Corsair TC500 Luxe gaming chair review

Corsair's answer to the Secretlab Titan Evo, the Corsair TC500 Luxe, is the most annoying product I've tested in quite a while. And not because it's bad, either—far from it. No, it's annoying because it could have been close to perfect if Corsair had done one simple thing differently.

If it was a bad chair, I wouldn't find this so annoying, because then I could just write off the chair as a no-go from the off. But there's a hell of a lot to love about the TC500 Luxe, from its understated design to its ergonomic adjustability. But there's one thing to hate, and that's its armrest placement.

Yes, I said armrest placement, not just "armrests". The rests themselves feel nice and are incredibly adjustable in almost every way. Every way, that is, except arguably the most important: their distance from the chair.

Now listen, I'm not exaggerating here. I'm a big lad and even I feel a little reluctant to traverse my arms across the gaping cavern either side of the seat and drape them over the otherwise lovely armrests. If I was a slimmer person, I might not bother at all. It's not as if Corsair didn't consider adjustable armrest widths, either. You can adjust them by loosening the screws underneath, but the closest placement just isn't close enough.

As I said, the most annoying thing about this is that it would be a simple thing to fix. All it would require is drilling the adjustable slots a little wider on the underside of the arms so you can scoot them closer to the chair base. Nothing's preventing this other than a bizarre design choice. 

After scouring the internet to see if anyone else was as bothered by this as I was, I discovered that yes, they are. For instance, one Reddit user even said they drilled new holes in the armrests to move them closer. And hey, if you're a DIY-er, maybe this is the solution for you—but it shouldn't be required for a product that costs $500.

In my case, I've ended up angling the armrests inwards by a few degrees so that at least the fronts of them are closer to the seat base.

Despite this annoying quirk, in every other way, this gaming chair justifies its premium price tag. Especially if you're like me and prefer understated office designs to garish "Look mom, I'm a gamer!" ones. The TC500 Luxe really would fit the bill for any above-board, no-shenanigans office setup. It still has that bucket racing seat style, of course—it's just more subtle.

I noticed how premium this thing looks and feels from the moment I unboxed it to put it together. Which was a pretty smooth process, I should add. The seat had the armrests already attached, and there was only a little screwing-in needed throughout the whole process. Having someone to help definitely made fitting the seat onto the base and the back onto the seat easier, but I reckon it wouldn't be too difficult for one person to do. Just bear in mind that it's quite heavy—again, this is a noticeably premium chair.

Apart from its weight, its surprising lack of creaks and groans, and its subtle aesthetic, the other dead giveaway that this is a premium product is its fabric. Because yes, the TC500 Luxe is an all-fabric chair, and the material is frankly one of the best I've seen used on a chair, barring the ultra-breathable fabrics and meshes on top-tier office chairs. The fabric the TC500 Luxe uses is pretty breathable and very comfy.

I came to use this chair after spending the last couple of years sitting atop the Steelcase Leap V2, a simply wonderful premium ergonomic office chair. Naturally, my standards for comfort were quite high, as were my suspicions towards racing seat style chairs. It's therefore no small endorsement that I can say I find the Corsair TC500 Luxe to be incredibly comfortable to sit on.

Not at first, mind, but after a couple of weeks of breaking it in, the TC500 Luxe felt great and still does. To start with, the seat's ridges dug into my legs a little, which might only be a problem for other wide bois who manspread like there's no tomorrow. After a few days—I guess after the corners softened up a little, or after my body naturally adjusted—this wasn't an issue at all. After this and after adjusting things to my liking, it was perfect. 

I was a little surprised by how hard the seat is, at first, but actually it hovers in a pretty ideal spot on the plumpness scale. After the initial break-in period, I haven't had a single ache or pain, even after extended periods of sitting in it. It's got a super wide (59 cm) seat base, too, so at least some of you should be able to sit cross-legged on it, if that's your thing.

Adjustments, by the way, should include everything you might want. It does almost everything my ergonomically minded Leap V2 does with surprising adeptness. We're talking lumbar support that can be adjusted inwards, outwards, upwards, and downwards, as well as adjustable seat height, tilt tension, tilt lock, recline adjustment, and armrest adjustments which include a complete 180-degree rotation. 

On this last point, Corsair says, "If the armrests are rotated 180 degrees, they angle upwards which makes it more comfortable to hold a phone, Steam Deck, or other mobile gaming device in the correct spot." I don't buy it, myself—I find the armrests are too far back when rotated—but the more possible adjustments the merrier I suppose.

One adjustment in particular that I was surprised to find useful is the tilt lock ability. I usually keep my seat upright for ergonomic reasons, and if I want a recline I'm fine just leaning back. But I found the option to have it locked into a slight recline was great for chilling out gaming with a controller.

Another thing I was surprised to love is the neck pillow. I'd never bothered with one before because I figured they were ergonomically unnecessary. Now, however, I don't really care whether it's unnecessary. Once it's in the right spot, it feels comfy, and that's that. The TC500 Luxe's one in particular is great, too, because it's magnetic, so it's super easy to move around.

The only bad thing about the neck pillow is that it comes in black, which is great if you ordered the black chair, but not so great if you ordered the white one like I have. Sorry, I should say "frost", the other two options being "shadow" or "sherwood". 

The frost colour is actually a little off-white, so keep that in mind if you're going for something to match your other furniture. All colours look great, judging by the reference pictures, and I'm very happy with how my own TC500's frost-coloured fabric looks in person. It certainly doesn't detract from the subtle, premium aesthetic the chair's going for in general.

A word of warning, though: If you opt for the frost one like me, be prepared to clean it regularly, possibly even with a lint roller. Dust and wool and whatever other debris can stick to it over time, and this can become quite visible on the light-coloured fabric.

In all, and as you might be able to tell, I rate the TC500 Luxe very highly. It looks premium, feels premium, is incredibly adjustable, and hella comfy to sit on, even for extended periods. I expected to be more uncomfortable on it compared to my time on the Leap V2, but I found the transition surprisingly seamless, and even learnt to love some things the TC500 Luxe has that the Leap doesn't, such as its neck pillow.

But this just makes the armrest problem that much more annoying. Why, oh why, couldn't Corsair just have drilled the armrest adjustment holes an inch closer to the seat base? That one issue prevents the TC500 Luxe from achieving the greatness it almost reaches. 

How important that issue is to you, only you can judge. If you're not a very wide person, you need to ask yourself: Is having easily useable armrests that don't require splaying your wings like a chicken important to you? If so, I'd look elsewhere. But if you can deal with tilting the armrests in and splaying your arms a little, or just not using the rests at all, the TC500 Luxe is well worth its premium price tag.