A Closer Look
Before we go over the steps to fully assemble the chair, we would like to take a look at a few features of the Zone Evolution, starting at the top. The high-backed Evolution features a stitched Tesoro logo on the headrest, and a single plastic-trimmed cutout is just below, and is used to secure the removable headrest pillow. Moving down to the back rest, we have a soft-padded center section that is surrounded by bolstered supports on the sides. The soft center section, like all of the seating surfaces on the Zone Evolution, is covered in a black PU faux leather material.
The majority of this center cushion features an angular repeating pattern, with a bit of a smooth section in the top right corner for style. The side cushions are smooth in their implementation, aside from the stitching needed to join the various sections of material.
Out back, we once again see a stitched Tesoro logo, but this time it is joined by a stitched Tesoro name plate. Aside from these decorations and the rear opening of the headrest cutout, the backside of the Zone Evolution is a blank canvas.
This wouldn’t be much of a gaming chair if the backrest didn’t have some reclining options, and thankfully Tesoro has designed the Zone Evolution with this in mind. A small lever that sits on the right side of the chair where the backrest and seat cushion meet allows you to adjust the seat back from a nearly vertical orientation, all the way back to flat. While we have yet to find a real use-case for a 180 degree flat setup, the Zone Evolution can do it if your needs dictate it.
The seat cushion itself features the same repeating angular pattern, which looks really nice, and sports a similar smooth section like the backrest. The left and right side cushion sections are angled up slightly to keep you in the center of the chair.
Again, we find a bit of a softer feeling towards the center section of the seat cushion, while the angled sides offer a bit more sturdiness and support.
To the right and left of the seat cushion are two armrest arms which can be slightly adjusted to provide a narrower or wider stance, depending on user preference. The width adjustments take a bit of work to make, as they require you to use the included Allen wrench to loosen and then tighten the arms in place. We do wish there was a bit more room for adjusting the arm width, as you really only have about 1.5 inches to work with.
Each armrest can also adjust vertically, giving you plenty of options to make things comfortable. Simply use the buttons under each armrest to allow the arms to move up or down to your liking. The top portion of the armrests also swivel into three positions, which lets you customize the chair to fit your setup. Some users may have a more narrow posture, while others may prefer to spread out. Whichever the case may be, the Zone Evolution is there to assist. Forward and backward adjustment of the armrests is also available, which we found to be quite handy.
Beneath the chair assembly is a spring-assisted tilt mechanism that allows for up to 15 degrees of reclining comfort. The chair can be tilted to your preferred angle and then locked into place with a simple lever underneath the seat cushion, or left unlocked for full reclining freedom. The force required to tilt the chair back can be adjusted by a standard twisting knob that adjusts the amount of tension on the spring, allowing you to dial in the chair to your liking. A second lever down below is used to adjust the overall height of the chair using a gas lift for smooth vertical operation.
Providing a sturdy base for the Zone Evolution is a five-point steel base. The base is quite sturdy, and has a large footprint to aid in providing a steady and reliable foundation for the chair. A plastic swivel wheel is found at the end of each of the base’s five points, making moving around while in the chair quite easy.
Last up are the included lumbar and head rest pillows. Each pillow features the same PU faux leather material found on the rest of the seating surfaces, while the interior padding of each is comprised of memory foam for form-fitting comfort. The heat rest pillow sports a stitched Tesoro name tag, while the lumbar pillow has the phrase “Break the Rules” stitched in the same silver/gray thread.
