DXRacer Martian Pro review - "A customisable sitting experience with many bells and whistles"

I've reviewed a few chairs in my time at PG, and in every case, they're often workmanlike in their approach. Aside from some garish colour choices or the still-baffling inclusion of LED lights, they are predominantly for sitting in comfortably for long periods, and that's pretty much it. Nothing more. Of course, that's not bad, but it does make the DXRacer Martian Pro a little more exciting to, well, sit down with.

As you’ve likely guessed, it goes beyond being a place to park it while gaming or working remotely. With built-in massager, heating, and cooling, it's sitting around with a bit of extra indulgence added into the mix. It has a few more interesting tricks up its sleeve that add to the luxurious approach DXRacer are going for here, too.

However, does all of this come together in a way that justifies the eye-watering £580 asking price? 

A lengthy, but simple, assembly

Well, first we have to build the thing. And I have mixed opinions about this. Rather than coming with a bag full of screws, washers and whatnot, DXRacer have put the screws where they're supposed to go. In a way, this is handy since it means no second-guessing yourself, checking and double-checking the instructions to ensure screws go where they belong.

On the flip side, it does make everything take a little bit longer. Admittedly, it's a minor complaint, but having to unscrew and then screw in the same bits does make everything a bit more tedious than it would be otherwise. Still, it saves on plastic, and that's great.

Beyond that, it's not overly difficult to piece together. The Martian Pro is a hefty character, so in some cases it might be easier to assemble if an extra set of hands is nearby. My border collie didn't offer much assistance beyond judgmental looks. Thanks, Zac.

Regardless, I put it together without much problem. The only stumbling block I see for some, barring perhaps the weight, is lining up all the wires to connect the battery pack, since there's not much space and it's a little fiddly. Nothing too tricky, that said.

Once assembled, the DXRacer Martian Pro is undoubtedly a gaming chair. It makes no attempt to hide its true nature. Predominantly black, there is some red detailing on the backrest and seat. It's nothing too outlandish, in truth, although the numerous DXRacer logos littered here, there, and everywhere serve as a reminder that this is not an entirely sensible office chair. And that's totally cool with me. 

For my money, it's a great-looking chair. The dash of red keeps it from being dull without going over the top, as some companies do. There are no LED lights either, apart from where useful. That's a win for little old me.

For £580, you'd hope that it would also look and feel premium, which, for the most part, it does. The faux leather feels like it will stand the test of time and is showing no signs of wear after a few months. The headrest cushion is super plush (It also connects with a magnet! How cool is that?), and the various buttons on the chair don't feel tacky either.

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The only real issues I've had on the build quality front are the levers beneath the seat for adjusting the rocking and height. They're a bit flimsy compared to everything else, and if not for the height adjusting, I'd swear they didn't even work. There's a distinct lack of tactility when using them. Still, it's yet another minor quibble, and most people likely won't touch these things once they've got it how they like it.  

And getting it perfect might take some time. You see, one of the main features of the DXRacer Martian Pro is the versatility. A lot of gaming chairs are comfortable enough, yet they rarely offer many adjustment options. The Martian Pro has it in spades. 

Of course, it's got the basics, like altering the height, backrest angle, and how much it can rock. Beyond that, the 4D armrests are highly customisable, capable of going up, down, backwards, forwards, and side to side. It all functions seamlessly using the two different buttons and remains locked in place once you've found the right spot. No unwanted chair-based jump scares, as the X Rocker Sparta RGB had.

They're also extremely comfortable. A massive foible I've had with every armrest created is that they feel unpleasant quite quickly. Not so here. For the first time in years, I'm actually using rather than avoiding them. The tops even come off in case they need cleaning. They snap back on with magnets, too! Bonus, am I right?

The direction pad found on the right-hand side can also tweak the lumbar support. That means if a particular part of your back starts aching after a few hours, it’s easy to tweak. Then, once that’s done, enjoy one of the most comfortable sitting experiences you could hope to have.

I'm pretty much glued to my desk from 9-6, except for a few forays into the garden when the aforementioned border collie needs some fresh air. And yet, the Martian Pro remained comfortable the entire time. I haven't even found myself doing the old man groan when standing up.

I genuinely found myself fidgeting a lot less, which is impressive for a man who finds it hard to sit still. Naturally, I didn't sit like a regular human the entire time because I can't physically make myself do that. Thankfully, the actual seat is quite sizeable, meaning that it's quite easy to sit cross-legged in it, if, like me, that's something you do.

You've not quite reached peak remote working until you're sitting cross-legged in a chair, rocking back and forth, pondering questionable hyphen usage. I didn't realise this until the Martian Pro. However, I'm well aware of it now.

But what of those fancy extra features I've mentioned earlier? Are they enough to justify the cost? Those are crucial questions, particularly since there’s a version without.

Honestly, I'd say they're a mixed bag with each possessing its own pros and cons. The heating function is not overly impressive. It merely offers the suggestion of warmth rather than cosy and toasty. That's fine when faced with a slight nip in the air. If it's cold, cold, though, grab a blanket or an extra jumper. The chair won’t make much difference.

A peacocking chair? Now I've seen everything

On the other end of the temperature spectrum, the cooling option is actually quite impressive. For once, I'm not fearing the inevitable UK heat wave, as I know the Martian Pro can provide me some relief from the Sun at its worst. The only issue is that I'll also hear it putting in that effort. My computer is fairly loud, and I can hear the fans over that. I'll say it again, it's a minor quibble. That's mostly what I have about this chair. However, if it’s £580 for the privilege, these details may matter to some people.

As for the massager, I was pleasantly surprised and happy I persisted with it. It's activated by holding down the centre of the d-pad I mentioned earlier for two seconds. The chair then proceeds to give you a massage that feels like getting a fist into the back.

No, I didn't think it was all that great to begin with, either. After getting used to it, though, I found it incredibly relaxing. Naturally, it's not going to replace a physio. Still, it's an enjoyable way to unwind a bit of tension. On the negative side, much like the cooling, it's fairly noisy, although much less so than the fans.

The battery itself performs amicably in the face of all these features and will last in tandem with your usage. If you maybe finish the day with a 10-minute massage and otherwise leave it alone, you'll get more mileage. By spamming the cooling function all day and constantly tweaking the lumbar support, it's going to drain much quicker.

Mercifully, the battery can be left in the chair to charge because getting it out once assembled wouldn't be fun. However, this might be a sticking point for some, particularly if they're not near a socket or lacking spares.