Vertagear PL4500 Gaming Chair & RGB LED Top Upgrade Kit in Test

A lot of colors can be something beautiful, especially when they also glow. That’s why more and more components with integrated LEDs for breathtaking RGB lighting are being installed in our PCs at home. A trend that many manufacturers want to follow. We’ve now reached the point where even our seating options are starting to glow – like the Vertagear PL4500 with RGB kit, which we’ll go into in more detail in this review. A gaming chair, with the ability to make the two built-in acrylic panels glow in any color, controlled in unison with your own PC. Find out how well this unusual lighting does and how comfortable the seat is for your gaming session now!

Specifications

Scope of delivery & assembly

Packed in a classic cardboard box, with lots of bubble wrap and foam, the PL4500 arrives. Everything was packed a bit more neatly than with the SL5000SE. Delivery damage is therefore not to be expected, which was also the case here. All elements came out of the box in top condition. The LED kit is packed in a smaller extra box even safer. Particularly nice to highlight is the assembly material, as this is simple and high quality workmanship and the tool can also be used in everyday life well.

It took us about 15 minutes to assemble the chair. For the first part, you have to push the rim-look casters into the star base and put the class 4 gas spring into the matching hole. After that, you mount the tilt and lift mechanism to the bottom of the seat with four screws. Everything is easy and fits perfectly. In the third step, the seat is placed on the gas spring and locked in place. In the final step, which is somewhat different from other manufacturers, the backrest is inserted into the holder on the seat surface. This requires a little care with the leather, but a simpler, quicker to implement and in the end more chic principle for assembly. Two screws in on each side and you’re done, with no extra plastic cover that may not fit properly.

There is an optional RGB kit to mount to this, which we’ll quickly go over here. First, the already existing plastic cover is disassembled at the two holes on the backrest. Starting at the back, two screws are loosened in the center, then the plastic cover on the sides is freed from the clips. After that, the cover on the front has to be removed with three screws per hole. Now we get to the somewhat challenging part of the assembly: the acrylic panels. These are simply inserted into the hole from the back – for us, however, this didn’t quite fit right away. Of course, we paid attention to the labeling on the sides, but the plates have to be pressed into the holder at a special angle with enough force. Once this is done, they hold more than firmly. Finally, all that’s left to do is attach the new plastic caps with RGB lighting, as in the steps before, but this time backwards.

Design & Workmanship

The time has come, the PL4500 is unpacked and fully assembled. After an initial inspection of the materials and seams, no discrepancies could be found on our chair. The seams are clean and closed, there are no loose threads sticking out. The processed materials merge smoothly into each other and make a noble optical impression. A mixture of PVC and PU artificial leather was chosen for the artificial leather. The so-called PUC combines the durability of PVC with the softness of PU leatherette and is supposed to be easy to clean. How the material performs in the long term could not yet be determined in our test period. However, it is a fact that the artificial leather feels good and does not show any signs of scratching or pulling.

Aside from the backrest, the seat and everything down on the PL4500 is built identically to the SL5000SE. That is, this one brings the old advantages and disadvantages. Space-wise, you are somewhat limited with the thighs due to the racing design. Unfortunately, the sides here have also been built again so that they act as treasure chests for crumbs. For comfort, UPHR foam has been used here as well, which is pleasant to the touch. Furthermore, the armrests also come from the same batch, whereby these also serve their purpose and are stable. Lastly, all that can be said is that the star base brings with it a decent amount of weight, and the casters roll along nicely in a rim design.

The LED kit is of a very high level of workmanship and design, which we now try to reflect. Starting with the acrylic panels with Vertagear logo: these are massive and valuable. Scratches can only be provoked by gross negligence, as they are also set off to the inside. Finally, the plates as well as an LED ring located on both sides illuminate the chair in RGB colors. In the center of the back, there is a slot for four large batteries, which unfortunately do not correspond to a typical standard (but can easily be bought later, type 18650), behind a small flap that can be opened by simply flipping it open. In addition, there is also the possibility for charging.

Sitting comfort & ergonomics

At first glance, the chair looks comfortable with its size – but is it? For tall people, with not too wide thighs, definitely. For everyone else, rather moderately, as was the case with the SL5000SE. The reason for this is the structure of the seat. This is quite narrow in the middle and at the sides it goes up quite steeply. Thus, the thighs are pressed into the center as in a racing seat, which makes for a very tight and firm fit and thus could be annoying for one or the other. Apart from that, the seat itself is very comfortable. It’s noticeable how after just a few minutes, thanks to the UPHR foam, you can feel an improvement in the comfort of the seat.

We did have some discomfort with the backrest this time, though. The lordosis cushion causes the head to not reach the backrest when sitting in a straight position, and leaning a little further back makes it feel unnatural. We couldn’t find the perfect sitting position 100% with the lordosis cushion. Tall people should therefore rather do without it. As with the seat, the foam of the backrest feels firm but cozy at the same time, so no concerns from the side.

Of course, to be able to find the perfect seating position for yourself, you need to adjust something on the PL4500. The tilt and lift mechanism serves this purpose excellently and does its job very reliably. The backrest is adjustable from 80° to 140°, so if you need a break, you can lean back and take a little break. At the same time, the chair also remains stable on the floor, thanks to the solid and heavy star base. Lastly, we want to highlight the “locking system” as particularly good – with this, the chair can be tilted forward as well as backward and locked by simply cranking it tight.

Software & Lighting

Now we come to the last part of the review, where we find the biggest discrepancies for us. For now, in order to operate the RGB lighting, it is necessary to download the NZXT CAM software and connect it to the included wireless USB dongle. Pairing the chair with the software is as simple as pressing the power button on the PL4500. After a short wait, the chair is already displayed in the software.

NZXT CAM has a clear and simple interface. Already after a few simple clicks you can find the most important settings. For the lighting, the usual lighting modes are currently back – from rainbow colors to transitions and flashing patterns, everything is there. The LED colors are nice and strong. Particularly good and the eye-catcher for us is between the LED rings, namely the acrylic panel. The Vertagear logo shines fantastically from there and makes a good impression.

Now for the somewhat disappointing part of the whole thing: if you want to use the chair’s RGB lighting, it’s absolutely necessary to have your own PC and wireless dongle on. RGB profiles can be created, but they cannot be selected with a button or something similar on the LED device. When the PC is off, the RGB light turns red every few seconds to indicate pairing mode. This is really a bit of a pity, firstly because it would have been quick and easy to implement even in a slimmed down version, and secondly because you can’t present the PL4500 without extra power consumption from your own PC.

Conclusion

Finally to the conclusion, Vertagear has presented with the PL4500 a product that is on the same level in terms of workmanship and quality as the SL5000SE already. The fabric used feels good, the device itself is sturdy, and the chair itself also makes a quality impression that lives up to its relatively high price. Unfortunately, the design, which is based on racing chairs, makes it not suitable for every person, because you are limited in terms of space at the thighs and we could not find a comfortable sitting position right away. The RGB LED Top Upgrade Kit is a nice addition, but it has a price that is too high for us – according to this, it is only a chic extra, but not necessarily a must-have.