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Dec 18, 2023

Cooler Master Caliber X2 Review

The Cooler Master Caliber X1C was an impressive gaming chair that rivaled our perennial top pick, the Secretlab Titan EVO ($549), but did so at a much lower price. We didn’t test that model’s PU

The Cooler Master Caliber X1C was an impressive gaming chair that rivaled our perennial top pick, the Secretlab Titan EVO ($549), but did so at a much lower price. We didn’t test that model’s PU leather-upholstered version, the Caliber X1, but we've now spent significant time with its new follow-up chair, the Caliber X2 ($369.99). This sturdy, comfortable seat is densely padded and covered with pleasantly supple, breathable faux leather. It's about two-thirds the price of the Titan EVO, though that chair has fancier features such as internal lumbar support, licensed designs, and a magnetic head pillow. If you don't consider those must-have features, the Caliber X2 represents an even better value, with a similarly excellent build quality for much less money. For that, the Cooler Master Caliber X2 is an Editors’ Choice winner for gaming chairs.

Unlike the Secretlab Titan EVO, the Caliber X2 only comes in two versions: black or black and gray. The black-and-gray model we tested is attractive and fairly understated, with black faux leather upholstery broken up along the front of the seat with light gray swaths. The different material panels are secured with magenta stitching, adding a hint of color without looking garish.

The PU leather has three different textures across the chair. First, there are the smooth, gray highlights that live on the inward-facing sides of the seat. You'll also find black PU leather on the surfaces of the chair that make contact with your body; it's perforated for breathability. Finally, the chair's outward-facing sides have a carbon fiber-like pattern that visually breaks up the otherwise plain black color. Overall, the smooth and perforated PU leather is sturdy and supple, comparable with Secretlab's upholstery. It's generally a step up from the material used on similar gaming chairs we've tested.

Internally, the chair's seat and back are absolutely stuffed with foam, with all areas that contact the body fully padded up to the steel frame. Only the chair's back is hollow, with PU leather suspended between the solidly supported sides. The foam is firm, but with enough give that it doesn't feel uncomfortably hard.

The Caliber X2 has a semi-integrated lumbar support similar to the X1C. A wide, rectangular memory foam cushion covered in the same PU leather as the chair attaches to the back via elastic straps that let it slide up and down as needed. It's a comfortable solution that doesn't feel nearly as pronounced as a completely separate lumbar pillow, but is more substantial than the internal lumbar support on the Titan EVO.

A large headrest pillow is also included, matching the lumbar support in soft, supportive memory foam coverage. It slips over the top of the chair with its own elastic strap, so you can easily remove it (unlike the lumbar support).

The armrests are typical dense slabs of black rubber mounted on metal arms covered in matte black plastic. They're 4D-adjustable and can be moved up, down, forward, backward, left, and right, and also rotated between three different horizontal positions.

The Caliber X2 supports people who weigh up to 330 pounds and it has a 21.3-inch-wide seat. You can adjust the seat's height between 19.7 and 22.8 inches. The chair has both a tilt mechanism and reclining function; it can recline between 90 and a claimed 180 degrees. The Caliber X2 has an aluminum base, with extra-large 75mm casters that roll smoothly.

Cooler Master provides a two-year warranty with the Caliber X2. This is standard for most gaming chairs, though Secretlab extends its gaming chair warranty to five years if you share a picture of your chair on social media.

Cooler Master's latest chair is sturdy and comfortable, easily accommodating my larger-than-average frame with no wiggling or creaking. The PU leather is pleasantly smooth, with a breathable seat. Equally as important, the solid foam padding is supportive.

The chair's mechanisms smoothly tilt and roll, and the reclining back extends to a precarious, almost completely flat angle that Cooler Master says is 180 degrees (but seems to fall maybe 10 degrees short of that). The chair also securely sets at any angle between that and upright.

The lumbar support feels pleasant and natural, and you can easily adjust it up or down to rest against the small of your back. It's cushioning without feeling lumpy. The vertical movement is an adjustment the Secretlab Titan EVO lacks. However, you can't make the X2’s cushion firmer or softer as you can with the Titan EVO's cushion. Both have their uses, and generally offer comfortable and unobtrusive lumbar support that’s better than a separate, removable cushion that can easily be shifted around and feel too thick.

The head cushion is the Caliber X2's most significant weakness, with the angled sides of the chair's top making the elastic band susceptible to slipping up and off if you want the cushion to sit high against your head. This is a fairly minor complaint; I still found a comfortable position that let the head cushion mostly stay in place.

The Cooler Master Caliber X2 is an excellent, affordable gaming chair that rivals our top high-end picks. It has generous, firm padding and smooth, sturdy faux leather like the Secretlab Titan EVO, and its sliding lumbar cushion is secure and supportive. It’s a worthy successor to the fabric-upholstered Caliber X1C, and a compelling alternative to the Titan EVO, which offers a wider range of designs and two smaller size options. Ultimately, the Caliber X2 feels as good as the Titan for around $200 less, and for that earns it our Editors’ Choice award.

The Cooler Master Caliber X2 is a fantastic gaming chair that offers comfortable, breathable support at a reasonable price.

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