Mavix M5 Gaming Chair Review: Polish Over Posture

The Mavix M5 doesn’t look like your average gaming chair. With its black mesh build and faux leather accents, it’s nearly all business. But this chair is still ready to rock with its reliable recline, adjustable armrests and solid seat. The quality of its build compared to the best gaming chairs is where its $555.55 price starts to make sense, and a warranty that covers some parts for up to 12 years makes for a less risky buy.

But gamers who are a bit on edge while gaming or look to sit up perfectly straight when working, the M5 isn’t a good fit. With the backrest connecting to the seat at a 105-degree angle at minimum, there’s no support for the shoulders and a lot of the back when sitting at a 90-degree angle. You might want to be “Straight Up” like Paula Abdul, but instead the M5 will leave you feeling like Fat Joe in a perpetual state of “Lean Back.”

Mavix M5 Specs

Design

You wouldn’t guess that Mavix calls the M5 a gaming chair by its looks. If you plan on using it in an office setting or even in the living room, which isn’t that far-fetched giving its laidback disposition, it’ll create less of a scene than the bold designs of most gaming chairs. It’s black-on-black mesh pattern and faux leather details look like something you’ve seen cloned by the dozen in office conference rooms. It’s not a flashy chair and will put gamers used to bold colors and references to their favorite characters to sleep. But if I had to pick between the look of the Mavix M5 or the outrageously purple Cooler Master Caliber R2, I’d go for the toned down, versatile look of the M5. That said, any gaming chair I have is destined to do double duty as an office chair. More carefree gamers may feel different about the M5’s looks.

But don’t think this is just a standard mesh chair with no interesting characteristics. For one, the contrast of the faux leather lumbar support area with the headrest and armrests bring some premium finesse. And the white Mavix stitching on the headrest and along the chair’s spine also stand out, even if Mavix isn’t a massive name among gamers yet. Which brings me to the Mavix logo seemingly spray painted on the plastic spine of the chair. This effect is less well-done than the stitching, and, in my unit, showed notable spotting and inconsistency. I can see it fading over the years, and do you know what looks worse than the odd word “Mavix” written on your chair? “Mavix” with parts of the letters missing written on your chair.

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The M5 looks most intriguing from the side. With its unique shape and build, the chair’s profile sports an almost futuristic look. Deep curves and bold gaps plus mesh upholstery make it feel less bulky too. However, cleaning is a little tougher than just wiping a faux leather surface with a damp cloth, since gunk can get caught between the mesh holes.

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In a rarer move, you Mavix actually gives you a choice in whether or not you use the headrest. It even includes a covering for the where you’d screw in the headrest so it doesn’t look like something’s missing.

I prefer as much support as possible and cringe at the idea of wasting a whole headrest, so I used it for my testing. It uses a surprisingly thin piece of leather and I do wonder about boring a hole in it after very many years. But overall, the PU leather is finely detailed, from its stitching and texture to its reliable adjustments.

Mavix told me that the M5 is fit for gamers up to 6’4” and 300 pounds.

Comfort and Adjustments

Colorful gaming chairs can become the focal point of a room, but black goes with everything, so I was eager to roll the M5 into my home office and let other peripherals and decor command my setup. But although the M5 looked appropriate in an office setting, it didn’t feel suitable because it doesn’t want me to sit up perfectly straight. In fact, the backrest is set at a 105-degree recline at default. You have to recline at least a little bit.

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An extra low lumbar support area touched the back of my hips when sitting up straight, and that’s about the only contact my body made with the chair when sitting upright in a 90-degree angle, which is how I strive to sit when working. Someone a few inches taller and wider than me had the same experience. The M5 didn't support their shoulders and most of their back at its lowest recline setting. Shoulder support is one of the top reasons I recommend gaming chairs over any ol’ chair, so it’s super disappointing to lack it here. You can raise the lumbar support area (5 settings total), but even at its highest setting, it was still only making contact with my glutes.

You raise the lumbar support by lifting the bottom of the backrest with both hands, and each time you do, you hear a very loud, metallic clicking noise. Be careful not to make too many adjustments while streaming. I always left mine in the highest position, so after I settled on that, the offputting noise was avoidable.

When sitting up straight, I was able to get the headset to provide some neck support, but it never felt natural. At the lowest setting, my neck was resting on the harder ledge of the headrest, rather than the intended, curved region. When I raised it to its max position, however, I got the back of my head on the intended position. There isn’t really any give it to it, so any hairstyles that put your hair behind your head, like a ponytail, make it more uncomfortable. Many gaming chairs I’ve tested are lacking in the neck support area though. Even the luxurious and moveable neck pillow in the Secretlab Omega Titan faltered.

Instead of sitting up straight or encouraging perfect posture, the M5 is a more laid-back chair. It feels more lounge-like and will be more fitting for gamers who look as relaxed when they game as I look stressed and focused. It can also be a good fit for the living room, where I’m more likely to game with a console controller and lean back. But when I’m gaming at a desk with a keyboard and desk, I prefer to sit straight or even forward. The M5 isn’t good for that.

Still, this is a surprisingly firm chair with a lot of support in the seat, which might’ve surprised me if I didn’t feel how heavy the seat is. Mesh means you won’t find yourself inadvertently stuck to it on a warmer day, and it feels rough when rubbing on your skin. The seat also didn’t sink in or cause any aching when I sat on it for hours. But because of the unfortunate backrest positioning, I’m usually sitting all the way at the back of the seat, where it starts sloping downwards. And although this is a porous chair, its mesh feels strong and built to hold you for a long time.

The seat’s depth is adjustable, but this didn’t fix any of my complaints. It is a rarer adjustment to find on a gaming chair and ensures you have enough room between the seat’s lip and the back of your knees. We have seen this on other chairs, though, including the far more expensive Herman Miller X Logitech G Embody.

Speaking of having enough room, the M5’s seat is a roomy 20.5 inches wide. For comparison, the Secret Lab Omega’s sittable area is 14 inches wide. That extra seat is great for wider frames and even the occasional crossed-legged sit; although the chair’s harder sides and rougher texture make this more taxing. You can add an extra inch to the seat’s width if you pay Mavix an extra $44.44 (anyone else noticing an odd pricing pattern?).

Keeping up with its more loungy feel, the M5 can recline from its 105-degree default position back to 150 degrees. Some gaming chairs go all the way back to 180 degrees, but I’m not one to catch a nap in my gaming chair, so 150 degrees is ample. I felt relatively sturdy in this position, but there is some give, allowing the chair to push back about another inch if you apply pressure and then gently shift forward back into place.

There’s a knob that controls how difficult it is to recline, but I found it hard to reach, hard to twist and ultimately ineffective.

The M5’s 5 wheels can lock in place or roll around smoothly. Unlike cheaper chairs, the M5 moves smoothly and easily without making an alarming metallic or clunking noise that makes you wonder if you should be moving the thing around at all.

Another more premium touch that makes the $555.55 price more sensible is the adjustability of the armrests. These foam rests are covered in faux leather and just the right amount of squish and depth at about 0.6-inch thick. They move up and down 3.5 inches and can click inward for 3 settings total per armrest. There’s a little wobble to the armrests if you force it but this was hardly noticeable unless I was purposely rattling them.

Assembly

The M5 was one of the easiest gaming chairs I've built. I was able to complete it within 40 minutes by myself. Typically, I need help holding the back in place while I screw it into the seat, but I was able to attach the heavy seat to the base all on my own this time.

Overall, the chair required 4 bolts and washers for the armrests, 3 bolts and washers for attaching the backrest to the seat and 2 screws for attaching the optional headrest. Mavix is kind enough to give you an hex and allen wrench for the job, as well as two spare pairs of bolts and washers, just in case.

What you don’t get are print-out instructions. Instead, you’ll have to rely on Mavix’s video, which can be annoying, but you can get the information you need without turning audio on.

Warranty

A gaming chair is the type of thing you’d hope to be able to hang onto for years, especially when it’s over $500. Mavix offers one of the better warranties we’ve seen for a gaming chair -- or, parts of a gaming chair, I should say.

The M5’s non-moving and metal parts, which a Mavix spokesperson told me encompasses the “backrest support system, mechanism casing and chair base” and “armrest under seat brackets” are guaranteed for 12 years. Unfortunately, the hole-filled mesh, armrests and faux leather pieces aren’t included here. The chair’s “moving parts and materials” are under warranty for 5 years, with 2 years of those including coverage of shipping costs for new parts. For comparison, the Secretlab Omega has a 3-year warranty that goes up to 5 years if you share a picture of your chair on social media. The $300 AndaSeat Jungle’s warranty, meanwhile, is 2 years.

You can see the full details of Mavix’s warranty here.

Bottom Line

The Mavix M5 is a well-made gaming chair that seems built to last and lounge. Its mesh design is more buttoned up than other gaming chairs we’ve seen with bright colors or familiar characters, but not everyone needs their gaming chair to scream of League of Legends. Finding a home that the M5 doesn't clash with will be easy.

For something with a more uptight look, this is a laid-back chair. With 105-degrees being the most acute recline the backrest supports, sitting perfectly straight becomes painful, due to a lack of support in everything from the upper-lower back to the head. This is a shame for those who aim for perfect posture or like to lean a little forward to really get into the action.

For the more loungy gamer though, this won’t be a problem. If you like to lay back while playing (you are relaxing, after all), the M5 will feel strong, and its mesh fabric makes for a tough throne that’ll keep you supported (where your body makes contact), even when laying back 150 degrees. Console and living room gamers, especially, may appreciate the M5’s more relaxed positioning.

With it’s sturdy, quality build and supportive seat and armrests, the M5 is the latest thing to make leaning back cool, although probably not as much as Fat Joe did.