The design looks great, the chair is fairly sturdy and besides lacking some of the bells and whistles you could expect at this price range, the ThunderX3 delivers exactly what it promises to great effect - minus the rocking mechanism.
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As you’ll quickly identify reading my ThunderX3 gaming chair review, the TGC12 is one of the best budget gaming chairs in Australia. But more on that in a moment.
I recently moved to Queensland from Melbourne and gifted my Razer Iskur to a friend to reduce my interstate removal costs. I know, I’m a nice guy! 😊
Having then spent the best part of 4 months on a cheap office chair from Costco, it was time to invest back into my gaming setup starting with a gaming seat. This is where I stumbled across the TGC12 from ThunderX3.
Sitting in front of my computer without good back support was killing me and the ThunderX3 TGC12 gaming chair was one that stood out for being highly requested and even more highly recommended. So, being me, I obviously had to test out whether the “next world domination chair” claims were true.
As always, when reviewing the ThunderX3 gaming chair, I have paid close attention to the design, comfortability and overall build quality. Keeping in mind that I have been used to a gaming seat valued at over $600, I wasn’t expecting much from the ThunderX3. But, I have to say, I was moderately surprised.
Let’s see how a few months of long hours strapped to the TGC12 have been! 👇
ThunderX3 Gaming Chair Review Contents:
- Design
- Specifications
- Comfortability
- Build Quality & Assembly
- Price & Value
- ThunderX3 Review Verdict
ThunderX3 TGC12 Design
Immediately after unboxing, it became obvious that the ThunderX3 TGC12 gaming chair has been purposefully designed to look more premium than the specifications. The faux leather cover gives the TGC12 a much more professional look than a mesh or fabric cover and this is something that I have come to expect of gaming chairs within this price range.
What they might lack with functionality comparatively to high-end gaming chairs, they sure do make this up with aesthetics!
Topping the faux leather cover, the ThunderX3 is finished with carbon fibre-like seams and diamond-shaped upholstery which again adds to the premium appeal. Personally, I have always been in favour of plain black PU leather, like the Secretlab Titan, and don’t care too much for fancy designs as I think they look too over the top. However, while the ThunderX3 would not normally be my go-to for design, I was very impressed with the overall finish.
As a high-back racing seat, the ThunderX3’s height and modest width makes the structure of the chair great for people of all build and shapes. Unlike rival gaming chairs such as the ONEX GX2 which would quite literally cripple anyone who’s one weight class higher than petite, the ThunderX3 does not alienate strong adults.
Beyond that, what I actually like about ThunderX3 gaming chairs is that they quickly double up as an office chair. While most of my clients don’t have a problem with my 4K Logitech Brio showcasing all of the whacky gaming gear in the background, a professional look has always been on my wish list and the ThunderX3 delivers that.
All things said, I’m a massive fan of the ThunderX3’s design.
ThunderX3 TGC12 Specifications
For components, the ThunderX3 TGC12 gaming chair offers a no thrills setup. You won’t find RGB lighting or a lumbar pillow massager. However, what you will find is that the materials used to build the TGC12 are of good quality. For this price range, I would expect nothing less as the ThunderX3 is borderline a mid-range gaming chair.
Here are the complete specifications of the ThunderX3 TGC12:
- Chair Size: Medium
- Overall Dimensions: (W x D x H) 68 x 70 x 124-132cm
- Product Weight: 21kg
- Weight Capacity: Up to 150kg
- Recommended Weight: Up to 125kg
- Foam Type: High Density Moulding Foam
- Frame Type: Metal Frame
- Adjustable Arm Rests: 2D Adjustable
- Adjustable Backrest: Yes
- Recliner: Butterfly Mechanism
- Rocking Mechanism: Yes (3° – 18°)
- Rocking Lock: No
- Gas Lift: Class 4 BIFMA
- Caster Material: Nylon Caster
Having now used the ThunderX3 TGC12 for approximately 6 months, the specifications for the most part live up to what they claim on paper. The class 4 hydraulic gas lift is smooth, the lumbar support pillows are fairly decent and the butterfly mechanism recliner also works without a hitch.
One thing I will say though is that the base of the chair could have been wider as whilst I enjoy the rocking mechanism, there have been occasions where I have not felt particularly safe when rocking aggressively. That said, the ThunderX3 TGC12 utilises mid-range components and this delivers a good base level of quality.
Comfortability & Customisation
A comfortable experience is the main thing we all worry about when buying a gaming chair and the ThunderX3 TGC12 has been manufactured with this in mind. Featuring on my shortlist of the top 4 ThunderX3 gaming chairs for most people, there’s solid comfort all-round. Sure, the rocking mechanism (without a rocking lock) does feel somewhat suspect during aggressive movement, however, the overall comfort of the chair is pleasant.
The faux leather and high density foam padding delivers a soft landing when you sit down and the overall texture of the chair is extremely smooth. The padding is firm but not too firm and the fibre-esque seams are also comfortable.
Adjusting the seat height, recline and 2D armrests is about all you can do to customise the ThunderX3 gaming chair but for most, that will be all you need. There are removable pillows which act as lumbar support, however, I would recommend you keep these on as they generate more of a s-curve shape to the chair which is great for your back.
Whilst some gaming chairs hug you tightly by being designed with con-caved sides, the ThunderX3, although con-caved, is not as con-caved as I personally would like it to be so I never have had the feeling that this gaming chair really has my back. Nevertheless, the overall comfort is modest and very much on par with what you can expect with gaming chairs within this price bracket.
ThunderX3 TGC12 Build Quality & Assembly
When building the TGC12, I would recommend that you put the gaming chair together with two people as the total weight once built will be just over 21kg. After opening the box and taking everything out, it was obvious that this was a good quality chair, as weight is often a good sign of premium materials. If you had a super lightweight chair you would be falling all over the place and this is not the case with the ThunderX3.
All of the parts are quite sturdy and came nicely packed in the shipping box which made unpacking and understanding the instructions a breeze – even for someone like me who couldn’t find his way out of a paper bag!
When it came down to assembling the ThunderX3, the tough metal frame was actually pretty easy to put together, the solid materials slid easily into each other, and everything was done in around 15-20 minutes with my partner.
To be honest, whenever an office chair is so easy to assemble, I have my doubts about whether it will truly hold in place or if it will come crashing down with me still in it. However, so far, the ThunderX3 has a withstood my crashing around and the solid base has not buckled on me just yet!
ThunderX3 TGC12 Gaming Chair Price & Value
Available from $279 at your favourite Australian retailers, the ThunderX3 TGC12 gaming chair is what I would classify as a mid-entry-level gaming chair. It’s not quite completely entry level and just falls short of a mid-range gaming chair due to it’s lack of other features like a massager, footrest or lighting.
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ThunderX3 TGC12 Gaming Chair » Amazon
ThunderX3 TGC12 Gaming Chair » Kogan
ThunderX3 TGC12 Gaming Chair » Catch
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At this price range, if you are going to be using the chair quite frequently, I would suggest that there is bucket loads of value here. The TGC12 delivers everything that a good gaming chair at this price range should without all of the bells and whistles.
Comparatively to similarly priced gaming chairs, while others might have better functions on paper, the most likely do not live up to the quality of build that the TGC12 delivers. For those of you who have read any other ThunderX3 gaming chair review and are still skeptical, the TGC12 also comes with 12 months manufacturers warranty which is always a bonus.
ThunderX3 Gaming Chair Review Verdict
With all that said – Are ThunderX3 gaming chairs good?
For anyone upgrading from an entry-level gaming chair or your regular office chair, you are absolutely going to love the ThunderX3 TGC12. However, for those of you who are potentially downgrading like I was, as much as I did enjoy the ThunderX3, there is just no comparison with elite gaming chairs like the Razer Iskur.
That said, this would be an unfair comparison considering price difference and so for a mid-range gaming chair the ThunderX3 delivers upon all of the promises that it makes. It’s not ”world changing” like some of the claims. However, what you get is an extremely comfortable seat that is very well put together and comes with soft but firm padding.
The ThunderX3 is of great quality build that enables rhythmic movement while also delivering a look that is befitting of both gaming rooms and professional office environments. While there has been acute attention to the design, this has not been the sole focus of what ThunderX3 have delivered and for that, I have graded my ThunderX3 gaming chair review a very respectable 89%
Did you enjoy my ThunderX3 TGC12 review? Check out some of my other reviews and roundups of the best gaming gear in Australia.
- Best Alfordson Gaming Chairs
- Top 7 ONEX Gaming Chairs Australia
- Best Gaming Microphones
- Best Budget Gaming Mouse Australia
- Alfordson Gaming Chair Review (Vogler Series)
- Karuza Gaming Chairs: Top 3 Best Chairs
- Karuza Gaming Chair Review (SZ-1216 Series)
- ONEX GE300 Mesh Gaming Chair Review
- Artiss RGB Gaming Chair Review
Content Disclaimer: This ThunderX3 chair review is independently written. We have not been commissioned by ThunderX3, nor have we received content royalties. This includes financial payment, free advertising or the ThunderX3 gaming chair by way of gift.
Should you click on any link to Amazon and make a purchase, we may receive a small commission. But that’s just how we keep this website alive! If you have any questions about our TGC12 review, please feel free to hit the comments!
