This clone of our favourite gaming chair adds massaging balls ti a winning formula

Almost everything about the DXRacer Martian Pro carries a heavy whiff of familiarity, and chairspotters will see what it’s doing immediately: it’s so much of a clone of the five-star Secretlab Titan Evo that it might have come from the same factory. Everything from the gaming-centric silhouette to the magnetic arm and headrests, control locations and levels of adjustability feels like such a homage to the Titan Evo that you can practically hear Secretlab’s lawyers rubbing their hands together in glee.

However, the Martian Pro packs a surprising tech twist: it’s motorised. That doesn’t mean you can zoom around your office (more's the pity), but it incorporates electrically powered settings such as chair tilt, lumbar support, massage functionality, plus cooling and warming in the seatpad. While this may sound like a bit of a novelty, I’ve actually found it surprisingly useful, and the Martian Pro could be an inadvertent contender for one of the best office chairs for back pain.

Comfort & ergonomics

If imitation is the most sincere form of flattery, it’s also the most comfortable. The DXRacer Martian Pro copies the Titan Evo to an almost millimetre level, which is no bad thing because Secretlab’s chair is wonderfully well thought-through. The armrests shift in all directions to a similar degree, the uncannily similar magnetic headrest slides up and down, and the gas lift and tilt controls are laid out identically.

The result is that you can tailor the chair to your desk and how you sit, and I experienced almost indistinguishable levels of ergonomics, unsurprisingly. The Martian Pro comes in two confusing sizes: L / Regular and XL / Plus; I was sent the L / Regular and found it was fine for my 6' 4" frame (it's rated up to 6' 2"), but I can see how the XL / Plus would have added a little more height for the headrest to line up with the base of my skull.

The Martian Pro’s backrest doesn’t quite recline or lean forward quite as much as the Titan Evo’s, but it makes up for it by being motor powered. But this is where DXRacer packs the chair's pièce de résistance: a series of massaging bubbles arranged down the sides of the centre of the chair.

Press a button and these inflate and deflate one at a time, pushing gently into pressure points on the sides of your spine — and it’s the single most pleasurable sensation I’ve experienced from a chair, even if it does feel like you’ve got alien eggs growing around your backbone.

I tend to sit on chairs with the best intentions, and usually start with a bolt-upright posture, but as the day wears on, I find myself sliding down into a more slouched position. The unexpected benefit here is that I find myself tucking my butt right into the seatpad and pressing my back against the backrest to make the most of the Martian Pro’s massage experience, which also encourages me to achieve the perfect posture.

The Martian Pro’s lumbar support works in a similar way to the massage balls, gently inflating larger bladders to support the curve of your spine, giving a firm and customisable level of pressure — although it’s not quite as aggressive as some chairs, such as the Hinomi H2.

There’s one more little bit of electro-comfort lurking in the Martian Pro: a heating and cooling system in the seatpad, which warms up or blows cool air where you need it most, making the recent British heatwave just a little more bearable.

Design & aesthetics

While the Martian Pro may have aced the Titan Evo in terms of techno-comfort, it doesn’t quite match it in terms of luxury. The Martian Pro is faced with a similar leatherette, but it feels more plasticky and thicker, the armrests are less squidgy, and its adjustment levers are a little wobbly. It feels just a little bit cheaper, but it’s still a solid chair that won’t rattle about or slip out of adjustment easily.

The silhouette is basically identical, with a shallow bucket seat and backrest, but the Martian Pro is more detailed and panelled, embracing more of a ‘gamer’ aesthetic. It doesn’t scream that it’s a gaming chair like some models; it more drops it into casual conversation. It’s more exciting than the Titan Evo, but it is less suited to classy office environments — although there is an all-black version available that calms things down a bit.

Of course, all the Martian Pro’s techno wizardry needs power. A big power pack snaps onto the underside of the chair, and you can either charge the battery and use it wirelessly, or plug in to the mains and use it directly. If you’re doing the latter, make sure not to spend five minutes just spinning around on it, because the lead will coil around the gas lift, pull your extension lead off your desk, and send your laptop and coffee crashing to the floor. I definitely didn’t do this.

Specs

Assembly

Even the Martian Pro’s unboxing experience is almost identical to the Secretlab Titan Evo: a massive, heavy box, an idiotproof card telling you what to do, foam sheets to protect the chair and your floor during assembly, and a remarkably similar assembly process.

Where the Martian Pro differs is in its electronic componentry, which becomes a fairly convoluted network of cables to connect together. DXRacer knows exactly who its target audience is here, and those who are used to tinkering with PC graphics cards and PSUs will feel right at home. It’s not rocket surgery or brain science, but figuring out how it all fits together does take a little bit of time.

At over 30 kg, this is a big and heavy chair, too, so it’s a good idea to get someone to help you put it together, and to build it near wherever it’s going to end up.

Price & value

You will never guess what I’m about to compare the DXRacer Martian Pro to. At $699 / £699, the DXRacer is in the same ballpark as Secretlab’s Titan Evo NanoGen Edition, so it’s a question of whether you want smoother materials and more comfortable cushioning, or inflating spinal balls and groin-aircon. Tough choice!

The LiberNovo Omni is motorised, and it includes a similar spinal massage function. It’s less gamer-centric than DXRacer’s chair, but attractive in a biotech kind of way, and it has the advantage of following your back as you move around. It costs a little more though, at about $929 or £916.

Should you buy?

The DXRacer Martian Pro may be an utterly shameless copy of Secretlab’s bestseller, and it is slightly disappointing that it’s copied the Titan Evo to such an infinitesimal level. But the Martian Pro’s added electrical goodies really do elevate it from mere carbon copy to something far more interesting. It’s become one of my favourite chairs because it adds so much pleasure to the simple act of sitting.

Yes, it does feel a bit cheap and tacky in places, and the design could be toned down a little, but that massage function makes up for so much.