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One-minute review

The Asus ROG Destrier Core is a compelling option if you’re searching for a mesh gaming chair and don’t mind paying a little bit more for a refreshingly stylish overall design.

The brand claims that the striking look was inspired by a ‘futuristic cyborg aesthetic’ and, while I personally don’t see the resemblance, the abundance of sharp angles helps it stand out in a sea of generic racing seats. It’s still sleek enough to blend into an office environment, with little details like the attached ROG fabric strap and subtle ‘Republic of Gamers’ engraving that mean it will look just as at home in a high-end gaming setup like any of the best gaming chairs.

It’s very comfortable to sit on too, with its breathable nylon mesh ensuring that heat won’t build up over even the longest gaming sessions. I’ve been using this chair at my desk at TechRadar Gaming HQ for months, and it’s helped me keep cool both during the stuffy summer months and throughout winter when the heating is mercilessly cranked up to uncomfortable levels.

Despite its thin overall profile, it still provides a good level of lumbar support thanks to an adjustable system in its backrest and the ability to tweak seat height and depth to find the perfect sitting position. The included headrest is also a nice touch, offering substantially more comfort and adjustability than the much more static magnetic cushion found on the competing Secretlab Titan Evo 2022.

My only major complaint with the Asus ROG Destrier Core relates to the setup process out of the box. I assemble gaming chairs every other week, and this is one of the few models that I’ve struggled with. The included instructions are perfectly clear, but getting the heavy backrest into position so that you can screw everything together is tricky to do alone, and had me drafting a colleague in to help hold it in position.

Luckily, you’ll only have to do this once - but it is worth bearing in mind that you might need a friend on hand.

(Image credit: Future)Price and availability

• Costs $629.99 / £499.99 / around AU$600
• Available via Asus and online retailers
• Strong competition at this price

The Asus ROG Destrier Core Gaming Chair costs $629.99 / £499.99 / around AU$600. It’s readily available direct from Asus or at online retailers such as Amazon.

This price tag puts the chair towards the upper bracket of the mid-range market, coming in above supremely popular alternatives like the $519 / £414 / AU$724 Secretlab Titan Evo 2022.

What makes the Asus ROG Destrier Core Gaming Chair worth picking in the face of such strong competition? The mesh material and the unique design, namely. Quality mesh gaming chairs are generally expensive, with the likes of the Razer Fujin Pro at an eye-watering $1,049 / £999, so this price tag is not too unreasonable.

Specs

Price

$629.99 / £499.99 / around AU$600

Dimensions

27.8 x 24.1 x 45.2-53.1 inches / 707 x 613 x 1150-1350mm

Max user weight

299.8lbs / 136kg

Min seat height

18.5in / 470mm

Seat width

20in / 510mm

Warranty

2 years

Design and aesthetics

• Unique look
• Quality materials
• Subtle branding

With its distinctly angular look, the Asus ROG Destrier Core is pretty stylish as far as gaming chairs go. Asus has kept the aesthetic very minimalist, with most of the branding confined to subtle details.

This includes a neat fabric strap on the back of the headrest, which doubles as a convenient way to yank the chair around if you want to move it. There’s also a small ‘Republic of Gamers’ engraving on its spine, and a subtle ROG logo on the back of the headrest’s mesh.

Looking at the chair head-on, the only real indication that this is indeed a gaming product is the red ROG emblem emblazoned on the headrest. If this isn’t to your liking, though, Asus also offers a white version of the chair that swaps the red out for a much more subtle silver color.

As you would expect, given the price tag, the materials here are flawless across the board. The nylon mesh is impressively strong, and the armrests benefit from a soft layer of foam padding. The casters are smooth, gliding across surfaces with ease and minimal noise.

This chair has been used heavily throughout its time at our office so far, with someone sitting in it every weekday for months, and in that time, it's sustained very few visible marks or scuffs, which is particularly impressive.

(Image credit: Future)Comfort and adjustability

• Adjustable lumbar support and 3D armrests
• “Mobile gaming mode”
• Highly comfortable to use

There is no shortage of adjustment options with the Asus ROG Destrier Core Gaming Chair. It offers the standard height adjustment via a gas mechanism and the ability to alternate the backrest recline between three levels via a lever on the right-hand side of your seated position. You can also easily reposition the bottom of the seat to increase or decrease its depth with a lever located on the other side.

The armrests can be raised by up to 5.5 inches / 14cm and can rotate a full 360 degrees. They’re a decent size and have a layer of soft foam at the top to make them a bit more comfortable on your elbows.

Raise the armrests as far as possible to enter what Asus calls “mobile gaming mode” - designed to keep your arms elevated so you can hold a phone in front of your face without strain. It feels a little weird at first, but it does a surprisingly good job of improving mobile play if you’re at your desk.

Underneath the backrest is a basic lumbar support mechanism which can be raised and lowered freely, clicking into place. You can also tweak its depth slightly by twisting the two rotating dials on the back.

(Image credit: Future)

The final points of adjustment are in the headrest, which can be raised or lowered in a range of 4.7 inches / 12cm or moved forward and backwards to ensure that it’s snugly against the back of your head. I’m quite tall and can struggle with headrests built into gaming chairs, but the range of adjustment here made it easy to get it into the perfect spot.

Add in the breathability of the mesh material, and you have a chair that remains comfortable even over extended periods of use. I’ve sat in it for hours at a time and haven’t experienced any soreness or fatigue.

(Image credit: Future)Assembly

• All necessary tools included
• Backrest is difficult to align
• I’d recommend having a friend help

Assembling the Asus ROG Destrier Core Gaming Chair is a bit of a chore as the components are quite heavy, which makes them difficult to maneuver on your own.

Due to the shape of the backrest, it’s hard to keep it in place when it needs to be screwed in - so I’d highly recommend making sure that you have a friend on hand to lend a hand.

The instructions are thankfully very clear, and all necessary tools are included in the box, so Asus gains some marks back there.

Should I buy the Asus ROG Destrier Core Gaming Chair?Buy it if...

You’re after a stylish gaming seat
The overall design and aesthetic is one of the highlights of the Asus ROG Destrier Core Gaming Chair. It’s attractive and unique, and wouldn’t look out of place in either an office or a gaming den.

You want a breathable mesh
The Asus ROG Destrier Core Gaming Chair boasts a quality nylon mesh that provides a good level of breathability to stop heat building over as you sit.

Don't buy it if...

You want to save some cash
The Asus ROG Destrier Core Gaming Chair is a compelling package, but there’s plenty of strong competition around this price. The Secretlab Titan Evo 2022, for example, is another comfortable chair that comes in a little cheaper.

Also consider...

If you’re not sold on the Asus ROG Destrier Core Gaming Chair, then these two alternatives are worth weighing up.

Asus ROG Destrier Core Gaming Chair

Secretlab Titan Evo 2022

Razer Fujin Pro

Price

$629.99 / £499.99 / around AU$600

$549 / £469 / AU$799

$1,049 / £‎1,315 / around AU$ 2,600

Dimensions

27.8 x 24.1 x 45.2-53.1 inches / 707 x 613 x 1150-1350mm

51.2 x 27.6 x 19.3in / 130 x 70 x 49cm

28.57 x 16.94 x 36.05in / 725 x 430 x 915mm

Max user weight

299.8lbs / 136kg

285lbs / 130kg

136kg / 300lbs

Min seat height

18.5 inches / 470mm

17.7in / 45cm

18.5 inches

Seat width

20 inches / 510mm

18.5in / 470mm

20.9 inches / 530mm

Warranty

2 years

3 years

5 years

Secretlab Titan Evo 2022
This popular gaming chair is a strong alternative. It’s not a mesh model, but it’s still highly comfortable with plenty of adjustment options. It’s even a little cheaper than the Asus ROG Destrier Core Gaming Chair - and comes in more color options to boot.

For more information, check out our full Secretlab Titan Evo 2022 review

Razer Fujin Pro
If you want another mesh option, then this high-end competitor from hardware giant Razer is worth a look. It’s much more expensive than the Asus ROG Destrier Core Gaming Chair, but delivers a supreme level of comfort.

For more information, check out our full Razer Fujin Pro review

How I tested the Asus ROG Destrier Core Gaming Chair

• Tested for multiple months
• Sat in for hours at a time
• Compared to other gaming chairs

I tested the Asus ROG Destrier Core Gaming Chair over multiple months at the TechRadar Gaming office.

Throughout that time, I used the chair every time I was working from the office, sitting in it for multiple hours at a time. In addition to office work, I tested gaming products like the Nintendo Switch 2 from the seat and was careful to evaluate its mobile gaming mode.

I compared my experience to my hands-on testing of many other gaming chairs, including the likes of the Secretlab Titan Evo 2022 and my go-to at-home pick: the Herman Miller Sayl.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed September-December 2025.

TP-Link AXE5400: One minute reviewAsus RP-AX58: Specifications

Wi-Fi: Wi-Fi 6E
Wi-Fi Speed: 5.4Gbps
Ports: 1x Gigabit Ethernet
Antennae: 4
Dimensions: 348 x 106 x 80mm

Wi-Fi 6E, which the Asus RP-AX58 features, is a bit like the missing link of the Wi-Fi family. It was the first version of Wi-Fi technology to introduce the high-speed 6.0GHz frequency band – in addition to the existing 2.4GHz and 5.0GHz bands used by previous generations of Wi-Fi. However, it never really took off as many people had only just upgraded to Wi-Fi 6, and it wasn’t long before the absurdly fast Wi-Fi 7 came along and made poor old 6E look a bit irrelevant.

The advantage of that, though, is that you can now pick up a high-performance range extender that uses Wi-Fi 6E at a pretty competitive price.

We liked TP-Link’s BE3600 range extender thanks to its ease of use and installation, but its dual-band Wi-Fi 7 performance was actually fairly modest, with a top speed of 3.6Gbps. The AXE5400 (model number RE815XE) is around the same price as the BE3600, but the use of Wi-Fi 6E means that it can provide tri-band Wi-Fi performance and a speed of 5.4Gbps that should be more than adequate for use with most home broadband services.

TP-Link AXE5400: Price And Availability

• How much does it cost? $139.99/£119.14
• When is it available: Now
• Where can you get it: US, UK

The AXE5400 costs $139.99/£119.14, which is slightly less expensive than the TP-Link BE3600 with Wi-Fi 7, even though the tri-band Wi-Fi 6E used by the AXE5400 actually provides stronger performance with a top speed of 5.4Gbps.

It’s not currently on sale in Australia, though, where it looks like TP-Link is skipping a generation and going from an older Wi-Fi 6 model to the new BE3600 with Wi-Fi 7 instead.

• Value: 4.5/5

(Image credit: Future)TP-Link AXE5400: Design

• Big, bulky design
• Four external antennae
• Easy-to-use app

It’s safe to say that the AXE5400 is not going to quietly and unobtrusively blend into your home décor.

Its four large external antennae make it one of the biggest and bulkiest range extenders we’ve come across, and with the antennae fully extended the AXE5400 measures a full 348mm high, 106mm wide and 80mm deep (including the plug section that is inserted straight into a mains power socket).

In fact, it’s so large that it actually blocked an adjacent power socket when we set it up in our offices. There’s also a series of status indicator lights on the front panel, which are useful when setting up the AXE5400, but also mean that it may take up even more space in order to keep the front of the unit clear and visible.

The bulky design does serve a purpose though, as the large antennae help to beam the range extender’s tri-band Wi-Fi signal far and wide, and ensure that it obliterates any annoying deadspots in your home. There’s an Ethernet port on the right-hand side of the unit to provide a wired connection too – although, of course, the AXE5400 still relies on Wi-Fi to connect to your main broadband router.

• Design: 3.5/5

(Image credit: Future)TP-Link AXE5400: Features

• Simple installation
• Helpful status indicators
• Plugs directly into mains power socket

It may not support the latest Wi-Fi 7, but the AXE5400 includes plenty of features that enable it to provide strong Wi-Fi performance, and also to help people who may not have used a range extender before.

The use of tri-band Wi-Fi 6E allows the AXE5400 to broadcast a Wi-Fi signal on three separate frequency bands. The 2.4GHz and 5.0GHz bands provide compatibility with older PCs and mobile devices, while the high-speed 6.0GHz band boosts the Wi-Fi performance to a healthy 5.4Gbps – which is significantly faster than dual-band range extenders that use Wi-Fi 7, such as TP-Link’s BE3600, or the Asus RP-BE58.

And, as mentioned, there’s a Gigabit Ethernet port on the AXE5400 to provide a wired connection as well. It also provides a feature called ‘adaptive path selection’ – often just called ‘roaming’ by most other manufacturers – which can monitor a laptop or mobile device as you move from room to room, and decide when to hand the Wi-Fi connection back to your main router in order to maintain the best performance.

Like most range extenders, the AXE5400 will work with routers from any manufacturer, but it also supports TP-Link’s OneMesh system, which allows it to be used as part of a wider mesh networking system if you already own a TP-Link router with OneMesh.

It’s easy to use too (although the annoying Christmas ads that seemed to pop up every now and then within the app were pretty shameless). The TP-Link Tether app can automatically detect the Wi-Fi signal from the AXE5400 and guide you through the process of connecting to the three different frequency bands.

You can use the same name and password as your main network from your broadband router, or create a new name and password just for the AXE5400. There’s even a signal test within the app to help you find the best spot to place the AXE5400 in order to deal with any deadspots in particular rooms within your home. And, for more advanced users, there’s a web browser interface that provides more detailed control over your network settings.

• Features: 4/5

(Image credit: Future)TP-Link AXE5400: Performance

• Tri-band Wi-Fi 6E
• 5.4Gbps Wi-Fi
• 1x Gigabit Ethernet

Our offices are a good place to test range extenders, as we have one office towards the back of the building that does suffer from a very noticeable Wi-Fi deadspot – which is usually managed with the use of some PowerLine adaptors to provide a wired network connection instead.

TP-Link AXE5400 benchmarks

Ookla Speed Test – 2.4GHz (download/upload)

Within 30ft, three partition walls: 140Mbps / 140Mbps

20GB Steam Download - 2.4GHz

Within 30ft, three partition walls: 110Mbps

Ookla Speed Test – 5.0GHz (download/upload)

Within 30ft, three partition walls: 150Mbps / 150Mbps

20GB Steam Download - 5.0GHz

Within 30ft, three partition walls: 150Mbps

Ookla Speed Test - 6.0GHz (upload/download)

Within 30ft, three partition walls: 150Mbps/150Mbps

20GB Steam Download - 6.0GHz

Within 30ft, three partition walls: 150Mbps

Thankfully, though, the AXE5400 dealt with that problem in no time at all, providing a strong Wi-Fi signal on all three frequency bands as soon as I set it up in a hallway just outside that back office.

The office broadband runs at 150Mbps, and even the slower 2.4GHz band on the AXE5400 managed to hit 140Mbps with the Ookla Speed Test. Steam downloads were a little slower at 110Mbps, but that speed is still in line with the 2.4GHz performance of other range extenders that we’ve tested.

Switching to the 5.0GHz band immediately boosted performance, hitting the full 150Mbps with both the Ookla and Steam tests. And, of course, the fastest 6.0GHz band had no trouble maintaining those speeds as well.

If you only have older PCs or mobile devices that use Wi-Fi 5 or 6 on the 2.4GHz and 5.0GHz bands then you may not need a tri-band range extender such the AXE5400.

But, if you’re able to make use of that 6.0GHz band, then the AXE5400 is a fast, reliable way of getting rid of Wi-Fi deadspots at a more competitive price than newer Wi-Fi 7 models.

• Performance: 4/5

Should You Buy The TP-Link AXE5400?TP-Link AXE5400 Scorecard

Attributes

Notes

Score

Value

Wi-Fi 6E may be the forgotten member of the Wi-Fi family, but that means you can pick up this tri-band range extender at a very competitive price.

4.5 / 5

Design

The sheer size of the AXE5400 and its four large antenna means that it’s a bit of an eyesore, and may even block an adjacent power socket.

3.5 / 5

Features

The four antennae do earn their keep though, providing tri-band Wi-Fi for maximum compatibility with both older and newer PCs and mobile devices.

4 / 5

Performance

Tri-band Wi-Fi and a top speed of 5.4Gbps means that the AXE5400 can even outperform some of its dual-band Wi-Fi 7 rivals.

4 / 5

Final Score

Good performance, maximum compatibility, and an easy-to-use app make this a great option for anyone that needs to fix a Wi-Fi deadspot.

4 / 5

Buy it if...

You need speed
Tri-band Wi-Fi 6E with a top speed of 5.4Gbps is more than enough for streaming video and online gaming.

You have a new laptop
It may not support Wi-Fi 7, but the Wi-Fi 6E used by the AXE5400 still lets you use the speed 6.0GHz frequency band.

Don’t buy it if...

You’re on a budget
The AXE5400 is a fairly high-end range extender, and there are less expensive options available for under $100/£100.

You don't need super-speed
Many of us don’t really need Wi-Fi 6E, as we’re still using older PCs, consoles, and mobile devices that only support the 2.4GHz and 5.0GHz frequencies.

Also Consider

If you're undecided about the TP-Link AXE5400, I've compared its specs with two other options that might be a better fit.

TP-Link AXE5400

Asus RP-BE58

TP-Link RE700X

Price

$139.99/£119.14

$99.99/79.99/AU$150

$119.99/£56.99/AU$123.90

Wi-Fi

Wi-Fi 6E

Wi-Fi 7

Wi-Fi 6

Wi-Fi Speed

5.4Gbps

3.6Gbps

3.0Gbps

Antennae

4 (external)

2 (internal)

2 (internal)

Ethernet ports

1x Gigabit Ethernet

1x Gigabit Ethernet

1x Gigabit Ethernet

Dimensions

348 x 106 x 80mm

150 x 72 x 87mm

149 x 78 x 36mm

If you do want a range extender that supports Wi-Fi 7 then the RP-BE58 from Asus is a good affordable option. It offers dual-band Wi-Fi running at 3.6Gbps, and can easily handle gaming and streaming video.

This previous-generation range extender from TP-Link is a good budget option for many people. It supports dual-band Wi-Fi 6 with a top speed of 3.0Gbps, which is fine for most domestic broadband services. Read our full review

The TP-Link AXE5400 Wi-Fi 6E Range Extender (RE815XE) is a fast yet affordable range extender for tackling Wi-Fi deadspots.

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