INTRODUCTION

   Lately many of you have been asking us whether or not owning a gaming chair is worth it or if these products are just cheap Chinese models that offer nothing more and at the same time cost a lot more than similar products found at IKEA and other places. There are obvious differences in quality, features and design between the models we find at IKEA and the majority of the gaming chairs we've reviewed to date and although we do feel that some of them are indeed overpriced and probably even manufactured in the same factory (OEM) we simply can't put them in the same league. Now as many of you know pretty much every single gaming peripherals manufacturer has released their very own gaming chair and Tt eSPORTS is no exception since they unveiled their full line (comprising from a total of 8 models - for now at least) a few months back. Today we decided to start by testing their top of the line X COMFORT (XC500) model and slowly take it from there.

   A division of Thermaltake Gaming, Tt eSPORTS is committed to bringing the most personalized and the highest quality gear for the most competitive cyber battles, and advances the idea of products designed by gamers for gamers. Tt eSPORTS has continually been a major driving force in inspiring, challenging, and taking to new heights eSports in the professional gaming industry; and currently sponsors a multitude of gaming teams and streamers from around the world by equipping them with the necessary gaming gears - keyboards, headsets, mice and accessories - to compete and succeed at the highest level at major eSport events such as: DreamHack, Insomnia, epic.LAN and the Intel Extreme Masters. Tt eSPORTS continually strives to promote eSports as a global phenomenon and to put it onto the world stage.

   Since the X COMFORT (XC500) is the flagship gaming chair by Tt eSPORTS you can expect everything we've seen to date from similarly ranked models (like for example the PROX). For good or bad (depends on what you prefer i guess) much like 95% of the gaming chairs out in the market today the X COMFORT is dressed in faux leather (PVC) and not real one but other than that it lacks nothing else in terms of features. So the X COMFORT features a steel frame for improved durability (22mm thick steel), 75Kg/M3 foam density (we usually see numbers up to 60Kg/M3), class-4 gaslift (supports up to 150Kg - upper chair body included), 75mm caster wheels (usually we see up to 65mm ones), 4D armrests (adjustable height, orientation, position and distance from the chair), 5-star aluminium base, height adjustable seat (48cm-58cm), removable neck and back pillows, backrest adjustment (up to 160 degrees) and up to 14 degrees tilt function. Well it seems that Tt eSPORTS offers something we don't see every day with the X COMFORT so let's take a look and see if that's really the case.

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

Typically for such a product we received the X COMFORT (XC500) gaming chair inside a very large and plain cardboard box.

Packing was as expected very thorough (somewhat obvious when something so heavy arrives here in excellent shape).

The somewhat thick backrest was the very first to get out of the box followed by the 5-star aluminum base.

As you can see the seat is not only quite thick as well but it also has both 4D armrests attached to it.

The multi-functional Z support mechanism is similar to what noblechairs used with their EPIC series (and at least to me this is what everyone should be using).

Next we have the class-4 gaslift with its plastic cover, five 75mm caster wheels and two plastic side covers for the backrest (all these were placed inside a 2nd cardboard box).

Finally we took out the two support pillows (strangely enough the lower back support pillow doesn't have an elastic band for mounting).

ASSEMBLY

As usual we started assembling the chair by attaching the 75mm caster wheels to the 5 star base as seen above.

These are the largest caster wheels we've seen to date and they also feel quite reinforced.

After that we mounted the class-4 gaslift and its plastic cover.

The base of the seat has nothing to be jealous compared to other high-end gaming chairs since each 4D armrest is secured in place via 4 Allen screws and we also see two green elastic bands for increased support.

For some strange reason the Z support mechanism doesn't have a "front" tag so make sure the opening faces the back as seen above.

The noblechairs EPIC chair had these plastic handles removed and if you recall they weren't very easy to attach so i was glad to see that Tt eSPORTS has them mounted.

Each side of the backrest has two Allen screws but the strange part is that although the left side has an opening in the faux PVC leather the right side did not (more on that later on).

Of course you can use these screws to attach the backrest on the seat as seen above and then you need to place the plastic side covers over them.

Unfortunately since the right side didn't have an opening in the faux leather the moment we pressed the plastic cover it broke in half. We were assured that this was an isolated even by Tt eSPORTS and honesly it wouldn't be hard for us to slice the faux leather using a knife.

Luckily the left side cover was mounted without issue.

With the main body of the chair assembled we just need to place it on the class-4 gaslift.

FINISHED LOOKS

The X COMFORT gaming chair by Tt eSPORTS is clearly the thickest gaming chair we've received to date thanks to its superior padding compared to other models (also one of the best looking ones also suitable for office use).

Quality is nothing short of excellent and that applies both to the carbon like PVC leather (feels very durable) used and the stitching.

Tt eSPORTS has placed a stitched logo on the head of the backrest.

The top of the 4D armrests can move forward, backwards, left, right and diagonally to suit your body type.

The armrests can be height adjusted from 29cm all the way up to 37.5cm.

You may not be able to drop the backrest a full 180 degrees like some other models but 160 degrees is just as good and thanks to the Z support mechanism the chair feels a lot more robust when you are taking a nap (trust us we checked).

Of course we can't forget placing the two support pillows but i still can't figure out why the back pillow has no mounting straps.

The rear of the chair also looks very nice (the front is much better due to the carbon like PVC leather) and also has the company name stitched at the top.

CONCLUSION

   Tt eSPORTS has clearly released what we believe to be one of the sturdiest, most comfortable (although the PVC cover feels a bit hard compared to some other chairs) and feature-rich gaming chairs in the market today. This is not only due to the high-quality carbon line PVC faux leather but also because of the very thick foam used (75Kg/M3) and the Z support mechanism which we don’t see a lot even on high end models. The elegant design and the all-black (almost) color of the X COMFORT (XC500) also makes it ideal for office use and I know quite a few people who are looking for something like this. The 4D armrests is not something unique since we have seen them before but it’s always good to have while being able to drop the backrest up to a full 160 degrees means you can get some rest between long gaming sessions (and as mentioned already it’s roughly identical to the models that can drop a full 180 degrees). What did surprise me was the lack of a strap for the back/waist support pillow. Sure it’s easier to place and remove without one but it doesn’t really stay still when you are moving your back and although yes we didn’t have a problem with it some people just might.

   The one “bad” thing about the X COMFORT (XC500) Gaming Chair by Tt eSPORTS is its current price tag which is set at USD419.99 inside the USA (Amazon.com) and at 447Euros inside the EU (Amazon.co.uk). The thing however is that the high-end gaming peripherals industry targets a specific market segment and Tt eSPORTS is not alone in this price area since there are other brands like DXRacer with similarly priced models. Regardless of that however we do hope that Tt eSPORTS can slice the price of the X COMFORT (XC500) to allow for more gamers and why not even professionals to add it to their homes and offices. At the end of the day you are getting what you’re paying for and that’s a high-quality gaming chair with pretty much any feature you’d hope to find and with one of the highest comfort levels (if not the highest) offered by similar products and that’s why the X COMFORT gets our Platinum Award.

PROS

- Excellent Build Quality (Carbon PVC Leather / Steel Frame)
- Elegant Design
- Superior Comfort (75Kg/M3 Foam Density)
- Z Support Mechanism (Durability / Sturdiness)
- Size (Among The Largest In The Market Today)
- Features (Adjustable Height / 4D Adjustable Armrests / 14 Degrees Tilt Function / 160 Degrees Backrest Adjustment)
- Head & Lower Back Removable Pillows

CONS

- Price (For Some)
- Only Available In Black (For Some)