RECARO (Ergonomic Car Seat Pioneer) Re-Invents The Gaming Chair

Most parts of a modern-day gaming chair come from car seat industry concepts. Those roots go back to the 1906 launch of Stuttgarter Carosserie und Radfabrik. That car outfitting company became RECARO in 1963. They pioneered foam padding, reclining backrests, and other ergonomic seating staples. Did you know this iconic car seat company also makes gaming chairs? Here’s a look at the RECARO Exo and Rae gaming chairs.

There’s no central authority on ergonomic seating best practices. Modern ergonomic concepts typically come from research papers or real-world R&D projects. Insights from the latter began in 1906. Then, Wilhelm Reutter founded Stuttgarter Carosserie und Radfabrik, a motor vehicle outfitter. That company became RECARO in 1963⁽¹⁾.

Since the 1960s, this company has pioneered many elements of the modern-day gaming chair. RECARO brought foam padding, reclining backrests, and other ergonomic staples to car seats.

In 2019, after three years of research, RECARO released the Exo and Rae gaming chairs.

RECARO Gaming Chair Overview

In March 2019, Recaro quietly released a pair of gaming chairs for sale in Germany. The Exo is the premium edition; the Rae version targets prosumers.

Both share the same dimensions, an anti-submarining seat hump, and integrated (non-adjustable) lumbar. The seat humps (soft side edges) keep users in position while preventing the pelvis from tilting forward.

The non-adjustable lumbar supposedly makes things easier by removing the chance of user misconfiguration. In reality, it defies physiological realities. The point of a chair’s lumbar support is to apply mild pressure to the lower back curve.

However, human spines do not come in a single, uniform size. The average male spine is around 30″ long, with an average lumbar length of 5 inches. Meanwhile the average female’s lumbar is around 24″ long⁽²⁾.

Bottom line: Recaro claims that the (non-adjustable) “lumbar support is firmly integrated and always in the right place.”  This is inaccurate.  For one thing, these chairs don’t even come with a recommended size rating. For another, it’s impossible that a non-adjustable lumbar will fit every body type.

RECARO Exo

The Exo has non-adjustable lumbar support. It’s a hard plastic bump molded into the backrest. You can’t adjust the height or depth. From many, that’s going to be a deal-breaker. Beyond that, it has limited functionality. There are only four recline settings that suit different gaming situations.

The forward-leaning Attack Mode supports click-intensive gameplay (as with CS:GO). Choose Focus Mode for deskwork or open-world games with less intensive click-actions like Skyrim.

Core Relax supports super-long sitting sessions (like a weekend Civilization VI marathon). Finally, when it’s time to relax, kick back in the Recharge Position.

On the plus side, its 4D armrests have a few extras. You can control the width from settings under the seat. The armrest caps can swivel 360° or even out of the way if you want.

Summary of Features

The Exo also has a breathable shell seat design. Its foam comes directly from RECARO’s automotive sector. Over the top, Exo chairs come upholstered in breathable fabric.

A plastic shell wraps around the exterior. The provides structural support for the foam and helps with bodyweight distribution. Summary of specs:

• Support: anti-submarining seat hump; built-in lumbar (non-adjustable); optional headrest (€99 extra).
• Recline: Attack, Core Focus, Core Relax, and Recharge modes.
• Armrests: 4D plus 360° horizontal and 180° backward rotation.
• Seat: height-adjustable.
• Warranty: two years.

Dimensions

• Seat: 15.9″ (W) x 17.7″ (D)
• Backrest: 15.9″ (W) x 37″ (D)
• Seat height: 19.2-23.2″
• Size rating: 330 pounds

Assessment

Priced at a whopping €949 (USD $1035), this chair offers terrible value! For the price of two Secretlab Titan chairs, you can only recline in five positions. If you want a headrest, it costs extra. The ‘lumbar’ support is just a hard plastic curve. What’s more, it only comes with a cheap 2-year warranty.

Bottom line: this is one of the worst gaming chair values I’ve ever seen. You’re paying a premium for a big-brand name slapped onto a chair with limited functionality.

Exo Chair €949

RECARO Gaming Chairs vs Ergomed Car Seat

Compared to its lazy gaming chair offerings, RECARO’s ergonomic car seat innovations are world-leading. In the early 1990s, the company worked with scientists, physicians, designers, and engineers. They developed ‘Recaro DNA’ guidelines with the idea that form follows human needs⁽³⁾.

Today, all Recaro seats contain Recaro DNA. Its flagship seat for frequent long-distance drivers is the Ergomed.

RECARO Ergomed Features

These days, the Ergomed is widely regarded as the gold standard for healthy long-distance driving support. Key features:

• Adjustable lumbar support (powered by an air bladder)
• Depth-adjustable seat base
• Electric-powered seat height-adjustment
• Electric-powered seat tilt
• Adjustable headrest
• Manual backrest tilt-forward controls on both sides
• Electric-powered backrest tilt control
• Height-adjustable side bolsters
• Recaro Climate Bundle: seat ventilation and heating

RECARO’s Role In Ergonomic History

Ergonomic research into healthy sitting positions heated up in the mid-1970s. Then, NASA first learned about neutral postures while studying astronauts aboard the Skylab. However, RECARO’s adjustable seating research goes back to 1906⁽⁴⁾.

Then, Wilhelm Reutter launched Stuttgarter Carosserie und Radfabrik, a car outfitting company. That became Recaro in 1963. Over the several years, that team pioneered many features that would become ergonomic seating staples.

Here are some notable RECARO achievements⁽⁵⁾ over the years:

• 1965: the RECARO sports seat introduced foam padding and side bolster concepts.
• 1968: world’s first seat with a headrest + adjustable shoulder support.
• 1973: headrests became standard on all RECARO seats.
• 1977: pneumatic lumbar support introduced.
• 1989: the world’s first sport seat with a hard-shell plastic back.

In the early 1990s, Recaro worked with scientists, physicians, designers and engineers. They developed ‘Recaro DNA’ guidelines with the idea that form follows human needs. Today, all Recaro seats follow these guidelines.

Conclusion

The roots of gaming chair history sprouted from RECARO concepts. Foam padding, reclining functions, and other big ideas started in Stuttgart.

Despite this, the company’s own RECARO DNA-infused gaming chairs are weak. They look as modern and stylish as you expect. But under the hood, they have limited features and a cheap warranty. To cover the lack of adjustable lumbar support, the implication seems to be ‘don’t worry about it.’

For the price of two Secretlab Titan 2022 chairs, RECARO offers a bargain bin 2-year warranty. It’s such a poor offer that it’s likely a live prototype test (not a genuine retail release).

From that perspective, it’s a pretty good first dip. Minor tweaks (powered by the RECARO brand name) could give these chairs big-time value:

1. Reduce the price by 50% (€474€949)
2. Increase the warranty to 5 years
3. Make the backrest height-adjustable

Bottom line: the new RECARO gaming chairs seem like a test, not an official product launch. Even so, a few tweaks could generate RECARO’s entry into the gaming chair space a massive splash.

Footnotes