Besides PC cases and other peripherals, Cooler Master makes gaming chairs. Its entry-level chair, the R1, lacks high-end features, such as a tilt function or four-direction adjustable armrests, but it’s comfortable, and at $249 to $279 for the alternate-patterned, physically identical R1S we tested, quite affordable. The R1S is a good budget choice, but Cooler Master’s higher-end Caliber X1C—an Editors’ Choice pick for gaming chairs—is far superior in design, features, and build quality.
The Caliber R1S is available in black with gray or purple camouflage highlights, black with pink highlights, or white with pink highlights. Those are the “special” options, but you can also choose black with purple, red, or white highlights with the otherwise identical Caliber R1 chair.
Standard Gaming Chair Assembly
The R1S’ assembly is the standard process you’ll find with nearly every other gaming chair. You bolt the chair back to the seat, then bolt the armrests and mounting plate to the bottom of the seat, then pop the wheels and gas cylinder into the base, and finally set the chair on top of the gas cylinder. Every conventional gaming chair requires these steps, though some chairs courteously ship with the mounting plate or armrests pre-attached to the seat.
As usual, the most irritating step is attaching the chair back to the seat. That’s due to the components’ size, and how the seat brackets must be aligned with screw holes on the back that are hidden behind holes in the upholstery. We’d like to see more brands adopt Secretlab’s technique of attaching rectangular plates over the holes on the chair’s back to make aligning the bolts easier.
Capacity and Adjustments
The R1S has a recommended 192-pound weight limit, and a maximum 330-pound weight limit. Gamers standing between 4’11” and 5’11” will find it comfortable. The seat is 20.9 inches wide and 22.4 inches deep, and the backrest is 22.4 inches wide and 32.3 inches tall.
For adjustments, the R1S sticks to the bare minimum. The chair’s height can be set between 17.7 and 20.9 inches using the gas cylinder like all gaming and office chairs. The back can recline between 90 and 180 degrees using the lever on the seat’s right side. The armrests’ height can be tweaked with the press of a button under either one. That’s it for the ergonomic customizations. The R1S lacks a chair tilt feature like the one in the Cooler Master Caliber X1C, and the armrests can’t be moved forward-back, left-right, or rotated to different angles.
Solid Frame, Light on Foam
The R1S features a foam-wrapped steel frame with faux leather upholstery in gray-white or purple camouflage patterns. The leatherette is supple and soft, and lined with holes for breathability along the back and seat where your body would make contact with it. The padding is comfortably soft without feeling flimsy, and the foam in the seat and back is extra thick. All but the center of the seat is foam suspended across the chair’s frame, though, so it doesn’t feel nearly as dense as Secretlab’s chairs.
Lumbar and head cushions are included with the R1S, letting you add a bit more support to your lower back or head. The lumbar cushion’s foam is dense and firm, while the head cushion’s foam is much softer. Both are covered in the same faux leather as the chair itself, with the same gray-and-camouflage patterns.
I sit well above the recommended weight limit of the R1S but well below the maximum limit, and I found the chair to be comfortable and supportive. Although the seat is less than half an inch narrower than the X1C’s, its side contours are angled up more sharply, so it feels like there’s less space. It wasn’t a stifling experience, but the X1C’s flatter side contours provide much more wiggle room for someone my size.
The chair has a strong build quality, even if the padding isn’t as dense and the faux leather isn’t as thick as Secretlab’s chairs. The leatherette in particular is nicely soft, and doesn’t feel thin or flimsy. The suspended padding isn’t as firm or sturdy-feeling as the solid foam build found in the X1C and Secretlab Titan EVO, but it works well enough.
As for balance, the R1S spins and reclines without issue. It lacks a tilt mechanism, which is disappointing if you like to lazily rock back in your chair. While the base is plastic, it’s thick and sturdy, and the casters freely spin and roll on carpet.
Comfort on a Budget
The Cooler Master Caliber R1S (and by extension, R1) is a comfortable, capable gaming chair with a reasonable price. It’s a solid step behind the $399 Cailber X1C and $549 Secretlab Titan EVO in build quality, adjustments, and overall feel, but for $249 to $279 it’s also much less expensive than those chairs. We prefer both the X1C and Titan EVO as our favorite gaming chairs, but the R1S is a strong choice if you’re looking for a good chair that isn’t too pricey.
If you aren’t a fan of the myriad color options, or would like a slightly different style, the $299 Razer Enki X is comparable in build and feel, with an all-black (with Razer green stitching) design and a unique, diamond-quilted chair back. The $319 Respawn Specter is another excellent choice, if you want a more minimalist, mesh-backed gaming chair without spending Mavix ($555) or Herman Miller ($1,495) money.
