I just tested an out-of-this-world gaming chair with battery-powered backrest and lumbar controls

The DXRacer Martian is among the best offerings the company has served up since it started the gaming chair trend back in 2006. With its exceptionally comfortable seat, electric adjustable backrest with top-tier lumbar support, and all-around attractive styling, it may turn out to be one of 2025's best gaming chairs. However, its high price point complicates things quite a bit.

In my DXRacer Martian review, I'll get into what makes this chair such a killer option, while also discussing whether its high price is really worth it in the end.

DXRacer Martian review: Price and availability

The DXRacer Martian is currently only available on the DXRacer website and starts at $669 for the Regular size and $699 for the XL. It comes in woven fabric or leatherette versions, with the former only available in black and the latter offering black, gray/black, red/black, and yellow/black.

This chair is more expensive than some of the other best gaming chairs on the market, such as the Secretlab Titan Evo and Razer Iskur V2. This is largely due to its inclusion of an electric adjustable backrest, a nice but relatively niche feature that may not make it worth the upcharge for the average consumer. But we'll get more into that below.

DXRacer Martian review: Design and comfort

As someone who values understated visual styling in chairs, I find the DXRacer Martian one of the most attractive offerings in the company's lineup.

As with many gaming chairs, there's a bit more branding than I'd prefer, with the bold white letters standing out rather dramatically against the otherwise solid black fabric or leatherette material. However, the lack of any other distracting color accents means that the DXRacer Martian maintains a sleek and covert vibe that keeps it from sticking out like a sore thumb in a gaming or office setup.

As someone who has been daily driving the AndaSeat Kaiser 3 and its wonderfully soft seat cushion for over a year now, this chair's foam cushion originally felt a bit too firm for my tastes.

After getting lost in way too many hours of Avowed though, I started to notice that my legs were less stiff and achy than they'd typically be after extended sessions. By the second day of using the DXRacer Martian, I had adjusted entirely to the firmer seat and began to appreciate the support.

The headrest pillow is rather flat compared to the thick memory foam pillows that tend to come with gaming chairs, serving as a simple place to rest your head rather than an ergonomic-focused neck support, so your mileage may vary based on personal needs.

I've found myself enjoying the less aggressive curvature, personally, and I've used it more often than most headrest pillows. Even better, it connects magnetically, which is a huge step up over the horrible headrest adjustment system I bemoaned in the cheaper DXRacer Craft last year.

The armrests are probably the least exciting part of the DXRacer Martian. They're your typical 4D armrests that function exactly as you'd expect, and they're neither phenomenal nor terrible. I had no elbow pain after resting on them for extended periods, but I also wouldn't call them particularly soft, either. If you've used a gaming chair with 4D armrests before, you know what you're getting here, nothing less and nothing more.

However, the same can't be said for the lumbar support and recline capabilities of the DXRacer Martian, which are anything but ordinary. Unlike traditional gaming chairs that use levers and knobs to adjust these two settings, the DXRacer Martian's backrest adjustments are fully electric like modern car seats. And it's pretty damn awesome.

I love the ease and precision that electric reclining provides, as it requires no pressure from me to get it to the exact spot I'd like it. And the four-button knob on the right side has granted me equally precise lumbar support that comes by way of two large airbags inside the backrest. With the ability to find absolutely perfect recline and lumbar positions via electric adjustment, it's hard to see any downsides to such a magnificent feature.

But there is one: Batteries require charging.

While I've yet to run out of juice, DXRacer promises at least two weeks of wireless use and I'm also not the type to regularly adjust these settings. Whether all of this control is worth the hassle of keeping the chair charged depends on if you tend to switch your sitting position and think you'd need to be changing your recline or lumbar positions often. If so, you'll have to decide between frequent charging or simply keeping the chair plugged in at all times.

DXRacer Martian review: What’s adjustable

With the exception of the electric adjustable backrest, the DXRacer Martian has all of the standard gaming chair stuff you've come to know and love.

You can use levers beneath the chair to adjust the seat's height and rocking function, and the 4D armrests can move up, down, in, and out as expected. The headrest pillow attaches magnetically, thankfully, making it incredibly easy to adjust at any time.

The electric adjustable backrest is where all the fun is had. Using the lever on the left side allows you to slowly tilt the backrest forward or backward for precise reclining positions between 90-135 degrees.

Meanwhile, the superb lumbar support is handled via four buttons on the right. The top and bottom buttons allow you to individually adjust the upper and lower lumbar airbags, while the left and right buttons let you inflate or deflate them both at the same time.

As with anything with a rechargeable battery, you'll need to be near a power outlet to recharge the chair's electric functionalities. A small charging port is found on the back of the seat pan, and the included charger is reasonably long enough that you should have no problems using the chair while it charges.

DXRacer Martian review: Assembly

My DXRacer Martian arrived beautifully packaged with everything wrapped and protected very well. Unboxing was a breeze, and the included instructions are easy to follow.

The DXRacer Martian comes with the armrests pre-installed (love to see it), and it has the best backrest-to-seat pan brackets I've seen yet, which makes connecting these two pieces blissfully simple. The only unusual step is mounting the battery and connecting all of the electrical wires beneath the chair, but every wire is numbered to make this process about as straightforward as it can be.

I had the DXRacer Martian assembled in around 20 minutes with the help of my three-legged cat, Juno, who laid on the instructions the entire time to make sure each step was followed perfectly. Give Juno a hand, everybody. Pun intended.

DXRacer Martian review: Verdict

The DXRacer Martian is a heck of a gaming chair with an extremely comfortable seat, sleek visual style, and well-implemented electric adjustable backrest. Unfortunately, $699 is a tougher ask for the average consumer who can grab well-known chairs, such as the Secretlab Titan Evo or Razer Iskur V2, for cheaper while only sacrificing the niche electric adjustability. Still, if the ability to recline or adjust your lumbar support with the touch of a button is highly appealing to you, the DXRacer Martian won't disappoint.