Gaming chairs are designed for gamers and people who are looking to get the best possible experience while playing a game. The good news is that these chairs have many benefits that extend beyond gaming. I purchased a pair of TT Racing Gaming Chair Swift X 2020, one for my hubby’s birthday gift & I wanted our office/gaming room to look aesthetically synchronized so I got myself one too.
Many thoughts were running through my mind and things to consider before getting a gaming chair. I’ve been researching a few brands and TT Racing gaming chair fits in the affordable category (well, at least cheaper) than the majority of the gaming chairs, namely SecretLab, Tomaz, Cooling Master (yes, they have 1 gaming chair and it’s purple/black) and then with all the ads targeting me, I decided to go for TT Racing gaming chair. The reviews were super good, at least all the reviews were about 1-2 weeks of using the chairs, I’ve yet to see any review after 1 year of usage.
Fun fact: TT Racing is a Malaysian brand from Ipoh, read more about their story here.
Our Desk Setup in Office/Gaming Room
I’m now in the 3rd week of using my TT Racing Swift X 2020 Stealth Gaming Chair, I wanted to spend more time on it before I do a review. Firstly, my desk setup I’m using a laptop & monitor stand with a keyboard & mouse. So when it comes to adjusting to a gaming chair it isn’t a huge issue as I can easily adjust the angle of my monitor & seating posture.
It took me a few days to settle into my gaming chair as compared to Edwin who instantly fell in love with his TT Racing Swift X 2020 Fabric Gaming Chair. His setup is similar to mine, both monitors use a monitor stand and he uses an IKEA DAGOTTO foot-rest.
The first few days, I felt like the bucket seat made me feel uneasy, I had to adjust the lumbar pillow to find the right angle for me. No doubt, the chair is comfortable, soft & I got the back support I’m looking for, I just need to find the right angle so I can relax in it while sitting for long hours. I tried leaning forward & backwards, eventually, I adjusted to it.
Leather VS Fabric
Fabric is a new collection, it promises “breathable” which is slightly better than leather and especially in a tropical country if you’re not in air-conditioned rooms it’s not advisable to go for leather as you’ll soak in your own sweat & it’ll start peeling after 1-2 years which many friends have warned me of. Mine’s a synthetic leather (PU) while Edwin’s Fabric as he does sweat a lot more than me so he can’t take the leather one. Although it’s fabric, it is quite warm, so it’s recommended to be in an air-conditioned room as the entire back is solid unlike, mesh office chairs which offer better ventilation than gaming chairs.
My experience on TT Racing Swift X
As this is a gaming chair, apart from computer games, I tried playing my PS5 on TT Racing gaming chair, the experience was amazing, I feel for console games a gaming chair is perfect. The sides, which are curve-shaped, held my arms nicely when I was holding my console. While taking a break, I can easily recline by adjusting the seat & just stretch out to read some tips on unlocking secret trophies. On days where I just want to unwind, I would also recline my seat & just chill with a lumbar pillow to support my back, it’s a nice feeling.
Overall, the experience is a good one from parcel delivery (it’s a super heavy package so do get someone to help carry it), the installation of both TT Racing Swift X 2020 Gaming Chairs were easy, with clear instructions. I bought it during a promotion on Shopee at RM589 (NP:799) for fabric & RM559(NP: RM799) for Stealth leather and with an RM100 voucher off during TT Racing promotions on Shopee.
Things to consider when buying a gaming chair
Although a gaming chair looks cool & provides ergonomic benefits to everyday users, such as support for your back, spine, neck and even head. They also help with posture which is important not just for gamers but people who sit at desks all day. This is because they allow you to sit in an upright position with your shoulders back and spine aligned comfortably.
However, a gaming chair may not be suitable for everyone. It depends on your desk setup & your body size. For TT Racing, for my legs to reach comfortably on the ground, I’ll need to adjust to almost the lowest. However, my table isn’t adjustable so I can only adjust my monitor stand accordingly so I don’t strain my neck. I’ve found the right height and have now settled in comfortably. For Edwin, he had the same issue too & both of us are of similar height at 170cm, so he uses a foot rest to support his posture which works well for him.
In addition, the bucket seat, if you have a bigger build you may need to look for gaming chairs with a wider dimension, else it certainly won’t be comfortable. I feel the more premium collection of TT Racing offers a wider bucket seat so you won’t be stuffed in the seat.
If ergonomic is what you’re looking for there are plenty of options, although in this “ergonomic” category it may seem that gaming chairs are the most affordable as some good chairs can go up to a thousand ringgit. The most common reason people buy gaming chairs is because of the added comfort and support they offer when playing games for long periods, which is why I bought Edwin a gaming chair as he’s got a group of friends where they would Dota almost every night & as the spouse, we all knew each other. So another friend also got her boyfriend the same model for his birthday after seeing my insta story.
I hope my sharing will shed some light on your decision on buying a gaming chair, personally, I don’t regret getting a TT Racing it’s been a nice experience especially with work from home. However, I’ll advise friends that a gaming chair is not for everyone. My entire room looks like a gaming room at night with RGB lights, so it makes sense to get a pair of TT Racing gaming chair. Alternatively, the entry-level TT Racing Duo V3 Gaming Chair may be more acceptable by the majority of people, which is more similar to an office chair. It didn’t have the bucket seat like Swift X and there’s a lot of great reviews for this with the affordable price tag. I’ve seen a few friends saying it’s super comfortable which made me consider TT Racing.
I’m still wondering how long our gaming chair would last, mine constantly makes noises, not sure if it’s how we installed it while Edwin’s one has less noise when sitting on the chair. Well, that will be another story for another time when we get new chairs, I hope this will last us at least 2 years.
A year on, how are things going for you guys with these chairs?
Hi Ze, both chairs (fabric & leather) are still in good condition apart from minor scratches from my cat. It did provide me a good support for long hours of sitting (8-12hrs weekdays) 🙂
How about a 2 year update?
Coming to a 3 years soon, chair is still good. I just sold my TT Racing Swift (PU) to my friend, he is using it. However my husband’s TT Racing (Fabric) is still working fine. Some chips along the arm rest due to his sweat. But overall it’s good.
Hey, have you tested IKEA Markus? If you did, what do you think of IKEA Markus compared to Swift X?
Yes I did. I have friends who are using IKEA Markus too, works fine for them. However, there are very decent chairs out there with a lower price point that’s similar to Markus if you’re considering mesh type of chairs.
Hey there! Considering to buy a TTRacing chair for myself, but I’ve read reviews that the seat cushion becomes flat quite fast, so just wanted to ask you experience on that. Also, I tried a few gaming chairs in the past but the seat length didn’t seem to line up with the length of my thighs, and backrest height was not just right to provide neck support, so they were a bit uncomfortable. I’m 175cm, 80kg btw, wanted to ask another owner to know their experience as you can’t try TTRacing chairs in a physical shop.
I’m 170cm about 70KG. So far, seat cushion works fine for me. However if you have a concern, typically Gaming chairs isn’t for everyone. After 3 years, I actually upgraded mine to a “office chair” the mesh type ones as it has a better frame for my back.
hows your swift x holding up till today?
Still good!
Hi Shannon, is the PU leather holding up well after 2.5 years? Currently in the market for a gaming chair but can’t decide between the PU and fabric versions.
Yeap, I don’t sweat much so the PU leather is still holding up, in addition my room is mostly in aircond 🙂
Hi Shannon, just wanted to ask if your chairs are still in working condition? Was planning on getting these myself.
Yeap, the chairs are still in working conditions. We’re still using it.
Planning to get the 2023 Version (Fabric). I see that you mention something about noise with both the chairs, fabric being less.
I was hoping you could elaborate more on the noise, and if it was something that actually distracts you while gaming.
Thank you in advance!
Nope, the noise is pretty minor, just when you sit on it.