I've always had a love-hate relationship with gaming chairs. The good ones are very comfortable and supportive and can have meaningful benefits to your gaming experience, but they can also be pretty ugly sometimes. Every time I use a gaming chair, I feel like it doesn't fit my extensive setup. If you have a carefully maintained office or gaming area, the technical, “gamified” look of traditional gaming chairs can sometimes be an eyesore. We are happy to share some news. Razer Soma Chroma I perform this tightrope act better than most of my contemporaries, and it has earned me a key chair position for the foreseeable future.
Over the past week, I've used the Razer Soma Chroma for dozens of hours gaming, working, reading, and even non-traditional office chair tasks like playing the drums. What I found is that the Soma Chroma is very comfortable in a variety of scenarios. For a slightly different situation, I would highly recommend this chair to anyone who spends a lot of time at a desk, not just gamers.
And that may be the case, especially since its $499.99 price tag makes it slightly more affordable than other leading ergonomic chairs of similar build quality. But the Razer Soma Chroma's namesake “Chroma” LED system, programmed to dynamically react to specific games, feels like a gimmick that most consumers might find cute and novel, but only a very specific demographic will truly appreciate. How much this affects the overall value of the Soma Chroma is a nuanced question, but it's definitely worth considering if you're looking for a chair that will best suit your needs.
Razer Soma Chroma Overview: Features, Build Quality, and Design
Razer Soma Chroma Key Specifications
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Recommended user height: 5.3-6.6 feet/160-200 centimeters
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Maximum load: 331 lbs/150 kg
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Foam Type: Dual Density Cold Cure Foam Seat Cushion
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Upholstery: Fabric
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Frame: Steel
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Approximate recline range: up to 155 degrees
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Power cable: USB Type-C
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Connectivity: Razer HyperSpeed Wireless (2.4GHz), Bluetooth® LE
Once the Razer Soma Chroma arrived home and I carried the heavy, steel-filled box upstairs, I was relieved to find that the rest of the setup process was relatively easy. Technology integration did not lead to any unexpected problems. Assembling the Soma Chroma is ultimately not much different from assembling a more typical office chair. That's because Razer has smartly limited the external wiring to just a single USB-C cable (about 4-5 inches long) peeking out of the bottom left corner of the backrest. It may seem like a relatively minor thing, but making it easy to build a chair and connect it to your computer improves the overall experience. From the jump, Soma Chroma feels designed to be as user-friendly and pleasant as possible.
The Soma Chroma connects to your PC via a 2.4GHz dongle or Bluetooth like other Razer peripherals, but it requires external power, so you'll need the aforementioned USB-C cable. According to my review, Razer was kind enough to include a USB-C extension cord, which made powering the chair quite easy, but I can't help but think that this extension cord should have been included in the Soma Chroma's base package. Again, the USB-C cable coming out of the backrest is so short that it's virtually impossible to plug it in without some sort of extension cord or a power bank plugged into a zipper on the chair itself, as some chair marketing recommends. Essentially, it is impossible to power the Soma Chroma without additional technical accessories, which not everyone has. This is disappointing.
Along these lines, the integrated nature of the Soma Chroma USB-C cable means you're not free to choose which USB you want to use. And if the included USB-C breaks, the replacement process will be much more of a headache than a simple cable replacement.
Moving away from the Soma Chroma's RGB features for a moment, there's no denying that this is one of Razer's best products, at least from an ergonomics standpoint. Incredibly cozy, it strikes the perfect balance between luxurious comfort provided by the cold-cured seat cushion and firm support thanks to the ergonomic lumbar arch. The seat fits snugly against your body, and your body adjusts to the backrest, providing near-perfect weight distribution whether you're sitting upright or leaning all the way back. The adjustable armrests are nice, but taller users may want to be able to raise them a little higher.
The Soma Chroma's sleek and purposeful ergonomics are reflected in an understated and relatively conservative design that I really like. The chair comes in one color, black, and while it's noticeably less flashy than Razer's Iskur line, it still feels more visually distinct than something like the stylish Razer Fujin.
I wish Razer would commit more to the Soma Chroma's pared-down design by axing or changing one dazzling design element. Slapping a fist-sized embossed bright green Razer logo on the front center of the headrest. If this logo were absent, or at least less flashy (e.g. black or dark gray rather than Razer Green), the chair would look more professional and thus be more aesthetically consistent. The logo is basically a giant stamp that says “GAMER”. That's fine if you're interested, but it makes the chair less versatile from an interior design perspective.
Razer's Chroma Features
At the most basic level, “Chroma” is Razer’s proprietary dynamic RGB software controlled through the Razer Chroma application. Seeing these RGB lights on a chair rather than a tower, keyboard, or mouse is definitely something new, and I appreciate the opportunity for additional personalization. The chair's LEDs can be adjusted to display different colors and patterns, such as color cycling, pulsing, and strobing. You can also create your own unique patterns and effects in Chroma Studio, which can be really fun.
Even though I'm not a fan of RGB, I decided to leave the Soma Chroma's LEDs on often. By alternating different solid colors, we essentially gave the chair alternating accents around the headrest, giving us creative flexibility. If you want to experiment with different furniture and decor configurations, you can achieve a similar effect with Soma Chroma's custom range. Unfortunately, the aforementioned headrest logo undercuts this a bit, forcing you to consider a certain shade of green in the color combination. I can't set the LED to red without my office suddenly looking Christmas themed.
Of course, there's also the chair's most famous feature: dynamic in-game Chroma integration. More than 300 PC games are compatible with this feature, which sends RGB “commands” to the chair to change colors and patterns in real time. For example, if you fire a blue spell in a Chroma-enabled game, the chair's LED strip may also flash blue, which is associated with the action on screen. The intention is to increase immersion, but I'm not sure if it's successful in this regard.
Perhaps the most awkward aspect of this feature has to do with the placement of the Soma Chroma's LEDs. The LEDs are on the side of the headrest so they are always at the back. I tested the chair on a few compatible games. Frostpunk to Borderlands 4The lighting effects were only occasionally visible when they reflected off the monitor. Otherwise you'd have to look away from the screen to see them, which of course defeats their whole purpose. Even when playing in a dark room, the LEDs didn't produce enough brightness to create a visible halo or aura effect.
The Razer Soma Chroma is quirky but ultimately superior.
The problem with Soma Chroma's overwhelming dynamic RGB is that for many people there's no way to actually make it work effectively. I have a Razer mouse that's also Chroma compatible, so I get the same dynamic in-game effects, but it's just not as exciting. Vivid, flashing LED accessories aren't something that's missing from most gaming experiences, and you could even argue that they actually make the game less immersive. It literally takes you out of the game and focuses your attention on the real world environment.
All of this means that the Chroma system's shortcomings, including the cut USB-C cable, don't detract from the chair's value in any meaningful way, unless you care too much about Chroma. Whether you have Chroma or not, you can still enjoy amazing ergonomics that have a notable impact on your gaming experience. At the same time, there is definitely a market for Chroma features. I'm thinking of streamers, content creators, and hardcore RGB enthusiasts. So, one could argue that their mere presence improves the chair. Perhaps Chroma will evolve into something bigger over time. But for now, regardless of our RGB experiments, we can assure you that the Soma Chroma is a solid and affordable ergonomic gaming chair.
The Razer Soma Chroma is currently available on the Razer website for $499.99. GameRant was provided with a unit for this review.
