This chair is exactly what I wanted it to be: comfortable and supportive. I am working from home and I spend a lot of time on computers. I used to have this cheap office chair but it was murder on my back and neck. Plus, I was always afraid it would fall apart because my considerable size had it creaking and straining. I decided to invest in a much better chair and I have no regrets. After over a month, I can say it's the best money I've spent in a while. The style might not be for everyone, it probably doesn't belong in your office at work (unless you work in a game design studio or somewhere cool) but man it looks nice. It is well made, heavy but not terribly so, and wasn't too much of a pain to put together. I was nervous when I did the last step because I thought it seemed like it couldn't possibly be as sturdy as I was told. Well, I don't know about chairs and was wrong, this thing is sturdy. It doesn't complain a bit about my size and I weigh 350 pounds. I also don't exactly float into it, I plop right down like dropping a sack of potatoes. Even the wheels roll SO smoothly. I love how it's adjustable. If I'm working, I put the seat up like I'm driving somewhere new: awake, aware, focused. If I'm gaming on my PC, I put it back a couple notches and just relax. Leaning back is comfortable and I'm not afraid of it tipping over. I will say that I've seen complaints that you can fall over in these kinds of chairs. Yes, you can, but you can do that in any chair. If you dropped something, don't just lean over, that's lazy...so just make it go lower and do it that way! Still lazy, but you won't fall over! Love how the arms are adjustable too. I'm sitting in it right now and it's great. I could have used some instructions on how to attach the pillows. I'm not a fan of lumbar support, so that pillow is in my closet, but I just kind of put the head pillow on there. It's a nice pillow and stays cool even when I've been leaning back and shooting aliens or whatever for WAY too long. I have a friend who recommended this chair to me and she was right about it. For the price, you're not going to beat it. If you're heavy and need a sturdy but comfortable and supportive chair, this is it. Oh, and the purple is really nice too, that's what I got.

I got this chair soon after I started working exclusively from home. My old cheaper gaming chair did ok when I only PC gamed at my desk, spending max 3 hours a day in it. However, when 40-hour work weeks were thrown into the mix, I quickly realized that it was not large or ergonomic enough to properly support my large and tall body with spinal issues for extended periods of time.

So, did a little bit of research and took a change on this "big and tall" gaming rocker. After almost two years of spending 10+ hour a day in this chair, I can confidently say that I made the right choice. This chair has greatly improved my comfort level and ergonomics and reduced the frequency of chronic spinal issue relapses. It also has held up perfectly well, with nothing breaking, coming loose or sagging through too much.

Really, the only thing I can pick on is the fact that the included neck pillow is pretty useless, being way too shallow to provide any kind of support. When I need the neck support, I just use a U-shaped travel pillow. Also, while the arm rests are perfectly adjustable, they are too hard and narrow. Luckily, memory foam slip-on armrest pads solve that problem.

The chair wasn't too hard to assemble "“ the usual stuff. No issues with poor fitment or missing hardware. It was also packed well.

Anyhow, if you're a big and tall person, looking for increased comfort, ergos and something that can take the abuse for a few years, in this price range, it's hard to go wrong with this chair!

Very strong and sturdy. I have bought other chairs that were flimsy but this is very strong. I also do work from home and this chair is very comfortable for work and my gaming sessions. It is a bit expensive but I do see this lasting for a long time.

UPDATE AFTER 3 YEARS: So here I am 3 years down the road and here is some updated information:

PROS:
- Even after 3 years of some REALLY solid use. (I'm talking full weight tilts, constant plopping, leaning, falling etc.) is still doesn't creak, squeak or make any noises for that matter. I must say very impressive.
- I haven't used the pneumatic cylinder (gas lift) a ton, but it STILL WORKS! If I need a higher chair height the gas lift works just like it did day one (300lbs & 6'9" tall) compared to the barely 2 months of any other chair I've used.
- The material and stitching has held up, no rips, holes or tears.
- Seat and backrest still remain pretty comfortable to me.
- The leaning/laying back still works with no signs of struggle. I actually have disc issues in my back and time to time throw one of them out and become in extreme agony (usually in the lumbar) and did this about 2 years ago and actually couldn't sleep it hurt so bad. It just was not comfortable to lay down or be in my bed and had only slept for 3 hours in 3 days. So I actually decided to sleep in my AKRacing chair since I could get into a position that alleviated pressure on my back. So after some adjustments I found a position I could sleep in, putting EXTREME stress on the chair, I do mean some serious stress. I did this for 3 - 4 nights for 5 - 7 hours to finally get some sleep. The chair had no problem doing it and still stands to this day with no damage or squeaks and creaks. That's a test of durability for sure.
- Heat management is good, as stated in the original review it does decent at preventing the dreaded back sweat, or any other kind of sweat. However that isn't to say it's great at it. In the warmer days here in California I will still get some sweat and on hot days it's game over for staying cool as per usual. If I had to give it a 1-10: 1 being those nasty fake leather office chairs, 10 being nothing short of a gaming chair with refrigerated backrest and fans in the seat. It would be a solid 5.
- If your significant other wants to sit on your lap or on you I can attest that it will do fine, she sits on my leg or lap and it's sturdy. I actually had a couple friends come over try to WWE RKO me out of the chair and it supported all 3 of us, easily exceeding 600lbs. I obviously wouldn't recommend stacking people on this chair but it's piece of mind AKRacing isn't lying about weight limits.

CONS:
- I want to start the cons off with something more so to do with the company: at about 1.5 years of use I remember leaning back and hearing something and feeling an "adjustment" and thought maybe it was the backrest lever not being in it's place all the way. But it was actually a crack in the lower/back part of the seat connecting the backrest. It kept getting worse and worse until I basically didn't have a back rest. I contacted AKRacing about this for a warrantied chair or part that failed. They did respond promptly only to tell me that "This was an issue with a specific batch of chairs (which mine was a part of) having a weak point in the connecting part of the seat to back" and "I would promptly be sent a new seat". Okay, great customer service and a replacement as the warranty stated, but if this was KNOWN by AKRacing why wasn't it "recalled" or made aware to the purchasers of these "bad batches". Or heck even an e-mail or something saying it MAY be faulty. Now luckily this weak point didn't result in my flying out of my chair, but really? If it's known and you've already been replacing these "bad batch" chairs like hot cakes, it should be handled before they break leaving the consumer without a chair for weeks. On the bright side I did receive an entire seat portion (arm rests included when I didn't need them) neatly packaged and haven't had an issue since.
- The front of the seat where my thighs go is starting to look a bit crushed or saggy. Now I do have muscular and heavy thighs, but I am also under the "weight limit" of 400lbs by 100lbs, so a bit surprising at 1.5 years (account for the new seat replacement) it's showing these signs. Really doesn't alter comfort though.
- As stated above I did get a seat replacement after 1.5 years, and both of them seem to have "loose" material on the top portion of the seat (even on arrival of both). I don't know if this is by design but I want to say probably not.
- Backrest material looks to look a bit flatter after use, not a really big deal but if you're after pure aesthetics over long term use it does show a bit of wear (doesn't alter comfort though)
- Speaking of aesthetics this chair in terms of looks blows your average chair out of the water absolutely. But compared to the "gaming chair" market it's at about an average. I understand that most of these "rebranded" gaming chairs come out of one or two factories in China, but if you look at things like Secretlab they have a much nicer looking chair for about the same money. Embroidery, stitching and material variety go a long way.
- The arm rests. Oh boy do I love/hate these things. They're not that comfortable, kind of a hard plastic with a little give. They are also constantly adjusting when I don't want them to whether its knocking them around or leaning on them at an angle, I do wish for a locking mechanism. They're not the most practical thing but are easy to clean and don't wear easily.
- The chair base is big, as well as the chair itself. It's sheer presence is large, which means I'm constantly stubbing my toes on the dang thing. Whether it's in the dark or in broad daylight, if it's in a tighter space it's bound to get in the way or injure your feet. It's a small con though because I did buy a massive chair.
- It's expensive, like really expensive. I bought mine for nearly $600 and I see the price has fluctuated or come down (at least on Amazon) but my original review rings true, is it worth $600? Or even around the $480? Not really. HOWEVER since this market is saturated and you're again paying the "gaming premium" and want a chair that can handle what you throw at it, this does fit the bill.

Overall, I would say an exceptional gaming chair that despite it's cons, I would recommend it to anyone sick and tired of uncomfortable and flimsy office chairs for big and/or tall people. I'm still happy that I spent the money on this chair and I can rely on it in any situation. No more worry of having to source a new chair just to break in a few months, and no more worries it's gonna start making noise or that I have to "baby" it. It's built tough and ready for what I'm gonna throw at it.

Original Review below: (still relevant)

Yeah, you heard that right, $500 for an office/gaming chair, and that's not even after taxes! Well let me explain....

So I originally bought a "Killabee big & tall 8212" gaming chair because I was tired of going through office chairs and wanted something to last. Well that chair didn't quite fit me at 6'9" (2.11 meters or 210 centimeters) and 310lbs (140kg) as the seat was too short and the back rest wasn't up to my head, although comfortable and sturdy it just wasn't cutting it at $250, so I returned it. I saw this one had a longer warranty and a deeper seat which is mainly what I was looking for (plus it was more stylish). And I took the leap.

This AKRacing Max chair sets the STANDARD for gaming chairs! This is what a chair of this magnitude should feel and look like. The seat is deep, the backrest is high, the pneumatic cylinder is sturdy, the base is wide, the material is soft, the chair is firm, the customization is versatile, the frame is enormous, the materials are quality, and it looks amazing. (sponsor me AKRacing?) Let's talk about it;

WARNING!: [If you are below 6ft tall or not very heavy at all, or both, I might recommend looking at a different chair... You will be swimming in this thing if you're not bigger/taller than average]

It came in a rather large box (of course) and was actually mostly pre-assembled! On the other hand though the instructions were very vague and didn't help, and the metal base that attaches to the seat wasn't marked "front" like the booklet said it was. However if you've assembled a chair or furniture before you can figure it out and it's a breeze from there.
The chair weighs quite a bit, so I would assemble the base to the chair (cylinder to seat post) in the desired spot so you don't have to lug this monster at full weight (it's more so awkward than heavy). Or just assemble the whole thing in the desired spot if your space is big enough, it's pretty simple to be honest. It came nicely packaged with nothing flying around in the box which was nice.
Right off the bat you can see and feel the disassembled chair's quality as soon as you open the box. And it certainly doesn't disappoint; When put together I can plop straight down at 310lbs with the gas piston all the way up and the chair doesn't even think twice about budging. Usually there is a ever so slight sink in the gas piston due to it having to support a load, not this one, it doesn't even move in the slightest when sitting down. What a refreshing surprise, considering most pneumatic cylinders don't even last 3 months with someone of my size.
This chair is kind of firm, in a good way! The material is soft and comfortable and there is some kind of foam, but the foam is firm and doesn't let you crush it while sitting and create bad posture, the chair holds firm and keeps you from having to awkwardly shift positions or dig into certain parts of the body (such as legs or thighs)

The back rest; it comes just shy to the top of my head at 6'9"! This is an absolute shock to me, never have I had a piece of furniture come so close to even the top of my head. On top of it being tall enough for almost any gamer it's wide, so the worry of "spilling" (interesting word choice) out of this chair is unlikely even if you're not stick thin. The headrest pillow is cool and all, sort of useful for me but the lumbar I haven't found a use for yet. Have never been a fan of them especially since they usually cut into sitting room and seat depth I just ditch them just like this one (for now). Needless to say they're good quality. The backrest is surprisingly thin, but still manages to maintain comfort which is nice in terms of space saving and the overall look to it, A+ there.

Now to the seat (an important part for me); It's flat, which is great because you don't have the race bucket "wings" which force you to sit in a position that may not be comfortable. Race seats in a car need these to keep you stable at high speeds/turns... Why an office chair even needs these is beyond me. It's also good for people who like to sit wide (with legs more open) or people who sit cross legged in their seat. It is plenty wide/deep enough for me and keeps me comfortable for awhile. The padding at the end is also soft so your thighs shouldn't have problems for long chair sessions.

The armrests; well you can turn these inward/outward, up/down, forward/backward, and tilt in/tilt out... What else could you ask for in an armrest? They're plenty high and adjustable and have some soft rubber padding that isn't harsh on the arms. The tilt in/out feature to me is a bit annoying because I always accidentally move them when moving the chair, getting up or something of the sort, they should have a locking mechanism on them. They also sit kind of high even at the lowest setting, so if you have a low desk or a desk with a rollout keyboard it might now go under 100%, that's my only gripe with them though.

The material; now let me say this material is amazing. It's soft but firm? It would be easy to clean but is nice to the touch... But the best part by far is how breathable I've noticed it is, like I mentioned earlier I came from trying out a different gaming chair, and have had MANY office chairs and this material is the most comfortable. People have been saying this sort of material isn't the most breathable but I've found it to be fine for me. The last chair (killabee 8212) was insanely hot, and just after 2 hours would have a lot of back sweat, but no back sweat yet in this chair (maybe during the summer) but the material seems very easy to clean. I usually run hotter as a person in general but I've been pretty comfortable in this chair so far, yes my back gets hot sometimes but no sweat yet. The stitching is also nice, very subtle and stylish.

Everything underneath; it seems everything important in supporting you is made of metal, extremely refreshing from the cheap plastic office chairs. the left lever lets you tilt lock at any angle which is really cool, even though it's a normal feature on high end chairs its one I'm not used to having. The right lever is your standard up/down gas lift (which by the way is fantastic at supporting my weight) and firmly sits wherever you put it. The solid metal base is your average base but seems extremely sturdy and am not worried in the slightest of it being a weak spot. It seems people were complaining about tipping over when reaching for something? Well I did what they were doing and tried sitting on the VERY edge and tried to reach for something and yes, I felt it start to lift but never went flying. It seems maybe like a careless move there. I also don't feel like I am as heavy as they may be because it was stated they had trouble "getting back up" so maybe that is why. Here's a PRO TIP: Avoid sitting on the edge of a chair leaning at max length to get something. Just roll over to it or get up and get it, yes you might fall. I see the issue though; the base for the chair is set further back and protrudes behind the chair so when you lean back or lay back (with the lever) it can support you directly underneath and you won't tip like that, because that would be much worse trust me. It's certainly not meant to lean forward, but back. Which brings me to the lever on the right hand side that lets your backrest lay back... It's nerve racking at first because the average person knows office chairs don't move like that but it's 100% functional. It goes into a 180 degree position meaning you lay flat! Which feels really weird and still scares me, but the function is there if you want/need it. I don't personally like it cause it feels like I could break the chair or it might give out (which it hasn't and shows no signs of doing so) but I guess it's cool party trick? I recommend locking the chair from leaning before you try this though! I usually just use the lever for adjust how far I lean, not to lay down. The casters on this chair are fine plastic and very big and I don't think you have to worry too much about these giving out. You can always order different ones for pretty cheap on here if you're unhappy with these ones.

Everything else; The plastic covers on here are okay nothing special, but the one I received already pre-assembled over the lever was slightly broken (on the inside) there was this plastic tab that broke off and was like so on arrival, but am working on getting AKRacing to send me a new one. Not that big of a deal, the other one was fine. So far their customer service has been "meh" they seem kind of hard to get a hold of and not exactly cordial but maybe that will change.

CONCLUSION; This chair is very expensive, in the end it is an office chair and still costs a hefty amount, and you do pay the "gaming equipment" premium for flashy colors and edgy design. But I must say this chair is fantastic and I hope it will last me years and years. Do I think it's WORTH $500? No, but unfortunately that's where it sits right now in price... However does it feel like a $500 chair? Absolutely! You pay for what you get for, a chair that is well built and looks good. One thing that is EXTREMELY IMPORTANT to me is longevity... And this review is strictly based off of short use of the chair. I will be updating it down the road to report how well it holds up in the long run, so far I'm feeling good about this one.

After the Hydraulic System on my chair gave up the ghost, I was in the market for a new chair. I was looking around, and I settled on this bad boy. Due to my weight (350 Plus) I knew a cheaper chair than my old chair was out of the question. I paid about 280ish for it and I knew I had to go up in quality. After reading that the Ak Racing Chair was rated at 400 lbs and the hydraulic system was rated at 400 (most other chairs are rated only up to 330lbs) I jumped in.

Assembly was surprisingly simple. Other than having my GF hold the back in place so I could screw in the bolts the chair went together without any incidents. The only thing I would caution people on is there doesn't seem to be any spare screws/parts, so be careful.

I read some horror stories about the chair coming with some parts of it broken. I didn't really have that issue. Everything was well packaged. The only small issue I had was the sleeve used to cover the hydraulic bar. It was scratched and somewhat warped, but not a big deal at all. Normal wear/tear of the chair will do that anyway and it's not a major cosmetic piece. The chair is very comfortable and solid. The seat question is softer than in my old chair by a country mile and the back support is better as well. At its lowest level, it is also higher than my old chair, so I don't really need to use the height adjustment as much, win-win. I don't plan on using the lowering of the back seat at all. They say it's rated for heavy people but I don't lay back in my chair like that. On a side note, I recommend getting some better wheels. I transferred my easy-rolling wheels from my old chair to the new one. They are clear plastic and thinner and taller than the stock wheels. You can find them here on amazon. I also sprung for the aftermarket padded armrests too. They are very comfortable and definitely beat the current armrest surface.

I have only owned the chair for about a day. I will write another review after I've had some more time with the chair. But as of right now, I'm really glad I made this purchase.

UPDATE 06/17/2021 - I have had this Chair for about 8 months now. Overall, I am still happy with my purchase. However, there are a few Caveats about the Chair that need to be addressed. Someone mentioned that the chair is easy to tip. That is actually true. If you're a bigger guy like me (350-ish lbs) and you lean forward, you WILL tip over. I'm assuming because the chair leans back, more weight is put towards the back for balance. If this is the case I think they overcompensated. I still like the chair and it's great when you're sitting upright in the chair and don't lean over excessively. I also have a floormat and better wheels so there is less friction so easier for me to tip over as well. I got the chair at a good deal and I love the solid construction and how it feels, but if you like leaning forward a lot it will be an issue. Just wanted to point that out.