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Home Gaming Chair News

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

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March 21, 2022
Reading Time: 7 mins read

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.

Recaro gaming chairs and car seats
L-R: RECARO Exo; Ergomed; Rae.

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).

Wilhelm Reutter and team
Wilhelm Reutter (left) and his team in 1908.

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.

Recaro Exo and Rae gaming chairs

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.

Recaro Exo support features
L-R: anti-submarining seat hump; integrated (non-adjustable) lumbar support.

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).

Poor fitting lumbar support
Despite RECARO’s claim, a non-adjustable lumbar support won’t fit everyone!

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.

Exo chair recline modes
The Exo can recline or lock in four different gaming positions.

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.

Recaro Exo armrest functions
The Exo’s 4D armrest go well beyond what typical gaming chairs offer.

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.

RECARO backrest shells

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.

RECARO Exo improvement idea
Adding height-adjustability to the backrest could override the non-adjustable lumbar limitation.

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 Rae

The Rae is a cheaper chair (€599 or USD $653) version of the Exo. Like that model, it has a built-in backrest and anti-submarining seat hump.

Recaro Rae chair

It also has the same dimensions, plus slight feature variations:

Feature Exo Rae
Support anti-submarining seat hump; built-in lumbar (non-adjustable); optional headrest (€99) No headrest option
Recline Four modes 5 modes + sync tilt (upwards tilting seat)
Armrests 4D plus 360° horizontal and 180° backward rotation. 4D plus 30° horizontal rotation.
Armrests 4D plus 360° horizontal and 180° backward rotation. 4D plus 30° horizontal rotation.

Assessment: for around €350 less than the Exo, you lose some armrest functions and the headrest option. On the plus side, you get one extra recline mode plus sync-tilt functionality. That tilts the seat up when you engage in deeper reclines.

Even so, given the high price, tiny 2-year warranty, and limited features, this also delivers poor value. It’s a cheap chair with limited features, mediocre durability, and a famous brand name.

RECARO Rae €599

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).

RECARO Ergomed  seats
RECARO Ergomed luxury car seats.

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).

Reutter Volkswagen plant
Reutter staff building VW prototypes in 1938.

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.

Recaro seating evolution
The RECARO sports seat introduced the concept of foam padding in 1965.

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

  1. ‘Form follows human: Recaro’s roots as coachbuilder to the Germans’. Hemmings, April 22, 2018. https://www.hemmings.com/stories/2018/04/22/form-follows-human-recaros-roots-as-coachbuilder-to-the-germans, (accessed 8 March 2022).
  2. Henry Gray. ‘Anatomy of the Human Body’, 3b. The Vertebral Column as a Whole, Philadelphia: Lea & Febiger, 1918; Bartleby.com, 2000. https://www.bartleby.com/107/25.html, (accessed 13 March 2022).
  3. ‘Form follows human: Recaro’s roots as coachbuilder to the Germans’. Hemmings, April 22, 2018. https://www.hemmings.com/stories/2018/04/22/form-follows-human-recaros-roots-as-coachbuilder-to-the-germans, (accessed 8 March 2022).
  4. ‘An Automotive History’. History RECARO. https://www.recaro-automotive.com/en/history, (accessed 8 March 2022).
  5. ‘A strong name and its history’. Part 1, Part 2 (accessed 8 March 2022).

Anil Ramsey

Anil Ramsey

I'm the ChairsFX founder and Chief Editor. I'm a member of the OSHA Education Center Association (OECA), with an OSHA Ergonomics Certification. Beyond these credentials, I've been hands-on testing the world's finest ergonomic desk chairs since 2018. Learn more about me and this website on the About Us page.


 

Table of Contents

  1. RECARO Gaming Chair Overview
    1. RECARO Exo
    2. RECARO Rae
    3. RECARO Gaming Chairs vs Ergomed Car Seat
  2. RECARO’s Role In Ergonomic History
  3. Conclusion

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