£260 inc VAT), you can adorn the holes in the seat’s back
with RGB lighting that will sync up with your system’s RGB
lighting. There’s even a kit for another $300 US that will add
underlighting to the base. It seems to us more than a little silly
to spend so much money on RGB lighting for a chair – even a
streamer surely couldn’t justify the base lighting, but the option
is there if you really must have as much RGB bling as possible.Conclusion
The Vertagear PL4500 is a real mixed bag of a gaming chair.
Its pricing in the UK is very competitive,
with few chairs below the £400 mark
offering the same uprated tilt system
used here. The seat cushioning is good
too, and there are quite a few other
decent features, such as the quality
of the castors. However, the lumbar
support system is poor and overall
comfort is middling. Its constriction from
the various side wings also dents its
apparent appeal to big and tall gamers.
EDWARD CHESTERV
ertagear’s P-Line (PL) range of chairs is aimed at
bigger and taller gamers than most chairs, with the
base level PL1000 made for people measuring up
to 6ft 2in and weighing 110kg, while the range-topping
PL6000 welcomes bodies up to 6ft 8in tall and weighing
169kg. The PL4500 sits in the middle, made for users up to 6ft
6in tall, although it’s only rated for up to 100kg of weight.
This apparent focus on taller, slimmer gamers comes
through in the shape of this chair, as it’s not overly generous
with its width. While the likes of the noblechairs HERO
accommodates larger sitters by flattening out the various
protrusions at the side of the chair, the Vertagear PL4500 has
quite severe shoulder, hip and leg wings to keep you securely
wedged into place. As such, even my fairly slim 6ft 2in frame
didn’t have a lot of room to manoeuvre.
Thankfully, the cushioning on the seat is much more
generous. It’s still on the firm side, but with a little more spring
than the likes of the noblechairs HERO or Corsair T3 Rush. The
contouring is good too, with a reasonable drop off at the front
that prevents it from digging into your thighs.
Elsewhere, the overall comfort level on this chair is middling,
with the lumbar support cushion being too hard and having
too severe edges. It also doesn’t have a strap system to hold it
in place. The head cushion is pleasant and soft though.
In terms of styling, the black and blue combination here
lacks a certain finesse for our tastes, although that’s a
subjective assessment. It’s neither outlandish enough to be
fun nor staid enough to go unnoticed. The combination of
materials is more successful though. The wings are finished
in a hard-wearing faux leather that should help the more
exposed parts to stand the test of time.
Meanwhile, the seat and back cushions have a soft fabric
finish that feels pleasant when you’re sitting on them. Plus,
the covering prevents you from sticking to the chair while also
gripping your clothing, so you don’t slide down the chair.
The chair has an impressive feature set for the price as
well. You get a quality tilt system that lets you lock the chair
in a number of reclined positions, and the tilt system is a little
better balanced than some offerings too, allowing you to
tilt yourself back without having to prop up your feet, like on
cheaper gaming chair. The base is also a heavy-duty solid
metal affair, and the castors have a large diameter and roll
freely, making it a doddle to move this chair.
As with the Vertagear SL5000, you can also add RGB
lights to the PL4500. For a whopping $300 US (aroundREVIEWS / CHAIRS
VERDICT
A good-value chair that offers plenty of
features and decent build quality for the
price, but it’s lacking in some key areas.OVERALL SCORE
73 %%
GEARS OF WAR
+^ Good seat padding
+^ Great value
+^ Decent overall
build quality
GEARS OF CAR
-^ Too narrow for
a tall chair
-^ Poor lumbar
support cushion
-^ Lacklustre styling
SUPPLIER currys.co.uk
VERTAGEAR
PL4500 /£359 inc VAT
GAMING CHAIR
COMFORT
15 / 25
DESIGN
15 / 25
FEATURES
21 / 25
VALUE
22 / 25