’ll need to pay an additional $299.99 / €299.90 (approx. £263) MSRP.

The PL4800 is only available directly from Vertagear at the time of writing, but the company offers a 10-year warranty on the frame and a two-year warranty on everything else.

However, you will still be paying significantly more than most of the participants in our gaming chair table. Features vary by model, but better value for money can be found elsewhere.

Verdict

The Vertagear PL4800 is a gaming chair designed for people 5ft 9in (1.75m) and taller, for whom this is a great option.

Undoubtedly its most impressive feature is the special HygennX fabric, which does a great job of preventing heat, moisture or strong odors from building up. It is combined with PU leather, UPHR foam and memory foam for comfortable support.

Adaptive lumbar support is another key feature, but it won’t be for everyone. If you prefer to manually adjust its position, the PL4800 is not for you.

Combined with expensive RGB lighting add-ons and an already high price tag, this gaming chair is only suitable for a certain type of person. If this is you, it will be hard to beat.