IKEA 🇸🇪 MATCHSPEL Gaming 🕹️ Chair 💺 Review – better than MARKUS?

Hej, today I am testing the brand new Ikea MATCHSPEL Gaming Chair (developed in partnership with ASUS ROG / Republic of Gamers). I have waited for a long time but now it is finally available worldwide. And this only for 149 Euros. A really good deal esp. considering the features, for example

• the back moves independently from the seat (i.e. the seat stays level, otherwise it would be bad for blood flow… the Ikea homepage states it is a synchronous tilt, but the seat does not tilt much),
• adjustable armrests,
• a headrest and
• the chair is ergonomic (maybe I can finally get rid of my back pain…)

I think it can also be used as a “normal” office chair without a problem because it does not look too much like gaming, esp. compared to the competition. So it could really be a “game” changer. The big question is: Can it replace the popular Ikea MARKUS (also 149 Euros)? What is your favorite? Please post in the comments now and read on for my complete review! (Diesen Artikel auch gerne hier auf deutsch 🇩🇪 lesen!)

Video

What’s inside the box?

The box weights a hefty 18,1 kg… so I decided to mail order (it was free delivery for Ikea Family members anyways):

Here you can see what’s inside:

I noticed immediately:

1. the seat is made of fake leather… it will likely happen over time that it disintegrates:

2. the back is made of a mesh material which is great for air flow, esp. in Summer
3. armrests are plastic 🙁
4. my gf said with the headrest it looks like a dentist’s chair, but I think this is a matter of taste, isn’t it? 😉

Assembly

The assembly is easy peasy. The manual is included but also available online. The required tools are all included.

Quick Tip: The element with the gas spring is simply pushed into the base – like with all office chairs. But once you sat on the chair it is hard to remove. But maybe you want to send it back (to make use of the 365 days return policy for Ikea Family Members)? To remove it I first recommend to pull out the gas spring: To do so remove the clamp on the bottom first (using a screwdriver, be careful not to break it!). Then you can separate the chair from the rest. Now use a rubber mallet to push out the element from the base.

Rubber Mallet ~1kg @ Amazon Gummihammer ~1kg @ amazon.de

Features & Review

To change the height you tilt the lever which is below the seat:

Pull out the lever to tilt the back:

As I said in the beginning the back moves independently from the seat. This is very nice because the seat stays level at all time.

There are several stops for the inclination. Never expected this at this price point!

There is no lumbar support pillow. This is ok for me because with the Ikea MARKUS it hurt at my lower back a little bit anyways.

You can change the height and tilt of the headrest:

The armrests are also adjustable:

Note: These are not “4D”, i.e. you cannot rotate them inwards. They are a little bit far away for my liking, maybe optimized for “WASD” and mouse.

The armrests of the Ikea MARKUS were not adjustable. But they were softer, unfortunately the armrests of the MATCHSPEL are just plastic…

The wheels block, when you are not sitting…

This is so that the chair does not roll back when you are sitting down… and you land on the floor with your butt (and sue Ikea) 🙂 But anyways this can be annoying because it is harder to push the chair when it is empty.

Recommended Accessories

So I really like the mesh material and the good air flow of the back. But the fake leather of the seat will disintegrate over time and also it is sweaty. That’s why I ordered a chair cushion pad:

For the armrests I bought this pillow:

So that my elbows do not hurt. And also it will prevent the armrests from scratching when I push the chair under the desk.

The headrest is ok, but when using a neck pillow everything is really getting comfortable:

Seat Cushion Pad @ Amazon Armrest Pads @ Amazon Neck Travel Pillow @ Amazon Sitzkissen @ amazon.de Armpolster @ amazon.de Nackenhörnchen @ amazon.de

Conclusion

In reality the chair looks much better compared to the pictures. I.e. better and more modern than the Ikea MARKUS… not too much like gaming esp. compared to the competition.

So I think it is a good office chair as well. In that regard it is a real “Game Changer”, esp. for this price! (*The only thing I noticed is that the armrests are further away from each other, maybe optimized for WASD and mouse movement, unfortunately they cannot be rotated inwards…)

But in January 2022 Ikea also wants to start selling the GRUPPSPEL chair (made of genuine leather):

I am really looking forward to this one. Until then I am really happy with the MATCHSPEL and can highly recommended it – esp. when you do the upgrades I mentioned above – not just for gaming! You will find all links below.

What is your favorite? The classic MARKUS (€ 149), the brand new MATCHSPEL (€ 149) or do you want to wait for the more premium GRUPPSPEL with genuine leather (€ 299,99)? Please post in the comments!

CU next time! Hej då!

Ikea MATCHSPEL Ikea UTESPELARE Ikea MARKUS Seat Cushion Pad @ Amazon Armrest Pads @ Amazon Neck Travel Pillow @ Amazon Rubber Mallet ~1kg @ Amazon Sitzkissen @ amazon.de Armpolster @ amazon.de Nackenhörnchen @ amazon.de Gummihammer ~1kg @ amazon.de

Streaming Setup:

Microphone (Samson) Microphone Arm 4K Capture Card (Elgato) Table Mounted Tripod (Vijim) Monitor Arm with Gas Spring (Huanuo) Graphics Tablet (Huion) Graphics Monitor (Benq) Loupe with LEDs LED Strip Monopod Light (Yongnuo LED Panel) Desktop Mat (Vantage A2)

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This post is also available in Deutsch.