Corsair TC100 RELAXED Gaming Chair UK 2026 Review - Tested for Comfort

Here's something I've learned after six years of sitting in gaming chairs for a living: the word "ergonomic" on a product listing means almost nothing. Manufacturers slap it on everything from £60 plastic thrones to £500 behemoths, and most of the time it's just marketing padding. What actually matters is whether the chair lets you adjust it to your body, supports your lower back properly, and doesn't turn your spine into a question mark after a four-hour session. So when Corsair sent over the TC100 RELAXED, I wasn't going to take the box art at face value. I sat in it. A lot.

The TC100 RELAXED is Corsair's attempt at a more laid-back, comfort-first gaming chair rather than the aggressive bucket-seat style that dominates the market. It's fabric-covered (a genuine plus in my book), comes with a lumbar pillow and a detachable memory foam neck pillow, and sits in the mid-range price bracket. On paper, that sounds promising. But I've been fooled by promising specs before, so I spent two weeks using this as my main chair, logging hours across work, gaming, and everything in between.

What I found was a chair that gets a surprising amount right for the money, but also has a few quirks that will matter depending on your body type and how you like to sit. Let me walk you through all of it.

The recline goes from around 90 degrees up to 165 degrees, which is a solid range. You're not going to lie completely flat, but you can get into a proper reclined position for a film or a longer gaming session without feeling like you're sitting bolt upright. The gas lift is a Class 4 unit, which is the standard you want to see at this price point. Class 3 lifts are fine for lighter users but can feel a bit wobbly over time, so the Class 4 here is reassuring. The base is a five-point nylon star with smooth-rolling castors, and the armrests are 3D adjustable (height, width, and pivot, though not depth, which I'll come back to).

The chair ships with two pillows included in the box: a lumbar support cushion that attaches via an elastic strap, and a detachable memory foam neck pillow. Neither of these is bolted to the chair permanently, which is either a feature or a frustration depending on your perspective. Corsair's official product page lists the full spec breakdown if you want to cross-reference anything.

On the TC100 RELAXED, the lumbar pillow attaches via an elastic strap that loops around the back of the chair. It's reasonably firm, which I actually prefer over the squishy pillows you get on cheaper chairs that compress to nothing within a week. The pillow sits at a height that works well for most people in the recommended height range, but here's my honest take: it's not as good as a chair with a proper adjustable lumbar mechanism built into the frame. You can slide it up and down a bit, but it doesn't lock in place with any real precision. After a few hours, I found myself nudging it back into position a couple of times. Not a dealbreaker, but worth knowing.

The neck pillow is memory foam and genuinely decent. It's softer than the lumbar cushion and moulds to the back of your head and neck reasonably well. The elastic attachment keeps it in place better than I expected, and it doesn't slide around when you shift position. One thing I noticed: if you're someone who tends to lean forward when gaming (and a lot of people do, even if they don't realise it), the neck pillow becomes irrelevant because you're not making contact with it. The lumbar support is doing the heavy lifting in that scenario, and the pillow system is adequate but not exceptional for that use case. The backrest itself has a gentle curve that supports the natural S-shape of your spine reasonably well, which helps. Lumbar support in seating is well-documented as a key factor in reducing lower back fatigue, and the TC100 RELAXED at least makes a genuine attempt at it rather than just sticking a logo on a flat backrest.

The seat width is one of the things I genuinely like about this chair. At around 52cm, it's wider than a lot of racing-style chairs that are built around a narrow bucket seat profile. If you've ever sat in a gaming chair and felt like it was squeezing your hips, this one is noticeably more accommodating. The 120kg weight limit is also reasonable, though I'd say users closer to that limit should check that the seat foam holds up over time, as denser users will compress the padding faster. The seat depth of around 50cm is on the deeper side, which is good for taller users but can be a problem if you're shorter, as you might find the front edge of the seat pressing into the back of your knees. This is a real ergonomic concern: pressure behind the knees restricts circulation and gets uncomfortable fast.

The footprint of the chair is fairly standard. The base diameter is around 70cm, so you'll need a decent amount of floor space. If you're working with a small desk setup in a tight room, measure before you buy. The castors roll smoothly on both hard floors and carpet, and I didn't notice any tendency to roll away when I was trying to sit still, which sounds like a low bar but is genuinely something that annoys me about cheaper chairs with overly free-rolling wheels.

The pivot function lets you angle the armrest surface inward or outward, which is useful if you type a lot or use a mouse with your elbow at a particular angle. The adjustment mechanism clicks into position and feels solid enough. Width adjustment is there too, which helps if you're broader or narrower in the shoulders. The padding on the armrests is a firm foam with a plastic cap, and it's... fine. Not plush, not uncomfortable. After a couple of hours of resting my forearms on them, I didn't have any complaints, but I also wouldn't describe them as particularly luxurious. They do the job.

One thing I want to flag: the locking mechanism on the height adjustment is reliable, but I did notice a very slight wobble in the armrests when I pushed on them laterally. It's minor, and it didn't affect comfort during normal use, but if you're someone who leans on their armrests heavily or uses them as a push-off point when getting up, you might notice it. The armrests on chairs like the Secretlab Titan feel more planted in comparison. But at this price, the TC100 RELAXED's armrests are competitive.

The seat foam is reasonably dense and holds its shape well. After two weeks of regular use, I didn't notice any significant compression or flattening, which is a good sign. Cheaper chairs often feel great in the first week and then start to feel like you're sitting on a slightly padded plank. The TC100 RELAXED hasn't shown that yet, though I'd want to see it at the six-month mark to be fully confident. The wider seat also helps here: because you're not being squeezed into a narrow bucket, your weight is distributed more evenly, which reduces pressure points on the outer thighs.

Where I did notice fatigue was around the five to six hour mark, specifically in my lower back. The lumbar pillow does its job for the first few hours, but as I shifted position over a long session, I found myself having to readjust it more frequently than I'd like. A built-in adjustable lumbar mechanism would solve this, but that's typically a feature you find on chairs costing significantly more. For gaming sessions of two to four hours, I had no real complaints. For full working days, I'd recommend taking regular breaks regardless of what chair you're in. The NHS guidance on prolonged sitting is pretty clear that no chair, however good, substitutes for getting up and moving regularly.

One specific thing I tested: I played a fairly intense three-hour gaming session one evening, leaning forward more than usual, and then switched to a more reclined position for watching a film. The transition between positions was easy, and the chair felt comfortable in both. That flexibility is part of what the "RELAXED" positioning is going for, and it delivers on it reasonably well.

The fabric itself feels like a medium-weight woven textile, similar to what you'd find on a decent office chair. It's not as premium as the velvet-style fabric on some higher-end chairs, but it's solid. It doesn't pill or snag easily, and after two weeks of daily use it still looks clean and intact. The colour is a straightforward black, which hides minor marks well. I did notice that it picks up pet hair if you have animals (I have a cat, so this was immediately apparent), but a lint roller sorts that out quickly enough.

Breathability is genuinely good for a gaming chair. I tested this chair during a warm spell in late April, and even during longer sessions I didn't get the uncomfortable heat build-up that I associate with PU leather chairs. The fabric allows enough air circulation to keep things comfortable. It's not as breathable as a full mesh back (nothing is), but it's a meaningful step up from faux leather. If you run warm or you're in a room without great ventilation, this fabric option is worth prioritising over the PU leather version of the TC100 if Corsair offers one. The durability concerns around polyurethane coatings in seating are well-documented, so fabric is the smarter long-term choice for most users.

There's also a tilt tension adjustment, which is the knob underneath the seat that controls how much resistance you feel when reclining. I set mine to a medium tension, which felt natural for shifting between upright and slightly reclined positions during the day. If you're lighter, you'll want to reduce the tension so the chair doesn't feel like it's fighting you when you lean back. Heavier users will want to increase it. It's a simple mechanism but it works, and having it is better than not having it.

The 165-degree recline is enough to get into a genuinely relaxed position for watching content or taking a break, but you're not going to lie flat. For most people that's fine. The chair doesn't have a full-flat mode, which some gaming chairs advertise as a feature for napping (I've always found that slightly impractical anyway). The rocking function, where the whole seat tilts rather than just the backrest, is present and can be locked out if you prefer a static seat. I kept it locked most of the time during work, but unlocked it for gaming sessions where I wanted a bit more freedom of movement. It's a small thing, but having the option is nice.

The gas lift is Class 4, as mentioned in the specs section. This is the standard for quality office and gaming chairs, and it means the lift mechanism is rated for heavier loads and more frequent adjustment than the Class 3 units you find in budget chairs. In practice, the seat height adjustment is smooth and holds position reliably. I adjusted it probably a dozen times over the two weeks and it never drifted or felt like it was losing pressure. The gas spring mechanism in quality chairs like this should last several years of normal use before showing any signs of wear.

The base is a five-point nylon star, which is standard at this price. Nylon bases are fine for most users, but if you're at or near the 120kg weight limit, an aluminium base would give more peace of mind. The castors are smooth-rolling and feel solid. They're not the premium PU-coated castors you get on higher-end chairs (which are gentler on hard floors), but they're decent. The overall build quality feels appropriate for the mid-range price bracket. Nothing feels like it's about to snap, and nothing feels unnecessarily premium either. It's honest construction for the money.

The main steps are: attach the base to the gas lift, attach the gas lift to the seat mechanism, bolt the backrest to the seat, and then attach the armrests. The backrest-to-seat connection requires a bit of wrestling to get the bolts aligned, and this is the one step where a second pair of hands would make life easier. I managed it alone, but it took a couple of attempts to get everything lined up. The armrests slot in and bolt down easily, and the pillows just attach via their elastic straps once the chair is assembled.

All the tools you need are included in the box, which is always appreciated. There's an Allen key and a spanner, and they're decent quality rather than the flimsy single-use tools you sometimes get. The chair felt solid and creak-free straight out of the box, with no obvious loose joints or misaligned parts. Total time from opening the box to sitting in the chair was under 30 minutes, and I'd say it's a straightforward assembly for anyone who's put flat-pack furniture together before. No prior experience with gaming chairs needed.

Against the AndaSeat Phantom 3, the TC100 RELAXED holds up well on fabric quality and seat width, but the Phantom 3 has a more adjustable lumbar system that I'd give the edge to for long-session comfort. The Corsair wins on breathability and initial comfort, particularly for users who run warm. Against the Secretlab Titan Evo, the TC100 RELAXED is outclassed on lumbar adjustability and armrest quality, but the Titan Evo costs considerably more. Whether that gap in quality justifies the price difference depends on how many hours a day you're in the chair.

What the TC100 RELAXED does well in this comparison is offer a genuinely comfortable, fabric-covered chair with a wider seat than most of its competitors, at a price that doesn't require you to wince. It's not trying to be the best gaming chair ever made. It's trying to be a solid, comfortable option for people who want something better than a budget chair without spending premium money. And for that specific brief, it largely succeeds. The Corsair brand also carries some reassurance in terms of after-sales support, which matters when you're buying furniture you'll use daily.

The main limitations are the pillow-based lumbar support (which works but requires occasional readjustment during long sessions) and the 3D rather than 4D armrests (no depth adjustment). Neither of these is a dealbreaker, but they're the areas where spending more on a premium chair would get you a noticeably better experience. If you're spending eight or more hours a day in a chair for work, I'd push you toward something with a built-in adjustable lumbar mechanism. But for gaming sessions, mixed use, or as a step up from a budget chair, the TC100 RELAXED is a genuinely good option.

The 4.1-star rating from over 400 Amazon reviews lines up with my experience. It's not perfect, but it's a chair that does what it says, lasts, and keeps you comfortable for a reasonable amount of time without costing a fortune. At its mid-range price point, that's a decent result. I'd give it a 7.5 out of 10. Recommended for gamers and home office users who want fabric comfort and a wider seat without going premium. Check the current price below before you decide.

Rating: ★★★★☆ (4.1) from 444 reviews on Amazon.