OSIM uThrone V Review: So Much Better!

So with the last OSIM gaming chair we reviewed, it was pretty much mixed feelings with regards to the functionality of the chair but oh boy... did things really took a turn with the new OSIM uThrone V. It is overall, quite similar in the design in the fact that it’s also a massage gaming chair but the quality of the massage is top notch and actually came as a surprising upgrade from the previous.

Right of the bat, the OSIM uThrone V has a lot of similarities to the other OSIM gaming chairs. You have the iconic race car bucket seat as well as adjustable armrests alongside the recline feature, so we won’t go into details about the overall design aspect of the chair. But we will definitely talk about is its massage functionalities.

Design

Overall, the design is kept quite simple as it maintains pretty much the iconic look in line with the other lineups from OSIM themselves.

Thankfully this time around however, we need only plug in just one power cable to the wall in order to enable the massage functionalities. Definitely a quip that we had with the previous. We're glad it's addressed here. Of course, it still requires a cable to be connected which means your chair is technically tethered or locked in place per se but still, compared to the uThrone S, so much better.

In addition, there's even cable management clips below the chair to help clean everything up and reduce the chances of anyone, including yourself, running over them and tripping. On the side, there's also a hook for your headphones which can be kept away if you don't need it and the control panel is also situated in a nice position that's intuitive and easily accessible.

Regarding the recline feature, it can go back up to 145 degrees. Which is actually 10 degrees lesser than the previous uThrone S but to be very honest, you probably wouldn't notice it and it's still plenty comfortable to just lay back and relax.

By now, you might also have noticed that OSIM has a theme going on for this V series and with this very chair we've had the experience with, it does have the Transformers Bumblebee motif. If you're a fan of yellow and black and of course, the character itself, this will definitely be right up your alley. But if say you prefer the leader of the group, there is also an Optimus Prime version as well which looks equally sweet.

And for all those of you who don't want any motifs or themes going in your room, the classic black is always available.

As with all gaming chairs, you will have a plethora of adjustments available as usual but we really want to focus on the 4D armrests here for we feel that it is quite the improvement over the uThrone S. The material that OSIM has chosen to use is really smooth and soft to the touch and there is quite a lot of bounce as well. We could easily adjust it to fit to our individual needs and we've to say we're more than pleased with them.

As for the seat itself, it does feature a synthetic leather and mesh build which may or may not appeal to you depending on your preference. Here in Singapore, we definitely would've preferred an all fabric build thanks to our temperatures and humidity. But if you're going to be constantly using in this in the office or at home with the AC turned on, it's great. We would also say that at the very least, OSIM has decided to integrate the use of mesh as well which helps immensely in non-AC environments. Not perfect for sure, but much better than a full synthetic leather build.

Now one interesting thing to note is that the black strips down the centre of the seat backing is actually hollow as that's where the space is used to accommodate the V-Hand massage technology, courtesy of OSIM. But in addition to that, you will still get a lumbar cushion for additional support and comfort and should you so wish so, the headrest is adjustable or can be totally removed outright.

Functions

But let's now talk about functions because this is where the uThrone V really stands out from other gaming chairs or even massage gaming chairs alike. And so we have to hark back to that V-Hand technology that OSIM implemented with this chair.

It is good, hands down.

The reason it is called V-Hands is simply because the structure of the mechanism is shaped like a V and that allows it to orchestrate different sorts of movements to better mimic an actual massage from an actual person. The V-Hands move up and down from the lowest point of your back all the way up till your shoulders and can even touch your neck. And yes, that is true even for myself who's pretty tall and above the average here in Singapore.

But what makes it really amazing is that you can actually customise the shoulder positions of the V-Hands so that it fits your stature no matter your height or build. On top of that, you can also select your own 15 minutes massage programs such as Neck & Shoulders, Energise & Lumbar - which is incidentally my personal favourite as my lower back tends to ache a lot when I sit for a little too long and much much more. Overall, the massage function on this chair is really amazing and to think that it is still technically a gaming chair!

Our Thoughts

At the end of the day, there are seriously many interesting features that the OSIM uThrone V provides and surprisingly and perhaps unsurprisingly, they all work tremendously well.

We've had this chair in our office for about 2 weeks now and not just myself, but plenty of the my colleagues have also tested this chair and everyone had just positive things to say about it. In our opinion, the true selling point of this very chair is the fact that you have it right where you work and that's where it really shines. It's like killing two birds with one stone.

It is a gaming chair, first and foremost. But at the same time, it is also a massage chair that works pretty much equally as well as a dedicated massage chair. So the advantage here is that you save on space and more importantly, your wallet too. Whether you're at the office or at home, whether you're working or gaming, the moment you need a rest, you simply need to press a button and just relax.

With that said however, we do still have to point out that the power situation still isn't the most ideal. We can see how this might appeal to the majority of users who don't really roll around on their chairs but if you're someone who does that often, this probably isn't for you.

However at the same time if we were to talk about price, it really isn't that shabby either. Sure, it might retail for S$949 and for a gaming chair, that's lingering on the far end of the scale as compared to the rest of the competition. But if you were to take the massage functionalities into account, it might actually be far more affordable when compared to a dedicated massage chair that literally can't be moved or used at a desk like a normal chair. Yet, you don't lose out on functionalities if at all.

Taking all things into consideration, the price is fair and to a certain extent, affordable.

It's Pretty Good, NGL

In the end, we really have to say that we enjoyed using the OSIM uThrone V.

If you're in the market looking for such a hybrid solution, this might actually be the perfect chair for you and we can say it's worth considering a purchase. If you're in Singapore, definitely do drop by OSIM and give this a chair a whir before you make your purchase while if you're in other parts of the world, we would to think hard before settling on importing one over. But if you do, it might just be well worth it.

We can't vouch for everybody for sure but in our experience, it definitely worked and we do very much enjoy it.