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AndaSeat Kaiser 3 Pro: One-minute review
Effectively an updated re-release of the initial AndaSeat Kaiser 3, despite the glamorous naming glow-up, the Pro line practically changes nothing compared to its predecessor. The only significant difference now comes in the form of the inclusion of AndaSeat’s 5D armrests. These are the same controversial rests found in the Kaiser 4 line and the X-Air Pro as well. In fact, it seems the AndaSeat’s pivoting that ‘Pro’ branding to be exactly that, an indication that the chair in question comes with those 5D beasties.
That said, it’s not by any means a bad chair. The Kaiser 3 proved to be an exceptionally comfortable gaming throne, and the 3 Pro is no different (likely because it’s identical). There’s some fantastic comfort from the cold-foam padding, the leather is suitably soft (although it does lack some breathability), and the ergonomic support, including the magnetic headrest, is solid and dependable without being all-encompassing. If you’re not a fan of the Kaiser 4’s weird and wonderful pop-out backrest but want something a little more traditional than the X-Air series but are still curious about those wide-angled armrests, then the 3 Pro offers a good compromise between the lot of them, satisfying a hole within AndaSeat’s own product lines.
Still, I’ve got some serious questions about just how many of these AndaSeat are shifting with the 5D option. The armrests just don’t feel like quite the unique selling point that I imagine the company’s hoping they’d become. Being able to flip up half the rest vertically, even at a variety of different angles, feels like a solution to a problem that we don’t have. It’s still one of the more comfortable gaming chairs out there today, mind you, and for the larger individual, the XL series is pretty top-tier in that regard; the bolsters aren’t going to trap you in place like in some other offerings.
It’s not all armrests and daisies, however. The build experience was a challenge. I had a few broken parts on my unit once it had finally shipped (although it did come to me directly from China to the UK), and a few bolt threads were seriously difficult to get secured, but that’s not a huge deal, and once you’ve got it built, you’re pretty much set. It’s still far easier to piece together than the likes of the X-Air Pro.
Is it a contender for our best gaming chairs list? Perhaps, perhaps not. Yet, if you’re interested in those funky armrests and don’t want the pop-out lumbar that seems all the rage these days, it could still be a solid pick for your posterior to call home.
AndaSeat Kaiser 3 Pro: Price and Availability
- List price: $550 / around £436 / around AU$866
- Available on Amazon US
- Leatherette and cloth versions
While the Kaiser 3 Pro is available in the US, unfortunately, the old Achilles heel of Andaseat strikes again in one region: availability in the UK. At the time of writing, you can only find the Andaseat Kaiser 3 Pro stateside. There’s no UK availability sadly; although you can still purchase the standard Kaiser 3 and the XL version of that, you’ll just be devoid of those 5D armrests (which might be a blessing depending on your perspective).
There’s one major hiccup on the pricing of this thing though, particularly in the states, where the Kaiser 3 XL exists. That might sound a little ridiculous, but unfortunately, the price difference between the two is a staggering $100. That’s quite a lot, for what effectively amounts to a different set of armrests.
On top of that, you can currently only get the 3 Pro in three different colorways: black, pink, or black fabric, and that’s it. The standard 3 XL, with far better availability, has six leather options and one fabric option at your disposal. At least on Amazon, there is far better availability on AndaSeat’s webstore directly, and even the option for an anti-stain PU leather variant too.
It’s also quite a tricky one to place as the Kaiser 4 line also comes in at $570, just $20 more for arguably a more feature-rich chair with better build quality.
AndaSeat Kaiser 3 Pro: Specs
|
Price |
$550 (around £436, AU$866) |
|
Dimensions |
53 x 29.1 x 29.1in / 134.5 x 74 x 74cm |
|
Max. user weight |
395lbs / 180kg |
|
Min. seat height |
17.5in / 44.5cm |
|
Seat width |
21.06in / 53.5cm |
|
Recline angle |
90-155° |
|
Warranty |
3-years |
|
Material |
PVC Leather / Linen Fabric / PU Leather |
AndaSeat Kaiser 3 Pro: Design and Aesthetics
- Classic bucket seat style
- Great material use
- Not particularly dramatic
Once you’ve finished building this thing, honestly, the Kaiser 3 Pro really does look the part. Certainly in its PVC leather edition that I have on test. I’ve been using, building, and reviewing chairs for longer than I care to admit, and honestly, the styling on the AndaSeats always impresses me.
It’s not just following industry trends like some of the other offerings and brands do out there. Right now it feels like everyone either opts for weird and wonderful gaming-esque solutions that are overly ergonomic to the point of ridiculousness, or that old “it’ll look nice in your CEO’s office” vibe, or the holey grail super mesh, breathable air-fabric solutions (although AndaSeat does have one of those).
No, the Kaiser 3 Pro is just exactly that. It’s a bucket seat design; it’s got a touch of light orange thread running around it. It has a matte leather finish running through most of it, a pseudo carbon fiber-esque pattern leather in the bolsters, and everything just works. It’s not gauche; it’s not in your face; it’s just a good chair like that. Odd to be complimented in such a way, good job AndaSeat the Kaiser 3 Pro is bang average (you can quote me on that), but honestly, in a world of gaming insanity, that needs praising.
AndaSeat Kaiser 3 Pro: Comfort and adjustability
- 5D armrests are still so diabolical
- Lumbar adjustment is subtle
- Foam padding is luxurious but probably not good for you
I once had a long chat with Noblechairs’ PR rep many years ago about why their chairs were so hard and so stiff compared to the competition. Their response was that, actually, it’s better for your ergonomics to have a stiff-based chair so that your muscles don’t atrophy and waste away. You feel more comfortable with stronger back muscles, and so forth. My argument, as a man who’d spent much of his youth gaming on a hard wooden chair, was fairly simple: “But it’s not comfortable though.” And it’s true, it wasn’t. The thing is, I do still have that Noblechair, and even after all these years, it’s still remarkably good.
That said, the Kaiser 3 Pro, on the other hand, very much embraces that alternative way of thinking. Comfort is first and foremost a critical thing here, and you can tell that in the design and in the way AndaSeat advertises it. The soft padding, the seating, the bolsters, the plush, fluffy magnetic headrest—it’s all designed to boost comfort above all else, and it works exceptionally well. There’s just a real satisfaction about being sat in this thing for any length of time; you almost don’t notice you’re in it. Whether that’s good for you long-term, it’s hard to say, but for the moment it feels darn good.
AndaSeat’s kitted out this particular model with its DuraXtra synthetic leather, which is apparently more abrasion-resistant, even more so than that found on the Kaiser 4. In fact, it’s been tested for 5,000 abrasion cycles without breaking. An abrasion cycle simply takes a piece of material and rubs it repeatedly against an abrasive surface. Each cycle is marked as one, and the manufacturer measures how long that material will last. Interestingly, the leather on the Kaiser 4, it’s a more premium option, is only rated for 2,000 cycles.
On top of that, you get a strong, sturdy steel base, solid castor wheels, plus built-in lumbar support for when you need it. It even comes with a fairly robust backrest recline and a rocking mode as well, for those who like the terror of tilting back.
Of course, I can’t leave this review without discussing the wildly debatable 5D armrests on the Pro line. The entire premise of this model, in fact. In short, it can move up, down, right, left, backward, and forwards, rotate up to 70 degrees, and then split in half and fold upwards by 40 degrees if you’d like it to. That’s a lot of movement, and yes, technically, that does help you get them exactly where you want them for everyone’s weird and wonderful body shapes.
The problem, though? They’re huge, seriously wide. The back part alone is 5.5 inches wide, tapering off to a 4-inch front, and they’re 13 inches long, and honestly, it’s just too much. It’s incredibly difficult to get comfortable on them, particularly if you’re on the shorter side of AndaSeat’s recommended height range, and that’s a problem, a big one because it makes it entirely difficult to recommend them for everyone.
AndaSeat Kaiser 3 Pro: Assembly
On to construction then, and honestly, it’s a very simple process; there’s little to write home about. Pop the castor wheels into the steel frame, insert the gas piston, attach the tilt mechanism to the base of the chair, pop on the plastic handles, slide it onto the gas lift, remove the bolts from the chair back, slide it carefully onto the brackets, and secure it in place with those same bolts. AndaSeat’s tensioned backrest tilt arm even has a nifty bracket to help you slot it into place, which is a nice touch too.
The problem I had, however, was with the bolt threads themselves. Two of them in particular were incredibly difficult to secure, try as I might. I slackened them all off, tightened them all, and tried securing just the topmost bolt first, but nothing would do the job. In the end, I had to resort to pushing the entire chair base aggressively into the wall and leaning into the bolt with the included Allen key with no small amount of force to finally get it to purchase. Less than ideal, and hopefully a one-off, but a frustrating one nonetheless. Adding to my woes, the security bolt that’s usually secured to the chair to stop the retention arm from snapping or moving during assembly had also come loose, so just something to watch out for if you do decide to take the plunge. Shipping can be a harsh mistress at times.
Should You Buy The AndaSeat Kaiser 3 Pro?
Buy it if…
Don’t buy it if…
Also consider…
| Row 0 – Cell 0 |
AndaSeat Kaiser 3 Pro (XL) |
Secretlab Titan Evo 2022 |
AndaSeat Kaiser 3 XL |
|
Price |
$550 (around £436, AU$866) |
$549 / £469 / AU$799 |
$450 / £500 / $779.95 |
|
Dimensions |
53 x 29.1 x 29.1in / 134.5 x 74 x 74cm |
29.5 x 27.5 x 57in / 75 x 70 x 145cm |
53 x 29.1 x 22.6in / 134.5 x 74 x 57.5cm |
|
Max. user weight |
395lbs / 180kg |
290lb / 131kg |
395lb / 180kg |
|
Min. seat height |
17.5in / 44.5cm |
17.7in / 45cm |
17.5in / 44.5cm |
|
Seat width |
21.06in / 53.5cm |
20.9in / 53cm |
21in / 53.5cm |
|
Recline angle |
90-155° |
85-165° |
90-165° |
|
Warranty |
3-years |
3-years |
3-years |
|
Material |
PVC Leather / Linen Fabric / PU Leather |
Leatherette, or Fabric |
PVC leather or linen fabric |
Not your style? Just want something without fancy frills, or looking for something that’s refined the design beyond all expectations? Then try out these alternatives.
How I tested the AndaSeat Kaiser 3 Pro
- Sat in it for more than two weeks in total
- Tested in multiple positions and compared to other chairs
- Used through all manner of tasks
I spent over two weeks working with the Kaiser 3 Pro using it as my regular office chair while analyzing its performance. I kept a detailed document open when using it, noticing any bugbears, and kept detailed records of my time building it, along with first impressions and more.
Similarly, I’ve had a lot of experience with both AndaSeat’s 4D and 5D armrest systems and tested the Kaiser 3 XL as well, giving me particularly good insight into this lineup.
First reviewed February 2025
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