New Secretlab x Pokemon Skins Are a Perfect Way to Celebrate 30 Years Without Having to Buy a New Chair (Review)
At the start of the year, Secretlab launched a brand new line of official Pokemon-themed Titan Evo chairs. I had the pleasure of checking out the Eevee version for review, and came away impressed with its quality and versatility. Now, seven months later, Secretlab is unveiling another exciting Pokemon collab. Better yet, it won’t require fans to buy a brand new chair. Instead, the latest release is a trio of Secretlab Skins inspired by the retro pixel art of the original Pokemon games.
The new Secretlab SKINS Pokemon Pixel Art Collection includes three designs: Grass Type, Fire Type, and Water Type. As the names suggest, each pays homage to one of the original Kanto starters, in retro pixel art form. The full design incorporates various Gen 1 Pokemon of the same type, making the chair sleeves a great fit for Pokemon’s 30th anniversary. Overall, I came away impressed with the look and feel of the chair sleeves, and they weren’t too tricky to put on, either. Though I have a few minor complaints, I think Pokemon fans will love these as a more budget-friendly way to give an existing chair a 30th anniversary makeover.
Rating: 4 out of 5
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Nostalgic pixel art design with stunning attention to detail | Assembly forces you to adjust chair settings that might be perfectly toggled |
| High-quality design that’s relatively easy to put on | Bottom cover can slide slightly if not pulled tight enough |
| Gives your Secretlab a new look for way less than the price of a new chair |
Secretlab’s New Pokemon Skins Give Your Chair a Nostalgic Refresh
I’ll confess I didn’t super relish the idea of covering up my chair’s default beautiful Eevee design. But once I unboxed the Secretlab x Pokemon Skins, I was yet again impressed with the design and attention to detail. For someone who played Pokemon back when it first released, the skins are a beautiful way to remember your first partner Pokemon. And for those with a strong preference about which type you pick at the start of any Pokemon game, it’s a great way to show your allegiance with the OG Grass, Fire, and Water types. Each one is displayed in adorable pixel art that brings to mind the classic games, complete with all the little details that brought Pokemon to life back in the 2D era.
The fabric feels high quality and feels similar to what comes standard on the Titan Evo. So, even if it changes the way your chair looks, you won’t be adjusting to a massively different feel. It also likely means the Skins will hold up well. Even several months in, the original fabric on my Eevee Titan Evo looks good as new. Given that I sit in it for work every day and have a dog who likes to aggressively greet me by jumping on the chair, that’s pretty impressive. With the addition of easy removal for machine washing as needed, the Skins should last just as well by all appearances.
Given the high price of investing in a Secretlab Titan Evo, the Skins are a great way to give your chair a refresh for less. At $99, these sleeves aren’t cheap, but they’re a durable and high-quality option for a new look without the investment of a brand-new chair. For Pokemon fans who missed out on the original designs, or just didn’t see their favorite Pokemon represented, this is a great way to give your existing chair a nostalgic upgrade.
Secretlab Skins May Take Longer Than 3 Minutes to Apply, But It Looks Great Once It’s On
This was my first time checking out a Secretlab Skin, so my question was… how hard is it going to be to get this thing on? According to Secretlab, the Skins are designed for “easy 3-minute application.” In my experience, it took a smidge longer than that, at least the first time around. I timed how long it took me to change my Eevee chair into a Blastoise one, and it was about 15 minutes from start to finish.
The Skins come in two pieces, one for the seat and one for the back of the chair. There’s a helpful instruction guide that walks you through the process step-by-step, as well. Even if following the guide made it easy to know what I needed to do, it wasn’t the smoothest process. To get the top cover on, you have to lean the chair all the way forward, which means undoing your carefully calibrated settings. I also struggled to pull everything tight enough to zip the cover. However, once I did get it on and took a step back to take a look, I was pretty pleased.
Part of what makes the Skins a little tricky to get on winds up being a pro when you’re finished. It’s quite a snug fit that truly makes it look like a brand new chair. The bottom does slide around a bit if you don’t pull it tight enough, but that’s easily remedied by adjusting the straps. Because it’s so well designed to fit the chair, you don’t have any wrinkles or creases that give away the fact that it’s a sleeve. It looks like a brand-new chair. And that’s very exciting for anyone who owns a Secretlab and wants a fresh look without having to buy a new chair. And given that the chairs hold up so well in my experience, you’re likely to want a new look long before you truly need a new chair.
The Secretlab Skins Pokemon Pixel Art Collection is available now via the Secretlab website. The line includes three designs, one for each Kanto starter and their associated type.
ComicBook received samples of all three Pokemon Pixel Art skin designs for the purpose of this review.
