I’ve been a strong proponent of fancy gaming chairs for a while. I got my first Secretlab Titan four years ago and it was a real game changer for me, both in terms of work and gaming. Gaming chairs have a flexibility I’ve never found with regular office chairs that make me feel like I have full control over my posture, position, and comfort. I love the extra room these thrones offer my ever-expanding backside too. I don’t often invest in luxury goods, but I’ve always felt like my gaming chair was worth it.
There’s things I don’t love about gaming chairs, though. Whether it’s Secretlab, DXRacer, or Razer, all my gaming chairs have been surprisingly firm. I hear this complaint a lot, and while a firm chair is better for your posture - especially important when you spend most of the day sitting down - they’re always a little bit firmer than I would like, even after I break them in. Also, leather upholstery is terrible on sweaty days. I live in Southern California without air conditioning, and between July and September the last thing I want to do is sit on a leather chair all day. I started buying Secretlab’s $170 fabric chair skins once a year. Not ideal.
Corsair reached out recently to offer me a look at its new TC500 LUXE gaming chair, and they managed to sell me with a single word: “Premiumbreathablefabric upholstery." I’ve been using the LUXE for the last week and, compared to my last gaming chair, it feels like I’m sitting on a pile of clouds. I don’t know why every other gaming chair uses the same kind of leather while Corsair’s is covered in plush, quilted upholstery that’s softer and doesn’t make me feel like I’m marinating in my own sweat, but it’s been a game changer.
Mechanically, this chair is just like every other gaming chair I’ve ever put together. It comes in three separate pieces (base, seat, backrest), with only eight bolts and a speedy 15-minute assembly. It’s got the full 160 degree recline, the sturdy 65mm wheel casters, the magnetic neck pillow, and the adjustable lumbar support that all the other similar chairs have. The things that set it apart might seem small, but they make a huge difference.
For example, the armrests are free-spinning and fully adjustable. Not only can they raise, lower, and slide in and out, but they can also spin around 215 degrees. They click into place wherever you position them but they can also easily pivot if you put a little pressure on them with your arms. Unlike other chairs that let you set arm rests to an ‘ideal’ position, the LUXE’s arm rests are designed to adjust easily anytime you move your arms. When I take my hands off the keyboard to use my phone, the armrests twist all the way in and close together to create the perfect support. Same goes for holding a controller, or using the mouse and keyboard to game. No other gaming chair I’ve had offered this much flexibility in the arm rests, and now I can’t live without it.
The major selling point is the material. After just a week of sitting on it I feel like I’ve been duped by all the leather and suede gaming chairs I’ve been sitting in all these years. Corsair doesn’t say exactly what the material is, but describes it as “breathable fabric material” that looks and shines like leather, which I can attest to. My model is Frost, a creamy white color with black armrests and a base that complements a modern look. I was concerned about my ability to keep the white upholstery clean, but there’s a range of tones in the material that do a surprisingly good job hiding marks and imperfections. My cats have already had a go at it and, unlike leather that shows every claw mark clear as day, the LUXE absorbed the damage much better.
I’m never going back to traditional gaming chairs after this. I was convinced that firm seats and leather were the height of gaming luxury, but now the emperor has no clothes, and thankfully I’m not going to spend all summer with a damp back.
