ThunderX3 Solo 360

While the market for gaming chairs has changed, one of the main problems for a long time is chairs looking less like an ergonomic office essential and more like something that belongs in a foul smelling teenage cave that hasn't seen sunlight nor fresh air in years. And at least this one doesn't cost the same as a high-end motherboard...

Behind ThunderX3 is Aerocool. Yes, that Aerocool, the one that makes liquid coolers for PC cases and has been an established brand for many years. That being said the Solo 360 comes in four variants including Modern and Loft Air and in which we received Racer and Mesh. The colour options depend on your choice of style, and the 360 name is because of the armrest that can rotate 360 degrees. While it may seem silly, it's actually pretty appealing for office work to twist them 90 degrees, although instead of turning them 180 degrees I prefer to just lower the armrest altogether. The wheels are hard and slightly noisy and as always could use some form of protection for your floor, but this costs nothing and will spare you damaged hardwood floors as well as a ruined carpet.

One other thing is the large pocket on the back. It seems like it's supposed to be used for a laptop but I used it for chargers and the like. However I really do appreciate that someone thought of adding a bit more functionality to a chair and that they chose storage because very few people in the world pass on storage.

The big selling point is the synchronous tilt, which is a fancy way to describe that the entire chair stretches along with you when tilting backwards. Again, it seems not to matter but it does make it more pleasing to use and is something most other chairs lack, which is too bad because it's a really lovely feature.

Assembly is acceptable and not that complicated but does require some space. The package is a bit over 20 kg so light by gaming chair standards but built with the same steel frame as most others. It's cool with an adjustable headrest although I honestly didn't need to use it. The ergonomic lumbar design is standard with most expensive chairs but it's great to see it in a more affordable product although even if it isn't adjustable. I also need to give credit for good packaging and clearly marked standard M8 screws that allow for easy replacements. I do recommend getting a quality screwdriver though as it will speed up the process. It can be assembled in 20 minutes, perhaps 15 if you're a die hard IKEA professional, but it assembles like almost any other gaming chair.

The foam on the back also needs some positive critiquing. It doesn't compress as easily and permanently as most budget friendly chairs and by that I mean that the chair is around 200 Euro locally for me. This only applies to the back, however, as the actual seat, perhaps due to my body mass, could use some optimisation as it does compress a bit faster and more than I would like. Still it isn't as though I can feel the frame as I have tried with other budget chairs. I know that I am by no means lightweight but I am still a very long way from the 125 kg maximum load, which also means that it won't suit everyone. At least the hydraulic gas lift is rated for 150 kg.

It's by far one of the better cheap chairs on the market. The reclining function and back support are especially positive experiences but there are still a few minor problems I would like to solve. However, given the price that is hardly realistic and this is as good as it gets at this price point.