Damien Gula Posted: Aug 1, 2022 1:00 PM Category: Hardware Reviews 0
Real talk: I’m a big dude. I’m 6’ 3” with a large wing-span and hearty frame with a shoe size that makes life difficult. And, when you’re a big dude like me, it’s hard to find things that fit just right… especially when the “all” of those “one-size-fits-all” items does not include you.
If you fit that description and have had a difficult time finding a gaming chair, stick around because Corsair might have you covered with the TC200 Gaming Chair. Corsair provided us with a chair to check out, so within this review, I will be sharing my experiences with the chair, the build quality, as well as some pros and cons worth considering.
Before we dive in, let’s break down the details.
Corsair is no stranger to the gaming market. As a leader in PC peripherals and components, it was no small wonder that the company has a number of seating options in its arsenal, including the T3 Rush Gaming Chair we saw released back in 2020. While it also followed the trend of race car bucket seat-style chairs, Corsair provided a unique offering within an over-saturated market of leather-like chairs: a soft fabric option.
Building on this success, the TC200 scales up Corsair’s gaming chair offerings with a seat to accommodate larger, taller users. Corsair did this by adding 2.1 inches to the seat width as well as 2.2 inches to the maximum seat height. A higher range gas lift has also been swapped in to provide an extra 0.8 inches to the vertical lift. To support all of this, Corsair traded the nylon base of the T3 Rush for a new, five-point steel frame along with a chunky set of casters.
Going back to upholstery for a moment, the TC200, like the T3 Rush, does come in both soft fabric and plush leatherette/PU leather designs. For our review, we received the black-on-black soft fabric version - a strikingly stealth look for just about any setting. This material feels tailor-made with its tight stitching and intentionally layered patterning that gives the TC200 subtle visual interest without being too flashy. This design is a bit more pronounced on the white and grey variant as white colorways frame out the edges of the chair.
Speaking of edges, we need to talk about the armrests - an often overlooked portion of the chair experience. The armrests on the TC200 have a firm, but comfortable, curved padding to them that provide considerable comfort whether you are using mouse and keyboard or a controller. With four points of articulation, users can adjust the height, forward, backward, and side-to-side positions, as well as rotating the armrests inward or outward from the user. While most people take a “set it and forget it” approach to armrests, it’s really nice to have options that suit different approaches to comfort.
To help provide support for posture as well as comfort, the TC200 also includes a plush, memory foam pillow for neck support as well as subtle cushioning for lumbar support. This combination can help promote healthy posture for users that, let’s be honest with ourselves, struggle to maintain a healthy spinal form.
We will talk a bit more about comfort in a moment, but first we need to talk about the build!
While I have built a number of office- and gaming chairs over the years, each one has its own quirks.
Out of the box, I noticed something a bit peculiar: there were no instructions in the box. Thankfully, I was assembling the chair within a location that internet service and the devices needed to easily access instructions were not an issue. Corsair has both a .pdf file of their instructions as well as a nifty step-by-step assembly video on both the product page for the TC200 and YouTube channel.
In a day and age where companies are attempting to be more environmentally conscious, I respect the decision. I would, however, be lying if I said that it didn’t stump me after searching the box carcass and packing materials for a hot minute… like a cat at Christmas time.
Overall, the quality of parts that make up the whole are solid! After unpacking and taking inventory of them all, I located a small-allen-key-meets-screw-driver multitool that Corsair includes in the box and got to work. The wheels (which I will talk more about in a minute) clicked firmly into the sturdy steel base, preparing it to receive the gas lift and, eventually, the seat assembly.
I always find the seat assembly of race car-style seats to be an interesting one. While the instructions lead users to believe this is a one-person job, capable of being completed with the included hardware, it is really ideal with two people and a nice screwdriver. Lining up the metal arms with the holes in the seatback is an exercise in managing gravity. Fortunately, this is where that “large wing-span” I mentioned earlier came into play.
The total assembly from box to chair took me about twenty minutes. It probably would have been fifteen had I not spent five of those minutes failing about in a box like a cat at Christmas time looking for paper instructions.
With the chair assembled, it was time to get up close and personal.
At first sit, I noticed the firmness of the TC200’s cushions. The gentle curve of the sides of the seat and back were a perfect fit for me… which is both an odd feeling. Not a bad, odd feeling… that feeling of actually fitting under a shower head for the first time… that foreign feeling of something actually fitting you. There was one part, however, that didn’t quite fit right: the neck pillow.
I have a funny relationship with these things. I know what they are supposed to do and I understand their value, but “as instructed” most gaming chair neck pillows hit me right between the shoulder blades. While this forces a super upright position in most chairs, it doesn’t necessarily fall in the intended spot. In order for the neck pillow to work for me as a neck pillow, I have to strap it to the headrest of the chair, above the slots in the back intended for the headrest’s straps. This works in the immediate, but long term the pillow may not be as secure.
What are, however, super secure: the wheels! This chair does not roll unless you are VERY intentional about moving your chair - especially if you are moving this chair on carpet. I notice that, when I am not sitting in the chair, the wheels are rather noisy and stiff when the chair is being moved. I checked the wheels and documentation to see if there was a lock position on them and I could not find one. I even tried to push the chair across different surface types and I had the same experience. This doesn’t take away from the comfort, but if you are in a location where you are trying to limit noise, you might consider swapping out the casters.
The only other observation that I had worth considering was the breathability of the fabric. To be fair, the location I live in has been experiencing an extreme heat wave; everything and everyone is extra sweaty. In short-term situations (under 2 hours) of use, the seat breathed fine and I did not experience any discomfort related to heat. However, in longer sittings, I began to notice that both myself and the chair were feeling a bit warmer. While the cloth certainly breathes better than most PU leathers, if you live in a warmer climate and/or your climate control does not keep up with the heat, a more mesh option might be desirable.
The overall experience was a rather comfortable one. I found the seat and back to be quite firm, but comfortable in long-term gaming and streaming situations. Once I adjusted the neck pillow, I found myself feeling far more supported in the right places.
Following the release of the T3 Rush , Corsair has returned to the gaming chair market in a big way with the TC200. Taking cues from its predecessor and the feedback from the fans of the T3 Rush, the TC200 Gaming Chair provides support for taller and larger framed users. This is great news for anyone taller than 6-foot!
Not only has Corsair accommodated for user preferences, they have not sacrificed product quality to make those things happen. The combination of soft cloth or leatherette, firm cushions, padded and adjustable armrests, chunky wheels, and steel base give the TC200 a premium feel that much of the competition falls short of while attempting a “big and tall” design. And all of this is achieved within a sleek design.
Coming in at $399.99 USD, the Corsair TC200 Gaming Chair provides a solid seating option for those of us that require a little bit of extra space. It is supportive, stylish, and comfortable with color options that fit most settings.
The product discussed in this article was provided by the manufacturer for the purposes of review.
Born in the heyday of mullets and the El Camino to a tech-foward family, Damien joined the MMORPG.com team back in 2017 to review hardware and games as well as provide coverage for press preview events. He has participated in a number of MMOs over the years, including World of Warcraft, RIFT, Guild Wars 2, and the Destiny series. When he isn't writing for MMORPG.com, Damien is a pastor by trade who loves talking with anyone interested about life, God, and video games (in no particular order). He also co-hosts a podcast dedicated to these conversation with fellow MMORPG writer Matt Keith called Roll The Level.
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