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Boulies Master Rex (2026): One-minute review
The Boulies Master Rex (2026) follows up on the previous model with a few tweaks and some new additions, all in the name of improving comfort and versatility.
Just like its forebear, the 2026 version is a rather understated affair. The dark gray colorway of my review unit made it look all the more austere, although the lack of brash accents and branding help to impart a more professional veneer; this is a gaming chair that wouldn’t look out of place in an office.
The fabric finish of my review unit (there’s also a PU variant) seemed durable yet was soft to the touch, lacking the scratchy feel of cheaper examples and aligning more closely with the fabrics adorning the best gaming chairs. The stitching was very precise and strong, too.
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The head pillow feels less premium, with its relatively meagre padding and elastic strap in place of a magnetic attachment as seen on more upmarket chairs. However, it was fit for purpose and provided sufficient comfort and height adjustments.
As for the seat, it’s firmer than the previous model’s, and the front edge has a more prominent lip, which can dig into the underside of your thighs uncomfortably. The seat height has a fairly decent range, although it’s not the largest.
The Master Rex offers plenty of other adjustments, though. The back rest reclines all the way to 165 degrees and there’s also a rocking function, although this is quite stiff even on its loosest setting.
There’s built in lumbar support as well, which is adjustable for both height and prominence. However, the former lacks range, and didn’t go as low as I would’ve liked. What’s more, the dials for both settings require far too many turns, making them a chore to use.
For me, the standout feature of the Master Rex, though, is its 6D armrests. These provide all sorts of positions, thanks to their series of pivots and rotations. However, I struggled to find a benefit to their tilt function, and they still couldn’t go low enough for my liking — although admittedly this is a problem I have with many gaming chairs. Their padding is harder than on the previous model’s, too, and they can wobble around, although thankfully they remain stable during normal use.
The footrest is a far more basic affair that you simply pull out and flip. The cushioning is sufficient, but it doesn’t extend very far; I found that it supported my calves rather than my feet.
I managed to build the Master Rex without help. It was a relatively straightforward process, although attaching the tilt mechanism to the seat base was frustrating, since this heavy piece requires a very delicate placement to avoid moving the spacers out of place.
The Master Rex is reasonably well priced considering its build quality, adjustments, and integrated footrest. Its seat may be a little too firm for some, and the clever armrests aren’t without issues, but all things considered it makes for a compelling choice at this corner of the market.
Boulies Master Rex (2026) review: Price and availability
- $479.99 / £409.99 (about AU$670)
- Seen with significant discounts
- Good price given its quality and features
The Master Rex costs $479.99 / £409.99 (about AU$670) and is available now. It comes in fabric and PU finishes, with black, grey, and green colorways optionable.
For a gaming chair of this caliber, it’s well-priced. Better yet, we’ve seen it with a considerable discount already, which only sweetens the deal. But even at its base price, the Master Rex is considerably cheaper than the Razer Iskur V2 NewGen, a chair that has less adjustments to its armrests and lacks an integrated footrest.
Its 6D armrests are also a selling point; not even Secretlab’s Titan Evo has these, and the base model of that chair is still more expensive than the Master Rex. However, the Titan Evo is a stalwart in the gaming chair market and one of our favorites. It has a superior build quality to the Master Rex and more premium flourishes, such as the magnetic head pillow, but again lacks an integrated footrest as standard.
Boulies Master Rex (2026) review: Specs
|
Price |
$479.99 / £409.99 (about AU$670) |
|
Backrest dimensions |
29.9 x 22 inches / 760 x 560mm |
|
Max user weight |
243lbs / 110kg |
|
Max user height |
5ft 11in / 180cm |
|
Seat dimensions |
18.9 x 20.9 inches / 48 x 53cm |
|
Warranty |
2 years |
Boulies Master Rex (2026) review: Design and aesthetics
- Muted looks
- Solid build quality
- Armrests can wobble
The Master Rex has a fairly smart and stoic appearance. There’s hardly any branding, save for a small Boulies logo on the back and on the head pillow, and the muted colorways only serve to further downplay its presence (the dark grey finish of my review unit was probably the most dour of the bunch). Some small suede patches provide a marginal amount of interest, but hardly add much panache. Personally, though, I’m glad it has a smarter and perhaps broader appeal than the cliched ‘adolescent gamer’ aesthetic.
I was also thankful for the quality of the materials. The fabric upholstery is pleasingly soft, devoid of the nasty scratchiness of cheaper examples, and the stitching is also impressive, with its perfect alignment and durable feel. On top of this, the metal wheel base is sturdy and a cut above the plastic units of less premium gaming chairs. I also appreciated the curved edges of its spokes, dampening the impact of knocks with your heels.
Conversely, the construction of the armrests are a little disappointing. They appear to be made from a low-grade plastic, and there’s a fair amount of play to them, lacking the stability I would’ve expected. Thankfully, no wobbling occurs during normal use, but regardless it doesn’t speak well of their overall quality.
The head pillow also lacks the premium feel of those adorning more upmarket gaming chairs. It attaches via a basic elastic strap rather than magnetically, and it doesn’t have much padding inside, although it’s still fit for purpose and the outer material is soft if not velvety smooth.
Boulies Master Rex (2026) review: Comfort and adjustability
- Firm but comfortable seat
- Difficult lumbar adjustments
- Mixed 6D armrests
The Master Rex is a comfortable chair to sit in. Its seat is sufficiently padded, although it’s noticeably firmer than the previous model’s, which might prove divisive. There’s also a more prominent lip to the front edge that rises upwards, something that can definitely be felt underneath your thighs. While this didn’t cause me any issues, I can imagine others finding it uncomfortable.
The seat height can be adjusted, although the range is somewhat disappointing. I found the minimum height low enough for my needs (I’ve sat in many gaming chairs that aren’t), but the maximum may not be high enough for taller users. Neither will the relatively short backrest; Boulies recommends the Master Rex for users who are 5’11” and under, and currently there are no larger variants.
As is standard on many gaming chairs, the Master Rex features a rocking mechanism. However, it’s stiffer than many others, even on its loosest setting, meaning it takes quite a bit of effort to rock it backwards from an upright position. Naturally, this becomes easier as you recline the backrest, as your weight provides more leverage.
Speaking of which, the recline function itself is easy to use. The lever only requires a relatively light pull to release, and adjustments are quite smooth. However, the notching can feel a little rough, which can make locking certain positions in place a little awkward. Also, the notches seem quite far apart, so you can’t dial in a precise angle — something that won’t be ideal if you’re particularly picky about your backrest position. It can recline all the way to 165 degrees, which is reasonably far and is the same angle the Secretlab Titan Evo can achieve.
The backrest itself is comfortable, thanks to its relatively thick padding. I appreciated the soft edges of the bolsters too, so they’re not uncomfortable if you knock your elbows against them.
Given it saves the need for an additional cushion, I also welcomed the integrated lumbar support. This is adjustable via two dials either side of the backrest: one for height and one for depth. I found them quite easy to reach and twist while seated, and they provide good feedback via their clicky notches. However, they require far too many turns to make meaningful adjustments, and what’s more the height range is limited, with the bar failing to go low enough for my liking.
The 6D armrests are perhaps the centerpiece of the Master Rex. They can be rotated 360 degrees at two points, with one on top of the other. Since the mechanism for the lower point is offset, adjusting it alters not just the angle of the rests, but also how far apart and far forward they are when used in combination with the upper point. This means they offer far more possible positions than 4D armrests.
Despite this impressive showing, they’re not perfect. I wouldn’t ever use the tilt adjustment for angling the armrests upwards or downwards, given that it lacks increments; you only get a binary choice between flat and what seems like 45 degrees, or close to it.
What’s more, the armrests don’t go low enough for my liking, although I concede this is an issue I have with many gaming chairs. And while they’re comfortable to lean on, they have less padding than those on the old Master Rex. Some of the various adjustments can also be unduly stiff, too.
A retractable footrest is also featured on the Master Rex. This operates smoothly and easily enough, requiring a gentle tug to slide it out. It doesn’t extend that far, though, with the result that it provided more of a rest for my calves than my feet. Still, there’s enough padding to use it comfortably for long periods.
Boulies Master Rex (2026) review: Assembly
- Reasonably easy to assemble solo
- Frustrating tilt mechanism attachment
- Light backrest
Assembling the Master Rex was a relatively easy process, even by myself. The instructions are clear and the various parts are well labelled. Most of the various bolts and screws were easy to affix using the included tools, too.
However, attaching the tilt mechanism block to the seat base frame is needlessly difficult. Not only is the block very heavy, but the four plastic gaskets you have to place in between it and the frame are prone to moving out of place with the merest touch.
This means it’s all but inevitable they’ll fail to align with the bolt holes once you place the block on top of them — and thus require some slender fingers to realign them while holding the block (did I mention how heavy it is?) overhead. Oh, and you’ll have to pray the gaskets don’t move out of place so much that they fall off the frame altogether and into the tangle of webbing below. This process is as fiddly as it sounds, and not one I’ve encountered when assembling chairs from other brands. It’s a frankly baffling design choice from Boulies.
Thankfully, installing the backrest is much easier, given how light it is. It still requires some effort to push it down far enough to align the bolt holes with the brackets, but this isn’t too difficult in my experience.
Should I buy the Boulies Master Rex (2026)?
Buy it if…
Don’t buy it if…
Boulies Master Rex (2026) review: Also consider
| Row 0 – Cell 0 |
Boulies Master Rex (2026) |
Razer Iskur V2 NewGen |
Secretlab Titan Evo |
|
Price |
$479.99 / £409.99 (about AU$670) |
$649.99 / £649.99 / AU$999.95 |
From $529 / £469 / AU$799 |
|
Dimensions |
29.9 x 22 inches / 760 x 560mm |
33.5 x 21.3 inches / 850 x 540mm |
35 x 22 inches / 890mm x 560mm |
|
Max user weight |
243lbs / 110kg |
299lbs / 136kg |
396lbs / 180kg |
|
Max user height |
5ft 11in / 180cm |
6ft 6in / 200cm |
6ft 9in / 205cm |
|
Seat width |
20.9 inches / 530mm |
15.7 inches / 400mm |
22.8 inches / 580mm |
|
Warranty |
2 years |
5 years |
5 years |
How I tested the Boulies Master Rex (2026)
- Tested for several days
- Used for gaming and other tasks
- Plentiful gaming and reviewing experience
I tested the Boulies Master Rex (2026) for several days, during which time I used it for gaming and working, as well as general browsing and relaxing. I made sure to try out all of its various adjustments, and assembled it myself following the included instructions and using the included tools.
I’ve been PC gaming for over a decade, and have used a variety of chairs during that time, from office and productivity-focused offerings to those designed for gaming. I’ve also reviewed a variety of them across a range of brands, and have also reviewed the previous generation of the Master Rex.
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