TheRetroArcade
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Joined: Feb 2026
Joined: Feb 2026
Simply the best budget gaming chair I've had the pleasure to perch upon. Though not the showiest seat, a package that offers highly adjustable 3D x 360° armrests and a supremely comfortable synchronous tilt for only £200 is tough to argue against—especially when it's often on sale to boot.
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A reasonable price, something actually comfortable, a range of adjustability options, a small-ish box and an easy build. When it comes to a number of budget gaming chairs, it can feel like a case of 'pick two—and be thankful you got two'. The ThunderX3 Solo 360 is different. Instead it asks, 'why choose?'
But before I really start singing the praises of this budget perch, it's worth noting one major caveat: this gaming chair is not yet available in the US. With an MSRP of £200/€220, the ThunderX3 Solo 360 enjoys a similar price point to our top pick for the best budget gaming chair, the Corsair TC100 Relaxed, but is unfortunately not as widely available. So, if you are a US-based PC gamer, let me tell you what you're missing out on.
First things first, the ThunderX3 Solo 360 rocked up in a box that was easily half the size of the last chair I built, the DXRacer Martian XL. The purposefully scaled-up size of that chair makes for maybe not the fairest comparison, but the difference between its considerable cardboard cube and the Solo's supersized cereal box was stark.
As for construction, the Solo lived up to its name; I found this chair super easy to construct as a one woman band. Typically, I'll often have to call on a colleague to help mount the backrest onto the seat, or place the fully assembled seat onto the piston, but all parts of the Solo proved lightweight enough to assemble without assistance.
Rec. height: 155—195 cmRec. weight: 50—125 kgFeatures: Synchronous tilt, multi-angle recline lock, 3D x 360 adjustable armrests, car seat structure headrestMaterial: Multi-layer breathable fabric upholstery (Loft Air—reviewed), Breathable mesh , Leatherette Armrests: 3D x 360, with retract and lateral adjustmentsColours: Loft Air Light Gray, Loft Air Dark Gray (Reviewed), Mesh Black, Modern Black, Modern Blue, Modern Red, Racer Black, Racer BluePrice: £200/€220
On a construction process side note, I found the visual instructions mostly easy to follow—though unfortunately the drawings of the screws look different to what's in the box. Thankfully, it's all clearly labelled, and you even get a spare of each screw type. Speaking of construction pack-ins, you can pry the included L-bar hex key with a ball end socket from my cold, dead hands.
With the seat pretty quickly built, there was only one thing left to do—well, after quickly dismantling the armrests to attach the plastic joints I'd missed the first time around. After that, I finally pulled up the gaming chair and deposited myself into its firm, car-seat-style embrace.
Despite the small box this gaming chair arrives in, the seat doesn't feel narrow to me. The ThunderX3 Solo 360's bottom cushion and back rest is constructed of very firm foam, keeping the chair reasonably lightweight but also very comfortable.
Keep up to date with the most important stories and the best deals, as picked by the PC Gamer team.
The headrest attaches via two steel stems, much like a car seat headrest. Unlike many of its competitors, the Solo 360 doesn't offer a separate, removable pillow, so this up-down headrest is all the support your bonce is getting. There's no separate lumbar support cushion, either. It's all still pretty comfortable, with nary a numb bum experienced during my testing, but its car seat-like styling definitely comes with some quirks that definitely won't appeal to everyone. I'm not sure about you, but I'd rather the throne from which I game did not also remind me of the tin can I trundle...Read more: Full article on www.pcgamer.com
What do you think about this?
PC Gamer's got your back
Our experienced team dedicates many hours to every review, to really get to the heart of what matters most to you. Find out more about how we evaluate games and hardware.
A reasonable price, something actually comfortable, a range of adjustability options, a small-ish box and an easy build. When it comes to a number of budget gaming chairs, it can feel like a case of 'pick two—and be thankful you got two'. The ThunderX3 Solo 360 is different. Instead it asks, 'why choose?'
But before I really start singing the praises of this budget perch, it's worth noting one major caveat: this gaming chair is not yet available in the US. With an MSRP of £200/€220, the ThunderX3 Solo 360 enjoys a similar price point to our top pick for the best budget gaming chair, the Corsair TC100 Relaxed, but is unfortunately not as widely available. So, if you are a US-based PC gamer, let me tell you what you're missing out on.
First things first, the ThunderX3 Solo 360 rocked up in a box that was easily half the size of the last chair I built, the DXRacer Martian XL. The purposefully scaled-up size of that chair makes for maybe not the fairest comparison, but the difference between its considerable cardboard cube and the Solo's supersized cereal box was stark.
As for construction, the Solo lived up to its name; I found this chair super easy to construct as a one woman band. Typically, I'll often have to call on a colleague to help mount the backrest onto the seat, or place the fully assembled seat onto the piston, but all parts of the Solo proved lightweight enough to assemble without assistance.
Rec. height: 155—195 cmRec. weight: 50—125 kgFeatures: Synchronous tilt, multi-angle recline lock, 3D x 360 adjustable armrests, car seat structure headrestMaterial: Multi-layer breathable fabric upholstery (Loft Air—reviewed), Breathable mesh , Leatherette Armrests: 3D x 360, with retract and lateral adjustmentsColours: Loft Air Light Gray, Loft Air Dark Gray (Reviewed), Mesh Black, Modern Black, Modern Blue, Modern Red, Racer Black, Racer BluePrice: £200/€220
On a construction process side note, I found the visual instructions mostly easy to follow—though unfortunately the drawings of the screws look different to what's in the box. Thankfully, it's all clearly labelled, and you even get a spare of each screw type. Speaking of construction pack-ins, you can pry the included L-bar hex key with a ball end socket from my cold, dead hands.
With the seat pretty quickly built, there was only one thing left to do—well, after quickly dismantling the armrests to attach the plastic joints I'd missed the first time around. After that, I finally pulled up the gaming chair and deposited myself into its firm, car-seat-style embrace.
Despite the small box this gaming chair arrives in, the seat doesn't feel narrow to me. The ThunderX3 Solo 360's bottom cushion and back rest is constructed of very firm foam, keeping the chair reasonably lightweight but also very comfortable.
Keep up to date with the most important stories and the best deals, as picked by the PC Gamer team.
The headrest attaches via two steel stems, much like a car seat headrest. Unlike many of its competitors, the Solo 360 doesn't offer a separate, removable pillow, so this up-down headrest is all the support your bonce is getting. There's no separate lumbar support cushion, either. It's all still pretty comfortable, with nary a numb bum experienced during my testing, but its car seat-like styling definitely comes with some quirks that definitely won't appeal to everyone. I'm not sure about you, but I'd rather the throne from which I game did not also remind me of the tin can I trundle...Read more: Full article on www.pcgamer.com
What do you think about this?