DESIGN & USER EXPERIENCE
The TTRacing Duo V3, like most other gaming chairs out there, adopts the look of racing harnesses. It’s comfortable enough to sit on, as you’d expect from a gaming chair. But, there are some important caveats, and they lie in the differences between the Duo V3 and other gaming chairs. One clear difference between it and most other gaming chairs is that it doesn’t come with extra pillows for head and lumbar support. Instead, support for these two regions are built into the chair itself. The lumbar support feels fine, but having one that’s not only thicker, but also that you can remove if you don’t need it, would make it suit more people.
It’s much the same story with the head support. And because it’s built in, you can’t make fine adjustments to its position if your height is not compatible with that of the chair. Something that’s unique to this particular gaming chair is the fact that it has a segment in the middle that’s covered in some sort of fabric, rather than the faux leather on the rest of the chair. Not exactly sure what this is for, but I’d hazard a guess that it’s so that these sections are more breathable. This would make the chair more comfortable to sit on on a hot day, or if you sweat easily.
Another odd quirk of the TTRacing Duo V3 is the extra cushioning it has between your thighs. It’s a pretty substantial bump too, which seems to imply that you’re supposed to sit with your legs apart. But on the flip side, depending on the size of your thighs, the armrests’ frame will eat into them instead as you try to fit your thighs between the two. This is, unfortunately, a problem that’s unique to the Duo V3. It’s one of very few, if not the only, gaming chair with a fixed armrest, with supporting frames on the front and back. In fact, the rear frames are the ones that hold the bottom and back sections of the chair together. And as a result, this also means that, while you can still lean back to about 155 degrees, there’s no reclining mechanism.
On the flip side, this makes the TTRacing Duo V3 very easy to put together. When you get it out of the box, you’ll find the instructions, some screws, O-rings and an Allen key in addition to the chair parts. The most challenging part of the process will be screwing the back and base of the chair, as well as the armrests, together. But the whole process shouldn’t take more than half an hour.
Before writing this review, I’ve been using this chair instead of my usual one whenever I’m in the office. After about two weeks, I can say that it’s definitely an improvement when it comes to feeling comfortable while working. Would this translate well to when you’re gaming? Definitely, even if you have the luxury of gaming for 10 hours a day. In fact, there are only two real issues i can see with the TTRacing Duo V3. One is the armrest eating into my thighs. I don’t use the armrests themselves much, and when I do, they’re comfortable enough fortunately. But I can’t ignore the fact that there are two conflicting design choices here. The cushioning wants you to sit with your legs apart, while the armrest frame punishes you for doing so. But it’s worth mentioning again, this gripe may not apply to you if you have small thighs.
The second issue is the lack of a proper recline mechanism. It’s not as major a complaint as the previous one, and I can definitely live without it. But there’s no denying that having it would definitely be nice.
COMPETITION
As far as competition goes, there are surprisingly a few that would be considered fair competition to the TTRacing Duo V3. This is especially when you look at price. That said, it’s easily one of the most affordable gaming chairs out there.
Fantech GC-185
One chair that is priced lower than the Duo V3 is the Fantech GC-185. As you can see, rather than the usual racing harness aesthetic, it looks more like your standard office chair. Instead, it’s been given some agressive design touches, such as the headrest and lumbar support. The base is also a static one, which doesn’t allow you to move it around freely. It comes in at RM299
Cassa Racing Style Gaming Chair
Then there’s the offering by Cassa, with its ridiculously long name. It comes with a price of RM238, but only by virtue of a massive discount. It’s original price sits at RM799. It offers features that you can find on more pricey gaming chairs, such as lumbar and head support pillows and a true reclining mechanism. That said, the design of its armrest may lead to the same problem as the TTRacing Duo V3.
Options from other more familiar brands are not only more plentiful, but also quite a lot higher in price. One is Todak, with its Alpha Standard gaming chair being priced at RM980. Then there’s Secretlab, AKRacing, and other more premium brands, with their chairs around the RM1400 range. DXRacer‘s most affordable option comes in at around RM1200.
CONCLUSION
The TTRacing Duo V3, then, will work very well as your gaming chair litmus test. If you have some spare funds to splurge on something fancy, but don’t want to immediately take a big leap into a pricey gaming chair, the Duo V3 is a good first buy to see if gaming chairs are for you. Take it as testing the waters, if you will. At this point, you’re probably wondering what’s the actual price of the TTRacing Duo V3. For the two weeks I’ve spent reviewing it, the Duo V3 had its price sitting at RM399. Its original price is RM599, as stated on its official product page. There’s no indication as to when its price will be reverted back to the original. You do get a two-year warranty if you choose to buy it.
In fact, the only thing that’s stopping me from wholeheartedly recommending it to everyone is the armrest. It doesn’t need to be adjustable, but its frame should be a lot further back. At the very least, it shouldn’t eat into its users’ thighs if they want to sit with their legs apart, or even cross-legged on it. But again, everyone’s body is different, and this may not be an issue for you. If it isn’t, feel free to give the TTRacing Duo V3 a try before you splurge on more expensive ones. TTRacing Duo V3 review unit is courtesy of TTRacing.
