Our Verdict
79%
The best-looking chair in its class, and it offers good value too, but check your hip width before taking the plunge.
The Corsair T3 Rush may be one of the cheapest gaming chairs we’ve reviewed, but in many ways it punches well above its weight, with the most obvious win being its design. The company offers just three color options for this particular model, with charcoal, grey/charcoal, and grey/white available, and they all have an understated classiness to their styling that many other chairs fail to bring to the table, or indeed your computer desk.
As well as the fabric coloring, the attractiveness of the design is also down to aspects such as the choice of a simple black plastic set of legs and matching wheels – there are none of the flashier ‘gamer’ touches seen on some of the gaming chairs I’ve recently reviewed. Even the Corsair logo is fairly subtle compared to the branding on the likes of the AKRacing Master Series Premium.
At Custom PC, we’ve been reviewing the latest PC hardware since 2003, and we’ve been testing chairs for over a decade. For more information on our gaming chair test process, see our How we test page.
What’s more, the fabric finish of this chair feels really pleasant. It’s finer and softer than the Nitro Concepts S300, and it’s our clear favorite of the coverings we’ve recently reviewed in terms of touch. However, it won’t be as easy to keep clean as the PU leather coverings found on some of the pricier chairs tested this month.
Further helping this chair’s cause is its rather neat lumbar support cushion. It has a plush covering, it’s much larger than most other chairs’ lumbar supports and it doesn’t use straps. Instead, the idea is it can just sit, wedged at the base of the seat, or you can cinch it up a bit once you’ve sat down. It’s able to do this and still be comfortable because it’s made of super-squidgy memory foam. It puts all the other lumbar support cushions to shame with its sheer kidney-hugging snugness.
Letting the side down on the comfort level are two factors though. The first is that the seat just feels rather hard – it’s the firmest we’ve tested recently. Thankfully, though, the seat does a reasonable job of alleviating this hardness by having a more comfortable shape than the likes of the Nitro Concepts S300.
The other problem is the particularly harsh wings, specifically those on the sides of the backrest. I have relatively wide hips for a slim 6ft 2-inch man, but I still wouldn’t expect a chair of this type to dig into my hips. A shallower angle or just a few extra centimeters of width would make all the difference here. This really goes to show that using a racing seat for an office chair isn’t ideal. There are no sideways forces being slung at you to make the support wings useful and they otherwise only serve to restrict your sitting options.
Meanwhile, the main area that shows up the relatively low price tag on this chair (other than the lack of PU leather), is the inclusion of a more basic type of recline system, which is identical to that on the AKRacing California and Nitro Concepts S300. It technically does offer recline, but it’s not well balanced and it can’t be locked in a reclined position.
Meanwhile, the armrests are of the 4D type, with a sideways sliding motion, but they’re particularly hard and wobbly with a weird-looking checker pattern. I actually preferred the more basic armrests on the Nitro Concepts S300.
Corsair T3 Rush pros and cons
Pros
- Classy design
- Super squishy lumbar support cushion
- Good value
Cons
- Overly hard seat padding
- Side wings too constricting
- No height adjustment for lumbar support
Corsair T3 Rush price
Price: $259 (£249).
Corsair T3 Rush review conclusion
The Corsair T3 Rush is a good value gaming chair that offers a solid balance of features for its comparatively low price. The chair covering and color schemes in particular are excellent, as is the lumbar support cushion.
However, the seat is slightly too firm and the side wings are a little restrictive. This chair would also be improved with a better recline mechanism, but this would up the price considerably. If you can’t afford to spend big money, this is a decent gaming chair for the price.
If the Corsair T3 Rush doesn’t quite fit your gaming chair requirements, check out our noblechairs Hero review. You can also read our full guide to creating a comfortable ergonomic setup in your gaming or office room, which includes help finding the most comfortable gaming chair.