ThunderX3 XTC Mesh

Noble Elite, Piranha, Razer, HyperX Blast, Secret Labs, Arozzi.... I have tested gaming chairs from all of these brands and have repeatedly realised that they are not for me. They don't suit me, they don't suit my taste and I have often and long wondered why anyone would pay £300 or more for a poorly built chair with faux leather and rock hard cushions.

The single best chair that I had the pleasure of sitting in was my old Herman Miller Aeron but I had to leave it behind during an office move, and I have missed it ever since. But to spend around £1000 on a new one... Well, that's not happening. I tested a mesh chair with clear Aeron features from Zen a couple of years ago and it was nice, for sure. But the upholstery in the seat section was too soft. Too loose. It was not for me.

The three-piece back construction is optimal for those with narrow vertebrae.

The newly released mesh chair ThunderX3 XTC is a mix between Aeron, Branch and Zen Phase and I have now been sitting in it for a week or so and couldn't be more satisfied. Something I had not expected beforehand. I probably thought that the support in the back would be too weak and that the seat part would sink down too much plus that the headrest would be too low, making it a poor fit for my 195 cm and 110 kilos proportions. But no. This chair is built for all and so well built that the rather modest price tag actually starts to feel more and more like a stock clearance.

The XTC mesh measures 126 centimetres (total) in height, of which 82 centimetres is the height of the backrest. The seat cushion is 53 cm wide and 57 cm deep, the chair's maximum weight is 125 kg and it weighs 24.5 kg according to my own measurements. It's a big lad. Assembly was easy thanks to simple and good instructions, but it basically requires two people to mount the heavy backrest on the underside of the seat cushion. I did it myself and used the box that the XTC comes in but given that the instruction manual asks you to mount the armrests before the backrest is assembled with the seat cushion, it becomes challenging to put it upside down on something and make it lie flat. Here, ThunderX3 should have thought one more time and asked me as a customer to assemble the two largest parts first with the possibility of putting the seat cushion on the floor, upside down and then screwing the armrests. But that is also really the only small (insignificant?) complaint I have.

It looks great with its X-shaped back and grey-silver colour.

The seating comfort here is brilliant, through and through. The XTC is divided into three sections to provide different degrees of support for different parts of the back, which is hardly revolutionary or new, but perfectly optimal for those with a bad back. The lumbar part is softer but stands out a little more than the thoracic part, making this a great chair for those with all kinds of back problems. I have had a spinal operation after 15 years of chronic, severe back pain and can easily call this the most ergonomically comfortable office chair I have tried in ten years, including far more expensive models.

It's available in black, too, and costs £250

The build quality of the XTC Mesh is as good as it gets, although I wish the headrest attachment was made of metal instead. Everything else is wonderfully well constructed and heavy. Compared to much more expensive models from most competitors, this chair feels more substantial. I get the feeling that it could be thrown into a ravine and still be functional without any broken parts, minus possibly the armrests. It's ergonomic, great looking (especially in grey) and affordable. If, like me, you're looking for a "gaming chair" that doesn't look like it's designed for 14 years olds, yet at the same time, offers a different kind of comfort than the rock-hard, dumb cushions and pads that are Velcroed to the headrests of many chairs, this is an excellent option. I love the ThunderX3 XTC Mesh.